Jordan Spieth did not want to talk after historically blowing the 2016 Master’s Tournament on Sunday.
Spieth, the 22-year-old leader with only 9 holes to play, chunked himself through the 12th Hole with a quadruple bogey. The fallout allowed a relatively unknown Englishman named Danny Willett to claim the legendary green jacket.
What received a lot of press though, was Spieth’s reaction to immediate media presence. After finishing his final round, cameras rushed Spieth, to which he responded, “Please, not in my face.”
A request seldom made by professional athletes, and his solemn post-round interview where he appeared, for lack of a better phrase, extremely pissed off.
Similarly, Willett, who’s wife was watching from England with a two-week old baby, was flocked with CBS cameras simultaneously to Spieth’s request. Willett, in contrast, quickly hung up with his wife and kept his head down and out of the camera’s obtrusive view while phoning close friends and family.
I’ve written before that journalists and camera workers get to see the real side of the athletes — whether they’re welcomed with smiles or with Spieth’s stewing.
As a result, I’ve compiled some of North Dakota State’s student-athlete’s best quotes throughout the reason years. They come from assorted interviews, public twitter accounts and just random online searches.
“Why are the North Dakota State Bison so darn good?” – Bill Speltz, a writer for the Billings Gazette, a Montana newspaper after the second round playoff game between the Grizzlies and the Bison, which the Bison dominated its way to the fifth consecutive National Championship.
“Cold temperatures out there.” – NDSU baseball head coach Tod Brown said after the Bison went 2-0 in its home conference openers Saturday against Indiana Purdue Fort Wayne. It was only about 45 degrees that afternoon. After the second win, it was Brown’s 200th career victory with the Bison.
“Looking at the guys, man, their emotions were just cheerful,” – NDSU former cornerback C.J. Smith describing his teammates after an interception in the playoffs last season.
“We’re not in it for good; we’re in it for great,” – NDSU basketball head coach Dave Richman said after the Summit League Championship loss this spring to rival South Dakota State Jackrabbits.
“We’re not going to let this bring us down,” – 125-pounder Josh Rodriguez after the NDSU wrestling team lost to South Dakota State in a duel this spring. Rodriguez went on to qualify for the NCAA Championships.
“It’s a valuable experience being able to play in the championship game. I’ve been able to learn a lot from Chris (Kading) and Kory (Brown) and I’ll take what they taught me in the next couple years.” – Khy kabellis, a sophomore guard for the men’s basketball team on the leadership of Chris Kading and Kory Brown.
“Oh man, it was fun” – Brian Schaetz, former defensive lineman for the Bison, on confusing the Montana quarterback en route to a second round playoff victory.