Yankees: Be less like Cam Newton, more like Russell Wilson

In Spring Training, you see batting practice, bullpen sessions, fielding drills, and base running drills. At Yankees camp, they throw media training into the mix.

The New York media creates a high stress environment for athletes and the Yankees want to make sure their players are properly prepared. They want them to talk to the media without saying anything controversial, which is easier said than done.

The Yankees often bring in guest speakers and show videos of what to do, and what not to do around reporters.

According to ESPN’s Andrew Marchand, the Yankee players were shown video of Carolina Panthers’ quarterback Cam Newton and Seattle Seahawks’ quarterback Russell Wilson at post-Super Bowl loss press conferences.

During Newton’s press conference following the loss to the Denver Broncos, the star quarterback was gloomy, understandably, but he answered every reporter with one word and then stormed off in the middle of a question.

Wilson, who threw the goal line interception in the waning seconds, answered every question and took the blame for the losing Super Bowl XLVIIII to the New England Patriots.

The Yankees want their players to be more like Wilson, who took the high ground with professionalism following the biggest loss of his life, and less like Newton, when it comes to the media. The last thing they need is a distraction because someone stepped out of line with reporters.

Jason Zillo, the Yankees’ executive director of communications, has been running the team’s media training sessions for the last ten years, educating players about dealing with the New York press.

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“This is a different market,” manager Joe Girardi said. “You’re going to deal with a lot more media people than you do in other places, so we think it’s important that we prepare them as much as possible.”