COLUMN: A look at the top 10 athlete interviews of all-time
In light of Richard Sherman’s outburst after the NFC championship game I thought I would put together the top 10 most memorable interviews with athletes or coaches.
1. Jim Mora, “Playoffs?” rant
Given that this is probably memorable for the commercials, it still is a hilarious answer to a question. Mora was asked if he thought his team, the Indianapolis Colts, if they would make the playoffs. This was after a whole press conference where he expressed his dissatisfaction with the team’s five turnovers. What ensued was legendary. Mora seemed genuinely shocked with the question, saying “Playoffs? You kidding me? Playoffs?” The interview has given us lots of laughs for years to come.
2. Herm Edwards, “You play to win the game”
This is another one made memorable by the commercials. However, it is genius in context. He simply wanted to explain to a reporter the point of sports. Edwards said, “This what’s great about sports, this is the greatest thing about sports … You play to win the game.” Nobody ever forgot what Edwards plays for after that.
3. John Chaney rushing John Calipari during a news conference
In 1994, Chaney was head coach at Temple and Calipari head coach at Massachusetts. Chaney was upset because he thought Calipari manipulated the refs during the game, so he took his discontent into his own hands during Calipari’s press conference. He ran at Calipari and had to be restrained, all the while yelling “I’ll kill you,” and “I’ll kick your (expletive).” I highly suggest, if you haven’t seen it, to look it up.
4. Mike Gundy “I’m a man”
Honestly, if you watch the whole rant, it’s a nice sentiment. He didn’t like a story about a quarterback just benched and viewed it as attacking the young man. So Gundy went into a long analogy about children and when they get put down. The rest of the reporters actually clapped for him as he was leaving. However, toward the end of it, we get the famous quote. He was saying if you want to go after someone go after him, but what came out was, “I’m a man. I’m 40,” in an odd-pitched voice that solidified the rant as an instant classic.
5. Stan Van Gundy and Dwight Howard
Yes it seems like a long time ago, but it was only 2012 when Dwight Howard was on the Orlando Magic. In an interview on the day of a Magic game, Van Gundy told reporters about how he had heard Howard went to ownership lobbying to get Van Gundy fired. Mid-interview, Howard walked up next to Van Gundy and put his arm around him and asked him in a creepily calm voice, “What’s the focus?” and Van Gundy answered, “Beating the Knicks.” The whole interview is so painful, and even if you have seen it, I recommend watching it again to really take in how uncomfortable it really was.
6. Dennis Green, “They are who we thought they were”
On a Monday night game in 2006, the one-win Arizona Cardinals hosted the eventual NFC-champion Chicago Bears. The Cardinals had a 20-point halftime lead only to lose 24-23. In his postgame conference, Green loses his composure completely. He yelled into the mic, “They are who we thought they were,” repeatedly, and “If you want to crown them, crown them,” before he punched the mic and stormed off the stage.
7. Jim Calhoun, Salary conflict
Calhoun was asked in a press conference by Ken Krayeske about being the highest-paid public employee in Connecticut during tough economic times. Calhoun initially responded by saying, “Not a dime back,” then he simply tore into the reporter about how much money the team brings in. Even the other reporters were displeased by Krayeske’s questions.
8. Derek Anderson, laughing on Monday Night Football
During a Monday Night Football game, Anderson was seen on camera laughing with one of his linemen down 18 points in the fourth quarter. Anderson was asked about it after the game and he simply exploded at the reporter. He full-blown yelled at the guy and said nothing is funny before he just stormed off.
9. Jim Boeheim and Andy Katz
In a postgame interview, Boeheim was asked a question by ESPN reporter Katz. Boeheim said, “I’ll answer anybody’s question but yours, because you’re an idiot and a really disloyal person.” Boeheim was angry at Katz about an interview about a year prior to this and let everyone know it.
10. Kevin Garnett, “Anything is possible”
This interview can be memorable either because you think it is a nice display of excitement or just plain funny. While being interviewed on court after his first NBA championship, Garnett simply can’t contain himself. He cried, he mumbled, he stood in silence; he even told the reporter, Michelle Tafoya, that she looked good. However, the memorable part of it is when Garnett threw his head back and simply screamed, “Anything is possible,” “I made it Ma,” and “I’m on top of the world.” It was a bit cheesy, but he did just achieve a life dream.
– Jeffrey Dahdah is a sophomore studying statistics and journalism. He is a die-hard Cardinals, Rams, Jazz and Aggies fan. He loves sports statistics and loves using them to analyze a sports and prove his points. If you have something to say to him, feel free to email him at dahdahjm@gmail.com or tweet at him @dahdahUSU.