LeBron James recently butchered a common idiom to describe why he walked off the court and took himself out of a game against Atlanta. In the locker room afterward, he explained to reporters that he blew a “casket.” What he meant was that he blew a gasket, a common expression used to indicate one becoming […]
NFL Execs…An Important Message From The Late Maya Angelou
The late poet Maya Angelou has a famous quote that would help NFL Teams if they would only listen. “When someone shows you who they are believe them; the first time.” It’s human nature to think we can change people. Our spouses. Our parents. Our friends. Even our favorite football players. But ask any life […]
What Do The NBA Coaching Box and the Cockpit Have in Common? Nothing.
Dear Coach Blatt, Time out. Did I hear correctly that you compared your job as an NBA head coach to a fighter pilot? Why in the world would you say such a thing except to give graphic artists a field day, superimposing your face on every Top Gun photo they could find. Wait. You do […]
What Two NFL Players Did To Promoted Peace
As parts of Baltimore, Maryland were being set on fire earlier this week in an angry response to the death of Freddie Gray, Ravens defensive end Kapron Lewis-Moore found himself a few blocks away from the chaos promoting peace. Lewis-Moore is from Weatherford, Texas, not Maryland, but when he saw what was happening in the […]
Why We Can’t Stop Talking About Tim Tebow
(First published June 11, 2013) Oh, Tom Brady is going to be so cranky. I know this because about a year and half ago he could barely hide his irritation with me when I asked him two Tim Tebow questions after the Patriots beat Denver in December of 2011. New England clinched the AFC East […]
My advice to athletes on how to nail an interview
By Kathleen Neville NFLPE Consultant Alex Flanagan, NBC’s highly-respected sideline reporter for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish home games since 2007, clearly knows her football. With years of experience interviewing both collegiate and professional athletes across the country and around the globe, the seasoned sportscaster knows much more than the intricacies of how the game […]
Why Richard Sherman Failed Media 101
I’m adding Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman’s on air squabble to my clips of what I show athletes of what not to do when they are being interviewed. In my own exchanges with Sherman I’ve found him to be smart and well spoken, but he failed media 101 this week when he let it get personal […]
My take on Peyton Manning’s remarkable comeback
Peyton Manning has always been one of my favorite players to interview. He’s in control of what he wants to say, but shows humility and humor. I remember 2 years ago asking him what he yelled at his wide receiver Blair White when he dropped a ball in the end zone against the titans. He […]