Jim Gray (sportscaster)

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

[edit] Interview Style

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. Also, in game 7 of the 2002 Western Conference Finals, Gray pulled aside Kings guard Mike Bibby immediately following their crushing loss to the Lakers, to interview him; a move some feel is representative of a tendency by Gray to dwell on the negative.

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]

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:

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

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. Gray said so on an episode of ESPN Classic's Battlelines.

• 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 "b---s---".^{[citation needed]}

• 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".^{[citation needed]}

• 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.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] References

[edit] External links

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