The dumbest question you've ever asked/heard

I once covered an SEC team's national championship 10-year reunion, which happened to be held right before a game against the championship coach's new team. I asked him if he had talked the current players on his old team about that championship year. He just looked at me like I was a fool and said, "Son, I've got my own team to coach."

The dumbest question I've ever heard came at a press conference for a D2 football classic. Both team's coaches were up at the tables taking questions from the group. One reporter gets the microphone and says, "Coaches, do either of you have a player on your team like The Blindside?"

 

I've told the story before, but after his Bucs got crushed in the season finale by the New Orleans Saints, John McKay came to the assembled scribes (it wasn't an interview room back then) ready to answer questions. We weren't worried; McKay was better after a loss than a win, usually. Must have been a lack of arrogance.

First question was asked by a goofy radio reporter, with a smirk: "So, coach, any New Year's resolutions?"

McKay: "I'm the one who's supposed to be funny here."

End of press session.

Many wanted to kill the guy.

 

Instead of having the sports side lead the coverage when one of my players died in a game, news reporters zoomed in on me. Never again do I want to see a news reporter at a sporting event

The highs (or low)

Is there a differerance between an outdoor football helmet and an indoor football helmet?

Do semi-pro players get paid?

From the owner
Why I am speaking last at the press conference?

 

Do semi-pro players get paid is actually a good question.

 

It may have been coming from a news reporter ... but that one of the debates going on was are minor league players professional or semi-pros? Our stance was that semi-pros are one step above beer league and we would prefer using the term minor leaguers and the sports writers agreed, but now, not the news side...

So the anal news editor calls me and reads the definition of the word semi-pro from the dictionary. My responses was, can look you up the word "gay" ... I know you wouldn't like me calling you that ...

 

Semi-pro players might get paid a per-game. Nothing special and you usually don't get paid to practice. You'll still have to work a day job.

 

Are minor league players professional or semi-pro? Now that's stupid.

 

"Is it a gay thing?

One of my reporters to a wrestling coach while doing a story on why turnout was low.

 

I covered a game for a friend of mine who had to be at a different school. I forgot to look up the coach's name, so I went with the old reliable when I don't know someone's name but should: Ask them how to spell it.

Me: Well thanks coach. Before I go can you spell your name for me?

Coach: John?

Me: Er ... um ... Well there's J-o-n and J-o-h-n

I got saved because apparently the coach's son spells his name J-o-n, but my buddy laughed at me when he found out. I always look up coaches names before I go.

 

In college there was a reporter at the student newspaper when I was the news editor there who was a little slow on the uptake. He was assigned a feature story on a water polo coach and the sports editor gave him some advice on how to get the story. His mistake was telling the kid "find out who he is." The SE gets a call later in the day from the coach who sounded a little miffed. Apparently the first question out of the reporter's mouth was "who are you?"

 

Always love these two:

TV reporter to Mike Singletary during a game right after Walsh died:

"I heard that your mentor Bill Walsh was one of the first phone calls that you made when you found out that you had the job. What does it mean to you to be the head coach of the 49ers?"

Or a question asked of a Baylor basketball player (with the whole '03 murder in mind) after a BU win:

*player says something about God's role*

"Where was God in this program five years ago?"

 

First question of Mike Tomlin's press conference...not sure who asked it. "Is this fun coach or what?"