Bob Ryan wants in-game interviews gone, and he has a point

Legendary Boston sportswriter and ESPN contributor Bob Ryan wants to do away with in-game interviews of coaches and players, calling them useless.

And a whole lot of people who follow the NBA gave it a hearty “amen.”

“Memo to TV sports execs: get rid of all in-game interviews of players and coach/managers,” Ryan posted to X. “They are 99 percent useless. Leave them alone.”

Now, in the NBA at the local level, those interviews generally take place at halftime and involve an assistant coach many fans don’t know. That may be OK. But those interviews with coaches or players at the end of each quarter?

I think most people would be just fine if the national broadcasts followed Ryan’s suggestion. Leave them alone.

Ryan didn’t specify which sport inspired his post. Given the time of year, it was likely either football or baseball. But it applies to all.

Do coaches or players really say anything during these interviews? Should they even be asked in the middle of a game? 

“While it’s rare to see a journalist ostensibly arguing for less access, in a lot of cases, the juice is not worth the squeeze when it comes to wrangling players and coaches for in-game interviews,” wrote Tyler Lauletta of Awful Announcing.

That’s just it. When the interview feels like it’s less about getting good information and just bothering someone for the sake of it, the interview should not be conducted.