Sports Media Bad Tricks

Deion Sanders has always insisted that: give me your kid, I’ll give you back a man. Something like that. I don’t have the exact quote right now. That’s why he also coaches his players on how to handle the media. His son Shedeur is concise and corrective in media briefings. Corrective? Yes, the media sometimes wants to force their opinion on him. He corrects them. We saw that at the Pac 12 media briefing where Shedeur and Travis Hunter handled questions like professionals. They did not give anything away. They were not forced into saying anything.

Forced? Yes, because media questions are like glass under fresh snow. The snow is so pretty but there’s vintage snow underneath smooth as glass. Pavements full of people rushing to work or where they are not supposed to rush to. Whoosh! Someone helps me up. When did I fall? The hidden vintage snow smooth as a bottle, just got another victim.

Coach Prime is doing a great job giving kids media skills, but he should consider re-warning them about media questions, the glass under fresh snow. Example. Headlines scream, JIMMY HORN SEES COLORADO AS AMERICA’S TEAM. It was a set-up. He was responding to a question. Most people are too busy to read the first paragraph, let alone the whole article. The rule of thumb is that reporters’ questions are the expected answer.

Steph Curry, are you better than Fred VanVleet?: Yes I am.

Fred VanVleet, are you better than Steph Curry?: Yes I am.

OG Anunoby, can you guard LeBron James? Yes, I can.

LeBron James, can OG Anunoby guard you? No, he cannot.

Reporters then create a feud between the four men, with He said. He said you said. Can we change the question script please? Thanks very much. Jimmy Horn gave an honest answer on the spot, but he fell into the trap. The person who asked the question had already decided that Colorado Buffs are America’s team, a tall order indeed.

They are only in #2 game today. Coach Prime must re-warn players under this watch about the frozen vintage snow, under fresh snow because of how the media works. Somewhere down the internet conveyor belt, somebody will accuse Horn of being pompous, cocky or presumptuous and not a soul, will come to his rescue that he was answering a question.

By: Nonqaba waka Msimang.