Jim Gray (sportscaster)

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Jim Gray interviews New York Yankees manager Joe Torre (left, holding trophy) and Yankees owner George Steinbrenner after Game 4 of the 1999 World Series.

Jim Gray is an American sportscaster. He has previously worked as a sideline reporter with NBC Sports, CBS Sports. He is currently with the Westwood One radio network and ESPN/ABC Sports.

[edit] Interview Style

Jim Gray doing a sideline report during the 2000 NBA Finals.

Gray has been well known for his deadpan interview technique. Some critics have also claimed that his questioning is too negative, especially of athletes who have just suffered a defeat or let down. At the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia, Gray asked silver medalist Eric Namesnik, "This is your second straight silver — you won a silver in Barcelona. Going up against the best in the world, is it disappointing or are you satisfied?" At Super Bowl XXX after the Pittsburgh Steelers lost to the Dallas Cowboys Gray interviewed Pittsburgh quarterback Neil O'Donnell backstage. After O'Donnell called it a team loss and wasn't going to single out any of his teammates for the loss Gray asked, "I know you don't want to single anybody out but did Corey Holliday miss his assignment there?", referring to when O'Donnell threw his second interception of the game.

Prior to Game 5 of the 2006 Eastern Conference Finals, Gray interviewed Detroit Pistons guard Lindsey Hunter and questioned him about the team reportedly blaming their 3-1 deficit in the series on their coach, Flip Saunders. Even after Hunter denied this, essentially saying the story was being played up by the media, Gray (while tossing back to broadcaster Mike Breen) still claimed that the Pistons were blaming their coach. In 2004, Gray (working an ABC game featuring the Dallas Mavericks) came under fire from Dallas owner Mark Cuban after questioning Dirk Nowitzki about the absence of then-teammate Steve Nash and its effect on team chemistry. Gray said, during the interview, that he also spoke with Cuban and another then-Maverick Michael Finley about the issue, a fact Cuban vehemently denied. Cuban called for Gray's suspension by ABC.^[1]

Gray was the sideline reporter for the infamous Pacers-Pistons brawl in 2004. In the aftermath, Gray reported that there had been a reconciliation by key players in the conflict, Ben Wallace of Detroit and Ron Artest of Indiana. Wallace denied this when asked about it the following day.^[2]

While some have been critical of Gray for being abrasive in interviews, others have also criticized him for giving soft interviews. Gray has been known for his close relationship with Kobe Bryant, which showed in the immediate aftermath of Bryant's sexual assault situation (the night when the news broke, Gray appeared on SportsCenter in defense of Bryant's character)^[3] and in several sideline interviews. It was Gray whom Bryant phone called to vent about teammate Shaquille O'Neal in October of that year (a phone call that started one of O'Neal and Bryant's worst disagreements)^[4]. Also, some found Gray's interview with maligned baseball player Barry Bonds in 2006 to be too soft.

[edit] The Pete Rose interview

The most notable interview of Gray's sportscasting career occurred with former baseball player Pete Rose. During game two of the 1999 World Series, Rose was introduced as a member of the Major League Baseball All-Century Team. After the ceremony, Gray pointedly queried Rose about allegations of gambling on baseball, which he repeatedly denied^[5]:

Jim Gray: Pete, now let me ask you. It seems as though there is an opening, the American public is very forgiving. Are you willing to show contrition, admit that you bet on baseball and make some sort of apology to that effect? Pete Rose: Not at all, Jim. I'm not going to admit to something that didn't happen. I know you're getting tired of hearing me say that. But I appreciate the ovation. I appreciate the American fans voting me on the All-Century Team. I'm just a small part of a big deal tonight. Gray: With the overwhelming evidence in that report, why not make that step... Rose: No. This is too much of a festive night to worry about that because I don't know what evidence you're talking about. I mean, show it to me... Gray: Pete, those who will hear this tonight will say you have been your own worst enemy and continue to be. How do you respond to that? Rose: In what way are you talking about? Gray: By not acknowledging what seems to be overwhelming evidence. Rose: Yeah, I'm surprised you're bombarding me like this. I mean I'm doing an interview with you on a great night, a great occasion, a great ovation. Everybody seems to be in a good mood. And you're bringing up something that happened 10 years ago ... This is a prosecutor's brief, not an interview, and I'm very surprised at you. Gray: Some would be surprised that you didn't take the opportunity.

Many people were outraged over Gray's aggressive questioning, feeling that it detracted from the ceremony. Others felt that given the dichotomy of Rose's banishment from baseball and his inclusion on the All-Century Team, the questions were appropriate. Because of Gray's interview tactics with Rose, New York Yankees outfielder Chad Curtis snubbed Gray's request for an interview at the conclusion of Game 3. After hitting the game winning home run, Curtis responded to Gray on the Yankees' behalf:

Because of what happened with Pete, we decided not to say anything.[6]

Despite the heavy criticism he received, Gray offered no apology for his line of questioning toward Rose.

I stand by it, and I think it was absolutely a proper line of questioning. . . I don't have an agenda against Pete Rose . . . Pete was the one who started asking me questions. I definitely wouldn't have gone (that) direction if he had backed off. My intent was to give Pete an opportunity to address issues that have kept him out of baseball. I thought he might have had a change of heart. . . . He hadn't had an opening in 10 years.[7]

Five years later, Rose finally admitted to gambling on baseball.

[edit] Notable

• Jim Gray was at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles the night that Kirk Gibson hit his now famous home run in Game 1 of the 1988 World Series. Gray was there as a fan rather than a sportscaster, yet he and a friend of his missed out on the dramatic blast in order to beat traffic.^{[citation needed]}
• Gray interviewed then-Houston Rockets guard Steve Francis during a 2004 NBA regular season game; Francis cursed during the interview, referring to an official's call as "bullshit".^[8]
• Gray had a memorable post-match interview with boxer Mike Tyson, in which Tyson commented about Lennox Lewis that "I want to eat his children".^[9]
• Gray interviewed Dennis Rodman during the NBA Finals once while Rodman was a member of the Chicago Bulls, and during the course of the interview one of Gray's questions actually brought Rodman to tears. He left the room without completing the interview.

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Rose's admission puts Gray's interview in different light