The Most Awkward Athlete-Reporter Interactions in Sports History
What athlete interviews make us cringe?
Image via Complex Original
Athletes and reporters both have jobs to do. Athletes have to prepare and perform at a high level and reporters have to create a story that people want to read. It’s a mutually beneficial relationship, but somewhere along the lines of that relationship there have been some very awkward moments between the two. Sometimes athletes misinterpret questions and sometimes reporters can pick the wrong time to ask some of the most offensive questions possible. Whether it’s Jim Rome targeting Jim Everett, or Jim Gray asking a douchey question to numerous athletes, it can be quite the awkward situation.
It is terrible for the reporter and the athlete, but it makes for some awesome TV moments for the viewer. From Bobby Bonilla’s interactions with the New York media, to the unforgettable Joe Namath-Suzy Kolber interview, here are the Most Awkward Athlete-Reporter Interactions in Sports History.
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Steve Francis Keeps It Short and Not So Sweet
Date: 3/21/2004
Not much ever comes out of postgame interviews. The same stupid questions (and sometimes they're just open ended statements) are followed by the same cliché answers from athletes who want no part of it. So kudos to Steve Francis for making (one of) the dumbest trend(s) in sports media, slightly, entertaining.
Deion Sanders Cools Tim McCarver Off
Date: 10/14/1992
This feud stemmed from Tim McCarver criticizing Deion's decision to play in an NFL game on Sunday afternoon prior to an Atlanta Braves playoff game that night. Deion responded—as any rational adult would—by dumping a tub of ice water on Tim's head three times. While going in for round four, which is starting to push it, McCarver confronted him telling him he was a "real man." The point was made and Sanders with his overreaction actually made the jabbering McCarver—who's still waiting on that apology—appear sympathetic.
Floyd Mayweather vs. Larry Merchant
Date: 9/17/2011
Larry Merchant and Floyd Mayweather were kind of like this generation's Muhammad Ali and Howard Cosell. Merchant always asked the tough questions and Floyd always responded in a contentious manner. But this time Mayweather's patience with Merchant's interview style wore thin and he let him know it. Merchant ended his 35-year career just seven months later. We're pretty sure he channeled officer Murtaugh as he walked away: "I'm too old for this shit."
Milt Stegall Doesn't Respect Your Junior High School Career
Date: 11/9/2007
You have to wonder why the reporter indulged. Who did he think he was impressing by saying he played football in junior high? That type of rebuttal is begging for a condescending response and our man Steagall obliged.
Terrell Owens Loves His Quarterback
Date: 1/14/2008
We don't know what was in the air the night Terrell Owens teared up in an interview with the Dallas media. Always remember, that in T.O.'s heart Tony Romo is his teammate, and his quarterback. Donovan McNabb was probably the angriest man on earth after watching this interview. Pretty noble, but we wonder if it has anything to do with Owens realizing that his best days were behind him?
Chris Webber's Interesting Analogy
Date: Unknown
We're not sure if this analogy follows but it seems like Chris Webber was eager to drop that line. As someone who isn't a stranger to contentious postgame interviews perhaps it's something he thought up five minutes too late for the postgame presser after his timeout "boned" Michigan's title hopes. We feel you C-Webb never let a good line go to waste.
Nothing's Funny to Derek Anderson
Date: 11/29/2010
Easily one of the lamer outbursts in postgame press conference history occurred after a 27-6 blowout loss to the 49ers in a 2010 Monday Night Football. After getting caught laughing on the sideline while his team was on the verge of a 5-11 season, Anderson went "nuts" with all the sincerity of an episode of Keeping up with the Kardashians. It lacked the fire of Dennis Green's Arizona MNF blowup from four years prior and confirmed one thing to us: Derek Anderson's as good an actor as he is a quarterback.
Shaq Keeps It 100
Date: 2/1/2004
"I don't give a shit." Nothing could more perfectly sum up our philosophy on postgame interviews.
Kevin Garnett Ethers Craig Sager
Date: 2/15/2009
Craig Sager's outfits are always the elephant in the room. For real, how can you take a dude seriously when his gaudy clownlike wardrobe is distracting you from how long your star point guard is out for? It was a long time coming for KG who never misses an opportunity to talk shit. You know what, though? He's right.
Russell Westbrook Gets Fed Up
Date: 2/12/2013
"Did you guys lose this game or did the Jazz win this one?" We'll cut the sportswriter some slack; it's possible he's been beaten down from a career of hearing the same regurgitated clichés over and over again. But fuck man, what does that even mean? That's the most interchangeable question a hacky sports journalist can ask. Besides it's Russell Westbrook, you should know how to get him to talk. Ask him what designer he's wearing and his eyes will light up like Snoop Dogg in Amsterdam.
Michael Strahan Speaks with a Full Mouth
Date: 11/29/2006
This is a far cry from the man who now interviews Channing Tatum and demonstrates exercises for new and expecting mothers.
Floyd Mayweather Spars with Brian Kenny
Date: 5/21/2009
What happens when you combine a flamboyant self promoter with a sports journalist who'd rather question athletes than buddy-up with them? You get the No. 8 spot on our list. Athletes don't like being cross-examined and Money Mayweather was no exception. We're still holding out hope for that Pacquiao/Mayweather fight. And props to Brian Kenny, one of the last sportscasters whose interviews aren't ambien to the eyes.
James Toney Is the Black Elmer Fudd
Date: 10/4/2003
Jim Gray just can't catch a break. His interview with James Toney got off to a bad start when Gray asks Toney "were you simply just too quick and too fast for Evander Holyfield?" It leads to such quotables from Toney including "I got milk baby" and "I'm undestructable." The interview gets even more heated at the end when James Toney knocks Jom Gray's microphone down and had to be held back. With those actions, you would've thought Toney lost.
Ryan Leaf Wants You to "Knock It Off!"
Date: 9/20/1998
There was a time when this guy was compared to Peyton Manning. Now, 15 years later, Manning is ranked as the No. 2 player in football (at age 37) whereas Ryan Leaf is actually younger then Peyton and has been out of the league for a dozen years. The greatest part of this interaction is Leaf's phony apology read word for word like a damn kindergartner. Sometimes you got to wonder why PR types even bother.
Rampage Jackson Is a Creeper
Date: 6/25/2009
Have you ever wished that you were borderline molested by a famous athlete? Well reporter Heather Nichols got to live it as you can see in this painstaking example of physical discomfort. We'll be honest, she seems to condone it with her confusing omission of telling him to "fuck off," but it was her first interview and she probably just froze up at his barbarian-like behavior. She stated in a later interview what we all already knew, that it was incredibly awkward. We may have given Rampage the benefit of the doubt if he wasn't actually, somehow, establishing a history of this.
Jim Gray Makes It Rain on Pete Rose's Parade
Date: 10/24/1999
When Pete Rose made the Baseball All-Century Team it was supposed to be a celebration and something to enjoy, but after this interview with NBC reporter Jim Gray, it became pretty depressing. Gray asked Rose numerous questions about the betting scandal that clouded much of Rose's career and denied him entry into the Baseball Hall of Fame. Gray's constant pressure to get Rose to admit that he cheated was an embarrassing moment but turned into good television. New York Yankees outfielder Chad Curtis responded by refusing to interview with Gray after hitting a walk-off homerun in Game 3 of the 1999 World Series.
Mike Tyson Being Mike Tyson
Date: 1/16/1999
Most of our younger readers who know an older, jollier Tyson may wonder if "Iron Mike" was having a bad day or something. But they don't know that Mike has been insane for most of his life. We give you one of his greatest hits and raise you another.
Bobby Bonilla's Face Off
Date: 4/1993
Bobby Bonilla was supposed to be the big free agent signing that would help the New York Mets propel to the top of the MLB. After a disappointing, 1992 season where Bonilla and the Mets struggled, all of New York attacked Bonilla for his poor performance. We guess some of that criticism got to Bonilla and led to gems like this with the New York media. "Shove that mic up as far as you can stick it." Sounds like New York hospitality in its best form.
Jim Everett vs. Jim Rome
Date: 4/6/1994
Jim Rome—back when he was a cocky upstart little dick—dogged Jim Everett because of his perceived lack of toughness. Rome called Everett 'Chris' after the women's tennis player. Then Everett, who's eight inches taller and roughly 50 lbs. heavier pushed Rome around until he had to be bailed out by his co-workers. Ultimately what does that say about Rome? Years later Everett claimed a "large burger franchise" wanted to use the confrontation for a commercial. Everett agreed but Rome did not. Getting embarrassed on national TV once was enough.
Joe Namath Is a Dirty Old Man
Date: 12/20/2003
It's tough to watch your heroes fall. Our fathers' generation collectively cringed when the coolest quarterback of their era drunkenly asked/begged for a kiss from sideline reporter Suzy Kolber. A few weeks later he was being treated in an outpatient alcoholism program. If 30 years down the road Tom Brady is boorishly making passes at Erin Andrews' daughter then and only then will you know how your old man felt.