By now, everyone has seen or heard the interaction between a Philadelphia reporter and Nick Castellanos. The latter accused the former of asking a “stupid question” and the former tried to hold his own. Yeah, it made for great video for all the sports shows, but this is not a highlight moment for either. Others in that scrum were trying to do their jobs as well, but the session ended because neither the player or reporter would back down.
Here’s the transcript of how things went down between Castellanos and NBC Sports Philadelphia reporter Jim Salisbury:
Salisbury: Did you hear the boos when you struck out?
Castellanos: Nah man, I lost my hearing.
Salisbury: So, you didn’t hear them.
Castellanos: Come on, man. That’s a stupid question.
Salisbury: Why’s that a stupid question?
Castellanos: Can anybody else answer that for him? Anybody? Yeah man, it’s a stupid question.
Several things are at play here. Castellanos has had less than a great season with the Phillies. For that matter, the Phillies have played well below expectations and have already cost a manager his job. So, in other words, tensions are running high already in that clubhouse and it doesn’t take much to light a fuse that will explode.
Among some of the other perceived dumb questions:
Perhaps the dumbest of all time may not in fact have even been really asked. The question in question took place during Media Day before Super Bowl XXII. You’ve probably heard the story. Somebody actually asked Redskins quarterback Doug Williams the following: “How long have you been a black quarterback?”
Really? Here’s the thing, though – as was posted on ESPN.com a few years ago, the question was never asked. After Williams suffered through countless queries about being the first black QB to start a Super Bowl, Butch John, a reporter for the Jackson (Miss.) Clarion-Ledger, seemed to have had enough. So he said, “Doug, it’s obvious you’ve always been a black quarterback all your life. When did it start to matter?”
John’s statement and question were jokes. Most reporters there got it and they laughed. Then it was printed. It’s been twisted around and repeated as “How long have you been a black quarterback?”
Then 19-year-old Bryce Harper of the Washington Nationals was asked by a Toronto TV reporter if he planned to take advantage of Canada’s lower drinking age after belting a long home run in a win over the Blue Jays. Harper is a Mormon, a religion that forbids alcohol. Harper responded: “I’m not answering that. That’s a clown question, bro.”
Last season as the Memphis Tigers were struggling toward the end of the season, Coach Penny Hardaway was asked about his team and the possibility of missing the NCAA Tournament. Following a loss, he went off on the reporter that asked if he could get it done at Memphis.
“I think the one thing I can say to this media because this media gets sort of f***ed up when it comes to me, we don’t have our full roster,” Hardaway said. “Y’all know we don’t have our full roster. Stop asking me stupid f***ing questions about if I feel like I can do something … I’m coaching really hard. My boys are playing really hard. I’m not embarrassed about nothing.”
Hardaway said he felt like he was being “disrespected” because he’s starting four freshmen and isn’t getting credit for it. He then issued an apology.
This one falls into a unique category, that of timing. It wasn’t so much a stupid question, it was a matter of timing. But sometimes regardless of the circumstances, a question needs to be asked. A coach has to expect that after another loss that something along these lines is going to be asked in a postgame press conference. The only thing a reporter can do is make sure the question is presented respectfully.
The reporter/player relationship is a unique one. I never really understood it when players would intimate, “you guys love it when we lose” angle. Ugh. That couldn’t be further from the truth. The job of a reporter is much more difficult when the team isn’t winning. Everyone is on edge. It’s not a fun situation at all.
Now, back to the Castellanos and Salisbury situation. I believe, both men could have done better in this instance. A one-word answer by Castellanos, “no” or “yes”, would have been appropriate and it would all be over. The reporter should have let it go, in my opinion. Easier said than done, but it should have ended there. This was a case where a private conversation, perhaps mediated by media relations, could have diffused it all and ensured no carryover.
I get it. I’ve been in these media gatherings and it’s hard not to take it personally when a player insults a question you’ve asked. There are times when maybe you need to better explain what you mean, and use different words, but don’t incite an already tense situation.
When I was hosting baseball pregame shows, it was mainly up to me to interview a player a day. Throughout a162 game season, you are going to ask a question that doesn’t come off right or is taken the wrong way, or in some cases, is yes, dumb. I recall one such moment. I asked a pitcher about allowing 7 stolen bases in one game, and he was still able to win. I intended to have him explain how giving up that many steals, didn’t mean squat in the grand scheme of things. Well, he took it as me coming off as critiquing his pitching and he was not having it. The banter went back and forth. In this case, we both came off as foolish. I finished the interview and let the player go. I made mention of it to our media relations director so that he heard it from me first. I went to the press box to listen back before sending it to the radio station. I wound up deleting most of it because again, nobody sounded good during our little incident.
To that player’s credit, he asked to meet with me the next day, he apologized to me and I returned an apology in his direction. I explained what I was trying to do, and allow him to defend himself. He told me that the line of questioning frustrated him the night before and he was surprised I brought it up. We cleared the air and came out of the situation with mutual respect. I’m not saying apologies will be offered every time something like this happens, but there is a respect factor lacking at times.
There are times when the player can be absolutely out of line and isn’t in the mood to answer any question. Dumb or otherwise. Media relations staff need to be attentive to these situations. There are also times when a reporter is hell-bent on “getting the best of” the athlete and asks questions that are not only dumb but out of line. There’s no room for either in the clubhouse after a game.
I used to watch in amazement the way Michael Jordan handled himself post game, for every game. The crowds around his locker were sometimes 4 or 5 deep in a small space. He would sit there for, sometimes up to 20-25 minutes and answer, every single question asked of him.
Beat writers, television, or radio people, it didn’t matter to him. The questions ran the gamut from great to insanely stupid, but MJ would put on that smile and provide a soundbite like the pro he was.
This deal with Castellanos opens up a larger issue and shows the divide between the athlete and the media. The player needs to understand the role of the media. Most do, but there are still some that don’t. A healthy relationship with the media further gets out messages that athlete wants to convey.
It’s not all the athlete’s fault here. There are two ingredients to all of these meltdowns. The question and the answer. I hear a lot of poorly phrased questions in these post game scrums. It highlights an issue I teach my broadcasting students: being prepared. Have an idea or two before you head down to the locker room after a game. Know who it is you want to talk to and have a few questions in mind. Paying attention in the gathering may also allow you to ask something relevant as a follow-up.
In these times of “going viral”, I think some reporters have lost sight of what their job actually is. The job is to ask insightful questions to elicit meaningful responses. It’s not to see how many laughs you can get or how angry you can make someone. That’s just not the gig. If you think it is it’s probably time to do something else.
Andy Masur is a columnist for BSM and works for WGN Radio as an anchor and play-by-play announcer. He also teaches broadcasting at the Illinois Media School. During his career he has called games for the Chicago Cubs, San Diego Padres and Chicago White Sox. He can be found on Twitter @Andy_Masur1 or you can reach him by email at Andy@Andy-Masur.com.
