Rivera believes players should not have to do interviews after a SB loss

[Northman]

Oh boo hoo. Winning AND losing is part of the game. Losing sucks, we get it. But part of being a good sport and professional is getting up there and not pouting or coping an attitude. We have started to lose our way when it comes to teaching young athletes how to behave when they win or lose a game. Its highly unlikely had the Panthers won the SB that Newton would of been gracious in his team winning and probably would of tried to rub everyone's nose in it for doubting him in the first place. Simply coddling players like Rivera is doing here does absolutely not good to the growth of a player like Newton. Giving him excuses for bad behavior is not helping him at all as a athlete or human being.


http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/15049662/carolina-panthers-coach-ron-rivera-says-players-do-interviews-super-bowl-loss?sf23039052=1


BOCA RATON, Fla. -- Carolina Panthers (http://espn.go.com/nfl/team/_/name/car/carolina-panthers) coach Ron Rivera spent more than 20 minutes Wednesday defending NFL MVP Cam Newton (http://espn.go.com/nfl/player/_/id/13994/cam-newton) for his abbreviated news conference following Super Bowl 50.Rivera went as far as to suggest players from the losing Super Bowl team shouldn't be put in the position of having to do interviews following the most disappointing defeat of their careers.

At the very least, Rivera suggested, the league shouldn't have players from both teams being interviewed in the same room where they can hear each other as the Panthers and Broncos were.

He called it "tremendously unfair'' that players are put in the position of showing their raw emotion as Newton did after the 24-10 loss to Denver.

"Personally, I've always felt that in a situation like that there is only one person that needs to talk, and that's the head coach,'' Rivera said during the NFC coaches breakfast at the NFL owners meetings. "That's the person you should pull out and put in front of everybody and let him answer the questions.

"If not, that's what you're going to get. You're going to get guys that come across in certain ways. And that's unfortunate.''

[Davii]

Well, Rivera is an idiot. That's part of the game, someone wins and someone loses. Maybe the media should stop filming the sideline of the losing team when it becomes apparent who will win, why not? Cam acted like a jackass, plain and simple. That doesn't mean players who have lost the Super Bowl should not be made available to the media.

[MOtorboat]

Lol.

Shut up, Ron.

[Bronco4ever]

They should have some time in their "Safe Space".

[BroncoWave]

I could get on board with giving the losing team a longer cool-off period. Like, let the winning team do their interviews then have the losing team come up after so you don't have a situation where the losing team has to overhear the winning team gloat right across the room from them.

Having said that, it's ridiculous to suggest they shouldn't have to talk to the media at all. That's just part of the game.

[MOtorboat]

I could get on board with giving the losing team a longer cool-off period. Like, let the winning team do their interviews then have the losing team come up after so you don't have a situation where the losing team has to overhear the winning team gloat right across the room from them.

Having said that, it's ridiculous to suggest they shouldn't have to talk to the media at all. That's just part of the game.

They shouldn't be conducting interviews in the same room. That was ridiculous.

[FanInAZ]

Although it wasn't a factor in this situation, I've also seen many occasions in which players reacted negatively to stupid reporters asking stupid questions because their journalism degree didn't include teaching them enough about the basic fundamentals of the game so they could ask intelligent questions.

[Poet]

What a ******* douchebag. Whenever a player or a coach complains about the media this is what I hear: "I often forget that my massive contract, fame, and otherwise incredible life means that I might have to be asked tough questions or 'inconvenienced' and I'm far too stupid and petty to keep in mind that this is just as much of my job as anything else." Someone punch this moron in his ******* throat and carry on.

**** you, Rivera, you are a sack of shit and I hope you never win another game in your career.

[GEM]

I could get on board with giving the losing team a longer cool-off period. Like, let the winning team do their interviews then have the losing team come up after so you don't have a situation where the losing team has to overhear the winning team gloat right across the room from them.

Having said that, it's ridiculous to suggest they shouldn't have to talk to the media at all. That's just part of the game.

Or maybe, they could man up. Jesus, heaven forbid anyone have to go through the pain of losing. Maybe next they could just scrap the Super Bowl, play 16 games and hand out participation ribbons to everyone, all the same color, of course, wouldn't want to hurt anyone's poor little feelers.

This comment isn't directed at you, wave. I just read through and didn't mean to post condescendingly to you. Just to the general premise Rivers is talking about.

[BroncoWave]

Or maybe, they could man up. Jesus, heaven forbid anyone have to go through the pain of losing. Maybe next they could just scrap the Super Bowl, play 16 games and hand out participation ribbons to everyone, all the same color, of course, wouldn't want to hurt anyone's poor little feelers.

I never said they shouldn't have to face the media after a loss. But I don't see the big deal with giving them time to cool down and compose themselves and to interview them separately from the winning team. Maybe they wouldn't get the same kind of hot controversy to lead sports center, but they would probably get better answers.

[Joel]

They shouldn't be conducting interviews in the same room. That was ridiculous.
That's the one part Rivera got right, and the only one on which I believe everyone (except, apparently, the NFL) agrees. When you put the guys who just lost the biggest game of the year—the one that defines careers and permanently immortalizes players—next to the guys who just BEAT them, then ask both a battery of questions side by side, that only encourages bad behavior. Frankly, the only surprise is that it took this long.

As for not having the SB losers do interviews AT ALL: We ALL know Cam would've been crowing his stuffed head off had Carolina won, and the main reason we all know that is because HE ALWAYS DOES AND ALWAYS HAS. So he can dish out, with extra helpings, but can't take it. "If you don't want to see me dance, keep me out of the end zone." How 'bout "don't talk the talk if you can't walk the walk"?

When the Hell has Cam EVER cared about the sensitive raw feelings of beaten opponents while he was doing victory laps and wasting team time outs to take selfies?

[Northman]

This must be bizarro world today. Ive been on the boards for about 15 minutes and have already agreed with 3 of Joel's posts. Something is amiss.... lol

[Dapper Dan]

Meh. I've always wished they would stop post game interviews altogether. They're dumb.

[Ravage!!!]

Wait wait. Hockey they ahve to shake hands after every game, even with the people you just fought with. People they literally hate. In tennis you may lose a 7 set Wimbleton final in a dramatic, heart breaking fashion...but then have to stand on the court getting interviewed, right next to the winner as you are handed a small second place trophy and they are lifting the giant 'plate'. In EVERY sport the opposing team is interviewed.

It seems that Russel Wilson just thew an INT at the end of the Super Bowl the previous year, and was able to be an adult and a professional, and answer difficult questions as a MAN. This coddling, and suggesting they should be in separate locations is treating them like children. Lets look around and see how other sports handle these things and just admit that Football isn't any different, and THEY are the ones that need to learn how to be a pro?

[Al Wilson 4 Mayor]

I think Rivera is at least half right. The NFL pulled a bush league move by only having a curtain separating the 2 team's interviews.

[BroncoWave]

Lol at comparing tennis and football. Not even close to comparable.

First of all tennis has multiple grand slams and tons of tournaments throughout the year. Whereas football has one singular championship game that teams work all year to get to. So the emotions of losing those two things are a little different.

Second, you only have two players at a time on the tennis court as opposed to over 100 between football teams, so there is way more that can go wrong with having that many people in the same interview space after something as emotional as the super bowl. It's just asking for trouble to have the two teams in the same interview space that close to the end of the game.

The fact that you would even compare it to tennis is just hilarious. But of course you would think the losers of the super bowl should be interviewed right next to the winner after the game.

[Ravage!!!]

I think Rivera is at least half right. The NFL pulled a bush league move by only having a curtain separating the 2 team's interviews.

I don't think that's Bush league at all. I think that's normal, and there is no reason to try and 'hide' the losing team from the rest. We've had 50 losing teams in Super Bowls now. Not every person handled defeat perfectly, but the ones that haven't are few and far between. Lets not make it sound like they are the norm, and we should just change everything because we have so many trying so hard to stand up for cam (not saying you are, Al, actually referring to the guy bringing up the Peyton thing to defend Cam and now Rivera).

[BroncoWave]

Tennis is also different in that getting second sucks, but you still finished second in a field of 128 players in that tournament. So while losing that final stings, it's still good for a player's ranking and a general positive to get that far. All you get for losing the super bowl is a whole offseason to think about it and really no built in advantage for next season like you get for finishing second in a tennis tournament.

[BroncoWave]

I don't think that's Bush league at all. I think that's normal, and there is no reason to try and 'hide' the losing team from the rest. We've had 50 losing teams in Super Bowls now. Not every person handled defeat perfectly, but the ones that haven't are few and far between. Lets not make it sound like they are the norm, and we should just change everything because we have so many trying so hard to stand up for cam (not saying you are, Al, actually referring to the guy bringing up the Peyton thing to defend Cam and now Rivera).

I don't think they have interviewed the winners right beside the losers after every single super bowl.

[Ravage!!!]

Lol at comparing tennis and football. Not even close to comparable.
It's actually more laughable that you think there isn't. Stop thinking that the football players are more competitive than any other sport. Stop thinking that tennis players don't take their sport just as seriously as football players take there. Stop thinking that tennis players aren't just as competative as football players in heart. Stop thinking that football players deserve a different perspective in their loss than any other sports or athlete does. That's a YOU problem.


First of all tennis has multiple grand slams and tons of tournaments throughout the year. Whereas football has one singular championship game that teams work all year to get to. So the emotions of losing those two things are a little different.
Nope. It doesnt'. It's silly to think this makes it different as it's not the same player in each finale. Even if it were, it doesn't take away from the significance to EACH and EVERY championship match.


Second, you only have two players at a time on the tennis court as opposed to over 100 between football teams, so there is way more that can go wrong with having that many people in the same interview space after something as emotional as the super bowl. It's just asking for trouble to have the two teams in the same interview space that close to the end of the game.

probably the dumbest thing you've said in this discussion yet. Probably one of the dumbest things you've said. How many"problems' have we had in teh 50 years? Let me guess, you are going to tell me how the "athlete has changed" and us old people just don't get it? How the athletes today are different than the athletes of yesterday? It's not asking for trouble if/when people act like adults.


The fact that you would even compare it to tennis is just hilarious. But of course you would think the losers of the super bowl should be interviewed right next to the winner after the game.

I've alread pointed out how your thought process is pretty sad and ridiculous. At the same time, you call up Dan Patrick and tell him your awesome opinion on this as I'm sure he would love to hear your brilliant analysis on how losing in tennis isn't the same thing as losing in football, since he used it in his monologue this morning as ONE of many comparisons.

True brilliance like this needs to be broadcast..... but please, if you call into his show, don't let anyone know you are a Broncos fan, that would be embarrassing for the rest of us. TIA.

[Ravage!!!]

Tennis is also different in that getting second sucks, but you still finished second in a field of 128 players in that tournament. So while losing that final stings, it's still good for a player's ranking and a general positive to get that far. All you get for losing the super bowl is a whole offseason to think about it and really no built in advantage for next season like you get for finishing second in a tennis tournament.

Wow... once again, you are completely lost. You keep showing time and time again that you are not an athlete and have NO idea what being a competitor is all about. Wow.

[Dapper Dan]

:lol: I'd bet money half the posters on this forum would lose their shit and say something stupid after a preseason game. But when it comes to other people, they need to man up and do stupid interviews that all pretty much sound the same.

[Ravage!!!]

:lol: I'd bet money half the posters on this forum would lose their shit and say something stupid after a preseason game. But when it comes to other people, they need to man up and do stupid interviews that all pretty much sound the same.

I think you are right DD. I absolutely understand these guys are HUGELY competative, and they wouldn't be where they are, as good as they are, if they weren't.

At the same time, you are a professional now. There is more to the game than just "playing" the game. You are the face of a multi-BILLION dollar corporation, and that means something. It means you have to answer the hard questions, at the hard times, and stand up and accept that responsibility despite it being hard and being something you 'don't like.'

[MOtorboat]

I don't think that's Bush league at all. I think that's normal, and there is no reason to try and 'hide' the losing team from the rest. We've had 50 losing teams in Super Bowls now. Not every person handled defeat perfectly, but the ones that haven't are few and far between. Lets not make it sound like they are the norm, and we should just change everything because we have so many trying so hard to stand up for cam (not saying you are, Al, actually referring to the guy bringing up the Peyton thing to defend Cam and now Rivera).

There wasn't anything normal about that.

[Buff]

Maybe if we allowed the players to have their moms accompany them and hold their hands during the press conferences that would be more acceptable to the Panthers?

[BroncoWave]

Wow... once again, you are completely lost. You keep showing time and time again that you are not an athlete and have NO idea what being a competitor is all about. Wow.

Never said Tennis players are not as competitive as football players. Try to keep up. I just said that the stakes at a single tennis tournament are just not the same as a Super Bowl. It's just a different level of disappointment. If you lose in the finals of the Aussie Open, you still have chances at 3 more grand slams throughout the year. And given that it's pretty much the same guys that make the finals of every tournament, whoever loses the final knows they have a pretty good shot at being back in the same situation in a few weeks or months. Far different from football where if you lose the Super Bowl you have to wait an entire year to get that chance again, and the chances of ever getting back are slim at best.

This isn't to say it isn't still hugely disappointing to lose in the finals of a tennis tournament, it's just not the same type of stakes as football where you only get one shot a year at a trophy.

Another thing to consider is that tennis just as a totally different culture than football. It's normal to interview the finalists at the same time after a championship match, so they are kinda used to that.

It is NOT normal to have both teams interviewed in the same area after the Super Bowl. Not at all. If you are thinking this is something that they have done after every Super Bowl, I think you are sorely mistaken.

[Ravage!!!]

Never said Tennis players are not as competitive as football players. Try to keep up. I just said that the stakes at a single tennis tournament are just not the same as a Super Bowl.
that is just as stupid a statement.


It's just a different level of disappointment.
Another completely wrong statement by you. That's your opinion that has absolutely no truth to it.


If you lose in the finals of the Aussie Open, you still have chances at 3 more grand slams throughout the year.

Seriously you are sticking with this? This is terrible..TERRIBLE.. arguement. Stop with it right here and never repeat this. It's dumb. Ask the actual competitors just how hard it is to get to, and WIN, a grand slam tournament. It's stupip.. STUPID.. to think that it's just not a big deal because you can "do it again later.' NO. THere is only ONE wimbleton. There is only ONE Australian, and there is only ONE US Open. Stop with this ridiculous, incompetent, argument thinking you are on to something. You aren't. You are making a mockery of yourself.


Another thing to consider is that tennis just as a totally different culture than football. It's normal to interview the finalists at the same time after a championship match, so they are kinda used to that.
its NORMAL ti interview players after every game as well. They get interviewed after every loss, THEY (in this case Cam) should be used to it. He's a poute. He should take lessens from better people around the NFL and buck up.


It is NOT normal to have both teams interviewed in the same area after the Super Bowl. Not at all. If you are thinking this is something that they have done after every Super Bowl, I think you are sorely mistaken.
To be honest, I don't even care if it's normal. That wasn't even the discussion, at all. Rivera is trying to make a point of not interviewing players from the losing team at all. That's absurd. Professional athletes in ALL sports do this, handle this, and accept this as being a part of being a professional. Cam can't handle it, so the coach is running to try and defend his QB with absurd statements... almost as absurd as your ridiculous comments here.

[BroncoWave]

Rav I agree that players should still have to do the interview. I just don't think anything good comes from putting the super bowl winners in the same press room as the losers right after the game.

[Northman]

Probably not the best idea to put winners and losers together but i seriously doubt this is the first time this has happened. At the end of the day you still have to be professional about it and as much as i hate to say it the amount of gloating and showboating that Cam has done over the course of last year makes it very hard to feel sorry for him in this case.

[GEM]

Ok, here's another couple of words instead of man up....act professional. Better?

Of course you aren't going to be happy about losing, but you are the leader of your team. Act professional.

[BroncoWave]

I think we all agree cam should have acted more professional. No doubt about that. No excuse for him to act that way, but the NFL should also be smarter than to put players in that situation in the first place.

[Poet]

I think we all agree cam should have acted more professional. No doubt about that. No excuse for him to act that way, but the NFL should also be smarter than to put players in that situation in the first place.

I agree with this. Most of the ex-players that spoke about this, even those who lit up CM, said the same thing. At that point even if CM didn't act like a child, the NFL pretty much slapped the losing team upside the head.

Honestly I think Rivera is a bigger turd than CM at this point.

[BroncoJoe]

I agree with this. Most of the ex-players that spoke about this, even those who lit up CM, said the same thing. At that point even if CM didn't act like a child, the NFL pretty much slapped the losing team upside the head.

Honestly I think Rivera is a bigger turd than CM at this point.

Did I miss something, or have an elderly moment? Who is CM?

[Poet]

did i miss something, or have an elderly moment? Who is cm?

curse these fat fingers!

[BroncoJoe]

curse these fat fingers!

Three times?

I hope your diet is going well.... :heh:

[Poet]

Three times?

I hope your diet is going well.... :heh:

When one studies for the LSAT and ending their senior year, the diet drops the 't' and adds an 's'.

[slim]

I think we all agree cam should have acted more professional. No doubt about that. No excuse for him to act that way,

Ron Rivera doesn't agree.

The rules of professionalism do not apply to millennials.

[weazel]

of course he does... and if one of his players does something else stupid he will say they should be allowed to do that too.

[Poet]

Ron Rivera doesn't agree.

The rules of professionalism do not apply to millennials.

He has to cover for Cam, because that's his team. On the other hand, this surpasses covering and supporting CN.

[slim]

He has to cover for Cam, because that's his team. On the other hand, this surpasses covering and supporting CN.

I don't think he has to support him publicly, he could just say nothing at all.

I hope privately he is being a better leader and trying to help this child become a man.

[OrangeHoof]

I fault both sides. The media needs to find better interviewers than big-titted blondies who can't think of anything else to ask than "how do you feel"? Just once I'd love to see a player answer "I just lost the biggest game of my ******* career. How the **** do you think I feel?"

OTOH, some players need to grow up and realize that the game isn't some rap party where they just dance and do drugs with Snoop Dogg all night. You got six months to do that after the game, knuckleheads.

I suspected the maturity difference was going to be a big factor in the game and it was.

[Dapper Dan]

I hope every NFL player starts saying the exact same thing in these post game interviews. Just go by a script. Of course, end it with "I'm just here so I won't get fined". Make sure he doesn't have an adidas shirt on too. God forbid.

[Denver Native (Carol)]

Carolina Panthers head coach Ron Rivera could've approached his media session at this week's NFL Annual Meeting in many ways. He could've deflected any questions that addressed the drama surrounding quarterback Cam Newton at Super Bowl 50. Rivera could've said all that stuff was behind him, that it was time to move on with life.

Instead, the head coach did the one thing that was ill-advised: He showed us all why Newton won't learn a thing from the biggest defeat of his football career.

For those who somehow didn't hear about this, Rivera spent 20 minutes on Wednesday defending Newton's postgame pouting following the Panthers' 24-10 loss to the Denver Broncos. Rivera began his comments by saying players who lose in the Super Bowl shouldn't even have to talk to the media because the wounds are too raw. In his eyes, people shouldn't have been surprised that Newton lasted just over two minutes answering questions before walking away from reporters. After all, the star quarterback openly admitted two days after that defeat that he's proud to be known as "a sore loser."

rest - http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000647600/article/carolina-panthers-just-enabling-cam-newton-with-more-excuses

[Northman]

rest - http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000647600/article/carolina-panthers-just-enabling-cam-newton-with-more-excuses

Yea, coddling players like Newton is not a good idea.


This actually wouldn't be such a big deal if Newton hadn't become his own biggest fan as the 2015 season played out. He made a point of dabbing and dancing and daring anybody to break up the ongoing party that led to the Panthers (http://www.nfl.com/teams/carolinapanthers/profile?team=CAR) losing only once in the regular season. Last season showed us how elated Newton could feel when everything was going his way, as he ended the year with the league's MVP award. It also revealed to us how much work he still needs to do on being a complete professional.

[DenBronx]

I like the way Manning handled his epic loss of SB 48. He waited and shook the hands of the Seahawk players and told them they were the true champions that day. He also addressed the press and answered all of the questions no matter how tough they were.

[Slick]

Dapper owns this thread. Post game interviews are boring, filled with cliches and pretty meaningless.

[Poet]

Dapper owns this thread. Post game interviews are boring, filled with cliches and pretty meaningless.

Fans still like them. Information comes out of them. They are kind of boring. Yet they're a part of the package.

[BroncoWave]

Fans still like them. Information comes out of them. They are kind of boring. Yet they're a part of the package.

They also help give additional context to game stories by reporters.

[OrangeHoof]

They've been replaced by Twitter if anyone hasn't noticed.

[Poet]

They've been replaced by Twitter if anyone hasn't noticed.

News gets broken by twitter and is fleshed out in articles.

Here's the thing guys, even if the interviews are 'dumb', they still provide information to stories, which are still read, and create traffic for websites.

[slim]

I hope every NFL player starts saying the exact same thing in these post game interviews. Just go by a script. Of course, end it with "I'm just here so I won't get fined". Make sure he doesn't have an adidas shirt on too. God forbid.

Yeah, I hope the media stops covering the games at all.

[Northman]

Yeah, I hope the media stops covering the games at all.

They should probably quit broadcasting it altogether. Too many shadows.

[Nomad]

Ron Rivera doesn't agree.

The rules of professionalism do not apply to millennials.

I blame Generation X for raising the Millennials this way, then again, the Hippies from the 60s raised Generation X. :D

I didn't think people actually sat, and watched post game interviews.

[BroncoWave]

I blame Generation X for raising the Millennials this way, then again, the Hippies from the 60s raised Generation X. :D

I didn't think people actually sat, and watched post game interviews.

ESPN does air many of them live, so I guess some people watch. But I think they are more useful for the media writing game stories than just for fans watching them.

[MOtorboat]

I blame Generation X for raising the Millennials this way, then again, the Hippies from the 60s raised Generation X. :D

I didn't think people actually sat, and watched post game interviews.

:slowlyraiseshand:

[slim]

They should probably quit broadcasting it altogether. Too many shadows.

Agree.

It's not fair to the losing team. They shouldn't have the world witnessing their failures.

[Ravage!!!]

Agree.

It's not fair to the losing team. They shouldn't have the world witnessing their failures.

They shouldn't print the name of the losing teams or the losing players on said teams. This way, they can hide and not be recognized and not have to deal with losing at all. In fact, they are never to be mentioned as THE team that played the winning team. That way, future readers can't look back on them and view them as anything OTHER than winners...at all times. We wouldnt' want to hurt their feelings, nor put a negative light on their delicate, milenial, personalities.

[Northman]

Everyone gets ice cream! Just no sprinkles...