# 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:** 3
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2021, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-athletes-be-compelled-to-talk-to-the-media/943351/41 "2021-06-01T16:44:54Z")
Then I can fire him. I’d be fine with just not paying him if he doesn’t perform but then he’s taking a spot on the roster so no performance, no job. That’s the way it works now. ---
**Author:** ![Ponch8](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponch8/32/9883_2.png) [@Ponch8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponch8)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2021, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-athletes-be-compelled-to-talk-to-the-media/943351/42 "2021-06-01T16:54:38Z")
> [@Gyrate](#): > > Yeah, the post-game interviews are usually pretty pointless. I get that they want to maximize exposure but they ask the same dumb questions every time and get the same dumb answers. I just want to give it my best shot, and the good Lord willing, things will work out. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/SB_LjL0lUJ4/maxresdefault.jpg "Bull Durham (1988) - Winning's Better Than Losing Scene (7/12) | Movieclips") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SB_LjL0lUJ4&t=18) ---
**Author:** ![Chad\_Sudan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chad_sudan/32/4509_2.png) [@Chad\_Sudan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chad_Sudan)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2021, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-athletes-be-compelled-to-talk-to-the-media/943351/43 "2021-06-01T16:57:22Z")
I was hoping that Osaka would show up and give an interview [Lou Reed style](https://youtu.be/2UrhX1ilwwc?t=137). ---
**Author:** ![k9bfriender](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/k9bfriender/32/3283_2.png) [@k9bfriender](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/k9bfriender)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2021, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-athletes-be-compelled-to-talk-to-the-media/943351/44 "2021-06-01T17:17:28Z")
> [@Velocity](#): > > I can’t think of a single sports fan in the world who ever said, “I was going to buy that Lakers jersey and renew my Lakers season tickets, but now that LeBron said he refuses to do interviews anymore, I’m not going to buy Lakers gear anymore. I NEED those interviews.” Do you not know many sports fans? All I see here is an argument from your personal incredulity and ignorance. I’m not much of a fan, I don’t watch the interview _or_ the game. But I _do_ know quite a number of people who watch the interviews with great interest. Does that mean that they would refuse to watch the game if there were not interviews? I dunno, but it would be taking something away from them that they enjoy. Do you think that actors shouldn’t do the talk show circuit to promote the movies and shows that they are in? That they shouldn’t go to conventions or other events for the fans? If so, do you think that they’d be willing to take a significant pay reduction? Keep in mind, an athlete isn’t paid buckets of money because they can sportsball good, they are paid buckets of money because people want to watch them sportsball good. ---
**Author:** ![eschrodinger](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschrodinger/32/122_2.png) [@eschrodinger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschrodinger)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2021, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-athletes-be-compelled-to-talk-to-the-media/943351/45 "2021-06-01T17:21:12Z")
> [@Jackmannii](#): > > Are that many people going to stop watching or going to tennis tournaments because Naomi Osaka isn’t going to press conferences afterwards? I haven’t been watching lately, but in the past I’ve been an avid tennis watcher. I never stuck around to watch interviews after matches. I might be interested if something very unusual happened, to know the player’s reaction, but I don’t need to hear iteration one million of the standard post-match presser. And plenty of athletes are happy to do it. It’s not like letting one skip will mean they all will. > [@Pleonast](#): > > I’m hoping the tournament(s) and player(s) can come to an agreement next time. Something like the player gives an interview, or the player and tournament make matching donations to an appropriate charity. They get their publicity and raise attention to a worthy cause without harming the player. Yes, I hope something can be worked out. I’m sure even most of her fans would rather see her play in the tournament and not see her interviewed than not see her in the tournament at all. Maybe something can be worked out that has options – like, you can do short press conferences after each match, or do a long sit-down interview with one or two networks before the tournament. That way, they still have their clips, and you could get it out of the way. But in any event, an athlete should be able to opt out for real mental health reasons. ---
**Author:** ![SCAdian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scadian/32/3292_2.png) [@SCAdian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SCAdian)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2021, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-athletes-be-compelled-to-talk-to-the-media/943351/46 "2021-06-01T17:23:47Z")
> [@Velocity](#): > > I’m not a fan of the concept of compelling anyone to talk about anything, except for perhaps referees who should be required to explain incorrect calls, etc. If an athlete doesn’t want to talk, he’s just practicing common sense. Never heard of Osaka, but I definitely agree with this. ---
**Author:** ![k9bfriender](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/k9bfriender/32/3283_2.png) [@k9bfriender](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/k9bfriender)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2021, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-athletes-be-compelled-to-talk-to-the-media/943351/47 "2021-06-01T17:23:53Z")
nevemind… ---
**Author:** ![Saintly\_Loser](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saintly_loser/32/4045_2.png) [@Saintly\_Loser](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saintly_Loser)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2021, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-athletes-be-compelled-to-talk-to-the-media/943351/48 "2021-06-01T17:33:21Z")
> [@Cheesesteak](#): > > An even better compromise is that the team can fire the player, cancel the work contract entirely. That’s what normal employers do to employees who fail to complete their work. > [@TriPolar](#): > > If I had an all-star athlete on my team who didn’t want to talk to the media I’d be fine with just not paying him. But for most of the players, sure, go ahead and fire them. Well, sure. But in this case, Naomi Osaka _is_ the team. > [@steronz](#): > > . . . at the end of the day, if someone wants to make a living playing a game that most people do for fun at their own expense, it’s not unreasonable to me to expect them to have to jump through some hoops and do a little song and dance every once in a while. The money to pay them doesn’t come from nowhere. Absolutely true. This is, after all, the entertainment business. Song and dance is what it’s all about. But see below… > [@borschevsky](#): > > She seems to be trying to deal with a mental health issue that has been bothering her for years. Yes. And I come back to what I said above – it’s basically child abuse to let someone turn pro at 15 (and effectively be a pro athlete in training for years before that). So here we are. Ms. Osaka is, unsurprisingly, having mental health difficulties. Given the way she was raised, that was fairly predictable. So I think it’s absolutely reasonable to ask the governing bodies, tournament organizers, sponsors, etc. to give her a break. It’s kind of a sick system. And every opportunity to fix it (in the case of Ms. Osaka) was blown years and years before this one player said she didn’t want to participate in press events, and dropped out of a tournament. ---
**Author:** ![Saintly\_Loser](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saintly_loser/32/4045_2.png) [@Saintly\_Loser](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saintly_Loser)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2021, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-athletes-be-compelled-to-talk-to-the-media/943351/49 "2021-06-01T17:35:47Z")
> [@Kent\_Clark](#): > > I’m sure that (generic professional athlete) could negotiate contracts and endorsements so they wouldn’t have to do anything more than wear the logos and have their photos taken for ads, but that won’t make them [the world’s highest-paid female athlete](https://www.sportspromedia.com/news/naomi-osaka-workday-endorsement-tennis-sponsorship), either. It’s really a question of how they want to capitalize on their talent. Yes. Or go the Bill Bradley route, and just decide not to do endorsements at all. ---
**Author:** ![eschrodinger](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschrodinger/32/122_2.png) [@eschrodinger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschrodinger)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2021, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-athletes-be-compelled-to-talk-to-the-media/943351/50 "2021-06-01T17:39:24Z")
I wonder if this is another case of mental health issues not being taken as seriously as other kinds of health issues. If she had an injury or illness that, say, required her to have a lengthy treatment immediately after a match, so she could not attend the press events, would they have accommodated that? It’s being discussed as a choice. But it sounds like she sought accommodation, was denied, tried to do it, couldn’t, got sanctioned, had to quit. If that was the sequence, but with a physical injury being the cause of her inability to attend, would there be much support for the tournament trying to force attendance? ---
**Author:** ![TroutMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troutman/32/6721_2.png) [@TroutMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TroutMan)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2021, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-athletes-be-compelled-to-talk-to-the-media/943351/51 "2021-06-01T17:42:46Z")
> [@Saintly\_Loser](#): > > So here we are. Ms. Osaka is, unsurprisingly, having mental health difficulties. Given the way she was raised, that was fairly predictable. I’m going to call a little bit of bullshit on this one. Severe social anxiety and depression have little to do with how someone was raised. Let’s not pretend that preventing athletes from going pro before 18 will do anything to solve this problem. > [@eschrodinger](#): > > I wonder if this is another case of mental health issues not being taken as seriously as other kinds of health issues. Absolutely correct. ---
**Author:** ![SunUp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ea5d25/32.png) [@SunUp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SunUp)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2021, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-athletes-be-compelled-to-talk-to-the-media/943351/52 "2021-06-01T17:48:49Z")
In theory, the WTA (women’s tennis governing body) is a “player’s union”, in that it was originally formed by a group of players to advocate for their own interests among what was then a hodgepodge of different tournaments and circuits. In practice, the WTA (and the ATP on the men’s side) have been pretty thoroughly captured by tournament/sponsorship $ and function as de facto “management” of the tour. Often, those who rep players have blatant conflicts of interests with tournaments or sponsors. This creates little impetus for change that might upset the money flow. I should add there’s a movement to create a player-only association (largely on the men’s side thus far) that made a big splash last year but has done little yet in the way of concrete changes to the tours. I have a great deal of sympathy for Naomi Osaka on this issue. I certainly think that it could have been handled by the tournament and the tour with a great deal more tact and discretion. A fine for missing a press avail seems to be a suitable penalty for not doing what is part of the job, but I think it’s a shame that such a big deal is made of it. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2021, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-athletes-be-compelled-to-talk-to-the-media/943351/53 "2021-06-01T17:57:02Z")
> [@SanVito](#): > > > [@Velocity](#): > > > > I doubt this makes much of a difference, income-wise. The NBA and NFL, for instance, are massive money-making juggernauts that draw in mammoth ratings and revenue. I doubt that LeBron James or Tom Brady not being available for a post-game interview is going to put much of a dent at all in the $$$. > > But the OPs question opens up the possibility that **no** athletes would do interviews, and that’s where it starts to have an impact. Because, let’s face it, no athlete wants to do the interviews they do (or the appearances, the ads they have to make for the team or their sponsor, the glad handing they have to do pre and post games). It seems to me that many athletes _love_ interacting with sports/news media and creating controversy. And even when they’re not fond of press conferences and interviews, they’re posting tons of stuff on social media (good, bad and incredibly stupid) because very often they’re into me, me, look at me, pay attention to me. Fans can get a glut of that stuff without tuning in to ESPN. The relative few athletes who are intensely private enough to generally avoid such contacts are not in my opinion hurting sports; they’re a welcome change from the norm. They could very well make more money by hyping themselves via various outlets, but if they don’t want to I’m happy to excuse them from doing so. ---
**Author:** ![Pardel-Lux](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pardel-lux/32/20182_2.png) [@Pardel-Lux](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pardel-Lux)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2021, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-athletes-be-compelled-to-talk-to-the-media/943351/54 "2021-06-01T17:57:48Z")
I don’t think athletes should be forced to speak to (stoopid) media, their questions are mostly dumb anyway, it is a vacuous exercise. Even worse are the interviews just after the game, when athletes have too much adrenalin and too little oxygen in their brains and bodies to be coherent and interesting. There are enough who want to talk anyway, so let them. If only they were all as funny as Yogi Berra or as dumb as Lothar Matthäus! ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2021, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-athletes-be-compelled-to-talk-to-the-media/943351/55 "2021-06-01T18:03:26Z")
> [@Jackmannii](#): > > The relative few athletes who are intensely private enough to generally avoid such contacts are not in my opinion hurting sports; they’re a welcome change from the norm. I’m inclined to agree. How often do athletes _who really don’t want to talk to the media_ have anything worthwhile to say? ---
**Author:** ![sitchensis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sitchensis/32/4892_2.png) [@sitchensis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sitchensis)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2021, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-athletes-be-compelled-to-talk-to-the-media/943351/56 "2021-06-01T18:04:31Z")
> [@Velocity](#): > > But even still - let’s suppose that, indeed, no athletes ever do postgame interviews again - how much is that going to affect the income? I can’t think of a single sports fan in the world who ever said, “I was going to buy that Lakers jersey and renew my Lakers season tickets, but now that LeBron said he refuses to do interviews anymore, I’m not going to buy Lakers gear anymore. I NEED those interviews.” > > The overwhelmingly No. 1 factor in whether a team makes money or not is its performance on the field. ESPN is a 50 billion dollar company. It’s flagship program, (Sportscenter) and the majority of it’s other programs are about sports on-and-off the field. They create content out of interviews. They build interest and controversy. ESPN began in 1979. In 1984-85 three NFL teams changes hands with a purchase price of 70 million each, prior to that no team had ever sold for more than 15 million. The current average value of an NFL team is over 3 billion dollars. Sports as a 24/365 content creator is a valuable thing. ---
**Author:** ![amarinth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3be4f8/32.png) [@amarinth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarinth)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2021, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-athletes-be-compelled-to-talk-to-the-media/943351/57 "2021-06-01T18:05:30Z")
I still think there’s a difference between the post game interviews for sports and other entertainment roadshows. For a movie or tv show, the actor does the rounds to promote that movie or tv show. Rachel Weisz is on Kimmel this week. I assume she has a movie coming out - her appearance might entice me to see that movie\*, meaning more money for the film and more money for her. Without those appearances, people might not even know about the movie or they might not know enough about the movie to make the decision to go see it. There’s a direct line from the press events to revenue. OTOH, for sports, the post-game interviews don’t sell more tickets. Fans know when the games are (the French Open is not a surprise. It’s every year in May. US football is “Any Given Sunday” (among other days of the week). I’m not entirely certain when “Hockey Night in Canada” is, but I’m sure that hockey fans know. (Saturday? maybe?)) These interviews aren’t needed for the events because hardcore fans of the sports are going to see the games/matches/etc. anyway. If it’s about the endorsement - that’s between the team (or player) and their endorser. Nike can and possibly should pay less if their endorsee doesn’t show up to press conferences, but how is that any business of the French Open? The FO still has butts in seats without the press conference and there’s still plenty of ad revenue. The only way it makes sense is if the tournament is saying that they make so much in ad revenue during the press conference that the players are worth more to them in a press interview than they are in the game. In which case, they should pay players explicitly for showing up to post game press. \*Probably not, I’m not entirely sure who Rachel Weisz is and I don’t watch Kimmel - but I can see a clear connection between her appearance and more money for the film. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2021, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-athletes-be-compelled-to-talk-to-the-media/943351/58 "2021-06-01T18:06:44Z")
Naomi is active on social media. It’s not like she’s in a cave hiding from the world until it’s time to compete. She just doesn’t want to be hounded at a press conference or on camera for an interview. The rules about forcing players to talk to the media were created when that was the only way for athletes to speak to the public and are obsolete. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2021, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-athletes-be-compelled-to-talk-to-the-media/943351/59 "2021-06-01T18:13:57Z")
Sheesh, talking to reporters can be hazardous to your physical as well as mental health. > **[Petra Kvitova withdraws from French Open after injuring ankle at press...](https://sports.yahoo.com/petra-kvitova-withdraws-from-french-open-after-injuring-ankle-at-press-conference-152934898.html)** > > Kvitova fell and hurt her ankle during her post-match media obligations. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2021, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-athletes-be-compelled-to-talk-to-the-media/943351/60 "2021-06-01T18:14:01Z")
Do you _watch_ sports? For the most part (at least in America), on-field performance has little to do with whether a team makes money. The Dallas Cowboys and Washington Indigenous Persons have been reliably bad to mediocre since the mid-90s (especially Washington), yet they are by far the most profitable U.S. sports franchises. The L.A. Clippers made tons of money in the 1990s and 2000s despite never even trying to get good. Besides that, sports teams derive relatively little revenue from ticket sales. The money is in TV rights and merchandising, and it is personalities that fans buy into. Tim Tebow is [selling more jerseys than anyone in the NFL](https://brobible.com/sports/article/tim-tebow-trevor-lawrence-jersey-sales/) even though he probably won’t make the Jaguars’ roster. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-athletes-be-compelled-to-talk-to-the-media/943351.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-athletes-be-compelled-to-talk-to-the-media/943351.md?page=4)