Bear Digest

Ben Johnson gives his side of CBS sideline interview controversy

A Ben Johnson interview with Aditi Kinkhabwala of CBS Sports sparked controversy Sunday but on Monday the Bears coach explained his reaction to it.
Gene Chamberlain|
CBS' Aditi Kinkhabwala asked a question that seemed to irritate Ben Johnson, or was it a question? Johnson explained his side on Monday.
CBS' Aditi Kinkhabwala asked a question that seemed to irritate Ben Johnson, or was it a question? Johnson explained his side on Monday. | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

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Chicago Bears

Bears coach Ben Johnson explained the sideline interview that set social media on fire Sunday and what happened was accurately diagnosed by many online.

During his brief comments to CBS Sports' Aditi Kinkhabwala coming out of the locker room at halftime, it sounded like he was a bit perturbed by her question/statement about the first half.

"Do you need to change what you're doing?" she had asked.

Johnson looked at her in an unfriendly way and shot back: "I don't know, you think so?"

Then he added with a somewhat dismissive tone, "We're going to be just fine."

Many speculated Johnson took it to mean she was telling him to change what he was doing and not asking about it. It's because when she asked the question there was no change in her voice to indicate a question and the word "do" at the start wasn't clearly audible.

"In the moment I honestly I didn’t think too much of it," Johnson said on Monday. "I’m kind of in game mode.

"But when I look back at it I am a little bit disappointed with what that looks like."

The explanation:

"I didn’t hear very well and that’s not an excuse but when I thought I heard, it was not a question but I needed to make some changes, I didn’t take that very well.

"So I’ll do a better job with those going forward."

The game was indoors and stadium noise was clearly audible in the background as they talked.

The exchange had started harmlessly enough, with Kinkhabwala asking Johnson:

"OK, so what did you tell them to get things going?" after Johnson had explained some of their first-half problems.

"That it wasn't our brand of football; we're capable of a lot more," Johnson said.

Perhaps the real disappointment in all of this was the number of social media people who immediately jumped on one side or the other, either calling Johnson names for being tough on the questioner or on her for making everything about her and her "question."

By two weeks from now against the Commanders, no one will even remember or care about it.

They’ll all be talking about Tyrique’s return to the scene of last year’s incident of controversy.

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Gene Chamberlain
GENE CHAMBERLAIN

Gene Chamberlain has covered the Chicago Bears full time as a beat writer since 1994 and prior to this on a part-time basis for 10 years. He covered the Bears as a beat writer for Suburban Chicago Newspapers, the Daily Southtown, Copley News Service and has been a contributor for the Daily Herald, the Associated Press, Bear Report, CBS Sports.com and The Sporting News. He also has worked a prep sports writer for Tribune Newspapers and Sun-Times newspapers.