Ben Johnson Angrily Glares At Snarky Sideline Reporter After Tense Interaction
The interaction happened just before the Bears took the field for the second half.
I’ve seen some tense interactions between NFL coaches and reporters, but none of them hold a candle to what happened on Sunday in Las Vegas.
With his team trailing 14-9, Chicago Bears coach Ben Johnson and his squad came out for the second half against the Raiders. As the score suggested, the Bears were not playing up to their standard, and CBS reporter Aditi Kinkhabwala asked Johnson about the offensive struggles.
Bears coach Ben Johnson was not happy with his team's first-half performance against the Raiders, or a reporter's question at halftime. (Photo by Amy Lemus/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Kinkhabwala was within her rights to do that; that’s what good reporters do in that situation. But they usually frame it in a tasteful, straightforward way that doesn’t sound sarcastic or demeaning.
Kinkhabwala’s questioning crossed into that realm, and Johnson took exception to it and interrupted her. To his credit, he still responded in a measured tone.
But then things got worse when Kinkhabwala asked, "Do you need to change what you’re doing?" in that same edgy tone with a condescending look on her face.
That’s when Johnson did not hold back, and sarcastically responded to her by saying, "I don’t know, you think so? We’re going to be just fine."
Additionally, he glared at her for several seconds for how she delivered the questions. Kinkhabwala nervously laughed in response.
You can watch the video here:
If looks could kill, Kinkhabwala would be in a body bag right now.
Normally, I would say the coach overreacted here. But Kinkhabwala asked her questions with a high-level of snark that was unbecoming of a sideline reporter. I don’t blame Johnson for getting extra frustrated in his second response. Kinkhabwala failed to maintain a strong level of professionalism.
As it turns out, Johnson’s prediction was right. The Bears did end up being just fine and won the game 25-24 thanks to a last-second field goal block.
Kinkhabwala was laughing at the end of her interaction, but I bet Johnson is laughing a lot harder right now.