ESPN's Stuart Scott interviewed Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama for a segment that aired on tonight's SportsCenter. It was a major disappointment.In an interview that was intercut with clips of Scott (wearing Kareem-style goggles) playing one-on-one basketball with Obama, Scott missed an opportunity to conduct some serious journalism and mostly peppered Obama with easy questions that made for simple answers.
Journalists don't have to be attack dogs every time they talk to candidates, but a one-on-one interview with a person seeking the nation's highest office ought to be more substantive than, "If your vice president had to be an athlete, who would you pick?" which was Scott's first question. (Obama picked Walter Payton.)
The interview (which first aired tonight and will re-air on Tuesday and Wednesday) did include more substantive questions, including one about whether President Bush should have boycotted the Olympic opening ceremony and one asking Obama's opinions of Congressional hearings on steroids. But neither question really challenged Obama to take a tough stand; in both cases his answers were fairly formulaic politician sound bites.
From my experience, fans usually don't want politics mixed in with their sports news, so ESPN was in a bit of a no-win situation when it decided to have an interview with Obama. But I applaud the Worldwide Leader for making the decision to feature an interview with a presidential candidate on SportsCenter. I just wish it would have assigned a journalist who would ask meaningful questions that probe important issues at the intersection of politics and sports, and not someone like Scott, who hugged Obama as the two of them walked off the basketball court.
Scott's interview has now put ESPN in a difficult position: In order to be fair, ESPN should also interview Republican candidate John McCain. I asked an ESPN spokesman whether McCain would be interviewed and was told that ESPN has requested an interview with McCain but that the McCain campaign has not gotten back to them with a date for the interview. If a McCain interview happens, how will ESPN approach it? If they don't give McCain a softball interview, they will be accused of favoring Obama.
ESPN has many solid journalists on its staff who would be up to the task of interviewing Obama or McCain, including Outside the Lines host Bob Ley and any of the E:60 newsmagazine correspondents, Tom Farrey, Rachel Nichols, Lisa Salters, Jeremy Schaap and Michael Smith. That Scott was chosen for such an important task represents a missed opportunity.
Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Actually, I wouldn't be so quick to praise ESPN on this in any way. They had an opportunity with Obama, to do an interview with Bill Simmons but nixed it at the last minute. Not only would that have been a better interview entertainment wise (and arguably would have been some substantive) but would have shown that ESPN would be willing to take a chance, rather than have what comes across as a staged, and mediocre interview that comes no where near the potential it had.
Gee, a journalist going easy on Obama. Who would have guessed?
Stuart Scott is a clown and a very poor choice as the person to interview Barack Obama. The only logic i could think of is that they're both black, so they picked Scott to interview him.
You really think SS is capable of a hard hitting interview?
The media bootlicking Obama? NEVER SAW THAT BEFORE
This guy is a sports announcer , he's going to keep it pretty light. He's normally talking to quarterbacks, and this was " above his pay grade".
How did Stu get that interview rather than Bill Simmons? There's something similar about Barack and Stu's appearance, but I just can't quite put my finger on it.
MDS talks tough, but the next time he's critical of MMA will be the first. There's a parallel in there somehow, including a Lions reference, but I'm not nearly smart enough to make it.
Word, MDS! Love your suit!
A below average journalist doing a weak interview. This guy is known for his asinine sayings such as boo-yeah. The Obama campaign would never let a real journalist like Bob Ley get an interview.
Scott's expertise is sports. So the questions should stay in his area of expertise.
Doesn't surprise me that ESPN doesn't want to get political, but I do agree Stuart Scott was not the right man or asked the right questions. At the same token Sportscenter is nothing more than pop culture jukebox for the sports-minded.
Bob Ley on Behind the Lines would've been a better place to have more serious interview. I would love to see Bob Ley interview him about player unions and athlete's rising contracts. As well as drugs, gambling, and violence.
As a Chicagoan, I loved Obama's V.P choice of Walter Payton. Class act all the way.
Well, no farking duh. Have you ever watched ESPN, genius? Maybe Bob Ley could've done a good job, but he's the only one with a semblance of journalistic credentials. Still, the only person worse than Scott is Berman.
uhm dont be a major tool! ESPN does sports not global geopolitical analysis and commentary. WAKE THE F&(K UP!!!!!!