Bode Miller interview

[TheMightyFavog]

Anybody see that Kristin Cooper asshole interview Miller after he won Bronze in the Super G? The way she poked and prodded him about his brother's death until Bode broke down and started to cry on camera? What a fucking killjoy. I have not seen that kind of unprofessional behavior from someone representing NBC Sports since Jim Gray's debacle with Pete Rose during the 1999 World Series.

[OmahaBlueDog]

1. I was just having this discussion with a HS friend on FB

1) Congratulations to Bode on a job well done.
2) Shame on NBC for a vile bit of pseudo-journalism.
3) I was watching a TCM special on the Osars, and they showed some snips of Sidney Portier and John Wayne basically not taking the bait on some questions they knew were loaded, and basically said "no comment". That is a trend that needs to return.

[noamnety]

2. Same thoughts here.

It was like she was confused about whether she was covering the olympics or The Bachelor.

[cyberswede]

3. That was appalling.

[kwassa]

4. "journalism" at its worst. I couldn't believe her behavior.

What a vulture.

NBC should be ashamed.

[DinahMoeHum]

5. It appears, however, that Miller has forgiven her.

Yeah, I felt a similar reaction with most of you, feeling she should have backed off and not badger him any further.

However, before we all dogpile on Cooper for the scene that happened after Bode Miller's medal-winning run, check out this link:
http://blogs.denverpost.com/olympics/2014/02/17/christin-cooper-good-woman-gets-hammered-bode-miller-interview/26783/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

(snip)
. . .clearly, that interview bothered a lot of people. My first news on this came from a friend back in Denver, an 18-year-old with a beautiful heart, who texted me: “Not a fan of that interviewer who was asking Bode questions at the end of the race.” It must have been very uncomfortable to watch.

I’d love to know what the producers were screaming in her earpiece when she was interviewing Miller.

I saw Miller crying after that race. I saw him with his wife and agent long after the race — and long after he paused to share his feelings with us print wretches — crying again. I chose not to focus on the death of his brother. But as Miller said, please take it easy on Cooper.

If Miller’s not upset with her, I think others might want to back off, too.
(snip)
(boldface emphasis is mine - DMH)

[progressoid]

6. Yep, I was channel surfing and caught the end of it.

Disgusting.

[geardaddy]

7. Missus geardaddy and I saw it

She threw things at the tv she was so disgusted. I thought it was totally sensationalist b.s.

And the constant open mic with him and his wife was awful. Plus the "human interest" story about his brother was just sensationalist crap.

On edit: That said, it was Miller's place to say, "I'm gonna talk about my personal life with you."

[WolverineDG]

8. I thought that interview was disgusting

and I'm in no way, shape, or form a Bode Miller fan.

[femmocrat]

9. I saw it.

She should be fired. It was very exploitative.

[KentuckyWoman]

10. I yelled at the TV.

Wasn't Jim with NBC too?

Add in Matt Lauer whining and the incoherent edits of the day's events. This coverage is some of the worst.

[undeterred]

11. I have to give a little blame to the camera person.

After Bode was a few steps away from the interviewer, he bent over and hid his face. It was clear he wanted a private moment, probably to cry. The only person who had the right to disturb him was his wife or a good friend.

Instead the camera stayed fixed on him during this intensely private painful moment. The media loves this stuff. Its like gawkers at a car accident. The camera should have cut away too.

[eppur_se_muova]

12. That was horribly exploitative, and inexcusable.

Sometime in the last couple of decades journalism majors all learned to ask the question "what are you feeling right now", and variations thereon, as the way to trigger a camera-worthy meltdown. She kept asking him the same sort of question over and over, and they were all unanswerable -- "how important is it ..." "how does it feel ..." -- all questions that you could respond to for a lifetime and never get it quite right. Keep the questions a little lower-stress; these are not criminals or politicians, they are athletes, high on adrenalin and depressed from exhaustion. Let them handle the big questions later.