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Thursday, October 17, 2002

Pitt's football players huddled in their South Side complex meeting room Tuesday and learned how to deal with the stinking media. Your trusty reporter sat in the back of the room, taking copious notes. Because you can never stop learning how to deal with the stinking media, especially when you wake up alongside one of them every morning.

The Art of the Interview was taught by ESPN play-by-play announcer Dave Sims and his wife, Abby. It was an interesting and informative one hour and 45 minutes, even on a team where eight regulars major in communications and rhetoric -- which might seem redundant. The Simses regularly tour America offering such presentations, schooling among others Connecticut and Virginia Tech and UNLV and Georgia Tech, both football and basketball teams, both players and coaches.

They teach life lessons, social skills these folks could use in classroom settings, job interviews, future business relationships, everyday situations with fellow humans. For now, though, the topic was interacting with the newspaper, television, radio and Internet wretches. Sims said, "Win or lose, you're going to have to face the media. Anybody can show up in good times." And I wondered if he and his wife still had time to drop by State College for a little lecture to the Notany-talkin' Lions after the Michigan game Saturday.

The Simses opened their discussion with a cool video presentation. One of the first presentations showed a Mike Tyson interview that was, shall we say, bleeping amazing. The Panthers howled. Then there was Denver tight end Shannon Sharpe making a wholly immodest comment. The Panthers howled some more. So, for once, college kids could learn something from watching TV.

The presenters also showed a clip of good interviewees, including the forever amiable Sean Casey of the Cincinnati Reds and Upper St. Clair. Be accessible, be composed, be sensible, be truthful and be thoughtful, went their lesson. Be yourself, too. Just be careful ... about your attitude, demeanor, body language and appearance. Ink -- not the kind that stains the newspaper dudes, but the tattoos adorning athletes -- may offend Middle America. "We're not telling you to take everything off," Sims said. "We're just telling you to be aware."

They talked about enunciating, about certain word usage. Can you believe they even told the Panthers not to end sentences with, at, 'n 'at?

They spoke of quenching "the public's thirst for information," and, you know, I agreed: Next time in an interview, my first question will begin, I'm an empty well. Fill me. They spoke of welcoming the opportunity for an interview because it tells your side of the story, increases visibility for you and your program, reinforces public perception. They spoke of making eye contact and watching out for bad body language and avoiding, like, you know, a lot of ummms 'n' stuff. They spoke of steering clear of verbal sparring with an interviewer -- and, might I add, physical sparring.

Don't run from bad performances, the audio-visual presentation blared. And appreciate the fans, reach out to them either through interviews, public appearances or the simple act of signing an autograph.

In the end, a handful of players performed some improv interviews. First up was fullback Lousaka Polite, greeted by a chorus of "Louuuus" from teammates who later offered a critique that he needed to enunciate more, stand up straight and get bigger shorts. Cornerback Shawntae Spencer didn't have to ad-lib about a late penalty that prodded an opponent to victory ("that ain't abstract, it happened: Virginia Tech, freshman year"). Off-the-cuff interaction is a skill somebody may have to use again and again, be it discussing a test with a professor, a deal with a client, whatever.

"We're talking about looking at a bigger picture," Sims said.

Waytago, noted The Big.

Remote notes

Flagship WDVE-FM's Steelers pregame show may take its act outdoors, around Gate A, for Monday night's game.

They didn't name the baby after Tunch Ilkin, who so capably replaced him on the Pitt football radio broadcast on flagship WRRK-FM. But Bill and Jami Osborn had a son over the weekend, William James.

Oh, it's true. . . it's very true, so say WEAE-AM officials. Mark Madden has signed a five-year, incentive-laden deal that they value around $1 million total. Considering it's an AM outlet, considering the station's niche market, the figure is remarkable if it turns out that way in the end.

Madden tomorrow night begins commentaries that will air on WTAE-TV's 6 p.m. newscasts every Monday and Friday, part of a dual-promotion agreement between stations sharing the same building and same part-owners. In case you detractors were wondering, he'll probably confine his comments to semi-serious sports issues rather than, say, the Roberto Clemente and Plaxico Burress stuff you've heard recently on his radio show.