Isn’t it odd that the U.S. government wants to control what you see and hear coming out of the Iran war? Or that only pro-American shows should be allowed on TV?
In that vein, the 1977 mini-series “Roots” wouldn’t have a snowball’s chance in hell of airing in this Trump era. These changes do take time, and they have happened in sports already.
Back in 1976, I traveled to a Knicks practice session at Pace College to interview the former first-round draft pick Mel Davis. When I arrived at the gym, the security guard told me to go inside and wait in the bleachers until practice was over to talk to Davis.
Wait? I can watch practice?
I sat in the bleachers with the beat writers, and we were watching the players — Frazier, Monroe, Bradley, Spencer Haywood — practicing. Fast-forward 16 years later and it’s Media Day at the Knicks’ practice facility at SUNY Purchase.
The press was herded into a room with a diamond-shaped window as we watched Ewing, Oakley, Starks, and even Doc Rivers shooting and running plays. We had access to watch the team get ready for the upcoming season so we could share our info with you, the fans.
After practice, we sat down with the players at their Westchester hotel and ate lunch with them in a conference room. There was even a time when the Knicks held a dance at a major hotel for the fans to interact with the team.
The next day, though, when we were herded into the same room, Coach Pat Riley had the window covered with newspaper so we couldn’t watch practice. Today, access to the players is heavily restricted.
Case in point: I was writing a story about Earl Monroe’s Charter School in the Bronx in 2023. Then-Knick Julius Randle was going to make a financial donation at the school for all the three-point shots he has made. Great, can’t wait to talk to Randle.
I was informed that he’s not speaking to the press. He’s just showing up for the photo op.
Pass.
Once I called Giants GM George Young — a cold call, made without going through the PR staff — two months after the team won its first Super Bowl in 1987. We spoke for 30 minutes about the Giants, and his time as a teacher for 15 years and as offensive line coach for the Super Bowl champion Baltimore Colts.
Definitely a different time.
The Knicks are a hot ticket right now, but team access is tight. Even Knicks president Leon Rose says nothing, nunca, nada to the press.
Even boxing has clamped down on interviews.
When Mike Tyson foolishly decided to fight Jake (“I can’t fight”) Paul, the presser was held at the world-famous Apollo Theatre. There were no one-on-one interviews with the fighters, only a house mike that any Tom, Dick, or Henrietta could use to ask the silliest of questions. There were more bloggers than sportswriters.
There was a time when sportswriters went on bus trips upstate to training camps to watch and gather info about a fighter’s preparation and the professionalism of the camp. Haven’t been on one of those in ages.
This may not seem like much today, but don’t be surprised if the only info you get from an athlete is when they use their own podcast to get their own controlled narrative out.
And isn’t that happening already?
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