Hilariously Bad Interview Questions

In '93, I was covering the American Bowl in Barcelona for Navy/Marine Corps News (I was a Navy journalist at the time). It was the 49ers v. the Steelers and the Niners won. We were in the locker room after the game and talked to Steve Young and Jerry Rice and both were great. My boss, who knew NOTHING about sports, looks at me and our cameraman and in a loud voice says, "Alright, is there anyone else famous enough for us to interview?" My mouth dropped to the floor as about 10 Niners looked at him like they were ready to use him as a tackling dummy. The PR guy whisked him out of the room, but told us we could stay and wrap up.

Better part of the story was as we were walking out of the stadium, there was a huge crowd of people waiting and when we walked out, they all started cheering. Me and my cameraman, both of us in our full military uniform, thought it was pro-America love, so we're waving and smiling and suddenly this huge hand rests on my shoulder. I turn around and there are two of the Niners' O-linemen. He's laughing and says, "Uh, I think that might be for us."

 

Exactly.

And I still laugh everytime I read "Let's get you on the record."

 

Two quickies.

On the first one I don't even remember the question but the coaches response was, "Can you ask me that again, using different words?"

The second from a student writer at a spring training football deal: "Coach, you've got three good receivers in John Smith, Joe Schmoe and and Sam Jones, if Bill Hurtalot can come back from his injury, what does that give you?"

Coach: "It gives us four, son."

 

Questions asked of the kid who just hit the game-winning home run in a high school baseball game:
"What kind of pitch was it you hit?"
"What was going through your mind when you made contact?"

 

OK, I'll bite, probably to my regret.

What's wrong with that question?

Actually, both. To the second, response could be "I thought it was out," "I thought I missed it" or whatever....

 

These are all pretty funny and entertaining, but I often wonder if we ask people questions when we, well, don't really have anything to ask.

 

For the first one, it's one I usually ask because I can't always tell what kind of pitch it is. However I included it because I'm sure the regular baseball beat writers would know what kind of pitch it was from watching the game and thus don't need to ask the hitter what he hit.

For the second question, another one I've asked, the answer usually is something along the lines of "hopefully I got enough of it to get out" or "please fall in" or something like that. For a home run, rarely, if ever, will you hear a batter say "I thought I had missed it" or "I didn't think I got enough of it"

 

1. Mid-major football game. Team A is on its own 35-yard line with two seconds left in the first half and heaves a pass downfield.
Student reporter asks the head coach after the game, "Hey coach, what was up with that pass at the end of the first half?"
Coach said, "Bill, it's called a hail mary."

2. High school girls basketball state semifinal. Team A loses by two points. Coach, lone senior, freshman and sophomore come to the press conference. Reporter asks the younguns, "You girls got this far so early..." then she turns to the senior and says, "I know it sucks for you because you're done..." then turns back to the younguns and continues, "How will this experience help you in the future?"

 

I've asked my share of stupid questions.
I've heard my share of stupid questions.
Who cares?
Everyone has their own stories to report. And maybe what's obvious to you, (the smartest, bestest reporter in the room) isn't so obvious to others. At least they're asking them.

 

Chances are even that when a kid hits a homer in a HS game, it would be impossible to tell what kind of pitch it was: Most HS homers are hit on nothing-balls or hanging breaking balls.

I've asked that question many times, and don't see anything wrong with it. If it's a big enough game, I've asked those same two questions to both the hitter and the pitcher.

 

Couple problems with that.

1. The writer wasn't black.

2. It was a serious question.

(What happened was the writer asked how long it mattered that Williams was both black and a quarterback and Williams said, "What? How long have I been a black quarterback?" And then answered it.)

 

There's a poster around here (can't remember who it is) who posts the real story every time this comes up...apparently there's still a need for his services.