John Powers

But more and more now, teams on the college level, certainly, and more and more on the professional level, are banning the media from the locker rooms after games and saying, go to an interview room and we'll bring you somebody and put them behind a microphone.

Well, I think it goes back to my first days as a reporter when I was still in college.

Well, I think it goes back to my first days as a reporter when I was still in college.

Well, I think it goes back to my first days as a reporter when I was still in college.

It became apparent to me that the more you could see what was real as opposed to what was served up to you, whether it was in a locker room or in a practice or if you could get somebody to let you into a team meeting or if you could get an athlete away from their domain and put them in a restaurant for lunch or dinner or anything –

It became apparent to me that the more you could see what was real as opposed to what was served up to you, whether it was in a locker room or in a practice or if you could get somebody to let you into a team meeting or if you could get an athlete away from their domain and put them in a restaurant for lunch or dinner or anything –

It became apparent to me that the more you could see what was real as opposed to what was served up to you, whether it was in a locker room or in a practice or if you could get somebody to let you into a team meeting or if you could get an athlete away from their domain and put them in a restaurant for lunch or dinner or anything –

But I think I really learned about that not covering sports but covering news. When I was first at The Washington Post, I spent several years covering cops and courts and politics. And I learned from that that the less formal – The situation was the more you learned. And I do some of my best reporting without a notebook in my hands.

But I think I really learned about that not covering sports but covering news. When I was first at The Washington Post, I spent several years covering cops and courts and politics. And I learned from that that the less formal – The situation was the more you learned. And I do some of my best reporting without a notebook in my hands.

But I think I really learned about that not covering sports but covering news. When I was first at The Washington Post, I spent several years covering cops and courts and politics. And I learned from that that the less formal – The situation was the more you learned. And I do some of my best reporting without a notebook in my hands.

When I'm just talking to someone and I ask about their family or about last night's ball game and then eventually work my way towards a real question rather than just walking up with a notebook or a tape recorder in my hands. Because when you do that, that's what you are. You're a notebook or a tape recorder. You're not another person. When you walk up and say,

When I'm just talking to someone and I ask about their family or about last night's ball game and then eventually work my way towards a real question rather than just walking up with a notebook or a tape recorder in my hands. Because when you do that, that's what you are. You're a notebook or a tape recorder. You're not another person. When you walk up and say,

When I'm just talking to someone and I ask about their family or about last night's ball game and then eventually work my way towards a real question rather than just walking up with a notebook or a tape recorder in my hands. Because when you do that, that's what you are. You're a notebook or a tape recorder. You're not another person. When you walk up and say,

hey, can you believe what happened in last night's game? Then you establish common ground and you become a person rather than just a reporter.

hey, can you believe what happened in last night's game? Then you establish common ground and you become a person rather than just a reporter.

hey, can you believe what happened in last night's game? Then you establish common ground and you become a person rather than just a reporter.

You know, it's never been for me because what I have always done is if someone says something to me that I think might be controversial in some way or it's something I didn't know that would thus be news, I'll usually at that point I'll take out a notebook or something and I'll say, let me make sure I have this – get this right or – Do you mind if I quote you on that?

You know, it's never been for me because what I have always done is if someone says something to me that I think might be controversial in some way or it's something I didn't know that would thus be news, I'll usually at that point I'll take out a notebook or something and I'll say, let me make sure I have this – get this right or – Do you mind if I quote you on that?

You know, it's never been for me because what I have always done is if someone says something to me that I think might be controversial in some way or it's something I didn't know that would thus be news, I'll usually at that point I'll take out a notebook or something and I'll say, let me make sure I have this – get this right or – Do you mind if I quote you on that?

I don't want there to be any doubt. I don't want anybody I'm working with to be surprised. And I have only once in my career had an athlete claim that he thought he was off the record with me. And that was 30 years ago when I was a young reporter at The Post. I got sent to the home of John Riggins, the star running back who was holding out