Watching Louisville be blasted by Notre Dame, Bennie just sent me an e-mail pointing out something I noticed, as well.
Bennie writes:
John, I know you work for the Lexington paper, not the Louisville paper. However, in the name of fair reporting, I would hope that you could find room somewhere in one of your columns to mention the fact that Rick Pitino flat out declined to be interviewed at halftime of the UL/Notre Dame game by Holly Rowe. You might also mention that Pitino’s team just got the crap kicked out of them by a team that had lost seven in row. Of course, knowing Rick like we all do, he’ll come up with some subtle excuse as to why his team didn’t perform well, and because he is such a media darling everyone will just buy the excuse and no one will criticize him for ducking out of the interview.
He’s right. Holly Rowe, ESPN’s sideline reporter for the game, mentioned that Rick turned down the halftime interview. In fairness to Rick, I have seen him interviewed at the half many times. I guess, down 18, this game he felt like had better things to do.
At this point, I’d rather Gillispie turn down the interview than leave the boorish impression he has been giving viewers. What bothers me more is that he doesn’t have to do it. By and large, Billy is pretty good with we media that cover UK on a regular basis. He has his moments, as all coaches do. And he sometime will tell you if he doesn’t like a question. But he does have a lot of interesting ideas and thoughts on the game. He studies it. I’m just not sure why he takes the attitude with the halftime interview, and with Edwards, that he does.
John Clay is a sports columnist for the Lexington Herald-Leader. A native of Central Kentucky and graduate of UK, he covered UK football for 13 seasons before being promoted to columnist in 2000. He lives in Lexington with his wife and two sons. You can e-mail him at jclay@herald-leader.com.
I thought you said he HAD to do the interview because ESPN pays so much money to broadcast these games? Isn’t Pitino held to the same standard?
Don’t know that I said they “had” to do interview, just that they are highly-encouraged to do so. ESPN is shelling out the dough, after all. And Pitino normally does do those halftime interviews. Getting his rear kicked by the Irish probably had more to do with it than anything else.
If he has the option to decline the interview he should. I just thought it was a contractual obligation with ESPN and the SEC. I think it is ridiculous that the coaches do this anyway. They should be so into the game that they can’t focus on an interview at halftime. They have too many other responsibilities to worry about at that time. What kills me is the NBA between quarter interviews. In those the team is huddled up in the background while the coach is explaining to viewers what he should be saying in the huddle. During these breaks in action coaches only have so much time to make proper adjustments and that is all their mind should be on. To have to take time away from that to answer a question or questions that are totally different from your current thought process is frustrating. So I think it is best to spend every second from tip-off to the final buzzer coaching and nothing else. If he has to do the interview he should not even listen to the question but just wait for her to stop talking and give her some coach speak and walk away. He should just say “we need to play harder in the second half and execute our game plan better.” If he answered that way every time to every question, with a big fake grin, and then took off running to the locker room it would help him a void getting angry at the questions she asks and he would not waste his energy trying to think of an answer to a question that he does not know how to properly answer.
So getting your rear kicked explains why a coach might skip a halftime interview? Might a poorly played half of basketball offer a possible reason as to why a coach might appear as though he would prefer to be anywhere but in the halftime interview? Sometimes when the Manolo Blahnick loafer is on the other foot, it gives a different perspective to someone’s behavior. Not that it excuses it, but it can give a different perspective on an individual’s reason for behaving a certain way. Not that I have anybody in mind.
again…inappropriate time for interviews. Though refusing to do it is a higher class method of showing you don’t want to answer questions. It isn’t nearly as entertaining as hearing “Coach, what went wrong in the first half?” and Pitino (or BCG) giving a snide remark to an incredibly moronic question begging a statement of the obvious: “We Sucked.”
But wasn’t UK up on Ole Miss at the half, and tied with Florida?
“But wasn’t UK up on Ole Miss at the half, and tied with Florida?”
Does it matter, John? He’s busy with his primary job duties. This topic is fun to argue, but the only people indignant over this are media types who hate feeling that their schtick isn’t meaningful.
John, the obvious difference between “Sidelines” and a halftime interview is that I get to choose whether I participate, and no one is kept from doing their job duties in the name of you doing yours. Her job is ridiculously unnecessary, and the way networks parade out hotties borders on sexist, not Gillispie’s treatment of her as some of your other commenters suggest.
Fact is, most coaches do it, even if they don’t want to, because it’s exposure. Why else did BCG spend an entire day at Bristol recently making the ESPN rounds?
There is a big deference between taking some time on a scheduled slow day to do interviews and doing an interview that takes away from the main purpose of your job “coaching”. Yes other coaches do halftime interviews without incident and it would be nice if Gillispie could do it as well but it does not change the fact that the halftime interview is the problem. Gillispie looks like a jerk and did not handle the situation properly and I am not trying to excuse his actions but I would have trouble doing that interview as well. I have coached at the High School level and halftime is a very tense time. You are totally consumed by the game and what you need to do to win. During that time I do not want to talk to anyone besides my players and assistants. There is no time to waste. The correct response to the interview is anger but in Gillispie’s case he has to not show it because it makes him look like the jerk. As for the score I would want to do just as much coaching up 30, down 30, or tied. A coach wants to coach all the time but clearly his time and focus are more important to the outcome of a game when it is close. Therefore, his focus and time are need more in a close game rather than a blowout. Pitino was just mad at his team performance and that is the real reason he did not do the interview. Whereas Gillispie was mad he had to spend time answering stupid questions instead of coaching his team.
I love that you think that ESPN is doing us a favor “shelling out the dough”, John. They broadcast UK games because it earns them big money, or are you unaware of the viewership numbers for UK games?
Are we also then to believe that you doing us a favor covering UK basketball?
ESPN, as well as the Herald-Leader, is trying to sell advertising. Knetucky is trying to sell tickets, advertising, and receive donations. They use us. We use them. There’s pushing and pulling on both sides. That’s the way it works.
John do the coaches have to do the interviews or not?
It’s my understanding that, in the spirit of cooperation, they are strongly encouraged to do so. I don’t think they are contractually obligated.
So on Tuesday against Vandy Coach G. decides to pass on the interview. Of course the cameras are rolling and then everyone calls him a jerk for not being a man and doing the interview. Either way he is going to lose in my opinion. Let the man be himself and do his job.
Why don’t you all take a look at Roy Williams on youtube when he was asked about the UNC job (while just losing at Kansas).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WqOlwEYrT0I
Was this not at least equally as bad as what Coach G. has done?
Point is, it happens.
what up Billy G haters, Pitino refused an interview, how rude