As much as I enjoy being right, this is one of those moments where I’d have preferred to assume incorrectly and have nothing confirmed. Blissful ignorance.
Orlando Magic guard Gilbert Arenas gets busy on Twitter, using it as a platform to give away his game-worn sneakers from the personal collection, live-tweet blind dates, and share his views on the world as he sees it. He’s often funny and realistic, and always honest. Today, he was insightful.
Arenas was asked about players’ interactions with the media, and he confirmed what I already believed true but never proved: Players hesitate with media they don’t know or recognize.
It’s not a novel concept. No one opens up completely to someone they’ve just met. The daily beat reporters are essentially a player’s co-workers; they spend their days around the team. But someone like me, a freelance reporter gathering material for national magazine features, is viewed with apprehension, with hesitation.
The “ESPN the Magazine” credential around my neck meant I was reporting for “the world-wide leader.” It meant I was respected enough to represent the largest sports media brand as a professional. That’s still surreal when I think about it. I know it’s not supposed to matter, and credentials are simply passes for us to do our routine reporting jobs, but I value opportunity. So I did as the Romans do, contained my excitement like an adult should, and went to work.
But that credential also means anything a player says has potential to spread exponentially, with reckless intensity. No player wants to be the guy who sounds the damage-control alarm for his team’s public relations department. Because if he did say something inappropriate, I’m just another faceless dude with a recorder vanishing into the fog.
While embarrassing a grown man is never my goal, I understand the potential exists when attempting to engage someone notable in an honest, unfiltered conversation. They’re cognizant of their word selection to the best of their abilities. And this profession of mine is littered with pages of misquotes and misinterpretations. When so many writers mix poison into their ink, you understand why athletes hesitate. Doesn’t mean I have to like it.
Truth is that we need their quotes to strengthen our observations, kind of like how Arenas’ tweet supports this little rant of mine.
Pro athletes are trained well for their media interactions, though. So well, in fact, that they’re borderline nervous & seemingly on edge all the time. Or, if you’re the Jets’ Kris Jenkins, each question is answered with precision, as presented, and with little opportunity for a conversational flow. (His was the toughest interview I’ve ever conducted. And it was preseason.)
A tape recorder often turns a gifted, charismatic star into a soft-spoken adult who chooses his words carefully. More often, they act disinterested in an effort to end the conversation.
I once interviewed Giants receiver Mario Manningham in Big Blue’s facilities to gather intel on players’ film-study habits for ESPN the Mag. He told me he analyzes defensive backs and how they hesitate when Brandon Jacobs is in the backfield. None of them want to be the first defender steamrolled by a running powerhouse.
Keeping with the conversational flow, I diverted from my notes and asked, “Which cornerbacks do you see that from most?”
And a pause.
“Don’t take the cheese!” shouted a nearby teammate, who anyone would’ve assumed wasn’t really within earshot of the conversation.
“You already know,” Manningham responded, rolling his eyes back to me.
In that moment, I was a reptilian reporter looking to make a name for myself by luring a player into a controversy. It was too late to explain that I didn’t expect a name drop. The question was meant to be analytical, to see if starting corners hesitate, or if he sees fear from smaller nickels and dimes.
All I could do was move to the next question. But the experience stuck with me.
No one likes feeling trapped. And they don’t want to squirm under bright lights as casual passersby smirk and discuss how much he deserves the microscope — because he’s a pro athlete, and he asked for it! I’m not buying that brand. It’s irrational.
Imagine life if every question you answered was a potential controversy.
*****
I had the pleasure of interviewing Arenas earlier this year for ESPN the Mag when the Magic came to New York. We spoke for about 10 minutes, which is considered a rare, lengthy conversation in the traditional two-question postgame environment.
Locker rooms are a humid and crowded feeding frenzy for reporters seeking quotes, and Arenas graciously gave me the time for a feature about his kicks.
No one’s going to applaud me for doing my job — I wouldn’t expect it — but considering Arenas’ tweet, I’m realizing that’s not too bad for being among the “outside ones” not around each day.
