FIRST TAKE | Nothing wrong with Ben Johnson’s response – Stephen A. on Bears HC’s halftime interview

What did you tell them to get things going? That that it wasn’t our brand of football. We’re capable of a lot more. And so, uh, we’re hitting the reset button here at halftime and we’re going to come back and establish our identity here in the second half. You need to change what you’re doing. I don’t know. You think so? We’re We’re going to be just fine. Okay. So, that was Bear’s head coach Ben Johnson with CBS sideline reporter during the halftime when the Bears trailed 14 to9 against the Raiders. The Bears would go on to win the game. And after some time, Ben Johnson reflect on that entire halftime exchange and said he was a little bit remorseful. Listen to this. In the moment, I I honestly I didn’t think too much of it. I’m kind of in in game mode. Um but then when when I look back at it, you know, I I am a little bit uh disappointed with what that looks like. Um, you know, I I didn’t hear very well, and that’s not an excuse, but when when I thought I heard that, uh, it not a question, but that I needed to make some changes, I I didn’t take that very well. So, I’ll do a better job with those going forward. Okay. So, uh, we’ve heard that sound a few times now, right? And so, some time for us to also reflect on what happened there. Ben Johnson saying maybe he didn’t clearly hear the question from Adidi, who’s been in covering the NFL for a really long time, really smart. Um, what did you make of Benji? I found his explanation not only reasonable but admirable to be quite honest with you because what he was saying was I’m on the field and I heard the question and then the way she asked it, you know, I’m, you know, I knew it was a question, but it’s perfectly reasonable that he didn’t think he was hearing a question, that he thought he was hearing a statement, a suggestion from her. You’re a football coach. First of all, you ain’t trying to hear from somebody that’s non that’s a not that that’s not a coach, that’s not a football player or not a football coach telling you in real time, okay? Making a suggestion to you at halftime of a damn game in the middle of game. This ain’t even in a press conference. This is not a pregame press conference, not a postgame press conference, everything like that. Um, so so it’s if number one, I can understand how he misunderstood it. But most importantly, I I just want to applaud his manhood. Yo, I thought something. I might have mistaken here. Wasn’t a good look. My bad. That’s all you can ask for as a human being. I mean, if if if somebody is sincere, and I don’t know if he’s caught or not. Um, obviously, he’s saying so publicly, which is appropriate because what he did was in public. So, he should acknowledge it publicly. If it was in private, then you could acknowledge it privately, but if it’s in public, you should acknowledge it publicly. The fact that he did that in public, I think that’s a lesson to all of us, especially in this day and time. If somebody is sincere and they come to you with an apology, accept the damn thing. What you going to live with it for and hold on to it and be bitter and all of this other stuff. If they’re sincere that they were wrong and the same kind of p, you know, platform that they came at you wrong on is the same platform they go back to to acknowledge that they were wrong. Then as adults, we should all embrace that, accept, and I applaud Ben Johnson for handling it like that. Yeah, I think we give him grace, man. I mean, look, you you in the heat of battle. We always talk about it, but ultimately, this is a part of the job for Ben Johnson. And you’re a first year head coach, and I get it. You probably locked in on a thousand other things. First, you probably don’t want to even do the interview going into halftime trying to figure out. Ain’t no problem. No problem. You know what I’m saying? So, so a lot a lot of it is a lot of it is him in this particular situation learning how to manage that part of being a head coach as well. And I always like to Stephen A’s point, you acknowledge the fact that you you were wrong in your response and you apologize. I think that’s where it should lay. And I Shay, you one of the women in this in this media game and you been on the sideline as a reporter before. I know Boogie Laura Rage. like the sideline and sometimes it’s heated, right, with these coaches. It’s not going the way they want it to go. I just don’t want the the culture to believe that y’all are so thin skinned like y’all won’t get over it, right? Ben Johnson came out, acknowledged it. I think Dee will be fine with that acknowledgement and you move on from there and he’ll be more conscious about what what what one hearing the question, but also being more conscious about how you handle those interviews, whether it’s a female or a man. Yeah. I just think it’s a good rule of thumb that if you’re a coach, you don’t turn it around on the reporter and ask them a question. Y, you know, I got you. And if you’re unclear about it, you say, “Can you clarify the question?” That should be the only question that you ask in the moment on the football field. That’s what you do. Because here’s the thing, Stephen A. We can’t criticize these athletes for not handling it right when it comes to those reporters and not criticize the coaches, too. Yep. So, they’re a part of representing the franchise, representing ownership, and that was a poor moment from Ben Johnson. Now, here’s the thing. I didn’t see it as disrespect when I saw the interview initially, but I could understand how it’s interpreted as being unprofessional. Yeah. And let me say this, Adita Kabala, she’s she covered the Giants beat when I was a part of that franchise for the Wall Street Journal. I know her to be one of the finest reporters in the National Football League. And so, I don’t think she was out of bounds in terms of how she handled it. You would just you just wish that the communication didn’t get mixed up in that circumstance because it makes Ben Johnson come off as something that he is. Absolutely. And I think that’s what ended up and y’all know we live in a delicate day and time with social media and people will form opinions right about Ben Johnson right in that seinal moment. So I think both perspectives are important when you start talking about what what that characteristic of that conversation could be interpreted as by people and also his apology and how much that should fall on how he goes forward. And that’s why I brought up what I brought up at the very beginning because of the climate that we’re living in, the world that we’re living in right now. You know, so much the bitterness just just the abrasiveness is held on to. When you got somebody that’s an adult and acting like an adult and they’re willing to acknowledge that they’re wrong. Yeah. What’s there to hold on to? Why walk around with that kind of bitterness? Why walk around that on your shoulders? You know what I’m saying? It’s unnecessary. And if more people were willing to apologize and acknowledge when they were wrong and man up or woman up and say, “Look, that was my fault. That’s on me. I didn’t realize I was wrong.” The world would be a better place. No doubt. I I I I know Adidi personally. She’s a wonderful reporter. Very smart football mind. Okay. Her inflection was different on the second part of the question, which is probably why he interpreted it the way he did. The only thing I had an issue with, and I He apologized publicly. Great. I’m sure she’s over it. It’s the fan base that needs to get over is the starown at the end. I didn’t love. Yep. That’s what kind of made it feel a little mean, personal. Yeah. Right. Like I didn’t need the Well, it makes sense. What I’m saying is if he’s in the moment and he’s feeling offended, right? Because he’s thinking you suggested, okay, it ain’t like he’s going to do something to you, but he’s looking at you like this. You know, and I love, listen, there’s no bigger fan of Nick Sabin than me. And we saw we saw him with Maria Taylor and how unpopular that moment was. You know what I’m saying? So again, that’s not what Ben Johnson did, right? You know, he’s looking at you like, I don’t like that. I don’t like that statement. But you remember, he thought it was a statement. I don’t like that. Yeah. I would assume from both of their perspectives, it’s a wash. We apologize. We’ve moved on. Let’s go to week five and that’s the end of it. But it was probably a learning lesson for both of them and I’m sure Ben Johnson knows how to handle those situations better going forward. All right, coming up here on First Take, Dak Prescott shine against the Packers D, who we all thought was elite. Just how far can one Dak Prescott take Dallas this season? Plus, Drew Brees said last week the Eagles offense was boring. And after AJ Brown’s cryptic tweet, how would Drew handle all of that as a quarterback? He’ll join the show next here on First Take.

FIRST TAKE | Nothing wrong with Ben Johnson’s response! – Stephen A. on Bears HC’s viral halftime interview

49 comments

  2. I saw it live and I immediately thought she was making a statement. I think more than 50% of the people that listen to that would think it was a statement. If you are a coach and during halftime you have this interviewer doing suggestions or statements,this type of reaction is expected.

  4. First of all, get her a$$ off of the field! These women don’t want men in their sports, but they’re all over the NFL! She’s a d i n g b a t and he should’ve never apologized! PS I’m a woman and I don’t think it’s right for these women reporters to be all over the NFL field . I do not take them seriously nor have I ever !

  6. No need to apologize, you are in a men's sport and men's space you need to realize that. As a woman you need to know that, he did nothing wrong. Only Betas and toxic feminists will complain. If a man said that to a woman you would never hear the end of it. She is talking to a head coach and needs to talk to him properly with full respect…Ben is an Alpha, Be proud of it…

  10. Chris Canty wrong on this one….he has a bias against the Bears….second of all these in game interviews for coaches need to go away…..its stupid

  11. I found nothing wrong with how Ben Johnson responded. Why didn't she ask what changes you are looking to make in the second half instead of what she said. She gave a bit a spice and he gave it right back. Idk why ppl are making this a big deal.

  16. It was definitely a statement from her. However, in her defense, if you watch/listen to the interview from the very beginning, Ben Johnson was the first to get defensive and aggressive in his response back to her in answering her initial inquiries. It looked and sounded like he was pissed off at her inquiry and took it personal or something. I noticed that straight away when I watched the interview LIVE. I'm a Bears fan and I love Ben Johnson's fire and passion, but he needs to quickly learn that taking sideline interviews is part of the job. Keep cool! If/when he's frustrated with the performance on the field from the players, take it out on the players and coaches in the locker room. Don't take it out on the media reporters that are just doing their job.

  17. she did say DO you need to change what your doing but the microphone wasn't in line to catch the DO…. It was just overall miscommunication.

  18. These ESPN analyst are clearly being biased cause that’s their home girl…I was watching this live and I even got offended, all I heard was “you need to change what you’re doing”.
    After rewatching it I finally noticed that shorty either intentionally/unintentionally said “so” away from the mic which made it sound like she was trying to treat Ben Johnson via making a smart ass statement. The true problem is her failing to pronounce “so” into the mic which would have made it clear that she was asking a question. If she would have just spoke the entirety of what she wanted to say into the mic like the “true professional” she supposedly is then none of this would’ve been an issue to begin with…Either way, BJ handled the situation well both in the moment and afterwards by killing her with kindness. A bunch of other coaches would have gave her ass the business live on tv, right on the spot…At the end of the day, she messed up and rightfully owes BJ an apology, but because she’s a female reporter…I digress.

  19. I didn’t hear the reporter’s starting her “question” with the words “do you” till about the third time I listened to it. She didn’t say them clearly. The chance of someone standing in a football stadium hearing them would be barely above zero, especially considering the tone she used. Johnson is a hell of a man for accepting responsibility.

  28. There is NO issue with the original exchange between BJ and the sideline woman. I thought BJ handled it appropriately. I'd like to see people who have played the game be the ones selected to conduct interviews. This DEI sh!t has got to go…completely!

  32. Lol really. They are lucky they don't have coaches like Mike Dikta or Jim Mora personalities. Too many snowflakes that get offended by everyone and everything now days.

  33. Can we just get rid of the stupid mid game interviews anyway?!? They add nothing to the experience & 99.9% of the time are bland questions w/ cookie cutter responses

  35. He owes no apology whats so ever. These so called reporters that ask players and coaches feebly make statements, and accusations and pose them as questions trying to be the smartest one in the room trying to paint them into a corner and try an get them to say something to make DRAMA out of when they don't even know what they are talking about, and it's getting old to me as well quite frankly. They need to do a better job, because they will never get any thing but coach speak from them.

  41. Ben doesn't need these folks to rank his (completely unneeded) apology.
    ESPN running to the defense of women reporters about as surprising as sports journalists speaking up for sports journalists.

  44. Was a statement !!!!!! Who cares what he says !!! BUT he’s basically an employee & is beholding to the NFL… that’s the unfortunate thing. I hate the NFL now … ever since Colin kapernick etc. NFL is so woke & DEI. Bad Bunny for Super Bowl halftime show !?!?!? 😡 Imagine having these DEI reporters back in the day – Ditka etc …. It’s football !! Very violent game that with every play could end ur playing career & even ur ability to live healthy – concussions , paralyzed etc …. ESPN is also a joke / woke ! Stephen A Smith ….. ur a joke !

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