# Should athletes be compelled to talk to the media? **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Tags:** tennis\ **Created:** [June 1, 2021, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-athletes-be-compelled-to-talk-to-the-media/943351 "2021-06-01T14:08:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 16
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2021, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-athletes-be-compelled-to-talk-to-the-media/943351/302 "2021-06-08T20:04:51Z")
> [@Cheesesteak](#): > > #2, The Open fines her $15k, (note this is DOUBLE what Novak Djokovic was fined for skipping a presser after being DQed for hitting a judge in the throat with a ball at the US Open last September) AND threatens to suspend her for the other Majors if she continues to skip the conferences. [link](https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2021/may/30/french-open-womens-singles-naomi-osaka-patricia-tig) This was also news. Are Djokovic and Osaka equivalent here? Djokovic not only got a fine but was disqualified. Also, given the circumstances, one can see why, in those charged circumstances, Djokovic would want to skip a presser. Osaka was more she just did not want to do it. As an organization I would be more worried about the precedent Osaka is setting than Djokovic. I know Osaka said she had mental health reasons for not wanting to do a press briefing but this is nothing new to her at all. All of a sudden this is a problem or all of a sudden she figures she can afford the penalty? Osaka earned nearly $55 million last year and is one of the highest paid athletes in the world ([top 30](https://www.republicworld.com/sports-news/tennis-news/naomi-osaka-house-net-worth-earnings-and-all-causes-the-world-no-2-stands-up-for.html)). That fine to her is peanuts. So, if she is so wealthy that she feels a $7,500 fine is totally worth paying to skip meeting the press I can see why the organization would want to nip it in the bud and stop that. Of course, $15,000 is not really a problem for her either. ---
**Author:** ![Mijin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mijin/32/9369_2.png) [@Mijin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mijin)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2021, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-athletes-be-compelled-to-talk-to-the-media/943351/303 "2021-06-08T20:13:37Z")
Djokovic in the heat of the moment skipped a presser. Osaka announced she wasn’t going to do any press for the whole tournament. Now, we could argue that the organizers should be more understanding of Osaka’s mental health disclosure and not fine her anything. That’s definitely something worthy of debate. My own view is that mental health problems should be enough to get a waiver, but just the athlete making such a claim is insufficient; they need to be actually seeking help. But a rhetorical thing of asking why her fine was different, coupled with the implication that it was racist is not a good argument as of course there are differences. More importantly of course, complaining about the relative sizes of fines is largely besides the point. The thread is supposed to be about the rights and wrongs as whether such a rule can exist and whether fines should be possible. We can argue about how they are calculated after that. ---
**Author:** ![Cheesesteak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cheesesteak/32/3694_2.png) [@Cheesesteak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheesesteak)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2021, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-athletes-be-compelled-to-talk-to-the-media/943351/304 "2021-06-08T20:27:19Z")
> [@Whack-a-Mole](#): > > Are Djokovic and Osaka equivalent here? Djokovic not only got a fine but was disqualified. He got a fine and DQ for something he did on the court, not for skipping the press conference. For that, and this would have been a highly anticipated press conference, he was fined $7,500. > [@Whack-a-Mole](#): > > Osaka was more she just did not want to do it. She did not want to do it to the tune of voluntarily withdrawing from a tournament where she could have won over $1,000,000. Nobody withdraws from a Grand Slam event because they “don’t wanna” something that lasts 10 minutes. > [@Mijin](#): > > Djokovic in the heat of the moment skipped a presser. Osaka announced she wasn’t going to do any press for the whole tournament. Why does this matter in a contractual dispute? Do contractual damages increase when something is announced? The higher fine and threats were not because Osaka was damaging tennis more than Djokovic, it’s because they felt she was challenging their authority. That’s the thing they couldn’t have happen. ---
**Author:** ![Cheesesteak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cheesesteak/32/3694_2.png) [@Cheesesteak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheesesteak)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2021, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-athletes-be-compelled-to-talk-to-the-media/943351/305 "2021-06-08T20:36:06Z")
> [@Mijin](#): > > More importantly of course, complaining about the relative sizes of fines is largely besides the point. The thread is supposed to be about the rights and wrongs as whether such a rule can exist and whether fines should be possible. For the most part these fines are a non-issue. A few times a year an athlete decides not to talk and gets a fine they can easily pay, then they show up after the next game. This time, and basically the only time I know of, the league threatened to suspend the player. ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2021, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-athletes-be-compelled-to-talk-to-the-media/943351/306 "2021-06-08T20:36:21Z")
> [@Cheesesteak](#): > > She did not want to do it to the tune of voluntarily withdrawing from a tournament where she could have won over $1,000,000. Nobody withdraws from a Grand Slam event because they “don’t wanna” something that lasts 10 minutes. I am curious if this mental problem is new or existed her whole life. Really asking, I do not follow tennis closely. There is [no shortage of her doing interviews](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2IzX2wHh7zA) up till this point. ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2021, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-athletes-be-compelled-to-talk-to-the-media/943351/307 "2021-06-08T20:37:35Z")
Isn’t the reason because she said she was not skipping just one interview but all interviews? Has anyone done that before? Is there precedent? ---
**Author:** ![Pleonast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pleonast/32/1183_2.png) [@Pleonast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pleonast)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2021, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-athletes-be-compelled-to-talk-to-the-media/943351/308 "2021-06-08T20:42:53Z")
> [@Whack-a-Mole](#): > > Isn’t the reason because she said she was not skipping just one interview but all interviews? She said she was skipping all press conferences. Interviews were still on the table. ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2021, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-athletes-be-compelled-to-talk-to-the-media/943351/309 "2021-06-08T20:43:48Z")
I meant press conferences. My bad. 🤦‍♂️ ---
**Author:** ![Cheesesteak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cheesesteak/32/3694_2.png) [@Cheesesteak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheesesteak)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2021, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-athletes-be-compelled-to-talk-to-the-media/943351/310 "2021-06-08T20:46:05Z")
> [@Whack-a-Mole](#): > > Isn’t the reason because she said she was not skipping just one interview but all interviews? Has anyone done that before? Absolutely and I don’t think so. She also actually DID an interview on court right after the match. The point, I think, is that she decided something for herself that didn’t line up with the French Open’s plan for the tournament. They wanted to make it clear that THEY decide things, not her. I’m OK with enforcing the contract, I’m not OK with the power play. ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2021, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-athletes-be-compelled-to-talk-to-the-media/943351/311 "2021-06-08T22:21:20Z")
So, if Osaka said she would skip ALL pressers and was fined $15,000 and Djokovic skipped one and was fined $7,500 who got the worse deal? ---
**Author:** ![Cheesesteak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cheesesteak/32/3694_2.png) [@Cheesesteak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheesesteak)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2021, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-athletes-be-compelled-to-talk-to-the-media/943351/312 "2021-06-08T22:29:21Z")
I can’t say who got the worse deal, but you have it right that they punished her for saying something. ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2021, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-athletes-be-compelled-to-talk-to-the-media/943351/313 "2021-06-08T22:37:32Z")
They punished her for saying she would not fulfill her contractual obligations. These obligations were nothing new and something she had fulfilled many times in the past, seemingly without complaint. They were not onerous. They were not unfair. She was making stellar money. I am all for protecting the oppressed. She is not one of them. Maybe the French Open was ham-fisted in how they handled this but I am missing how Osaka is being unfairly treated here. ---
**Author:** ![Pleonast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pleonast/32/1183_2.png) [@Pleonast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pleonast)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2021, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-athletes-be-compelled-to-talk-to-the-media/943351/314 "2021-06-08T23:31:13Z")
> [@Whack-a-Mole](#): > > They punished her for saying she would not fulfill her contractual obligations. They punished her for exercising an option in the contract by threatening to do something not in the contract. ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2021, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-athletes-be-compelled-to-talk-to-the-media/943351/315 "2021-06-08T23:37:16Z")
Then she should sue them (well…not sure you can sue someone for a threat like this…not sure…if they did it then yeah). ---
**Author:** ![Banquet\_Bear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/banquet_bear/32/373_2.png) [@Banquet\_Bear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Banquet_Bear)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2021, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-athletes-be-compelled-to-talk-to-the-media/943351/316 "2021-06-09T00:03:56Z")
> [@Whack-a-Mole](#): > > I know Osaka **said** she had mental health reasons for not wanting to do a press briefing but this is nothing new to her at all. **All of a sudden this is a problem** or all of a sudden she figures she can afford the penalty? …she has just withdrawn from the Berlin Tournament, which means she is likely to withdraw from Wimbledon. Osaka said in her statement that she has suffered bouts of depression since 2018. She said she has had a hard time coping with that. This isn’t something that happened “all of a sudden.” > [@Whack-a-Mole](#): > > They were not onerous. Another person who wants to belittle people’s experiences with depression and social anxiety. This isn’t about “oppression.” It’s about mental health. > [@Whack-a-Mole](#): > > Maybe the French Open was ham-fisted in how they handled this but I am missing how Osaka is being unfairly treated here. Because every workplace should be able to make accommodation for a players mental health and well-being. ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2021, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-athletes-be-compelled-to-talk-to-the-media/943351/317 "2021-06-09T00:08:20Z")
> [@Banquet\_Bear](#): > > Another person who wants to belittle people’s experiences with depression and social anxiety. This isn’t about “oppression.” It’s about mental health. Osaka has been doing pressers and interviews for a long time. If she had serious problems with this she should not have entered the tournament and then claimed this disability. If she is having mental problems I wish her the best in finding the treatment she needs. I really do. > [@Banquet\_Bear](#): > > Because every workplace should be able to make accommodation for a players mental health and well-being. Define those accommodations. ---
**Author:** ![Banquet\_Bear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/banquet_bear/32/373_2.png) [@Banquet\_Bear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Banquet_Bear)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2021, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-athletes-be-compelled-to-talk-to-the-media/943351/318 "2021-06-09T00:17:40Z")
> [@Whack-a-Mole](#): > > Osaka has been doing pressers and interviews for a long time. …so what? > [@Whack-a-Mole](#): > > If she had serious problems with this she should not have entered the tournament and then claimed this disability. You make it sound like dealing with mental illness in a society that has frequently shunned those with mental illness is an easy thing to do. > [@Whack-a-Mole](#): > > **If** she is having mental problems I wish her the best in finding the treatment she needs. I really do. If? What do you mean if? She told us that she has suffered from bouts of depression and social anxiety. I have no reason to disbelieve her. Why do you have doubt? > [@Whack-a-Mole](#): > > Define those accommodations. Do you want me to define accommodations in the workplace in general? Sure. This is the guidance here from Employment NZ. > **[Reasonable accommodation (measures)](https://www.employment.govt.nz/workplace-policies/employment-for-disabled-people/reasonable-accommodation-measures/)** > > Making reasonable accommodation enables you to confidently recruit, retain and support disabled people within your organisation. > [@cite](#): > > People with disability are employed across many occupations and like anyone else, they prefer work they are naturally suited to and good at. Some disabilities affect a person’s abilities to perform a particular job, but for most any issues may be overcome by a responsible manager working with the employee or job applicant, eg changing the hours of work slightly is the most common form of reasonable measure. > > Employers should consider taking reasonable measures to help the job fit the worker and should seek advice if necessary. But first they should talk freely and directly with their employee (or prospective employee) to find out how best to match the person’s abilities to the job for maximum productivity and job satisfaction. ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2021, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-athletes-be-compelled-to-talk-to-the-media/943351/319 "2021-06-09T00:23:17Z")
> [@Banquet\_Bear](#): > > Why do you have doubt? I already told you. She has done many, many, many press things in her life. If she decided she was no longer mentally able to cope with that she should not have entered a competition where those things are required. She did and then this became a huge fuss. > [@Banquet\_Bear](#): > > Do you want me to define accommodations in the workplace in general? Sure. This is the guidance here from Employment NZ. “Guidance.” Swell. The bible gives us guidance too that we should all love each other. What legally enforced accommodations do you want? ---
**Author:** ![Banquet\_Bear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/banquet_bear/32/373_2.png) [@Banquet\_Bear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Banquet_Bear)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2021, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-athletes-be-compelled-to-talk-to-the-media/943351/320 "2021-06-09T00:41:39Z")
> [@Whack-a-Mole](#): > > I already told you. She has done many, many, many press things in her life. …and? I shared my story about my social anxiety before. Feel free to scroll up and read it. I had to hire somebody to post and reply on Facebook for me because doing it myself was causing me physical distress. That doesn’t mean I haven’t posted on Facebook, or that I don’t occasionally post on Facebook when I have no other choice. But when I do it causes me distress. I have to post something on Facebook today but instead I’m posting here to distract me and to calm myself down. And when I eventually do post on Facebook nobody will know how hard it was for me to do it. So the fact that she has done press conferences before says absolutely nothing about whether she has depression or social anxiety. Nothing at all. > [@Whack-a-Mole](#): > > If she decided she was no longer mentally able to cope with that she should not have entered a competition where those things are required. Allowing a player to skip a press conference for the sake of her mental health and well-being is an entirely reasonable accommodation. The goal of a tennis player is to play tennis. In addition to playing tennis it is reasonable to expect a player to help promote the game and there is no bigger name in womens tennis right now than Naomi Osaka. > [@Whack-a-Mole](#): > > “Guidance.” > > Swell. > > The bible gives us guidance too that we should all love each other. > > What legally enforced accommodations do you want? I’m not sure you read the cite that carefully. The " employer has to take reasonable measures, ie provide services and facilities where this is reasonable, to meet an employee’s needs under the Human Rights Act 1993." This is **enforceable** under the law. Because it is law. The page provides guidance on what reasonable accommodation can look like to help prevent employers breaching the Human Rights Act. ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2021, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-athletes-be-compelled-to-talk-to-the-media/943351/321 "2021-06-09T00:43:10Z")
> [@Banquet\_Bear](#): > > Allowing a player to skip a press conference for the sake of her mental health and well-being is an entirely reasonable accommodation. She said she was skipping all of them. > [@Banquet\_Bear](#): > > " employer has to take reasonable measures, ie provide services and facilities where this is reasonable, to meet an employee’s needs under the Human Rights Act 1993." Is that defined? If you were an employer in New Zealand what does that mean? How can that be enforceable? With no bright line “reasonable” is vague guidance. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-athletes-be-compelled-to-talk-to-the-media/943351.md?page=15) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-athletes-be-compelled-to-talk-to-the-media/943351.md?page=17)