If you want to know why Mike Krzyzewski is the media’s all-time favorite coach, you can start by observing his media skills. Yes, Coach K. is pretty teflon in the public eye, and his consistently ability to win the press conference is a big reason why.
Tonight, after his team got easily handled by Kentucky in the Champions Classic, Krzyzewski was asked two mind-numbing questions. Yet he remained in a great mood. He had fun with the pointless potential narratives thrust upon him and found the humor in it. Again, he has excellent media skills!
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We’ve covered in excruciating detail what all sports press press conferences are. Weird Al Yankovic has done the parody to end all parodies of this genre.
Nevertheless, a reporter asked Krzyzewski “if he subscribes to cliche that college basketball is a guards game” tonight.
“There’s a subscription, and a cliche, we’re going really crazy here,” Krzyzewski said jokingly.
Later, a different reporter asked Coach K. if his coaching philosophy is any different because Grayson Allen is now in his second year and in a starting role.
Yes, because a white 5-star recruit entering his sophomore season at Duke is just a rare, unique, ground-breaking experience for Coach K. Promoting Allen to the starting five is truly a career altering experience for Coach K.
“I’m not sure I have a coaching philosophy, I work on” he said.
“I have my Master’s, I’m a subscription person, I got my doctorate, in philosophy with my dissertation on basketball.”
Great stuff by Krzyzewski. As wonderful a game as basketball is, it’s not all that complex. This reality often invites reporters to over-analyze and misinterpret the game; looking to find deeper, bigger picture stories that don’t actually exist. At least no one said the “much more lopsided than the score indicated” cliche about tonight’s Duke-Kentucky result; which was actually quite true in this case.
Paul M. Banks owns, operates and sometimes writes The Sports Bank.net, which is partnered with FOX Sports Engage Network. The website is also featured on News Now.
Banks, a former writer for the Washington Times, currently contributes to the Chicago Tribune RedEye. He also appears regularly on numerous television and radio talk shows all across the country. Catch him Tuesdays on KOZN 1620 The Zone.