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You might have seen the news recently that the NFL Players Association put out a statement on social media bringing up the topic of where interviews with players are conducted. This is not a new issue, the statement itself says it is something they have been asking about for three years. In a nutshell, they don’t want the media to have locker room access anymore. The NFLPA wants all interviews to take place outside of the locker room, a place where interviews have been done as far back as most people can remember. They say it’s about privacy and dignity and not about limiting media access.
Most of the media seem to disagree on the point of the whole thing, with several going as far as saying this is absolutely about limiting access and even worse that it might be about players having their own platforms to give fans their thoughts so maybe they just don’t need the media as much anymore. They’ll put it out on their own.
I haven’t been in locker rooms in years, but back at the start of my career I did spend some time doing player interviews and gathering sound and I know the difference between what you get in a press conference setting and what you can get out of a locker room setting. For those that never have, think of it like the difference between calling someone and emailing them. The information you get is generally not the same.
But, since it has been a while for me, I turned to a couple of others for some thoughts on the matter. My friend Howard Balzer, who hosts the Pro Football Hall of Fame Radio Show on SiriusXM NFL Radio and covers the Arizona Cardinals for PHNX, was an officer with the Pro Football Writers of America for 33 years, said he is rather confident most of the players and a lot of the media commenting on the subject have never read the current policy.
“Part of the policy clearly says interviews may be done outside the locker room at the request of the player or club,” Balzer told me. He also added, “However, the media ‘must be allowed to make the interview request in person to the player in the locker room.’
Balzer pointed out that during the week, locker rooms only have to be open for a total of 45 minutes. He also pointed out another section of the policy that reads, ‘providing for player privacy is of paramount importance. If the locker room is open to the media immediately following practice, the club must screen the shower area from view and distribute appropriate clothing, e.g. wrap-around towels or robes, for player privacy.’
When asked for his overall opinion on what the NFLPA is asking for, Balzer said, “Many teams don’t have convenient places to have interviews outside the locker room, especially when there are numerous reporters talking to a player. That would also reduce the time available for reporters to interview multiple players.”
Balzer believes changing the policy, which already seems to address what the NFLPA is asking for, would no doubt lead to less information getting out to the public. “The open locker-room period allows for reporters to develop relationships with players in conversations that are often off-the-record or more casual than an interview with cameras rolling,” he said. “After a group interview, a reporter might have some questions for the player they don’t want others to hear. Efforts to alter the policy would surely impact the information and perspective provided to the public.”
Alex Barth, who covers the New England Patriots for 98.5 The Sports Hub said, “Locker-room access is important because it allows us to take fans behind the scenes, while of course respecting players’ rights and privacy – which we’ve always done in New England. The players I’ve covered here in New England have always been really understanding about it, which of course is appreciated. I hope there’s a good middle ground for everybody.”
Barth sees the reporting done in the locker rooms as a conduit between the players and the fans. He added, “without locker room access, that kind of connection would go away.”
Which takes us back to wondering if that is the whole point in the first place. It surely seems there can be ways for players to feel more comfortable without having to kick the media out of the locker room entirely.
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The Best/Worst Thing I’ve Heard/Watched/Read Recently
The best thing I’ve heard recently are the MLB playoff broadcasts on radio. It seems a lot of people are unhappy with some of the television broadcasts for one reason or another and I wonder how many end up just putting on the radio broadcasts.
Since I’m a Cardinals fan and my team has chosen to abstain from the postseason the last couple of years, I figured I wouldn’t have any interest in the playoffs. However, I have found myself getting into some of the games but there’s field hockey games to get to and dive practices to make, so I have found myself listening to more of them on the radio.
As a SiriusXM subscriber I am able to bounce around from the ESPN Radio national calls to the home team broadcasts, which is a great way to experience postseason baseball.
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In Case You Missed It
John Molori wrote a piece this week about a subject I had never really thought about. John highlighted the connection between the brand of the Dallas Cowboys and the number of former players and coaches who have ended up working in media. Right now, there’s Troy Aikman, Jimmy Johnson, Jason Garrett, Daryl Johnston, Marcus Spears and Tomy Romo who all have prominent roles in NFL broadcasting.
John wrote, “Whatever it is, the Cowboys’ mystique has traveled through the worlds of football, fashion, and finance. Add one more world to that list – sports media. We all know about a few celebrated ex-Cowboy broadcasters beginning with Don Meredith, the Monday Night Football pioneer and icon, Troy Aikman the 3-time Super Bowl winning quarterback who now graces the MNF broadcast booth, and Tony Romo, who almost immediately became one of the best game analysts in the business at CBS.
“This Cowboy/media connection, however, includes some other fine personalities – slightly less trumpeted, but no less talented than the aforementioned triumvirate. Here are a few sports TV talkers who have become stars after working for the Star.”
John goes on to talk about the rest of the names mentioned and it is clear that playing or coaching for Jerry Jones may come with some headaches, but all the exposure you get can certainly pay off in a big way.
You can read the full column by clicking here.
Dave Greene is the Chief Media Officer for Barrett Media. His background includes over 25 years in media and content creation. A former sports talk host and play-by-play broadcaster, Dave transitioned to station and sales management, co-founded and created a monthly sports publication and led an ownership group as the operating partner. He has managed stations and sales teams for Townsquare Media, Cumulus Media and Audacy. Upon leaving broadcast media he co-founded Podcast Heat, a sports and entertainment podcasting network specializing in pro wrestling nostalgia. To interact, find him on Twitter @mr_podcasting. You can also reach him by email at Dave@BarrettMedia.com.
