# 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:** 8
**Author:** ![filmore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/7993a0/32.png) [@filmore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/filmore)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2021, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-athletes-be-compelled-to-talk-to-the-media/943351/141 "2021-06-02T19:41:25Z")
I would guess the value of the interview is creating post-game media coverage that wouldn’t otherwise exist. A 30s clip of the interview incorporated into the local news is like a 30s commercial for the sport that they didn’t have to pay for. The same with segments on talk radio and TV shows. The more the shows can create content around the interview clips, the more free advertising the sport gets. Probably few fans watch these interviews themselves, but I would guess that most fans have seen clips of these interviews in news segments. Without these clips, the media organizations would have less content to work with and that would likely mean less coverage. The long-term value to the athlete is that all of this media-created free advertising expands the sport’s audience and creates more competitions and prize money. ---
**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 2, 2021, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-athletes-be-compelled-to-talk-to-the-media/943351/142 "2021-06-02T19:48:01Z")
The other article in the Code of Conduct cited by the Grand Slams to justify the threats of suspension or disqualification was Article III T. > **T. DEFAULTS** > > The Referee in consultation with the Grand Slam Chief of Supervisors may declare a > default for either a single violation of this Code or pursuant to the Point Penalty > Schedule set out above. > …In addition, any player who is defaulted as herein provided may be > defaulted from all other events, if any, in that tournament, except when the > offending incident involves only a violation of the Punctuality or Dress and > Equipment provisions set forth in Article III. B and C, or as a result of a medical > condition or when his doubles partner commits the Code Violation which causes the > default. Which kind of gives them free reign to bump up the penalty for any violation. They specify Punctuality, Dress, and Equipment as exceptions, which means a single Media Conference violation can result in default if they want. They also cited IV A.3, which you posted above, as justification. The argument is that two minor violations can add up to a pattern that becomes egregious even if they aren’t individually. IMO, it really seems like those threats are the nuclear option - allowed by a strict reading the rules, but probably not originally intended for offenses like skipping a press conference. ---
**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 2, 2021, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-athletes-be-compelled-to-talk-to-the-media/943351/143 "2021-06-02T19:50:48Z")
> [@ISiddiqui](#): > > In game interviews aren’t rare. Baseball does it between innings with Managers. MLS does it with managers. NASCAR does it after a stage with the driver. None of those are anywhere close. They were literally interviewing players as they were walking onto the sidelines and hadn’t caught their breath. Sometimes they couldn’t even talk. ---
**Author:** ![not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/not_what_you_d_expect/32/3246_2.png) [@not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/not_what_you_d_expect)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2021, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-athletes-be-compelled-to-talk-to-the-media/943351/144 "2021-06-02T21:47:42Z")
I don’t watch tennis, but I did see a clip of Naomi sobbing as she left the court after beating Serena. The fans were booing her, I believe. I heard that she was pretty badly affected by the booing. Especially since she has so much admiration for Serena and was already feeling pretty conflicted about her win in the first place. I have to wonder if anyone asked her how she felt being booed? That would be a horrible question and I would not be surprised to hear she was indeed asked just that. ---
**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 2, 2021, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-athletes-be-compelled-to-talk-to-the-media/943351/145 "2021-06-02T23:05:22Z")
> [@k9bfriender](#): > > She did sign up to make millions of dollars as a performer. If she didn’t want people to watch her play, she could have played with her friends instead of joining the sports industrial complex. Since when has she objected in any way to people **watching her play**? > [@Velocity](#): > > Some of the arguments put forth in this thread have been rather circular. > > Q: “Why should athletes be required to talk to the media?” > > A: “Because it’s required.” Yep. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2021, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-athletes-be-compelled-to-talk-to-the-media/943351/146 "2021-06-02T23:49:59Z")
> [@Gyrate](#): > > I remain flabbergasted that people are accusing an athlete who has spent most of her actual life training herself to become one of the top players in the world of “not putting in the work” because she didn’t do a press conference. Was she doing that to promote the sport of professional tennis? Or was she doing that to advance her career? ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2021, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-athletes-be-compelled-to-talk-to-the-media/943351/147 "2021-06-02T23:53:59Z")
If some particular individual has a legitimate problem, I am okay with making reasonable accommodations. But I think it would be a really bad idea to hand this decision making power over to the athletes in question. Because let’s face it, a lot of athletes would just refuse to do any media appearances that didn’t involve reporters telling them how magnificent they are. Sports journalism has enough problems without giving the athletes leverage over 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 3, 2021, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-athletes-be-compelled-to-talk-to-the-media/943351/148 "2021-06-03T00:31:18Z")
We don’t compel powerful elected officials to attend press conferences where so much in the public interest may be at stake. Yet the vast majority of politicos participate at least on occasion, partly because the lure of publicity is so strong. But we have to mandate appearance at _all_ press conferences by professional athletes without exception, because otherwise few will attend, causing grievous harm to their sports? I have trouble buying it. ---
**Author:** ![glowacks](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/glowacks/32/5548_2.png) [@glowacks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glowacks)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2021, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-athletes-be-compelled-to-talk-to-the-media/943351/149 "2021-06-03T00:48:05Z")
In 2019, there were 224 women who earned over $100,000 in tournament winnings. Now you might say that might not be that much money if they have a lot in expenses, like coaches and travel and stuff. Ok. The 100th made $433,000. That’s plenty of money for the necessary expenses to continue on that lifestyle. Do you think the 100th best women’s tennis player makes much in the way of endorsements? Probably not based on their on-court abilities, but they might if they have a strong mediagenic personality. Those people are not going to be badgered to participate in press conferences, and they won’t be out a livable wage. So she can make a comfortable living simply by tanking in the 3rd or 4th round each tournament and not having to face the press. Do you think she wants to do such a thing? Would that be good for the sport of tennis? ---
**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 3, 2021, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-athletes-be-compelled-to-talk-to-the-media/943351/150 "2021-06-03T01:19:49Z")
> [@k9bfriender](#): > > I’m not sure why we are talking past eachother. I say that this spotlights toxic media, and the discussion to be had about that, and you… well simply ignore that in favor of making claims about what “one side” has done. …it is very clear what “one side has done” in this thread. You have been dismissive of Osaka’s mental health because she is rich. You’ve been flippant regarding the impact these press conferences can have on players. It all comes down to “breach of contract.” Nothing else really matters. > [@k9bfriender](#): > > There have certainly been those who have said that she shouldn’t have to give press conferences, and didn’t say anything about how she should pay a fine. There are people arguing that the system should change and that they shouldn’t be required to do press conferences. And that would mean that the fines would no longer exist. But nobody has argued that she shouldn’t pay the fine **now**. Nobody has argued that " her contract should be allowed to be unilaterally breached **without repercussion.**" > [@k9bfriender](#): > > Maybe they meant to say that, but they just forgot. Or maybe you just don’t want to admit you got things wrong. > [@k9bfriender](#): > > Are you claiming that the French Open is threatening to blatantly breach their contract with her? I said what I said. > [@k9bfriender](#): > > I suppose a bit of appropriation, but I still don’t see how it’s disgusting or horrifying or any of the other emotionally laden superlative adjectives that are being thrown about. I mean, this is completely unsurprising? You’ve displayed zero empathy at all for Osaka. I am not shocked at all that the meaning of a mean-spirited meme (that they deleted) directly targeted at a women person-of-colour has gone completely over your head. > [@k9bfriender](#): > > Yes, your claim that I am removing her agency does in fact, beggar belief. She certainly has choices, and she has made those choices. Her choices are what lead to making “her famous and wealthy.” It wasn’t the institutions. It wasn’t the WTA. It wasn’t Roland Garros. She isn’t the highest paid female athlete [ever](https://www.forbes.com/sites/kurtbadenhausen/2020/05/22/naomi-osaka-is-the-highest-paid-female-athlete-ever-topping-serena-williams/?sh=89fa4291fd33) “because of the promotion that others have done”, and by claiming that is was you have removed her agency from this. > [@k9bfriender](#): > > Or without a multibillion dollar industry that she chose to join and be a part of. Nonsense. She got where she is today **despite** that multibillion dollar industry that cares more about a press conference than it does about the mental well-being of its players. > [@k9bfriender](#): > > Personally, probably not. But without the sports industry that is being so vilified here, there would be no “brand” to build. They deserve to be vilified. They are not the heroes of this story. This tournament in particular has a history of racism and misogyny and changing the rules on a whim when it [suits](https://www.vox.com/2018/8/28/17791518/serena-williams-catsuit-ban-french-open-tennis-racist-sexist-country-club-sport). > [@k9bfriender](#): > > I have to disagree that a multimillionaire refusing to fulfill her contractual obligations is a way of shining the light on the millions of others who do not have her resources, her options, or her supporters, and are suffering far more. Here’s the reality. The people that you are claiming to care about **can’t** make a stand. The 16-year old tennis player who fights through qualifying to get through to the main round has no leverage. Nobody would care if they removed their labour. Nobody would care if they walked away from the tournament. So if the person who **can** afford to make a stand for better working conditions for everyone then why the hell shouldn’t they? > [@k9bfriender](#): > > Yes, I do get it. No you don’t. > [@k9bfriender](#): > > And the only reason that I would get out of bed is due to the fact that if I didn’t, then I would end up homeless. And some people can’t get out of bed. And they end up homeless. Again: I commend you on being able to overcome the things you have overcome. But you shouldn’t diminish the struggles of others while you do so. > [@k9bfriender](#): > > I had to do jobs that destroyed me mentally. When you have social anxiety and depression, try going to four or five job interviews a day and being rejected for each one, try working a speaker at a fast food restaurant for 10 hours and taking abuse from customers, as well as from managers. Oh for goodness sakes. My screen name is Banquet\_bear. I’m Papa Bear from the Sacred Order of the Banquet Bears. I made my early career working in the hospitality industry. I’ve washed dishes and scrubbed pots, I’ve done the worst of the worst jobs in the industry, I once worked a **25 hour shift** , I’ve taken abuse from customers and managers. So are you asking **me** if I have empathy for the richest woman in sport for what she is going through right now? Abso-fucking-lutely. I have zero idea where you are going with this. Depression doesn’t discriminate. That she is rich doesn’t matter at all. > [@k9bfriender](#): > > I guarantee you that that’s more harmful to one’s mental state than attending a press conference. Do you know one of the things my social anxiety doesn’t allow me to do? Post on Facebook. I run a photography business. Interacting on Facebook is absolutely one of those things you kinda need to do to build you business and brand. But posting on Facebook causes me physical distress. I had to start to use engagement tools like Buffer so I could post all my social media in advance. But sometimes someone would post a comment on something I posted that would merit a reply. And I would stare at it. And think about it. And my brain would go a bit haywire. And i could spend 3-4 hours staring at a Facebook comment before deciding that I couldn’t reply to it and walking away, then getting distressed because I had wasted 4 hours staring at a computer screen and I had gotten no other work done. Do you know what the only solution I could find to that was? I hired someone to post my social media for me. It was the only way for me to claim that part of my life back. Does that sound kinda ridiculous, or irrational? Yep. It doesn’t make any logical sense. Yet, here I am. I can post on Twitter or the Straightdope no problems at all. I’ve taken photographs of some of the most famous people in the country and I’ve interacted with them like they were family. But I can’t reply to a post on Facebook. So here’s the thing. **You just don’t get it**. I would absolutely take a 25 hour shift again in hospo where I had to put up with abuse from customers and management than have to reply to a post on Facebook. Because depression and social anxiety don’t work the way you think it works. > [@k9bfriender](#): > > They were not able to do as you or I, and overcome those challenges. Please don’t speak for me. I am not overcoming those challenges. I am living with them. I often fail. You speak for yourself. Not anyone else. > [@k9bfriender](#): > > Do you really think that her actions are going to do anything to highlight those who were not able to overcome their mental illness? They already have. Her actions have helped me immensely. I don’t think I would have talked about the things that I have in this thread if she hadn’t taken the stand she did. I’ve said stuff here that I haven’t even admitted to my family. Talking about this stuff: getting it out into the open, shining the spotlight, helps. If the richest women in sport has to deal with some of the very same things that I have to deal with it makes me think that maybe I’m not as alone as I thought. And if my words here help someone else then that would abso-fucking-lutely make my day. > [@k9bfriender](#): > > Unlike them, and you and I, she _can_ just walk away from all of this right now and be completely secure in her fiscal future, and spend the next 8 decades of her life in self-care. **Stop speaking for me.** I don’t know where I’m going to be next month, next week, or even tomorrow. And that scares the fuck out of me. But my own personal circumstances don’t matter. Because it doesn’t matter how rich you are. Depression and social anxiety really fucking sucks. > [@k9bfriender](#): > > Words cannot be tone deaf, only those speaking them can be, so you really cannot make the claim that you are trying to make here. The words you used were tone deaf. I stand by what I said. > [@k9bfriender](#): > > I think that my points have been far more nuanced and thoughtful Your points have been as nuananced and thoughtful as a fucking sledge-hammer. Can I sum it up? You think Naomi Osaka is rich so it doesn’t really matter that she has to endure depression and social anxiety, she should just suck it up and get back to work, she owes it to the billion-dollar corporation because they (and only they) built her brand, and how dare this woman ignore the fine print of her contract!!! Does that about sum it up? Do you think I’m being unfair? > [@k9bfriender](#): > > knee jerk reactions of everyone here who thinks that she was entirely in the right, and that it’s all the bad people who are paying her tens of millions of dollars who are in the wrong. It’s hilarious that you characterize your position here as “thoughtful and nuanced” and those that disagree with you as “knee-jerk.” And remember when you said this? > [@k9bfriender](#): > > Keep in mind that she “only” made $3.4 million from actually playing the game, the rest was **due to endorsements**. 90% of her fiscal worth comes from people being interested in her as a person, not just how well she hits a ball. [https://edition.cnn.com/2021/06/01/business/naomi-osaka-nike-sponsors/index.html](https://edition.cnn.com/2021/06/01/business/naomi-osaka-nike-sponsors/index.html) Nike. Mastercard. TAG Heur. Nissin Foods. Sweetgreen. All have come out to overwhelmingly support her. I think most of the people who are paying her tens of millions of dollars are **right**. You aren’t being “thoughtful and nuanced” here. Your arguments are kneejerk. > [@k9bfriender](#): > > Like I said, if it’s not about the money, she doesn’t have to take it. She can just go play with her friends and enjoy the sport. Again taking away agency here. She is really fucking good at what she does, and people are willing to pay her for it. She shouldn’t have to sacrifice all of that because she wants to also look after her own mental health. > [@k9bfriender](#): > > I personally think that money ruins sports, and while I actually do enjoy sometimes watching people play sports, I almost never watch professionals. They are not doing it for the love of the game anymore, they are doing it for a paycheck. There is nothing wrong with an indy band aspiring and then becoming a world-wide hit. There is nothing wrong with an author working hard for twenty years before finding success and suddenly earning serious coin. There is nothing wrong with being a professional tennis player. That indy band might still be playing for the love of playing music. Or they might be playing just for the paycheck. How would you know? And if you enjoy their music, why would it matter? > [@k9bfriender](#): > > There are certainly some downsides to taking that paycheck, and people should be made aware of the industry that they are joining before they sign on to be a part of it. Is making it all about the money the part of your argument that you consider to be “thoughtful and nuanced?” Because there is a difference between “being made aware of” and “experiencing.” Exit interviews from the tech industry show that women often are well aware the industry they are entering is often toxic and misogynistic. But it isn’t until they actually work in the industry that they find things are worse than they could have imagined. So should women who enter the tech industry and discover that it is far worse than anticipated have to just “suck it up” because they were made aware of it before they entered the industry? There is nothing nuanced about your positon here. It ignores context, it ignores lived experiences, it ignores the reality of depression and mental health. ---
**Author:** ![elbows](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b3f665/32.png) [@elbows](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elbows)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2021, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-athletes-be-compelled-to-talk-to-the-media/943351/151 "2021-06-03T01:20:39Z")
What if they just dialed it back some? What if the athlete could choose a 1-3hr delay before facing the press? What if they got to choose how many questions they take? What if they get to choose the reporters that get to ask questions? A delay could help mental health issues. Limiting the number of questions seems an easy step. And choosing the reporters would incentivize respectful interaction and discourage aggressive and confrontational stuff for ratings? She could opt for a pay out penalty, if choosing less questions, for instance. Why aren’t these choices available? ---
**Author:** ![Snarky\_Kong](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a183cd/32.png) [@Snarky\_Kong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snarky_Kong)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2021, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-athletes-be-compelled-to-talk-to-the-media/943351/152 "2021-06-03T03:34:13Z")
How about questions aren’t required at all? Hell, if you believe that people care about listening to the same empty platitudes as every other athlete press conference for the past 30 years, give bonuses for talking to media. As a sports fan, there have been exactly two interviews out of thousands that I’ve heard that I cared about even a little bit. 1) Dennis Green shouting “they are who they thought they were!” and 2) Marshawn Lynch stating he’s only there so he doesn’t get fined. Sports interviews are awful. Sports are for competition, not press conferences. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2021, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-athletes-be-compelled-to-talk-to-the-media/943351/153 "2021-06-03T03:48:13Z")
> [@Jackmannii](#): > > But we have to mandate appearance at _all_ press conferences by professional athletes without exception, because otherwise few will attend, causing grievous harm to their sports? I might quibble over the details of _all_ press conferences. But generally, yes, this is my position. ---
**Author:** ![Red\_Wiggler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/red_wiggler/32/13190_2.png) [@Red\_Wiggler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Red_Wiggler)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2021, 11:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-athletes-be-compelled-to-talk-to-the-media/943351/154 "2021-06-03T11:44:44Z")
You can go to the fans-iest of message boards and even there you will find virtually no chatter about post game pressers. Nobody cares. They are anachronisms. Let them go and move on. ---
**Author:** ![Odesio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/odesio/32/20003_2.png) [@Odesio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odesio)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2021, 12:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-athletes-be-compelled-to-talk-to-the-media/943351/155 "2021-06-03T12:01:32Z")
Personally, I find most post game interviews of athletes to be rather inane. The reporters often times asks stupid questions and many of the athletes are tired, frustrated, or otherwise not in a good frame of mind to answer questions. A few years back, an interview with a basketball player who was having none of those stupid questions circulated. I think the reporter asked him something along the lines of how his team lost and he sarcastically answered, “The other team were able to score more points than we were.” I remember another one where a football player had been seriously injured and there was a time out to get him off the field and to the hospital. During this time the head coach was out there talking to his player until he was taken to the hospital. After the game, a reporter asked the what he said to the player which really annoyed the coach who replied, “That’s something that is between me and the player and you’ll never know.” ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2021, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-athletes-be-compelled-to-talk-to-the-media/943351/156 "2021-06-03T14:40:10Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > Was she doing that to promote the sport of professional tennis? Or was she doing that to advance her career? I would certainly hope the latter. Osaka’s priority should be advancing her career; the promotion of professional tennis in general is a peripheral concern to her. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2021, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-athletes-be-compelled-to-talk-to-the-media/943351/157 "2021-06-03T15:09:13Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > I would certainly hope the latter. Osaka’s priority should be advancing her career; the promotion of professional tennis in general is a peripheral concern to her. Why? She wouldn’t have a rewarding career in professional tennis unless the audience is there. Do athletes have the right to expect other people to build up the sport while they collect the rewards from it being done? ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2021, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-athletes-be-compelled-to-talk-to-the-media/943351/158 "2021-06-03T15:12:34Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > Why? She wouldn’t have a rewarding career in professional tennis unless the audience is there. Because she is Naomi Osaka, not Everyone In Tennis. Her professional priority should be her own self interest, which is true of everyone. She should have _some_ role in advancing the interests of professional tennis, but that is not her primary responsibility. I would say the same of any human being on the planet in any paying job, including you; if you are systematically prioritizing your employer’s interests over your own, you need to re-evaluate how you approach your life. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2021, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-athletes-be-compelled-to-talk-to-the-media/943351/159 "2021-06-03T15:18:50Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > Because she is Naomi Osaka, not Everyone In Tennis. Her professional priority should be her own self interest, which is true of everyone. She should have _some_ role in advancing the interests of professional tennis, but that is not her primary responsibility. I would say the same of any human being on the planet in any paying job, including you; if you are systematically prioritizing your employer’s interests over your own, you need to re-evaluate how you approach your life. Nobody is suggesting she view promoting the sport as her primary responsibility. The issue is whether she has an obligation to participate in promotional activities in addition to her work advancing her personal career. ---
**Author:** ![Oredigger77](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/oredigger77/32/3181_2.png) [@Oredigger77](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oredigger77)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2021, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-athletes-be-compelled-to-talk-to-the-media/943351/160 "2021-06-03T15:22:49Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > Her professional priority should be her own self interest, which is true of everyone. She should have _some_ role in advancing the interests of professional tennis, but that is not her primary responsibility. Right, but this is also exactly the reason the group who’s primary responsibility is to the interests of professional tennis should put things in their contracts to force other people to do things to advance the interest of tennis. Players don’t care about the pressers unless they are looking to line up post career endorsement deals like Payton Manning. > [@Jackmannii](#): > > We don’t compel powerful elected officials to attend press conferences where so much in the public interest may be at stake. Yet the vast majority of politicos participate at least on occasion, partly because the lure of publicity is so strong. > > But we have to mandate appearance at _all_ press conferences by professional athletes without exception, because otherwise few will attend, causing grievous harm to their sports? > > I have trouble buying it. You don’t see a difference between a job where your next paycheck is dependent on thousands to millions of people liking you and a job where how well you do the job is what your next paycheck is dependent on? You think those two classes of people will have equal motivation to talk to the press about bad things they’ve done? Even with mandates we see people like Belechik or Lynch showing up and doing the bare minimum. Sure there will always be guys like Ochocinco who only care about seeing themselves on TV but that percent of the population will be much smaller in athletes than in politicians. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-athletes-be-compelled-to-talk-to-the-media/943351.md?page=7) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-athletes-be-compelled-to-talk-to-the-media/943351.md?page=9)