by Kent Sterling
“What a moron!” is something I’ve shouted internally hundreds of times during press conferences. The questions that reveal a total lack of understanding of a situation, the callous lack of empathy, and the occasional fits of anger from the media are consistent sources of embarrassment for people who cover news and sports as professionals.
Click here to follow Kent on Twitter
UCLA coach Jim Mora, Jr. was in the midst of speaking eloquently about the tragic death early Sunday morning of receiver Nick Pasquale, who was killed when hit by a car while walking in his hometown of San Clemente, when a video technician covering the press conference took or made a call and spoke loudly enough to distract Mora and be heard on mic in the video below just over halfway through.
Mora responded the way you might expect by telling the guy to shut up. When the guy told Mora to “Go on,” well, that was more or less the end of the news conference.
People who consistently behave as though what they are doing is the most important thing on the planet are an anathema. A boy is dead. A coach mourns. And a stooge talks on his phone.
There have been plenty of examples that I’ve seen representing indifference to the person behind the podium, but not many that have been this foolish and insensitive.
I’m glad that Mora called out this buffoon. Only through humiliation are these episodes eliminated, assuming the media member is bright enough to recognize that he’s been humiliated.
Mora then returned to speak with the beat writers covering the team.