Cincinnati Reds Ken Griffey Silent
The baseball All-star sulks and refuses interviews.
Ken Griffey Jr. is upset with the media. I know this may be hard to believe, but the irascible Griffey has once again declared a moratorium on pre- and post-game interviews. Shhh, was that the delicate trickle of a teardrop I heard, dropping from Griffey's sad face?
Poor, poor Ken Griffey. How does he get by day in and day out? Consider his work, for example. He runs around green grass on hot days, chasing a white ball, while wearing a nylon socks and a baseball cap. And he only makes $9 million a year to do it. Then, there's the awful, incomprehensibly-demanding media.
Well, it seems the big bad reporters are picking on Griffey again. What is it about, you wonder? Who knows? With Griffey, it could be anything from a Cincinnati beat writer announcing that he struck out twice in a game, to a talk radio personality saying Griffey is too old, tired, and overpaid for his measly six home runs.
So, the surefire Hall of Famer will once again hide in the showers after Reds games, so he can avoid those difficult questions. Who could blame him, having to respond to difficult queries like, "Hey Ken, the pitcher seemed to have you handcuffed. What exactly was the problem?"
How could anyone hold it against Griffey, when he looks down his nose, folds his arms and runs away, with tears welling in his eyes. These reporters are completely unreasonable, thinking the 17-year veteran could answer a preposterous question like this.
Yet Griffey, when he is talking, continues to ask why the world is against him. Why, he wonders, do fans and media feel he is in the same category as Barry Bonds when it comes to whining about how he's treated.
This isn't to suggest that Griffey is a performance-enhancing drug user, like Bonds (sorry, I just have to say this every time I reference the faux home run king). No, Griffey has legitimate talent and could be remembered as perhaps the greatest player ever.
Like Bonds and many other whiners, though, Allen Iverson and Ron Artest come to mind, Griffey has alienated many fans by constantly clamming up, because he supposedly has been so mistreated.
Here's a tip for Griffey, who I'm sure would be too busy crying after reading this to ever take my advice; I'll give it anyway. Hey, Junior, if you are so fragile that you can't take a few negatives from reporters, just stop reading, listening and watching. Whenever you see or hear your name, turn away.
This way, you won't know what was said, and you're delicate ego won't be damaged.
Oh, and when one of those nasty media types asks a question, answer like Tiger Woods does. This way, you don't have to think too hard, but the reporter will at least have something to share with the fans.
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