Earlier this week, JJ Redick dropped a pair of f-bombs during the press conference introducing him as the head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers. And sports media members lost their minds.
I lost track of how many sports media figures I saw either take to social media, their television, or radio shows to argue against the language used by Redick, who said “I don’t really have a great answer for your question because I really don’t give a f—,” when asked if he had extra motivation to prove critics wrong due to him jumping straight from the ESPN broadcast booth to the bench.
The number of Helen Lovejoy’s shouting “Won’t somebody please think of the children?!” as Redick, a grown man, had the audacity to use language the overwhelming majority of sports media figures use was outrageous and grandstanding at it’s best.
I have one message to those people: shut the f— up.
First of all, what is almost near universally the biggest criticism of the figures we cover? That they’re inauthentic, they don’t actually answer our questions, they give canned non-answers, and don’t ever let their guard down enough for us to get honesty from them.
And this situation is exactly why those walls remain up.
JJ Redick — for better or worse — is unapologetically himself. He has never been one to overtly care about what the public perception of him is. It’s likely the reason he finds himself in the position he’s in.
And yet, what was the biggest takeaway from his press conference? That he used foul language! Oh my! The horror! The horror!
Listen, I understand the argument about there being a time and place. And is a press conference the correct situation to speak like that? Maybe not. But he was honest. He shared his true feelings. And we should celebrate that, not use it as a way to virtue signal to our followers or audiences that we’re holier than thou.
Furthermore, I believe the radio and TV stations covering the event live have a legitimate gripe. They probably weren’t hovering over the dump button with bated breath, expecting words that aren’t exactly FCC-friendly to be uttered.
But for sports reporters and hosts to pretend as if it was some great blunder, one that was simply unconscionable for an NBA head coach to blurt out, couldn’t be more ridiculous.
We should do everything we can to empower those we cover to feel comfortable enough to let their guards down enough to speak to us like they would a close friend. Not tear them down because we may disapprove of the language used.
A popular argument against using words like Redick did is that it makes someone sound “dumb” or “uneducated.” JJ Redick graduated from one of the finest institutions of higher learning in our great country. His podcast was a play on words from a literary classic. Am I supposed to pretend as if because he used words that millions upon millions use that he’s some sort of caveman? Hell no.
He’s passionate. And he felt comfortable. It isn’t the “coarsening of our society.” He spoke like a human being. It’s refreshing, from my standpoint.
If you’re angry about Redick jumping to the front of the NBA coaching line while others toil as assistants or in the G-League, that’s a fair gripe! If you think JJ Redick is a pretentious, condescending know-it-all, join the club, because so do I! But to grab your torch and pitchforks because he said the f-word? Pure insanity.
Also, if he used words that you don’t like hearing or don’t believe should be used in public setting, that’s fine. That’s your prerogative. However, that’s your prerogative. Expecting everyone else to think, speak, and act just like you is an awful highfalutin mindset, isn’t it?
Now, JJ Redick isn’t the first person to catch the ire of the sports media for his language, and he certainly won’t be the last. But I’ll take the opposite approach from what I saw on social media and the airwaves. I’ll embrace the coaches, players, front office personnel, and anyone else involved in the teams, conferences, leagues, sports, or whatever situation may be that feels compelled to freely speak their minds, foul language be damned.
I’m of the belief that his time in the media will make JJ Redick a breath of fresh air for not just NBA media but sports media as a whole.
But if we’re going to critique the language he used at his introductory press conference, I imagine it will only go down from here. And that’s a shame. Because if JJ Redick doesn’t give a f—, I’d suggest you do the same.
