Charm sells

I do enjoy my job, but that's not to say that I agree with everything that we do. Yesterday I overheard one of the workers at the luge venue commiserate with a couple of American journalists.

“The luge athletes aren’t very charismatic, are they?”? drawing nods and grunts of agreement.

That’s the rub. Sure, journalists want the athletes to be heroic, brave, and talented. But for many journalists it’s not enough that the lugers are hurtling down an icy track at 80 miles per hour with their head just inches above a rock-hard surface. No, more than anything, many journalists want athletes to be colorful so they can write a good story.

Journalists want expansive answers. They may ask a yes or no question, but if the athlete gives a yes or no answer, they’re branded a stiff. They need to expound, explain and pontificate.

Above all, the athletes should reflect. It’s not enough to know how they won the gold medal. Journalists want the athletes to peer deep into their souls and reveal their motivations, fears and flaws.

Humor helps. A lot. So does a little rebelliousness. Controversial statements, especially if they express an anti-establishment sentiment are gold. Nothing gets a journalist’s heart beating faster than an Olympic athlete sticking his thumb at the International Olympic Committee, the anti-doping laws or their own country.

Nothing except charm, of course. Journalists go ga ga over engaging athletes. The most clever athletes listen thoughtfully to the questions, lean forward, nod thoughtfully, gaze deep into a journalist’s eyes and pretend to be really, really interested. Some even turn the interview into a conversation, becoming friendly, inquisitive - and dare I say flirtatious?

It’s similar to how a good waiter or waitress charms a customer to get a bigger tip. An expressive athlete that gives good quotes almost always gets better press coverage than a quiet athlete who prefers to make their points on the field of play.