We get it… your kids are cute. @MaggieGray just doesn't need to see them at the podium! pic.twitter.com/UsBH2C7cWT
— Maggie and Perloff (@MaggieandPerl) February 6, 2023
Before we begin: Maggie Gray is very good at her job and WFAN botched her tenure. The way the station capitulated to Mike Francesa in 2018 and threw Gray, Chris Carlin and Bart Scott under the bus was shameful. And even if Francesa had stayed retired the first time, in hindsight Craig Carton was always getting afternoon drive eventually once they realized he would not be toxic long-term.
With that out of the way … this is a bad take. And will always be a bad take. It’s like the people who bitch and moan about Super Bowl Opening Night being a silly sideshow. News flash: No serious journalism happens at Super Bowl Opening Night. Because that is not the point of the event. The point is to have a big spectacle to remind you the Super Bowl is an event onto itself. Sure, you might be able to get some good quotes from an assistant coach or the No. 31-53 players on the roster in a quiet corner. But that’s it.
MORE: Radio Row at the Super Bowl is one of America’s greatest traditions
The same goes for press conferences at a dais after the game. No one is winning the Pulitzer Prize asking a question alongside 30 other reporters and 10 cameras. You’re getting some basic answer that everyone in the world now has the rights to. It’s not like Nick Sirianni was about to detail how the Eagles plan to block Chiefs star Chris Jones, only to be foiled because his young son made a fart noise with his hands. Sure, if the kid is wildly disruptive, something has to be done. But it’s not like people are taking questions while holding a crying newborn. Everyone calm down.
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James Kratch can be reached at james.kratch@xlmedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @jameskratch.
