Stealing quotes

These days, in the age of teleconferences, online transcripts, online news conferences...etc., etc....I'm not sure if there are many quotes that anyone could really call their own.

 

I wouldn't sweat that, to be honest. If you're overhearing someone's personal interview, that's one thing, but a group interview, however small, is far game and another quote, a better quote, could be better info for your readers.

 

Group interview's fine -- everything's fair game there. But I've been involved in the same situation as HeinekenMan, where another scribe was eavesdropping on my interview before a game.

The second time it happened with this douchebag, I called his bluff: Asked a BS question to the coach while the guy was looking over my shoulder, then I invited him in to ask a question to the coach. He got his (one) question in before he shuttled off (in guilt, 'cause I gave him the evil eye), and then I started asking my real questions.

Coach knew what I was up to; he winked at me when the other guy asked his question. He woulda been happy to give the guy some time, but you can't be a dick about it when somebody else is in a 1-on-1. That's decidedly NOT fair game.

 

What amazes me is how many reporters out there make a good living by never asking a single question of their own. I know of two personally that are at good publications and couldn't ask a decent question of their lives depended on it.

 

agreed, but there also are just as many douchebags, who obviously have 2 a.m. deadlines, who believe once they engage in a 1-on-1 that they own said interviewee for the rest of the evening.

just as bad.

 

yeah, got the whole pregame thing in your post. but there's also just so many hours in the day before a game starts, too ... and plenty of angles to be lost because some jackass believes he's the only hack on the face of the earth.