NBC’s Cris Collinsworth says trust decides what NFL coaches share with broadcasters. Now, the Mike Macdonald controversy has put that trust under a brighter spotlight.
What We Know: Collinsworth, now in his 18th season on Sunday Night Football, addressed the issue on The Dan Patrick Show. Notably, the discussion stems from Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald’s recent sit-down with interviewer Graham Bensinger. In what he [Macdonald] thought was an off-the-record exchange, Macdonald said Sean Payton accused Seattle of cheating over fan-posted clips. However, the clip surfaced in the full YouTube interview before vanishing within hours. Collinsworth, who’s been part of many conversations with coaches in his time broadcasting, saying the balance between on the record versus off is a delicate balance.
What They Said: (All quotes via Dan Patrick Show):
Cris Collinsworth on the difficulties in navigating content from conversations with coaches during broadcasts: “Occasionally a coach will say something’s off the record. I’ve been doing this for a while, and so has Mike [Macdonald]. I think they have conversations with us, and they’ll let us know things in part because of our history. If a coach said something nice about a player, I don’t feel guilty about saying we talked to the coach and he said something nice. But occasionally, they’ll give us insights. They’ll give us insights into their team or insights into the other team, and you just kind of weave it in. So, it’s a little bit of a dance.”
Cris Collinsworth on the balance of on record versus off record: “You want to develop that relationship of trust. You have to hit 100% on that. If I burn one of these coaches or players who have told me something in confidence, and I twist it the wrong way or I attribute it to them when they didn’t want it attributed to them. Then it’s over. There’s no reason to even meet with that person in the future because the conversation is going to go nowhere. It’s such an art form. It really is.”
Cris Collinsworth says sometimes stories are told for public use but not attribution: “A lot of times they want to tell you something. They want something to get out. They just don’t want to be the one who says it. Is it ever perfect 100 percent? No, but it has to be pretty darn close in order to maintain that level of trust with these guys.”
What Remains Unclear: Still, neither Macdonald nor Bensinger explicitly declared the conversation off the record. Moreover, Bensinger said Seahawks PR received the complete interview five days before it went live. According to Bensinger, no one asked him to remove the exchange. As a result, it’s unclear how Macdonald or other coaches will approach future long-form interviews.
What It Means: Ultimately, Collinsworth frames the process as a delicate balancing act. After all, he said burning a single source can end that relationship for good. Consequently, broadcasters must protect confidences while still delivering useful insight to viewers. Meanwhile, Macdonald’s episode offers coaches a clear lesson: assume every camera is rolling.
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