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Caban
Sports Column
I recently discovered that one of my favorite movie quotes may actually be an amazing piece of advice.
In one of the most oft quoted lines in the history of sports cinema is Tom Hanks’ “there’s no crying in baseball” bit from “A Leauge of Their Own”.
Full disclosure: I love the 1992 Rob Reiner film. It’s one of many that I can quote from beginning to end.
In the context of the scene where one of the players is crying about Hanks’ character being too hard on her, the line is funny and essentially says to deal with whatever hand the game has dealt you.
It’s a lesson I wish some of sports best paid individuals would take to heart.
Now, it’s easy to draw the conclusion that I’m calling out players. Frankly, that’s too easy and I’ve done it before on occasion.
This time, I have a bone to pick with a pair of NFL coaches: Ron Rivera of the Carolina Panthers and Bill Belichick of the New England Patriots.
You may be asking what this duo did to gain the attention of your local sportswriter. It’s simple: on back to back days they both decided to end their press conferences early because they didn’t like the questions they received.
On the morning of Sept. 19, Rivera was taking questions from the gathered media members as a coach does.
However, two minutes and thirty seconds later, Rivera walked out of the room.
It’s true that his team is winless after two games and five of the seven questions he was asked were about injured quarterback Cam Newton.
It’s also true that Rivera said the team would know more on Newton’s status the next day.
Then on Sept. 20, Belichick did the same thing.
This time the subject was the off-the-field issues wide receiver Antonio Brown is facing. Brown was released by the Patriots later that day.
Last week, Sports Illustrated published a story that described multiple domestic incidents involving Brown.
In his press conference, Belichick tried deflecting by saying things like, “anything on football, I’m happy to answer.”
Both coaches had interesting signoffs at their respective press conferences. Rivera parting comment was the word golly as he left the podium. For Belichick it was, “I’m good. Thank you,” when he got another question about Brown.
I get that both coaches were probably annoyed. I mean I get that way when asked the same question over and over.
However, the fact remains that both have obligations to answer questions from the media, who in this case serve as a way for fans, the people whose combined expenditures on game tickets, overpriced concessions, merchandise and NFL Sunday Ticket packages pay their salaries.
A February 2018 article from Bleacher report showed Rivera receives between $6.5 and $7.75 million annually while Belichick takes home $10 to $12.5 million each year.
Maybe when you make that money you can afford to shirk your responsibilities.
I get that a media member
sticking up for other media members may not sound compelling. However, folks don’t realize that press conferences are how we get a lot of the information we are able to share with you, the public. I’ve lost count of the number of press conferences or media availability sessions I’ve gone to where there are dozens of tape records or phones sitting in front of a coach or politician when they speak.
It’s how we do our jobs so we can show the world when coaches do well or not so well at theirs. At the end of the day, there is no crying or complaining at a press conference. Just speak your peace and then close it down.
Don’t pout, take your toys and go back to your office. Coaches and public figures who so look childish and last I checked they are supposed to be molding our children.