The proliferation of internet media has pushed the average post-game press conference to its current cliche-heavy status. Any small quote can go viral in an instant, which means that players and coaches alike tend to stick to the media training provided by their PR staff. That’s not to say that there aren’t the occasional players or coaches with loose lips, it’s just the current media climate we’re in today. That’s why this skit from The Kicker featuring Weird Al Yankovic hits so perfectly. Every single cliche or trope from both the media and the team exist in our sports world.
The brash caricature of an obnoxious East Coast reporter is probably the most spot-on performance. It’s basically a shot to all the ridiculous questions fielded by teams from the NFC East and the AL East. Furthermore, Weird Al doesn’t shy away from addressing the toxic environment for women working in media that is pervasive throughout sports culture. The absolute peak of Weird Al’s performance happens when he mocks a press conference meltdown that can become a hallmark moment for any coach — shoutout to Jim Mora — regardless of their stature. The entire video was a good reminder that we shouldn’t take sports so seriously all the time.
