Toughest interviews

The one Bob Knight press conference I've had the pleasure of participating in is still the only one I've sat through in which no one wanted to ask the first question.

 

For whatever reason, and this probably doesn't speak well of me, I had no problems with Knight and in fact in the times I dealt with him wound up with good copy.
I'm with FB. Prep girl athletes, while fine young people, are both creeped out at being asked questions by an adult and, to the extent they speak at all, only speak fluent Sportscenter.

 

I'd like to throw a vote here to old John McNamara, the former Red Sox manager, because, well, you had to be there sometimes.

 

Fenian_Bastard....thanks for that offering because it made me smile. damn, how true.

 

Marvin Harrison is not known for being a chatty cathy type interview.

 

Those aren't tough interviews. Oh wow, someone who doesn't like to make things easy.
Tough is talking to a 17-year old girl who put up a double-double three days after her father died.

 

Toughest for me have been freshmen girls.

It's bad enough when I'm talking to some kid after a game and their parents are in the stats wondering who that perv is that is talking with their little Britney.

It gets worse when little Britney gets the giggles because she can't come up with anything to say.

A couple of years ago we had a freshman make out All-Area cross country team. They all met us at the paper for photos and interviews. When I walked up to her for her interview, she started bawling. I kid you not.

 

Yeah but he just might shoot you.

 

Yup. So much fun to try and get a quality quote from a giggling girl. Been there, done that ...

But when you get a well-spoken female athlete, they can come up with some nice one-liners that can enhance an otherwise mundane gamer.

 

Terry Mills, asking him why he stomped on Mike Peplowski's crotch in the 1986 Class A semifinals...

 

Mine was something like that. High school sophomore raped, then shot once trying to get help in the clubhouse while golfing alone at her home course during, looking forward to the fall season. Not just any athlete in our coverage area, either -- she was a three-sport star in golf, basketball and track.

Did that interview almost one year later, after the guy was convicted and sentenced. She had her best friend with her the whole time in case she broke down and needed support, and there were tears shed, but she was incredibly strong. Either that or she hid it well. I tend to think the former is true.

 

Agreed. I had a volleyball player give a great story that I used to bracket a gamer once.