The New York media has a reputation for being harsh, persistent, and dogged. If that was ever the case, it’s definitely not true as to the Jets and quarterback Aaron Rodgers.
Rodgers has never faced tough questioning from the reporters who cover the Jets. On Thursday, they had their latest opportunity to interrogate him regarding the recent firing of coach Robert Saleh.
What did Rodgers know? When did he know it? Does he agree with the move? Did owner Woody Johnson seek his input, directly or indirectly, about the move? If Woody didn’t, does that bother you? If he had, what would you have said?
And there’s a difference between being rude and being curious. Rodgers’s handling of the situation on Wednesday with Pat McAfee and A.J. Hawk (obviously, Rodgers wouldn’t do the show if they asked him hard questions on a regular basis, or at all) created plenty of avenues for meaningful questions on Thursday, when Rodgers met with the media in advance of Monday night’s game with the Bills.
Collectively, the Jets’ press corps gets a D-minus for its effort.
Here’s the one question that got a revealing answer, even if it didn’t spark a meaningful follow-up question.
“One of the reasons you came here was Robert,” the reporter said. “But for them to make a change so quickly at 2-3, did you think that that was too early? Did you think, you know, he deserved more time? Just what’s your general reaction to the timing of it and all that?”
“I mean, like I said yesterday,” Rodgers said, “I’ve seen a lot in 20 years in the league and, you know, it’s a beautiful profession; it’s a really tough business. So, these decisions were part of it. It was obviously the direction Woody wanted to go. And all we can do now is get behind [interim coach Jeff Ulbrich] and move forward.”
The reporter blew it by asking the third question. It allowed Rodgers to ignore the first two — was it too early, and did he deserve more time?
Here’s the obvuous lesson. Don’t ask three related questions in one breath. Ask one, and only one.
Did Saleh deserve more time?
Or, if you want to ask a truly probing question that doesn’t require a hot light or a bad-cop attitude, here’s one: “Did Robert Saleh deserve to be fired?”
That’s it. Seven words. No preamble. No windup. No wasted words that become the pathway to weaseling.
And no one asked him that simple and direct question.
That’s the problem with press conferences. In a truly objective and neutral one-on-one interview, an inquisitive reporter would have asked that. And if/when Rodgers had evaded it, the reporter would have said, “That wasn’t my question. Did Robert Saleh deserve to be fired?”
Is that an important question? Absolutely. It gets to the heart of the truthfulness of the narrative that Rodgers was a mere bystander to the process, with no power, no influence, no say.
And from that one answer — whether it was “yes” or “no” — plenty of other questions could have sprung, from “why did he deserve it” to (alternatively) “why didn’t he deserve it” to “did you share with anyone your view that he deserved to be fired before it happened” to (alternatively) “did anyone seek your input before it happened.” And then, “how does it make you feel that Woody would make a decision that you disagreed with, without asking what you thought about it”?
Rodgers did get a question about the content of his Monday night phone call with Johnson.
“He asked me how I was doing, and we had some small talk, and then the conversation ended,” Rodgers said.
That was it. No follow-up. Like, for example, how long was the call? What did you say when he asked how you were doing? What was the small talk? Did he say anything, directly or indirectly, about the possibility of making major changes? Did he hint that changes were coming?
The job isn’t very hard. You need to be naturally curious, and you need to be able to articulate that curiosity with short, simple questions. It can be done without belligerence, animosity, or hostility. It requires clear thinking, the discipline to resist meandering, and (most importantly) the willingness to put someone like Rodgers on the spot.
That’s the one thing that’s been obvious about every New York press conference with Rodgers that I’ve seen. No one has truly put him on the spot.
Now, maybe that’s because the reporters fear reprisal from Rodgers or the team if they dare to put a delicate genius on the spot. No more access. No more cooperation. No more spoon-fed scoops.
That’s not an excuse. It’s an effort to explain why it doesn’t happen.
In any competitive beat, no one wants to be known as “the asshole.” And, for that reason, no one puts Rodgers on the spot. Or presses him when, as he did today, he fails to answer the question he was asked.
Mainly because, as he did today, the reporter asked a final question that allowed Rodgers to ignore the first two.