There is a lesson here somewhere

Eventually there will come a day, if it already hasn't happened, that you will have an interview go terribly. It happens to everyone. No matter how much you prepare, your time will come.

Now I've had a couple really good interviews since starting a couple years ago. The top one being University of Florida head coach Urban Meyer (at the end of the interview he said, "those were some really good questions." Don't worry, I patted myself on the back when he said that. I'm doing it now, too, just in case you are wondering.)

I've also had some bad ones. Including Rich Rodriguez starring at me like I was some kind of idiot from, well, West Virginia. Hey, Rich, how bout that 2007 Big East Championship. Oops, sorry. Too soon?

But the worst interview I have done, by far, would be a high school athlete from Eastern PA. For privacy reasons, we will change his name to Sauerkraut Saul. That also happens to be the name of my favorite contestant in the Pittsburgh Pirate's Pierogie Race. What a coincidence.

Well, Saul had an interesting story that needed to be told. He was living in some bad conditions as an underclassmen, so his assistant coach decided to take him in as part of his family. He immediately turned his life around, got better grades, and even was getting offers from colleges.

It was a can't miss, feel good story. That is, until I did the actual interview. Talking to Saul was like talking to paint drying on a wall, except less talkative. He was completely non-responsive, like my questions were going in one ear and out the other (do pierogies have ears?). I felt exactly like Travis Henry's dad must have felt after giving his son a talk about safe sex. (I know I ride Henry all the time, but it's just so easy.)

I learned a valuable interviewing lesson the hard way. High School athletes, college athletes, professionals - they all have to be interviewed a different way.

Professionals can be criticized. I think it comes with the territory of making more money than my entire family. College players can be slightly criticized as well, because they probably make more money from boosters than my entire family, too. (Although you have to remember some of them are still teenagers.)

But high school athletes must be dealt with entirely different. They don't take classes on dealing with the media and they aren't prepared for your questions. So keep the interview short and to the point. Don't ask penetrating questions about their personal life.

The story I wrote turned out OK, but it could have been better. Hopefully you won't have the same problem. But if you do find yourself in a similar situation, just remember my advice and say to yourself -WWJD. What Would Joe Do?