Five sports stars who refused to talk to media - including Verstappen and Sir Alex

Five sports stars who refused to talk to media - including Verstappen and Sir Alex,Sports stars today are obliged to talk to the media after every success and failure but that intense scrutiny can often lead to friction, fallouts and even boycotts

Five sports stars who refused to talk to media – including Verstappen and Sir Alex

The relationship between sports stars and the media is a complicated one. It can be rosy, especially when things are going well for a team or individual.

Few managers or players turn down an interview after an important victory or amid a period of success. But often the relationship can turn sour. That can simply be because of poor results or controversy and the tricky questions that come with them.

There can be more to it, like perceived unfair criticism or the leaking of information the manager or player in question wanted to be kept under wraps. Some players simply don’t like the media and do the bare minimum, or even don’t not talk publically at all.

READ MORE: Ted Kravitz breaks silence on Max Verstappen and Red Bull fallout after 'good chat'

Daily Star Sport rounds up five sporting figures who stopped talking to the media…

Verstappen slams 'disrespectful' Kravitz

The most recent example of a fallout between a sporting entity and a media outlet.

Red Bull, and world champion Max Verstappen in particular, refused to talk to Sky Sports at the recent Mexican Grand Prix over perceived negative coverage of the team this season.

The final straw was a throwaway comment by pit-lane reporter Ted Kravitz during his Notebook show after the United States Grand Prix. Kravitz referred to Lewis Hamilton being “robbed” as he was pipped to the 2021 title by Verstappen after then race director Michael Masi’s botched handling of a late-race safety car.

Explaining his irritation, Verstappen said: “It has been a constant kind of digging and being disrespectful, especially from one particular person. At one point it is enough and I don’t accept it.

“You keep disrespecting me and at one point I will not tolerate it anymore and that is why I decided to stop answering.”

Max Verstappen refused to be interviewed by Sky Sports at the Mexican Grand Prix (Image: Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)

Verstappen was joined in the boycott by Red Bull team principal Christian Horner, who said: “There were some derogatory comments made so we took a break from Sky for this race. Max was upset. We were upset and we made the decision to stand together as a team.

“It won’t have done Sky any harm for us to lay down a marker. Some of the commentary is fair but some pieces are sensationalist, and saying we robbed anyone of the championship, as was said in Austin, is going too far. It is not impartial or fair or balanced. We have said our piece and will go back to normal next time.”

The boycott has indeed ended at this weekend’s Sao Paulo Grand Prix although, at the time of writing, it was unclear whether Red Bull had agreed to be interviewed by Kravitz.

Ferguson and BBC fell out over son

Sir Alex Ferguson regularly fell out with journalists during his long and glorious reign in charge at Manchester United.

His biggest fallout came with an entire corporation, the BBC. The Scot stopped talking to the Beeb in 2004 following a documentary, Fergie & Son, which made allegations against his son Jason, a football agent.

Ferguson said he would only start talking again if the BBC apologised, but the corporation refused, leading to a seven-year impasse. Speaking three years into the boycott, Ferguson called the BBC “arrogant beyond belief”. Under Premier League rules, Ferguson incurred a fine every time he declined to be grilled by the broadcaster.

The boycott lasted until 2011 when Ferguson held talks with then BBC director general Mark Thompson. Neither party is said to have apologised, but there was an agreement to move on.

Sir Alex Ferguson went seven years without talking to the BBC (Image: Martin Rickett/PA Wire)

Ten Hag ignored Sky reporter

Not Sky Sports but one particular reporter, Gary Cotterill, who incurred the wrath of the Manchester United boss before he even took charge at Old Trafford.

When Erik ten Hag attended a game at Crystal Palace near the end of last season, Cotterill attempted to secure an on-the-spot interview outside the ground. But Ten Hag wasn’t interested in a chat and Cotterill was nudged aside by security personnel, with the irritated reporter responding by saying “don’t push me!”

Soon after United’s 4-0 defeat at Brentford at the start of the season, Cotterill tweeted: “Karma”.

At a subsequent press conference, Ten Hag completely ignored Cotterill after he asked a question. Commenting on the snub, the veteran reporter said: “I’m surprised. It was just two people doing their job but I’m assuming he was offended by it.

“The thing at Palace was him doing his job and not commenting and me doing my job and trying to get a comment. I’m only guessing that was the reason. I haven’t been told.”

In September, United and Ten Hag reportedly offered to meet Cotterill for clear-the-air talks.

Gary Cotterill trying to speak to Erik ten Hag — Gary Cotterill unsuccessfully tries to grab a word with Erik ten Hag (Image: Sky Sports)

Osaka cites mental health issues

The Japanese tennis star caused a stir at the 2021 French Open when she declined to speak to the media and then pulled out of the tournament following the ensuing fallout.

Explaining her decision to boycott press conferences, Osaka said questioning from journalists was having a detrimental effect on her mental health.

“I've often felt that people have no regard for athletes' mental health and this rings true whenever I see a press conference or partake in one,” she said.

“We're often sat there and asked questions that we've been asked multiple times before or asked questions that bring doubt into our minds and I'm just not going to subject myself to people that doubt me.”

After winning her opening match, she was fined £10,570 for not fulfilling her media obligations. Osaka was then threatened with expulsion from the tournament which led to her decision to withdraw entirely.

Should sports stars have to talk to the media? Have your say in the comments section below.

Naomi Osaka pulled out of the French Open after deciding to stop talking to the media (Image: Darrian Traynor/Getty Images)

'I'm just here so I won't get fined'

Plenty of US sports stars have had fallouts with the media and stopped taking questions as a result. Former NFL running back Marshawn Lynch wasn’t one of them, he just didn’t want to know, even if it involved being hit in the pocket.

He was fined $50,000 for refusing to talk to the media throughout the 2013 season. Another fine of $100,000 followed in 2014 before Lynch finally agreed to take questions from the media.

However, they didn’t get much out of him, with Lynch responding to virtually every question by just saying: “Yeah”.

Marshawn Lynch in action for the Oakland Raiders at Wembley (Image: Warren Little/Getty Images)

A subsequent interview saw him reply by saying “thanks for asking” or “I appreciate you asking.”

His most renowned ‘interview’ came during a media day ahead of the Super Bowl in January 2015 when he repeatedly told reporters: “I'm just here so I won't get fined.”

He showed his face for five minutes before leaving.