JEFF PEARLMAN

JEFF PEARLMAN

Deion Sanders and the worst interview ever

Because the NFL is awful, it treats media access like a session with the Pope. You barely get any time with players, and when one does it’s often for five minutes in a noisy lockerroom with some irksome PR flack hanging over your shoulder and making sure the questions don’t involve concussions, hookers or hookers with concussions. It’s why so many loathe dealing with the league.

Again, the NFL is awful.

I bring this up because late last night, after watching an episode of Friday Night Lights on Netflix, I turned to the NFL Network to witness the above monstrosity of an interview. It features Deion Sanders, whose only post-football skill seems the promotion of Deion Sanders, and Raiders superstar Khalil Mack. And while everything about the non-Q&A Q&A blows (how about, um, one question, Deion? One?), what really drives me crazy is that a solid 200 reporters would have relished that one-on-one time with Mack; would have used it wisely and professionally; would have asked legitimate questions about pass-rush technique; about the texture of the game; about the conflict of playing before fans who love you even as a franchise rips the hearts from their chests.

But Sanders is a professional clown. He’s been doing this for years, and seems either unwilling or unable to improve when it comes to curiosity and inquisitiveness.

Hence, we’re left with this nonsense.