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The sports space is so full of opinion that you aren't hearing from the athletes just speaking for themselves. We are such a Twitter-oriented society with radio talk shows, TV talk shows and social media - what you are missing is the authentic, unfiltered aspect of who these people are.

I think, without question, the way someone plays sports shows something about inherently who they are, you know?

I don't really take into account what the media says. People have their own opinions about what goes on, but they don't see what goes on behind the scenes with an athlete and their preparation.

I think it's very easy for people to stereotype athletes, good and bad.

I think everybody ought to be allowed to be engaged in athletics at whatever level the audience will accept.

I think of sports writers as mediating between two worlds. Athletes probably think of sports writers as not macho enough. And people in high culture probably think of sports writers as jocks or something. They are in an interestingly complex position in which they have to mediate the world of body and the world of words.

I'm not saying that the press is wrong to report any internal differences we have, but at the same time, I think it's our job to keep them from becoming public issues, for anything that detracts from the purely athletic aspects of the sport is bad for us.

We judge athletes as if we all don't have trouble performing our various duties from time to time.

Athletes can definitely have an impact on society. And it's great that athletes can be a part of uniting the population.

The top athletes are consummate pros who work obsessively at their craft. Approach yours the same way.