Osaka watched clips of her past news conferences and did not like some of what she saw: the "ums," the "likes"GETTY IMAGES
In N.Y., Christopher Clarey profiles tennis player NAOMI OSAKA, who in a little more than six months has become a "multicultural star with global reach, fired the coach who helped her zoom to No. 1 by winning two Grand Slam singles titles in a row, and hired a new coach who had yet to be a head coach at this level." Osaka has also sounded a "bit wiser." The meandering, sometimes "cryptic interviews" of '18 have "given way to something more considered and open with occasional dashes of her trademark whimsy." This is "not a coincidence." She watched clips of her past news conferences and "did not like some of what she saw: the 'ums,' the 'likes.'" Now, she "greets questions, of which there are many, with respect, giving the impression that she is weighing each one before answering" (N.Y. TIMES, 3/14).
NAMES: In New Jersey, Jerry Carino profiles Big East Associate Commissioner for Sports Media Relations JOHN PAQUETTE, who has been on the job since '90 and was recently "elected to the College Sports Information Directors of America's Hall of Fame." Playing "traffic cop between coaches and reporters is hazardous work ... but both sides appreciate the guy in the middle." Asked what the key is to managing postgame press conferences, Paquette said, "You want to try to keep it moving. You have a lot of people, and a lot of times there's another game about to start. So you want to get as many questions as you can in a short amount of time" (APP.com, 3/13)....The Pittsburgh City Council yesterday approved Steelers C MAURKICE POUNCEY’s “gift of $7,500 for the purchase of a 7-year-old Percheron” horse for the Pittsburgh Police Department (TRIBLIVE.com, 3/13)....NWSL Orlando Pride D ALI KRIEGER and G ASHLYN HARRIS are engaged (PEOPLE.com, 3/13).
