............. wrote:
Shannon... had the choice to ignore the press... which made it not a requirement, but a custom at most, and I don't see anything wrong with not following a custom, especially a stupid one.
Not entirely stupid. There are obvious fluff interviews which add nothing to a telecast but the potential to humanize the athlete, get his / her perspective shouldn't be marginalized. They can provide a glimpse of themselves we're ignorant of. That helps gain new fans almost as much as anything done on the track.
IMO, one the most striking scenes in Rio was this interview w/American wrestler Jordan Burroughs. A gold-medal favorite, he stopped for a reporter literally seconds after a loss knocked him from contention. You can practically see his heart breaking on air. Immense appreciation for this guy:
http://www.nbcolympics.com/video/jordan-burroughs-emotional-after-hardest-day-his-life