As strange as it may seem, when I met John Wooden I thought I was talking to GOD. Then I realized that he was a SCHOOL TEACHER who personified dignity and panache. JOHN WOODEN - THE WIZARD of WESTWOOD

Michael Jordan exemplified dignity, class and respect for others in granting interviews -- Steve Lipofsky Basketballphoto.com

After interviewing MLB Hall of Fame pitcher Nolan Ryan I had dinner with Craig Sager in the media dining room at the then California Angels Anaheim Stadium - (photo Chuck Andersenderivative work: Delaywaves talk) NOLAN RYAN & CRAIG SAGER have Something in Common

SPORTS NOTES - THE BEST AND WORST SPORTS STARS INTERVIEWS

James Loving/National Radio Text Service

In sports journalism a reporter runs into all types of athletes. Some are courteous and others qualify for the complete A-HOLE category. We reveal our Top and Bottom 3 interviews and attempts in our 23 years of sports journalism

THEY CAN AGREE OR NOT… TO DO IT?

Saturday April 30, 2011 - (Updated - Monday January 22, 2024)

Media coverage of professional and college athletes is a two way street in asking questions and receiving quality useable answers. It requires the cooperation of the athlete. We have experienced and witnessed the abuse from pro athletes. The most memorable was when two sport athlete Bo Jackson who played in the NFL football & MLB Major League baseball. While Jackson was a member of the Kansas City Royals baseball team a TV crew of three from Japan patiently waited by his locker at Anaheim Stadium (LA then Anaheim Angeles) in hopes to obtain an interview.

In a very curt manner Jackson said he wasn't going to do an interview with them. They pleaded that they came all the way from Japan to do it. Jackson could care less and the Japanese TV crew left despondent and without a story. It was the rudest athlete with media situation we have ever witnessed in 23 years of sports journalism.

Some athletes simply do not like certain journalists primarily because they reported something negative about them or they got it wrong in what they reported verses what the athlete said. We have our top three most cooperative and not cooperative situations.

TOP 3

1. Former UCLA coach John Wooden is our top choice. Wooden holds an NCAA record by coaching UCLA to a record 10 NCAA championships. His closet rival former Kentucky coach Adolph Rupp had 4. What many don't know is that Wooden was an excellent college player before he became a coach. Wooden was somewhat god like to us since he accomplished his feat prior to our interview and had retired. The interview took place at his modest home. He was very thoughtful and humble. Every time the telephone rang he excused himself. He gave us two hours of his time. That interview resulted into print, Internet as well as radio features that aired on over 500 stations. Wooden passed away this past year on June 4th at the age of 99 just four months and 10 days short of his 100th birthday on October 14th.

2. Michael Jordan was the most accommodating. We requested a one on one interview with Jordan after he led the Chicago Bulls to their 2nd NBA title. He arrived to the stadium late and we waited. When he arrived he said he had to warm up for 15 minutes but would return and asked if a 15 minute interview would be enough. It was more than enough but it signifies the type of man he was in respecting others and not thinking of himself as being above anyone. The interview was a triple hit which became features on radio, print and the Internet. Jordan went on to win four more NBA titles with the Bulls. Jordan never refused us an interview. He is now the owner of the NBA's Charlotte Bobcats.

3. Nolan Ryan pitched 6 no hit games during his career which is a MLB (Major League Baseball) record. We requested an interview after his fifth no-hitter. He granted our request and gave an extensive one on one interview in the dugout. He explained what each no-hitter meant to him. That interview resulted in muftiple radio features which aired on over 1000 station in America. Ironically he pitched another, his sixth, a few days later.

BOTTOM THREE

1. Bo Jackson was the most obnoxious and inconsiderate of all athletes. Aside from what the Japanese television crew experienced we had our own bad results. We were present when he signed on with the then Los Angeles Raider of the NFL (National Football League). He refused to talk. We were there when he was a member of the Kansas City Royals (MLB) and became a two sport professional athlete. Again he refused to talk. We then witnessed how he treated the Japanese media and that was the decider that he was ill mannered to others as well.

2. Sterling Sharpe then an outstanding receiver with the Green Bay Packers (NFL) was very rude with his reply when we requested an interview. He was so rude that we erased him from out to do list. Ironically his brother Shannon also a star receiver with the NFL'S Denver Broncos was most accommodating, respectful and polite. The twist to this story is the Sterling then became a member of the media as an analyst for NFL games.

3. To us Bill Laimbeer the center of the Detroit Pistons NBA title teams was the most arrogant. He spoke but was a wise cracking A-hole. We got nothing but unusable smart remarks. The strange thing is he became the coach of a WNBA (Women's National Basketball Association) team which requires communication. We dismissed the experience as he being a smart ass and avoided him from that point on.

Fortunately we have had great success obtaining interviews with athletes that don't grant interviews with the press which helped us launch our radio features business. Networks were shocked that they talked to us while their own well known reporters were refused.

There are reasons why some athletes refuse to interview. One reason is they have poor language and communication skills. The other is they are shy, not talkative or an International player who feels uncomfortable with his English language skills. We had that experience with the then Chicago Bulls Toni Kukoc. Despite the problem we did the story.

One now amusing interview was with MLB Hall of Fame player Reggie Jackson. In front of a group of other reporters in the locker room of an old timer's game at Anaheim Stadium he decided to show off and vividly describe his experiences by using expletives. His apparent purpose was to embarrass the reporter. It didn't work as the reporter has on tape one of Jackson's most embarrassing moments. At that time the Internet wasn't as popular as it is today. We don't consider Jackson in the bottom three but in a category of one of the most revealing interviews exposing a sports stars true personality.

We've had mixed results with former Los Angeles Lakers star Magic Johnson who's massive ego had us coming day after day for an inter that was to be come tomorrow. At the time Johnson was the NBA's premiere player having led the Lakers to 5 NBA titles before the Jordan era.

We eventually got the stories but due to Lakers management problems and lack of cooperation to help us fulfill our client's requests and deadlines. We got the job done but it was one of the biggest headaches of all of our experiences.

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