Anderson Cooper: 'I Don't Know Anything About Sports'

As the media grappled with Sarah Palin's explanation that she quit the Alaska governor's office because she's not a quitter, CNN host Anderson Cooper had a hilarious exchange with Palin spokeswoman Meg Stapleton. Stapleton tried to use Palin's analogy that in basketball, a good point guard passes the ball and runs off the court in the middle of the game, never to return. The analogy was completely lost on Cooper, for reasons he makes apparent:

Anderson Cooper: You say this is leadership, but how is leading not leading? You're saying she's leading by not leading. She's quitting her job as a leader to do, what, I don't know -- speeches, television show, whatever she chooses to do -- but I mean you can't really call that political leadership.

Meg Stapleton: Sure. Do you say then that a point guard charging down a basketball court is not leading when he passes the ball or she passes the ball?
Cooper: Honestly, I know nothing about basketball. All I know about is politics.
Stapleton: Well, let me tell you. When someone is driving down a basketball court -- which is her analogy and I think it speaks well to where she is, and that is I can't affect change right now because of the political climate there -- I'm going to pass the ball. I'm going around it and we still all have the same common hoop, but I'm going around the block and I'm passing the ball at this time because its best for Alaska.
Cooper: I'm sorry. I don't know who the hoop is. I don't know who the ball is. I'm confused by the analogy, but I'll let it go, because I don't know anything about sports.

The video's worth watching just to see Cooper's facial expressions around the 4:40 mark as he's exposed to basketball. In fairness to Cooper, he lives in New York City, which doesn't have a professional basketball team, so it would be hard for him to follow the sport.

Politics · Journalism · Basketball · 2009/07/06 · 9 COMMENTS · Link

Comments

NY doesnt have a basketball team? Ever hear of the NY Knicks?

#1 · mp2 · 2009/07/07

You should not be commenting on news when you dont know squat about reality.. You make excuses for Cooper that NY doesnt have a BB team? Are you friggin kidding me? How lame can you be? You are, it would seem, just an apologist for Cooper.

#2 · mp2 · 2009/07/07

What I said was that New York doesn't have a pro basketball team.

#3 · Rogers Cadenhead · 2009/07/07

The Knicks isn't a pro basketball team? I thought they were a part of the NBA? Isn't that pro?

#4 · Lauren · 2009/07/07

These guys don't get the Knicks joke, Rogers.

I'll explain for the uninitiated:
The Knicks used to lord the hardwood. But for many, many years now they stink to high holy hell.

So NBA fans tend to say that NYC doesn't have a pro team. Because these current Knicks sure as hell aren't playing professional basketball.

Next up: I explain why the chicken crossed the road.

#5 · diablo · 2009/07/07

Thank you, Diablo. I didn't have the heart to explain it. Apparently, Anderson Cooper isn't the only one who doesn't know who the hoop is.

#6 · Rogers Cadenhead · 2009/07/08

He may not know anything about basketball but I'm sure he knows all the winners of Tony Awards.

#7 · Peter · 2009/07/08

Cooper knows something about cycling though. There was a dishy pic published recently of him with his bf riding in Manhattan. ;-)

#8 · Louisa · 2009/07/11

Slow news year, I guess.

#9 · Uncle Mikey · 2009/07/17