The inane interview questions thread

[Frobby]

5/23, Geoff Arnold to Jorge Mateo: “What does it say about the resilience of this team that you’re able to win this one after a tough series in St. Louis”?

The answer I would have liked to have heard:  “it really doesn’t say anything about it.  You know the White Sox suck, right?  And we almost blew it anyway!”

[rm5678]

I often hear reporters ask in post-game interviews about someone who had a good game:

"How impressed were you with......?"

Are they expecting the player to say "Nah, I wasn't impressed"?

 

 

[survivedc]

Just now, rm5678 said:

I often hear reporters ask in post-game interviews about someone who had a good game:

"How impressed were you with......?"

Are they expecting the player to say "Nah, I wasn't impressed"?

 

 

To be fair, you will get the “not impressed” sometimes, but it’s only ever to then go on about so and so’s work ethic or ability.

[rm5678]

3 minutes ago, survivedc said:

To be fair, you will get the “not impressed” sometimes, but it’s only ever to then go on about so and so’s work ethic or ability.

Yeah, that's a good point.

[thegardner]

Excellent topic, I also noticed the G Arnold question to Mateo and it got me thinking, sportscasters seem to think that's a good question:   What does it say about this team that blah blah blah, it says nothing, every action is not a team statement, every success or failure is not a team statement, they're just trying to win, that's it, trying to win.

[Roy Firestone]

18 hours ago, Frobby said:

5/23, Geoff Arnold to Jorge Mateo: “What does it say about the resilience of this team that you’re able to win this one after a tough series in St. Louis”?

The answer I would have liked to have heard:  “it really doesn’t say anything about it.  You know the White Sox suck, right?  And we almost blew it anyway!”

I almost NEVER talk about my career as a sports interviewer on this page.I prefer to remain, just a crazy  fanatic fan...but I will say this. I cant stand when the question is a statement."You gotta feel good about that performance" or "It must frustrate you when that happens"..etc. Ask a damned question, not make  a statement. Also I think true curiosity is missing in a lot of these game interviews post or pre...I want to know why things happened or what the manager or hitter was thinking. I don't mind the "take me through this at bat"...but only if theres video for the player to look at..I always cared about the athletes journey, the influence, the moment they realised their dream. I still interview, and I miss doing it on a regular basis, but if anything can be said about my interviewing it was always this...I cared deeply about the person sitting on the other side of the microphone.I wanted them to share something no one knew about them...EVERY time I interviewed them. I did more than 6,000 interviews and counting...and whether or not someone did or didnt like my style..I can absolutely say this...no one CARED more than I did when I had a guest on.Not every show was great, but I had the same ethic and caring in every show.

[Tony-OH]

32 minutes ago, thegardner said:

Excellent topic, I also noticed the G Arnold question to Mateo and it got me thinking, sportscasters seem to think that's a good question:   What does it say about this team that blah blah blah, it says nothing, every action is not a team statement, every success or failure is not a team statement, they're just trying to win, that's it, trying to win.

Arnold was just filling time. Once you get through the one or two at bats or PAs the player had, or great performances by teammates, not much else to talk about. 

[Frobby]

2 minutes ago, Roy Firestone said:

I almost NEVER talk about my career as a sports interviewer on this page.I prefer to remain, just a crazy  fanatic fan...but I will say this. I cant stand when the question is a statement."You gotta feel good about that performance" or "It must frustrate you when that happens"..etc. Ask a damned question, not make  a statement. Also I think true curiosity is missing in a lot of these game interviews post or pre...I want to know why things happened or what the manager or hitter was thinking. I don't mind the "take me through this at bat"...but only if theres video for the player to look at..I always cared about the athletes journey, the influence, the moment they realised their dream. I still interview, and I miss doing it on a regular basis, but if anything can be said about my interviewing it was always this...I cared deeply about the person sitting on the other side of the microphone.I wanted them to share something no one knew about them...EVERY time I interviewed them. I did more than 6,000 interviews and counting...and whether or not someone did or didnt like my style..I can absolutely say this...no one CARED more than I did when I had a guest on.Not every show was great, but I had the same ethic and caring in every show.

Excellent post.  You are a master at the art of the interview.  Among sports journalists, who else do you like as an interviewer?

Now I’ll say this: these 3-5 minute postgame interviews don’t lend themselves to deep insightful analysis.  But still, I agree with you: ask a real question, don’t just make a statement.  And, don’t ask questions that just suggest some obvious trite answer.  “How big was that win.”  “Real big.”  God I hate that kind of stuff.  Get some actual information!

[OnlyOneOriole]

18 hours ago, Frobby said:

5/23, Geoff Arnold to Jorge Mateo: “What does it say about the resilience of this team that you’re able to win this one after a tough series in St. Louis”?

The answer I would have liked to have heard:  “it really doesn’t say anything about it.  You know the White Sox suck, right?  And we almost blew it anyway!”

Pretty much.

 

Back in the day (90s) we were even taught as college athletes to say as little as possible while saying as much as possible.

 

I have watched a lot of the Hard Knocks shows and every team these days has a complete coach or mentor who advises the players in how to answer questions.  That is why they all sound alike.

I always admired P Manning and guys like Richard Sherman for actually answering questions in a non robotic way.

[Roy Firestone]

I dont personally know these players, but based on a lot of interviews, they seem awfully young and pretty limited in reflection. I think McCann and Kremer look like they might be good interviews. The best interview on the Orioles in the last decade was Adam Jones. He always had something to say, and if he had a chip on his shoulder, he was as interesting as anyone..I also think Brandon Hyde hates being interviewed. He's a baseball lifer. He's not a quote machine like Buck was..and hes not exactly telegenic. It doesnt matter of course..But I loved free spirited interview personalities...Based on what I see, we dont have many of those on this team. But boy, what I would give to have an Oriole talk show.past and present guests...at this point in my life, that would be a perfect full circle job...because my career BEGAN when I was an Oriole batboy and I often brought my little tape recorder to interview the guys...Brooks, Frank, Boog, Palmer, Davey J, Grich...those guys had things to say, and interesting ways to say it.

[OriolesMagic83]

I do like recently when Gunnar was being interviewed and a teammate chimed in that he was just trying to up his OPS in any way possible.  I found it hilarious when compared to the fake say the same thing after every winning game interview.

[Malike]

4 minutes ago, Roy Firestone said:

I dont personally know these players, but based on a lot of interviews, they seem awfully young and pretty limited in reflection. I think McCann and Kremer look like they might be good interviews. The best interview on the Orioles in the last decade was Adam Jones. He always had something to say, and if he had a chip on his shoulder, he was as interesting as anyone..I also think Brandon Hyde hates being interviewed. He's a baseball lifer. He's not a quote machine like Buck was..and hes not exactly telegenic. It doesnt matter of course..But I loved free spirited interview personalities...Based on what I see, we dont have many of those on this team. But boy, what I would give to have an Oriole talk show.past and present guests...at this point in my life, that would be a perfect full circle job...because my career BEGAN when I was an Oriole batboy and I often brought my little tape recorder to interview the guys...Brooks, Frank, Boog, Palmer, Davey J, Grich...those guys had things to say, and interesting ways to say it.

Roy, you can do it via Zoom from your home, make it happen! That's how most podcasts are done, home studios and zoom calls.

[Roy Firestone]

2 minutes ago, Frobby said:

Excellent post.  You are a master at the art of the interview.  Among sports journalists, who else do you like as an interviewer?

Now I’ll say this: these 3-5 minute postgame interviews don’t lend themselves to deep insightful analysis.  But still, I agree with you: ask a real question, don’t just make a statement.  And, don’t ask questions that just suggest some obvious trite answer.  “How big was that win.”  “Real big.”  God I hate that kind of stuff.  Get some actual information!

FRobby...Im a massive fan of my close friend Bob Costas. We used to laugh at each others phony interview questions. Bob is the best ever in my book. I also like Joe Buck as an interviewer, and I'll say something some people on here will scoff at..Kevin Brown is a TERRIFIC interviewer because he truly wants to know...he's great with Palmer and Ben and earnestly wants to get his answers...I think Dan Patrick is great too...but you almost never see a day to day interview show in sports anymore. It's not talk...now..it's shouting and having some "take". That not what I would ever do. FWIW, I'm talking to ESPN to feature a 3 part series on "Up Close", and right now it's a no...but the'yre open to it...in the Fall.
Heres the "sizzle reel" I sent them.

 

[Malike]

I wonder what hard-hitting questions people here would ask.

OH: What do you think about having to play for the worst manager in the league?

OH: How angry does it make you when Cedric Mullins or Anthony Santander start over Stowers or Kjerstad?

Edited May 24 by Malike

[thegardner]

5 minutes ago, Roy Firestone said:

I dont personally know these players, but based on a lot of interviews, they seem awfully young and pretty limited in reflection. I think McCann and Kremer look like they might be good interviews. The best interview on the Orioles in the last decade was Adam Jones. He always had something to say, and if he had a chip on his shoulder, he was as interesting as anyone..I also think Brandon Hyde hates being interviewed. He's a baseball lifer. He's not a quote machine like Buck was..and hes not exactly telegenic. It doesnt matter of course..But I loved free spirited interview personalities...Based on what I see, we dont have many of those on this team. But boy, what I would give to have an Oriole talk show.past and present guests...at this point in my life, that would be a perfect full circle job...because my career BEGAN when I was an Oriole batboy and I often brought my little tape recorder to interview the guys...Brooks, Frank, Boog, Palmer, Davey J, Grich...those guys had things to say, and interesting ways to say it.

Kremer is a good interview because he has an allergy to losing or an allergy to not doing his absolute best in every moment, he might be the toughest on himself of the current group.  Hyde was very genuine in interviews during the losing years, now strangely he is a little more wooden, I'm not sure what to make of that, it's odd.