|
Dutch Olympian to NBC reporter: Are you Stupid? |
|
|
|
|
Thursday, 18 February 2010 |
|
Note to Olympic reporters (yes NBC, I am talking to you) planning to interview a gold medalist: Make sure you have at least some idea as to which gold medalist you're talking to, or what country they are from.
An NBC reporter learned that lesson the hard way last weekend when she asked speedskating gold medalist Sven Kramer who he was, where he was from, and what he had just won. Kramer's response? "Are you stupid?"
Ah, Sven, my clever Dutch friend. You have so much to learn about the United States. All sideline reporters are stupid. They serve no purpose, in fact they frustrate not just the athletes, but the viewers at home as well. They're the appendixes of sports journalism. Chastising one for asking a dumb question is like getting mad at an infant for crying.
As you may have been able to tell from his reaction, Kramer isn't used to not being recognized. He's arguably the most famous athlete in the Netherlands, a distinction which only grew with his win in the 5,000m on Saturday.
|