I admit that I'm selfish. I want access. I seek transparency. As a sportswriter, I want the athletes I cover to be available for interviews so they can explain their successes or failures. And I thrive on opportunities to humanize the athletes I cover beyond the numbers they put up.
Naomi Osaka offers cautionary tale on athletes, mental health and media
The 3-2 Pitch: Mental health needs to be taken more seriously, and asking for help shouldn't come at a cost.
June 6, 2021 at 12:51AM
Sometimes the only opportunity for athletes to articulate themselves is during news conferences, especially at global events like a tennis grand slam.
Tennis star Naomi Osaka revealing she experiences "huge waves of anxiety" when speaking with media and has battled depression since winning the 2018 U.S. Open is a cause for pause. It's another reminder that professional athletes are not emotionless, fearless automatons who are driven to win. They have mental challenges like many of us.
What makes me nervous is that my presence or my questions could be contributing to someone's mental health struggles. Maybe it comes with the job and is unavoidable at times — but it's not a good feeling.
Osaka revealed her challenges only after she was fined for not attending a French Open postmatch news conference — something she said she was going to do before the competition began. She withdrew from the tournament and revealed more about her depression.
She's not alone. Swimmer Michael Phelps and basketball players Kevin Love and DeMar DeRozan are among athletes who have given voice to their vulnerabilities and struggles.
Dr. Rick Aberman, the former director of peak performance for the Twins who has also worked with the Vikings and college teams, said admitting a problem is not a sign of weakness.
"I see it more as courage than as a weakness." he said. "The courage to risk failure. Speaking up in a meeting. That takes some courage, but it's also about being vulnerable because people will disagree with you and think you're silly. That's how we show ourselves. And that's about being a real human being."
Yet there is additional risk for athletes. Admitting mental health struggles can force teams to look at their players differently, Aberman said.
"I've seen GMs use that against players in contract negotiations," Aberman said, "and I've had personal experience with that."
Osaka has vowed to return to tennis, and let's all root for that. She's one of the most successful athletes on the planet, and tennis needs her.
Mental health should be taken more seriously and, in sports, athletes and leaders need to work together to create safe spaces for athletes to ask for help when they are troubled — without it coming at a cost.
Maybe there will be a day when I'm in the room when Osaka walks in and is comfortable being asked questions again.
So long, Lakers
Lakers center Anthony Davis had no business being on the court against Phoenix on Thursday, but he had no choice. He missed 36 games during the regular season because of heel and calf issues. When he went down with a groin strain in Game 4 and missed Game 5, Charles Barkley nicknamed him "Streetclothes." Snoop Dogg posted a picture of Davis superimposed over a picture fictional character Mr. Glass.
Davis tried to play Thursday but limped around for five minutes before exiting. The Lakers were eliminated, and he called himself, "a main guy who couldn't stay on the floor" after the game.
LeBron James, who missed 26 games himself, is now stuck on four titles. It doesn't matter who the Lakers add this offseason, James isn't getting a fifth ring without a healthy Davis.
Summer of soccer
Fans of the U.S. men's national team are seeing why there's excitement over the future of the program.
Several players have been styling for club teams in Europe, an unprecedented occupation of the continent by Americans. The group is led by Cristian Pulisic, an attacking midfielder with Chelsea who just contributed to its Champions League win over Manchester City. Weston McKennie is a central midfielder who plays at Juventus. Gio Reyna, son of former USA captain Claudio Reyna, is an attacking midfielder for Borussia Dortmund. There's more after these three, and most of them are under 23.
They outlasted Honduras 1-0 in the CONCACAF Nations semifinal, which was the first time this group of European-based players was involved in an international tournament together. Bloomington Jefferson product Jackson Yueill contributed.
On Sunday, they face rival Mexico. Tune in.
He'll be on the other side of the river soon
Righthander Jhoan Duran walked five batters on Thursday while giving up three runs over four innings for Class AAA St. Paul. But he threw 82 pitches and is stretching out. Look for Duran to make his Twins debut, by merit or necessity, before the All-Star break.
Will he be the missing MVP?
Green Bay Packers mandatory minicamp is set for Tuesday. For the sake of entertainment at the expense of an NFC North rival, I am predicting disgruntled quarterback Aaron Rodgers will skip the minicamp and spend his time at home breaking down tape of his "Jeopardy!" appearances.
The 3-2 Pitch: Three observations and two predictions every Sunday.
lneal@startribune.com. • Twitter: @LaVelleNeal
The NHL’s coaching carousel revealed itself again, a fight reminded us what has changed, and of course there was unpredictable matter involving a goalie.
