NFL fans react to ridiculous question posed by reporter to Giants RB Saquon Barkley
As barkley-back-twitter-reacts-rb-s-performance-first-half-loss-washington-football-team" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-is-sponsored="false">Saquon Barkley could likely attest, the New York media has a reputation for dragging players over the coals in press conferences, but the most recent press conference that the Giants running back had to attend was another level. While asking Barkley about his injury, a reporter asked if the injury made the running back want to return to the scene for revenge.
Failing to name names, the reporter said a number of aggressive and violent things that players do in an attempt to convince Barkley that it was alright to say anything more than "no." Barkley didn't take the bait and gave an emphatic "no."
"Hey, Saquon, I know you guys are going back to Chicago, where obviously you tore your ACL last year. Some players are looking for closure. They'll go back to the spot where it happened. [They'll] spit, piss, and some will even maybe want to burn down the stadium where it happened in. Is that something that, you know, you've considered doing for all of this?"
Barstool Sports posted the clip on social media, and the comments lit up like a Christmas tree. Here are some of the highlights.
Fan reactions to question asking Saquon Barkley if he wanted to "burn down the stadium"
Saquon Barkley was just asked if he wants to burn down the Bears stadium?!?! How do these guys get press passes. https://t.co/Mjsy7mmupG
@barstoolsports Need his name. Pronto.
@barstoolsports @BobbySkinner_ You can’t make stuff like this up
@barstoolsports Who among us wouldn’t spit, piss, and burn the place where a common injury occurred?
@barstoolsports People actually think this is real
@barstoolsports This reporter also thinks “Pat McAfee should ask Aaron Rodgers tougher questions”.
@barstoolsports That guy was dying to write an article titled “Saquon Barkley threatens to burn down Soldier Field - Chicago Law Enforcement on high alert”
@barstoolsports https://t.co/yy4IirSjyG
@barstoolsports Somebody owes me laps
@barstoolsports Bro wtfff lmao removed that guys press pass and admit him
@barstoolsports No way this is real hahahaha
Of course, the biggest highlight of the story is how several people think this isn't real. To be fair, it is tough to tell. With so many questions being asked on any given day in the NFL and in sports in general, many would say it isn't as far-fetched as it seems. Plenty of people could imagine an exhausted or bored reporter asking a question like this just to get through the day.
On the other hand, the reporter's use of the word "piss" to describe the actions of players in getting closure is a red flag for those who think the clip is fake. Media questions rarely feature swear words and are generally cloaked in neutral language. For a reporter to frame a question in this way is to ignore the basics of their craft.
Some would say putting forth a question like this is reckless and negligent in the same way a teacher who shows movies every day is often seen. Is the clip fake, or did the reporter truly throw caution to the wind in an effort to get a nice headline?