In the world of professional sports, few practices seem as absurd as mandatory postgame interviews for players and coaches. After enduring the ups and downs of a fierce battle on the field, they are thrust in front of the cameras to answer a barrage of questions that often range from boring to confusing. Why do we actually need to hear the thoughts of a coach or player? Will it change our perception to hear their perspective on the game? Having already witnessed the action ourselves, do we really need a recap from their perspective? What difference does it make if a coach thinks a penalty should have been awarded, or if a player feels he deserved the victory? This begs the question: do these questions really add value to the viewing experience?
Brendan Venter, a 1995 Rugby World Cup champion with the Springboks who became a successful coach, parodied the grueling process in a television interview after Saracens narrowly lost 24-21 to Racing 92 in 2010. Keeping a perfectly straight face, he repeated the interviewer’s sentiments: “Yeah, really good, really good. Yeah, really bad, really bad.” When asked about his feelings about the defeat, he mischievously responded: “Very happy about everything, yeah, very happy,” leading the bemused interviewer to remind him: “But you didn’t win. ” Venter’s simple admission, “It’s true. Very true,” made the conversation completely directionless.
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Ironically, Venter was fined for his witty comments – it’s a shame he wasn’t compensated for his honesty! The reality is that interviews conducted immediately after a match can drift into volatile territory. Take England scrum-half Ben Youngs, who stormed out of a post-match interview after a disappointing defeat to South Africa solidified a 2-0 series loss. His emotional torment did not sit well with critics, including a former England manager, but Youngs later explained that he was simply struggling to cope with the disappointment.
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Similarly, Hugo Lloris, the goalkeeper and captain of the French team, expressed his displeasure over controversial chants from Argentine fans regarding the descent of French players following England’s defeat in the 2022 World Cup final. “Winning such a prestigious trophy comes with great responsibility,” Lloris said. Such reactions suggest that even in moments of triumph, responsibility must remain paramount.
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Given these examples, it’s wise to follow the advice of legends like Tom Brady and coach Lee Corso, both of whom advocate restraint when making postgame statements: “When you lose, say little; when you win, say even less.” The wisdom is clear: immediate comments after a match are often the product of raw emotion. Players and coaches tend to speak from a place of passion and disappointment, which can lead to regrettable remarks. Highly emotionally charged individuals may have difficulty seeing events clearly, making them prone to making inflammatory comments that may disrespect opponents or officials.
This pattern encourages the use of clichéd phrases in interviews: “I’m sick as a parrot” (do we really measure parrot sickness?), “It was a game of two halves” (no kidding!) , “I’m in heaven” (as if a cow could jump?), or the famous “The boy played well.” What is more concerning is the tendency to brag after a victory and blame others after a defeat – less desirable traits in anyone.
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Ultimately, the responsibility lies within the structure of the sport itself; a player answers to his coach, while coaches answer to their clubs, without any outside court. The wisdom of Pythagoras resonates here: “A fool makes himself known by his speeches, and a wise man by his silence.” While we thankfully avoid these absurd post-game questions in youth sports (may we ever consider such an idea), there is merit in instilling the ethic of speaking less in victory as well as in defeat. As Brady famously noted, “I’m not a person who defends myself very often. I let my actions speak for me.” It’s high time we all embrace this approach.
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