BBC Sports Coverage

I believe this is now a standard way of beginning the interview in these cases. Not unlike, "How are you?" in polite conversation.

I may not really care how you are but it is a polite enough place to start.

No one has ever asked me if I actually effing care

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I pray for the day when someone replies, live on air, "How do you think it feels, you effing idiot?"!

I can't say I've seen it happen on TV, but as a member of the written press, I have seen (and heard) football manager Gordon Strachan for instance, say things post-match like, 'I don't know what happened out here, what the hell do you [to the press] think happened out there?'

But my favourite press conference moment comes from Harry Rednapp's time managing at Southampton, after Sir Clive Woodward had just appointed Dr Sheryl Calder as a 'vision coach' to the squad. Harry's answer to the question of what he thought to Dr Calder's appointment: "Ain't nothink wrong with my peepers". It took the 'gentlemen' of the press sometime to gather their composure.

Sadly these things seldom get reported.

Best, Chris

Sharon Davies probably wins the prize for her classic poolside interview with a beaten british woman swimmer: 'So, what's next then? Babies?' Sadly the poor lass was so breathless she failed to give Davies the slap she deserved.

Bruce

Cycling commentators like Duffield (not Beeb) take my biscuit for lack of anything interesting to say...but the Beeb seems to have slipped in it's standards.

Gary Newbond was superbly poor while it lasted.

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Cycling commentators like Duffield (not Beeb) take my biscuit for lack of anything interesting to say

To be fair to Duffers, he could be comentating for 7 hours at a time. It's pretty difficult to be incisive for that sort of time scale. But, yeh he was bad, I mean who really ever wanted to hear about the meal he had the night before!

I remember Garth Crooks being rather unsettled by Micah Richards Anglo Saxon response to his facile question about scoring in the last minute at Aston Villa.

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Why is the BBC unable to show a sporting event these days without some effing idiot sticking a microphone under the nose of the winner (or failed expected winner) and asking "How does it feel to win/lose?" the event in question? It happens, without fail, in football, tennis, golf and rugby.

I only watch motor sports and not on the Beeb. But, yeah, that silly question seem to be universal.

JohanR

My girlfriends brother won a Gold Medal in Beijing last summer for Great Britain (rower).

We were there too, and of course, family were pestered for interviews etc. However, having spoken to Zac (rower), the last thing you want to do is face a sports correspondent asking mundane questions such as "how do you feel?" etc. Dull, really dull! Does the question need to be asked.....?

I'd say the BBC are one of the worst for this!

To be fair to the Beeb, all broadcasters are guilty of inane sports commentary/coverage. But of course some very good sports coverage also exists, particularly, I think, of cricket.

Still - bad BBC sports reporting has given us one good thing: the immortal Alan Partridge, one of the greatest comedy characters of all time.

I agree too, although it irks me more when a player from any sport is asked about his current team's fans/stadium/city - always get a bland answer that means nothing..."they're the best in the world, I love it here". What did the interviewer expect him to say?

However, going back to the original question, suppose Usain Bolt is stood in front of YOUR microphone having just won the 100/200m, what would you ask him?

Gavin

"Are you taking performance enhancing drugs?"

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Originally posted by bob mccluckie:
"Are you taking performance enhancing drugs?"

And that would be the last interview you or your channel would ever get with him....

Sister xx

Why? He hasn't got anything to hide has he?

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Originally posted by bob mccluckie:
Why? He hasn't got anything to hide has he?

I worked in the media for 27 years and I can assure you that these people will simply refuse to grant you an interview if you ask difficult questions. They don't have to talk to you and they will simply go to people who won't ask these sort of questions. Why do you think Sir Alex Ferguson refuses to talk to the BBC?

A lot of journalism is simply PR nowadays, hence the rather sycophantic approach of trackside interviewers. Massage their ego and athletes, showbiz stars etc will always talk to you.Make yourself a reputation as being "difficult" and you won't get the big interviews -period.

Sister xx

Baconface won't talk to the BBC because of a documentary they did about football 'bungs' and they made allegations about him and his son. It isn't because of questions he doesn't like in interviews.

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Originally posted by bob mccluckie:
Baconface won't talk to the BBC because of a documentary they did about football 'bungs' and they made allegations about him and his son. It isn't because of questions he doesn't like in interviews.

Exactly - they made allegations which may or may not be true. It made "Baconface" uncomfortable. So if you ask Bolt questions suggesting possible drug use do you really think he's going to want to do repeat interviews with you?

Sister xx

If every channel/paper asked searching questions of these athletes etc and they then refused to be interviewed again, they would not have a place to mention their sponsors etc.

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Originally posted by BigH47:
If every channel/paper asked searching questions of these athletes etc and they then refused to be interviewed again, they would not have a place to mention their sponsors etc.

Dream on!! It just won't happen. Journalism and PR are walking ever more hand in hand!

Sister xx

I realise it won't happen, just thinking out loud.

Just watch the F1 coverage on the BBC at the mo. A perfect example of this in practice.

Sister xx