Derrick Rose sat down with Chicago Bulls TV for an interview that ran exclusively on the Bulls website. So by definition, it’s not really an interview or a press conference, it’s simply a press release by Derrick Rose and the Bulls; only in video form. It’s not a real Q&A, it’s a pre-rehearsed, formulated message.
That said, how come it did absolutely zero to win over the Derrick Rose detractors? Since D Rose had the ball entirely in his own court, both literally and figuratively, why didn’t he come off as a more sympathetic figure? How did he fail so badly in getting his own message out there?
I used the term “win the press conference” because that’s almost exclusively applied to when a team first introduces a new player or coach. It designates whether the new acquisition wins over the media and hence the public with the message they put out there at the introductory presser.
You can apply this to Derrick Rose because Chicago loved him until mid February. Chicago hates him since then. It’s almost like two different people. D. Rose up until the time doctors medically cleared him to play is almost a different person entirely from D. Rose the indecisive, arcane vacillating persona we’ve known since then. So it’s time for a new introductory press conference. Is Chicago getting back Derrick Rose pre February 2013? Or Derrick Rose since February 2013? Or a new, completely different Derrick Rose entirely.
You can Watch the full interview here and decide for yourself.
In my opinion, nothing has really changed. Derrick Rose didn’t exactly clear up anything. He could have, at the very very least explained something: why not just tell us either way. Rose could have simply answered this fair question: “why not tell us you weren’t coming back this year?” “Why the charade and guessing games?”
Even a Derrick Rose answer of “well, the medical situation was fluid and changing every day” or something like that would have been a start. It’s not an answer I would have accepted as truth, but it’s better than the nothing he provided in the video. This is terrible brand management; this is PR blundering.
Especially this quote here:
“When you have an injury like this there are stages you have to go through. I’m still going through my stages. I’m not done yet,” he said. “This is the most I ever worked on my craft and most focused I’ve ever been in my NBA career.”
How has Derrick Rose not completed his rehab after all this time? Seriously?
Well, I know the answer to that- Derrick Rose HASN’T PLAYED. It’s the only way to complete the rehab, to play NBA basketball. So maybe it’s a good thing Derrick Rose has been so silent these last few months. Perhaps the true answer, for Derrick Rose, for the media, the fans, the Chicago Bulls organization is the old adage “just shut up and play.” Because Rose did himself zero favors with this interview.
Paul M. Banks is the owner of The Sports Bank.net. (“Quasi-endorsed” by Philadelphia Eagles Coach Chip Kelly) He’s also an author who also contributes regularly to MSN, Fox Sports , Chicago Now, Walter Football.com and Yardbarker
Banks has appeared on the History Channel, as well as Clear Channel, ESPN and CBS radio all over the world. The NFL, NBA expert does a weekly spot for 95.7 The Fan. President Barack Obama follows him on Twitter (@PaulMBanks), like him on Facebook