Of Interviews

Yesterday I visited the set and offices of Sport Science and interviewed host, producer, founder, guru, CEO John Brenkus. I got a tour of the facility and saw their three Emmys displayed inconspicuously in the middle of the conference table in their screening theater.

I have to admit I didn’t know what angle I was going for during the interview, so I was all over the place. It also doesn’t help that I’m horrible at interviews though I’m getting better at it. Perhaps the worst moment was in October after Game 2 of the National League Division Series when the St. Louis Cardinals lost a heartbreaker to the Dodgers. In the press conference I had a great question for Cardinals’ manager Tony LaRussa, but the reporter before me asked it. So as my turn was coming up I had to think of a different question and wound up with a stupid one. LaRussa looked me straight in the eyes and gave me perhaps the tersest answer possible. It’s so bad I can’t even listen to the recording of that presser.

I’ve gotten better I think. My interviews with Benoit Denizet-Lewis and Mark Williamson I thought were pretty good. But I knew what direction I wanted to go with both guys so I was adequately prepared. This one with Brenkus was a little more haphazard which is pretty embarrassing. But what’s done is done.