The dreaded player interview

[Buzzard]

The worst interview possible.

The time you get up to get a drink, have a whiz, maybe go check your mail.

I hate player interviews. I can sit and listen to Pat Steinberg and Rob Kerr chase each others tails all afternoon long before I can sit through 48 seconds of an interview with Josh Jooris or Joni Ortio, or Sid Crosby for that matter. In their defense, the interviewer is often just as at fault. The same dull, boring questions get asked over and over. I'm not sure who's worse.

The odd, VERY odd interviewee comes along once in a while that might be half ass interesting, or maybe entertaining. They're far and few between though. PK Subban, Drew Doughty come to mind. Maybe Brizghalov or whatever his name is. He can be unpredictable and good as well. Conroy was alright, but the guy was mostly psycho babble. He's a little more reigned in now as management, and can be quite interesting.

The player often exhales at the start of his answer, and may look above the head of the person who asked the question. The word “obviously” serves as punctuation. Questions about individual plays are met with redirection to group contributions. (“Full credit to my linemates.”) Even group success is often deferred to either the opposing team being well-coached and hard-working. At the very least, the venue for the game is acknowledged by the visiting player. (“This is a tough barn to play in.”)

While you can’t paint everyone with the same brush, there’s a common dialect in the language of the game that stretches across every level — a common hockeyspeak.

Stock phrases become fallback positions: “It’s a tough two points we got tonight. We really had to dig deep, grind it out … That’s a really well-coached group and hard-working team over there. Full credit to those guys … For us, we just have to keep working … There are no easy games in this league. If you don’t bring your A game every night, anyone can beat you … It’s gut check time. Every guy in this room has to look in the mirror … I liked our compete level/I thought our compete was lacking tonight … At the end of the day … ”

http://news.nationalpost.com/2015/03...r-generations/

[thefoss1957]

Crash Davis: It's time to work on your interviews.
Ebby Calvin LaLoosh: My interviews? What do I gotta do?
Crash Davis: You're gonna have to learn your clichés. You're gonna have to study them, you're gonna have to know them. They're your friends. Write this down: "We gotta play it one day at a time."
Ebby Calvin LaLoosh: Got to play... it's pretty boring.
Crash Davis: 'Course it's boring, that's the point. Write it down

Bull Durham (1988)

I really don't pay much attention to interviews, but, there are some I particularly hate...and it always seems to be when a Canadian TV guy is fishing for an opponent to complement bums like the Oil or Canucks! That is just embarrassing, that an opponent, between periods of a heated contest, should have to show deference to those bozos.

[mhsyyc]

What do we expect? Anyone who is honest, tells the truth or is in the least bit controversial is excoriated. I don't blame athletes for being vanilla and boring. Far safer for all of them.

[mikephoen]

Originally Posted by mhsyyc

What do we expect? Anyone who is honest, tells the truth or is in the least bit controversial is excoriated. I don't blame athletes for being vanilla and boring. Far safer for all of them.

Impressive word... I had to look it up, which doesn't happen often on the internet.

[getbak]

Originally Posted by thefoss1957

I really don't pay much attention to interviews, but, there are some I particularly hate...and it always seems to be when a Canadian TV guy is fishing for an opponent to complement bums like the Oil or Canucks! That is just embarrassing, that an opponent, between periods of a heated contest, should have to show deference to those bozos.

Yeah, Gene Principe on the Oilers broadcasts is especially bad for that.

[hockey.modern]

Aw man, I thought this was a thread about Johnny and his "you know" interviews or even Monys monotone captain obvious ones. But we can't forget the best, which comes from "like Bon Hartley"

[Buster]

Cammy was pretty good.

[nik-]

I'd be more than happy if they just stopped doing them. The reporters ask horrible cliche'd questions and the players give horrible cliche'd answers.

They're useless.

[Buzzard]

Originally Posted by nik-

I'd be more than happy if they just stopped doing them. The reporters ask horrible cliche'd questions and the players give horrible cliche'd answers.

They're useless.

What?

You don't find questions like, "So PlayerX, tell me what level of disappointment you and the team are feeling, being down in this series 3-0?" insightful or profound??

[BACKCHECK!!!]

The problem is entirely the questions being asked.

"Tell us how important you think teamwork was in your win tonight..."

"Does confidence play a big role in a game like this?"

The reason hockey interviews are so bad is because the questions are being asked in a way that only allows one answer, and it's a boring answer that a 5th grader could answer without even knowing what sport is being discussed.

"Is it good to get momentum from a win like this, before your next game?"

"Are you starting to look ahead to the playoffs yet, or are you still focusing on each game one night at time?"

Seriously, you ask a stupid question, and you'll get a stupid answer.

"Setting up the play? Setting up the play?"

The reporters are 100x worse than the players.

[DomeFoam]

I think Monahan answered every question of his last interview with some form of getting pucks deep.

[Scornfire]

Just gotta get pucks deep right meow

[DomeFoam]

I know players can't, but one of these times id love for them to just blurt out something completely bizarre.

Millions: "So Lance what happened in that last period and how are you guys going to get back in this game."

Boums: "Well obviously Hiller is playing like complete horse #### and hopefully he pulls his head out of his ass because we know Ramo's gunna get clobbered tomorrow in Anaheim"

[FBI]

Yup Engelland said the same thing. Get pucks deep. Boorrrrrring

Johnny plays better when he keeps pucks shallow

[N-E-B]

Personally I think the only time players should be interviewed is during those "get to know the players" type of videos where you can actually learn about who they are as people and get to see their personality.

Interviews between periods or before games are terrible.

[Buzzard]

Originally Posted by N-E-B

Personally I think the only time players should be interviewed is during those "get to know the players" type of videos where you can actually learn about who they are as people and get to see their personality.

Interviews between periods or before games are terrible.

I know what you're saying, but, meh, I personally don't care too much what their personality is like. I watch them because I like watching hockey. They could all be mute for all I care.

I think the only interviews I remotely enjoy are locker room celebrations. Guys tend to let it all hang out with pressure all released. Can make for some unpredictable stuff!

[ShotDownInFlames12]

I honestly think it's an inside joke between the flames team that "get pucks deep"has to be said every interview

[Eric]

Originally Posted by Buzzard

I know what you're saying, but, meh, I personally don't care too much what their personality is like. I watch them because I like watching hockey. They could all be mute for all I care.

I think the only interviews I remotely enjoy are locker room celebrations. Guys tend to let it all hang out with pressure all released. Can make for some unpredictable stuff!

I find it a lot easier to cheer for a team of good people rather than a team with a few ****** bags on it like the Canucks.

[Buzzard]

Originally Posted by Eric

I find it a lot easier to cheer for a team of good people rather than a team with a few ****** bags on it like the Canucks.

I have no clue as to what level of ######baggerry the Canucks are off the ice., but I hate them with passion for the ######bags they are on the ice that's for sure.

[pylon]

Even WORSE, are ex players that do the interviewing. Cassie Campbell is probably the absolute horibblest. She asks questions, using the cliched phrases.

"Is it gut check time now that your behind the 8-ball?"

"Did the momentum swing, change the chemistry in the room?"

"Did giving it 110% mean you brought your A-game"

"Was his Gutsy performance a catalyst for the troops to look in the mirror and take accountability for the lack of compete level in those hard areas covering all 200 feet of the ice in the competitors barn?"

She's. The. Worst.