Sports journalism is a world populated by shopworn cliches and tired, predictable narratives, but the “talk about” might truly be the abyss. We’ve all fallen victim to it at some point in our career. Either through osmosis from others doing the talk about, or just being inexperienced, we’ve made that horrendous mistake at some point.
However, most of us grow and develop beyond it.
The talk about is the clearest signal you can find of a reporter who either a.) is terrible at their job or b.) has completely given up.
It’s not a question, it’s a command. “Talk about the…..XYZ” “Can you talk about the….ABC.”
By committing this crime against the nature of sports journalism, you’re being obscenely condescending. I LOVE when coaches and players respond to the horrifying talk about with a “do you have an actual question?” or “Are you going to ask me a question?”
Sadly, most just acquiesce. Big Ten Media Day serves as the perfect laboratory to dissect the talk about. You had not just one, but two overgrown media circuses (Jim Harbaugh and Urban Meyer/Ohio State). You have media members from the highest rung, big brand name national types, interacting with raw college kids who are still learning.
Also, the talk about seems to have REALLY infected the Michigan State media corps for some reason. When MSU Head Coach Mark Dantonio was at the podium, you had significantly more talk abouts. There seems to be one guy, I don’t know his name (and frankly the less I know of him and about him the better) in the MSU media corps who does talk abouts incessantly.
Here are seven other similarly brain dead siblings of the talk about.
1. “how big was the…..”
During Big Ten Media Day I often left my digital recorder at the round table and then took my other recorder elsewhere with me. My tape picked up a whole lot of “How big is it to…..” but the worst question of the entire session emerged from my recording of Wisconsin QB Joel Stave going through Q&A.
“You could be one of the greatest quarterbacks in Wisconsin history; what’s that like?” was an actual question asked to Stave.
At that point, you might as well just take off….never mind, I’ll pass on making that joke. I want this “listicle” to remain family friendly.
2. “How key was that…..”
This is just one step above asking “what was the goal here tonight?” “What were you trying to accomplish?”
Uhhhhh Ummmmmm, winning! As Charlie Sheen would say. Sadly, I’ve been around sports journalism types who have “asked” the “did you want to win the game tonight?” question several times.
3. “Coach, your thoughts on the game”
I just heard this one a few times last weekend. Really, are you even trying anymore at this point?
4. “Speak to…..”
It’s bad enough how many times coaches and players say something pointless about so called “adversity” and/or dumb you down gobbledy-gook like “It’s a process, we take it one game at a time, we got to stay focused and make plays, and control what we can control, take of ourselves, step up and work hard every day.”
This happens even when you ask a real question. Don’t set it up for them; and make it even easier for them to commit these #WordCrimes (see video below)
It would never happen, but oh man I wish Weird Al Yankovic would make a parody song with a sports journalism theme.
5. “What does it mean to….”
When you do this move you’re admitting that your story was already completed before you began the interview
6. “How special is it to…..”
Yawn. ZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzZZZZZzzzzzz
7. “Walk us through the……”
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to USA Today’s NFL Wires Network. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, the Washington Post and ESPN. You can follow him on Linked In and Twitter.