Poor Kellen Winslow. The guy’s got a tough job. Playing tight end for the Miami Hurricanes, one of the top football schools in the country, isn’t something everybody can do.
Catch a pass, block a defender, see yourself on TV. Stop it, it’s too tortuous to speak about it.
After losing to Tennessee 10-6 last Saturday, Winslow expressed all his frustrations as a player in the post-game interview and took his anger out on the media.
“It’s war,” Winslow said around reporters in the locker room. “They’re out there to kill you, so I’m out there to kill them. We don’t care about anybody but this ‘U’. They’re going after my legs. I’m going to come right back at them. I’m a f-ing soldier.”
Kellen, I’m afraid you’re preaching to the choir, sir. If anyone has it worse than you, and believe me your job is so horrible we need to get the Better Business Bureau into this, it’s the sports media you complained to.
Sportswriters deal with pompous, self-absorbed athletes and coaches on a daily basis, and we keep coming back for more.
Curse us out off the record at practice, so what? Rip us a new one for a dumb question at a big press conference in front of all our colleagues – just bring it.
Mr. Winslow, if you thought UT players were trying to take your knees out or the officials were treating you unfairly, take a step into our world.
Bobby Knight. Utter those two words in any sports section of an Indiana newspaper and reporters find a secluded corner, curl up into the fetal position and tremble with fear. You’re not truly a soldier until “The General” has gone into one of his tirades at your expense.
Try interviewing University of Connecticut coach Geno Auriemma after his team lost to Villanova in the Big East Tournament final after compiling a 70-game win streak. Give him credit though, you’re still in college, so he’ll compliment you on being too young to piss him off like that.
Toss up a question about the playoffs to former Saints and Indianapolis Colts coach Jim Mora and see what kind of response you get.
Imagine trying to make a readable story with your only quotes being the usual cliches. “We’ve got to take it one game at a time.” “We must bring our ‘A’ game,” and the classic “No man is better than the team.”
So if you want to be a real man, trade in your green and orange football uniform for a cheap coat, tie and a notebook. Then you’ll know what sports hell is like.