Maya Moore Interview on Amanpour About Her Sabbatical

[JoePgh]

"Amanpour & Co.", in case you haven't heard of it, is a talk show on PBS hosted by Christiane Amanpour. I am watching it now, and have been completely surprised to see that they are interviewing Maya Moore in depth about the case for which she is taking her sabbatical from the WNBA. She was interviewed my Michele Martin for about 15 minutes.

The last question was whether she would return to basketball next year, or perhaps go to law school instead. She firmly declined the law school suggestion, but was noncommittal about a possible return to the basketball court, saying that she would take it "one day at a time" until next spring. She seems to think that they are reaching the end of the story with respect to the criminal case in which she has been involved, implying that it might be concluded by the time training camp starts next spring. A few weeks ago, a 7-hour evidendiary hearing occurred, which gave her a basis to believe that the case for the defendant's acquittal or at least a new trial may be progressing.

I don't want to describe the specifics of the case or her complaints about the prosecution, since that might get political. But I was certainly impressed, as I always am, by Maya's quiet dignity and well-spokenness for her cause. Her arguments were calm, reasonable, and by no means radical, despite her family's involvement for over 18 years in this particular case.

If you want to watch the interview, you can probably find it at the pbs.org web site.

 

[Shades]

Video: Maya Moore on Justice for Jonathan Irons | Watch Amanpour and Company Online | PBS Video

player.pbs.org

 

[TheFarmFan]

Thanks for sharing this. I'm beginning to see why Pat was willing to blow everything up(!!!) when UConn lured Maya to Storrs - she is a transformational player not only on the court, and off it, and now also (pun intended), in it.

 

[Bama fan]

Thanks for sharing this. I'm beginning to see why Pat was willing to blow everything up(!!!) when UConn lured Maya went to Storrs - she is a transformational player, not only on the court, as we've long known, but also off it, and also (pun alert), in it.

I wish you would refrain from the "pun alert" format. Just think how devastated your readers would be should they not "get" the pun. It could ruin their day, and impair their ability to process valuable BoneYard posts. Please think of your fellow man! BTW, these thoughts are merely general ramblings and in no way reflect the ability of this writer to appreciate the fun of puns!

 

[Plebe]

We often hear it said that the young women who choose to play for Geno are there to develop not only into great basketball players but also great people.

In watching the interview — completely aside from the particulars of the Jonathan Irons case or the topic of wrongful convictions — as a UConn fan I can't help but feel prouder then ever of the person Maya Moore has become. Her clarity of thought, her sincerity of expression, her humility and steadfastness are healthy reminders that being a great person is more than just being great at your job.

Thanks for sharing this.

 

[UConnCat]

More on the case and the recent hearing on Irons's writ of habeas corpus.

WNBA star in Missouri courtroom to help imprisoned friend score ‘Win With Justice’ - Missourinet

At a Cole County Court room on Wednesday, Jonathan Irons walked in wearing a bright orange jumpsuit and shackles. In the first row for citizens to sit in was WNBA star Maya Moore. For more than a decade, Irons and Moore have been friends and Moore’s Jefferson City family has been in Irons’ life...

www.missourinet.com

A crew from ESPN and a documentary team from Los Angeles were also in the court room to report on the case.

 

[hoopsfan22]

We often hear it said that the young women who choose to play for Geno are there to develop not only into great basketball players but also great people.

In watching the interview — completely aside from the particulars of the Jonathan Irons case or the topic of wrongful convictions — as a UConn fan I can't help but feel prouder then ever of the person Maya Moore has become. Her clarity of thought, her sincerity of expression, her humility and steadfastness are healthy reminders that being a great person is more than just being great at your job.

Thanks for sharing this.

I like to think of it the other way: they were already great people and that's one of the big reasons Geno chose to offer them a spot on his team.

 

[bluedevil]

If you have to tell people you intended a pun ..it wasn't a good one...

 

[JoePgh]

More on the case and the recent hearing on Irons's writ of habeas corpus.

WNBA star in Missouri courtroom to help imprisoned friend score ‘Win With Justice’ - Missourinet

At a Cole County Court room on Wednesday, Jonathan Irons walked in wearing a bright orange jumpsuit and shackles. In the first row for citizens to sit in was WNBA star Maya Moore. For more than a decade, Irons and Moore have been friends and Moore’s Jefferson City family has been in Irons’ life...

www.missourinet.com

A crew from ESPN and a documentary team from Los Angeles were also in the court room to report on the case.

That last line of the article, which you quoted, illustrates the attention that a sports celebrity, even in women's basketball, can bring to a case that would probably never have gotten a second look without Maya's involvement. A telling point for those who denigrate celebrities who "get out of their lane".

 

[MilfordHusky]

If someone were to ask me what athlete was most likely to be interviewed by Christiane Amanpour, Maya would be on the short list of those I'd consider. Amazing woman!

 

[Txhoopsalot]

That last line of the article, which you quoted, illustrates the attention that a sports celebrity, even in women's basketball, can bring to a case that would probably never have gotten a second look without Maya's involvement. A telling point for those who denigrate celebrities who "get out of their lane".

Maya Moore is clearly IN her lane. I will be watching to see what she does through the years.

 

[Shades]

Maya Moore is clearly IN her lane. I will be watching to see what she does through the years.

To me it sounded hopeful that she’d return to basketball.

 

[Plebe]

If someone were to ask me what athlete was most likely to be interviewed by Christiane Amanpour, Maya would be on the short list of those I'd consider. Amazing woman!

Well, technically she wasn't interviewed by Amanpour. The program is hosted by Amanpour, but the interview itself was conducted by Michel Martin, a fine journalist in her own right.

 

[DallasBUFan]

I love the she is using her platform outside of Basketball. I will be okay if she never plays again because of what she is now focused on. However, would love to see her back with my Lynx!

 

[bantamlaker]

I love the she is using her platform outside of Basketball. I will be okay if she never plays again because of what she is now focused on. However, would love to see her back with my Lynx!

I too would love to see Maya back on the court, especially playing alongside Pheesa. However, someday in the future I wouldn’t mind seeing her follow the path of some other basketball stars who have gone into politics. We’ve had Bill Bradley (Senator from NJ), Dave Bing ( Mayor of Detroit) and Tom McMillen (Congressman from MD ). Senator Maya Moore would sound pretty good to me.

 

[CL82]

I just watched the interview. It is a great watch. A few things standout.

She is a very well spoken woman. Not in the traditional sense of that phrase that she avoids "um's and ah's" but in the sense that she is advocating a complex topic to less informed audience in an effective, thoughtful and persuasive way. Note how she stays on message. She had some elements that she wanted to communicate and she does so repeatedly but not in a robotic way.

The second thing that strikes me is that she is extraordinary informed about the topic. Athletes or celebrities often attempt to use their fame to bring awareness about a particular topic that has struck them. The thought is admirable but far too often they don't have any functional knowledge about the topic for which they are advocating, which makes them ineffective. Maya Moore is just the opposite. She very, very well informed. It is obvious to me that she has spent a lot of time educating herself. That is admirable in and of itself.

I also love how she's thought about issue not only on the apparent injustice that Irons suffered but the institutional problems in the justice system. Again, it is just an intelligent and thoughtful approach.

Finally, I note that there was not recrimination, accusation or base appeals in her discussion. Instead, she calmly lays out the issue. That's just a very smart way to advocate for something.

I've always been proud of Maya and respected her talents and abilities, but never more that today. It was very impressive interview. That explains the personal call that she heard and reasons the left something that she is extraordinarily gifted at to try to help.

 

[Bama fan]

Well, technically she wasn't interviewed by Amanpour. The program is hosted by Amanpour, but the interview itself was conducted by Michel Martin, a fine journalist in her own right.

To quote the pre-eminent scholar Dandy Don Meredith, "That's nitpicking, ref!" The point was obviously to praise the interviewee, not the interviewer. But one should give credit where it is due.

 

[warbler1055]

To right a wrong is difficult either the accused is black, white or brown. For MM to try to help this case is just a testament of the great person and human being she is. She is a great WBB player but she is greater human being.

 

[CamrnCrz1974]

If you want to watch the interview, you can probably find it at the pbs.org web site.

Here is the direct link to the video. At the bottom of the webpage, there is the "transcript" section.

Maya Moore on Justice for Jonathan Irons

Basketball player Maya Moore surprised the sports world and her fans when she announced that she would be taking a sabbatical to fight for justice for her friend Jonathan Irons, who is serving a 50-year prison sentence. In 1998, a jury found him guilty of burglary and assault with a deadly...

www.pbs.org

 

[eebmg]

Here is the direct link to the video. At the bottom of the webpage, there is the "transcript" section.

Maya Moore on Justice for Jonathan Irons

Basketball player Maya Moore surprised the sports world and her fans when she announced that she would be taking a sabbatical to fight for justice for her friend Jonathan Irons, who is serving a 50-year prison sentence. In 1998, a jury found him guilty of burglary and assault with a deadly...

www.pbs.org

The video is fine but the transcript appears to have been translated by Mr Mxyzptlk. Or it is some Artificial Intelligence algorithm trying to reconstruct the transcript from the audio feed?