don't quote me on that

It's not easy being an athlete these days, and that's aside from all things athletic. There's also having to deal with the media. It's said that the pen is mightier than the sword, and the sword in this case might be a baseball glove, a football, a golf club, etc., while the pen is more than likely a notebook computer.

Oftentimes when I read a quote made by an athlete, my inclination is to picture some sort of formality, like a presentation made while standing behind a lectern surrounded by microphones at a scheduled press conference in front of the media. If that should be the actual circumstances behind the quote, then it can be reasoned that the athlete knew exactly what he or she was doing. But I think in most cases, accepting that the quote was accurately transcribed in the first place, the circumstances behind the interview were much more casual than that. Certainly the athlete must be made aware that they are talking on the record to a member of the media, but even so, I imagine that it's easy to overlook that possibility. And should the athlete (or any other celebrity) let their guard down for a moment and say anything controversial or otherwise eyebrow raising, well, they may well end up with more than they intended.

A recent example is a quote attributed to a defensive player for the Oakland Raiders, Richard Seymour. He was being interviewed for a radio program, and found himself comfortable enough in the conversation to make a so-called guarantee that the Raiders would qualify for this season's playoffs. I've heard excerpts of this conversation, and it sounded quite casual and relaxed, not a formal proclamation at all. Yet the following day, a big fuss was made on national television sports shows about Mr. Seymour's guarantee. I don't know how he feels about all of the attention, but what he said was hardly made during a formal press conference.