October 29, 2015
If you've ever thought attending a postgame press conference would be a really cool experience, this video will shed some light on to what it's really like.
It's comes via The Kicker and stars Weird Al Yankovic. That's right, Weird Al. He has apparently graduated from spoofing the music industry to taking on sports. And after giving a "mathematically-impossible amount of effort" on this one -- pay attention to the details -- we're happy to have him.
Before we get to video -- and in case you've never been to or watched a postgame presser -- here's a few things you should know about what really happens.
First, no one actually wants to be there. The players are tired. The coaches are cryptic. And the reporters, well, they're not only trying to figure out if there's still going to be food out in the press box when they get back upstairs, but also whether or not they can afford to grab a bite and still make deadline. Hell, even adorable little Riley Curry is over it.
Second, no one actually says anything. Think about all the press conference moments you remember in sports. Remember any? Maybe Iverson's "Practice" rant, Jim Mora's "Playoffs!" presser, and a handful of others come to mind. Now, realize what a small percentage of them that actually is; there's one after every game, round, match, and often more. But I bet you've heard a lot of cliches and sports idioms...
Finally, there is zero trust. It's part of the reason behind why no one says anything. The coaches and players don't trust the media not to take their words out of context, nor do they think the vast majority of the media is qualified to comment on something at which the coaches/players -- whether it's the MVP or the last guy off the worst team's bench -- are clearly better. And in turn, the reporters are often skeptical of what the coach says, thinking he's trying to pull one over them.
But in the end, it was Weird Al that pulled one over on us. Enjoy.
I hope that was equally as funny to those outside the sports world as it is to us who do this for a living. Even if you don't, you likely know the sports media landscape in this town well enough to imagine some of your favorites as "Grizzled Coach" or "Sad Reporter, Local Paper, Sports Section" or "Young Male Blogger, SportsHits.com."
Follow Matt on Twitter: @matt_mullin
