Gregg Popovich: Are In-Game Interviews A Distraction?

Much has been made over the last few weeks about athletes and the way they behave towards the media. Russell Westbrook is the most famous example in the NBA. He went so far as to tell a writer that he didn’t like him, right to his face.

Then there’s Seattle Seahawks running back, Marshawn Lynch. Lynch famously spouted “I’m just here so I won’t get fined,” anytime he was asked a question at Super Bowl Media Day.

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Both athletes sparked articles about the relationship between athletes and media. It should be a symbiotic relationship. The writer gets information to write their story, the athlete gets exposure. Too often, it seems that athletes tend to view the media as vultures that are looking to exploit them.

Sadly, sometimes they are right. However, I’d argue that in most cases writers are just doing their jobs by informing fans about the sports and players that they love to follow.

All this controversy led to San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich being interviewed by USA Today about Lynch and whether or not he himself is the Marshawn Lynch of the NBA with the way he acts towards the media. Pop is known for his sardonic wit and vicious takedowns of questions he deems to be unworthy of a serious answer. That can be immature and petty, but he does make a very good point in one section of this interview.

"“I said, ‘I’m supposed to be setting the defense and offense to start the next quarter, and I can’t do my job because I’m doing this inane deal with whoever is asking me a question.’ The questions are unanswerable. It’s like, ‘That quarter, you got killed on the boards. What are you going to do about it?.’ ‘Well, I’m going to conduct a trade during timeouts.’ Or, ‘I’m going to ask them nicely to do a better job on the boards.’ The questions just demand a trite quip, or something, so I just say, ‘You know, it just puts everybody in a stupid position.'”"

Should coaches have to interview at the end of the third quarter? This has been the bane of Popovich’s existence for the last few seasons, and has led to several awkward moments (and one sincere moment). Though I tend to disagree with the bullying way he answers questions, I have to agree with his comments here.

Interviewing a coach during the middle of the game serves no purpose other than to distract them from the task at hand. Between the time the ball tips and the time the final buzzer sounds, their only job should be to coach their team.

This interview rarely gets a thoughtful answer, even from more approachable coaches. The setting is just awful for any kind of meaningful discourse. “Why did your team play poorly this quarter, would you like them to not play poorly next quarter?” That’s typically the type of question that gets asked, of course I’m exaggerating for effect.

The fact of the matter is, these questions do not enhance the viewing experience, at least not for me. At this point they have become a farce. The only reason fans pay attention to them is to see what kind of ridiculous answer Popovich will give this time.

The whole process is unfair to the reporter who might be embarrassed and to the coaches who are burdened with a needless distraction.

Interviews are extremely important. The media is the gateway between teams and fans. The information provided, in the right setting, can be meaningful and can help enhance fans’ knowledge of their favorite coach or player.

After the game, before the game, or on an off day. These are the times to have conversations with coaches and players. Not during the middle of the game, when a coach is trying to figure how he is going to stop LeBron James.

So, no matter how you feel about Gregg Popovich, whether you love him or you hate him, in this case, the man makes a pretty compelling case.

That being said, it’s not hard to fake sincerity for 30 seconds to spare a hard-working reporter embarrassment for bothering you by doing their job. This duty is not going away so he should just accept it and move on.

Next: What's Wrong With Tony Parker?

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