Post-game press conferences encourage athletes to say nothing newsworthy

ESPN
In an essay bemoaning the death of the sports interview, Tim Keown writes that post-game news conferences have none of the substance or context that locker room interviews once had. After seeing how one of his answers played in the media, Tennessee Titans quarterback Matt Hasselbeck says his new tactic is to be boring. “It’s a headline-driven world, and what I said provided a headline. … That’s why I’m guarded, cautious. I don’t want to accidentally give bulletin-board material. If someone asks me about a player, I say, ‘He’s a great player.’ If they ask me about a coach, I say, ‘He’s a great coach.’ ” || Related: Sports journalist hates it when reporters tell athletes to ‘talk about…’ | Rules of the game change as sports journalists compete against teams they cover