On scene sports reporting may have hit an all time low Sunday night in the form of Christin Cooper, NBC sport’s reporter at the Men’s Olympic super event. Her classless and disgusting interview with Bode Miller, one of the all time great USA men’s down-hill skiers, should, in my estimation, be career ending. Bode was in a joyous mood having won the bronze medal in what will in all probability be his last Olympics. The moment was even more poignant because he recently lost his brother. So Bode’s victory was bittersweet.

It was clear that Bode was struggling to keep his emotions intact, mentioning his greatest wish would be for his brother to be there to share the moment. And then Ms. Cooper began her classless, insensitive, boorish and unrelenting questioning of Bode. She was clearly attempting to elicit an emotional reaction from him. It worked, and she completely destroyed what should have been a celebratory moment. Bode Miller, who no one could accuse of being anything less than a red blooded macho man, was finally reduced to tears.

This incident is indicative of the state of news reporting, particularly by the major news networks. They will, whenever given the chance, turn a positive to a negative, the upbeat to a downer and the truth to a distortion. They are so blinded by their own arrogance and hubris to see this mind set is why the networks are swirling down the porcelain goddess.

Bode, demonstrating more class than Cooper will ever achieve, defended her later, because he said they are friends. This makes Cooper’s behavior even more egregious. First, it doesn’t excuse her lack of professionalism, and second, it reveals her true character that she would exploit a friend foolishly, as it turned out, to advance her career. Hopefully she will quickly pass into oblivion.

Steve Hyle
Lewes