As I stated above, my favorites or least favorites have to do with interactions I have had with them or that I have seen them have with other people. It isn't at all based on play or performance.
15 or so years ago, when fans could attend all the spring practices and the first week of fall practice, there was a little boy who stood out there by the gate to enter/exit the practice fields getting players to sign either his ball or a poster. I don't remember which, but there was an offensive lineman who came through and scribbled his name so big that it covered other signees ruining the ball (poster). The kid was - for good reason - upset about it. I want to say it was a poster, but a player saw it and went and got the boy a ball, or maybe it was a ball, and had players sign it and gave it to him.
If I see a player talk down to one of the managers or do something disrespectful, that sticks. On the other hand, if I see one go out of their way to help or compliment one, that sticks as well.
Personally, to be clear, no one owes me an interview. Hell, I get turned down all the time. I would rather they say no, no thank you, go to hell, or whatever they want rather than set one and then no show on me. That is probably my biggest pet peeve. I kind of overlook some of it. It happens. Especially if it is a one-time thing. Someone who makes a habit of it, I consider that disrespectful. There was one player who committed on a somewhat important newsday and instead of going to cover that event, I hung back to interview him. He sent me message after message with 'I got you' 'You ready?' etc... over and over. I mean like 5-6-7 messages. And stood me up each time, like he thought it was funny. He did it to me again later on when we were going to do a different project that I proposed.
I know, I know. I should have learned my lesson after the first couple of messages. However, in this business, when someone is willing to talk, you make time for them and if it is someone being a clown, then it's wasted time on my end, I still have to try to get the content piece, so I feel like that's on them - and speaks to the type of person they are.
