- Leon Draisaitl got into it with a reporter in 2022
- The reporter accused Draisaitl of being "pissy"
- The Leon Draisaitl-reporter moment went viral
It was the question heard around the sports world in 2022. After Edmonton Oilers star Leon Draisaitl responded tersely to reporter Jim Matheson, the reporter demanded to know: "Why are you so pissy?"
This was Leon Draisaitl and reporter's "pissy" moment
Here's what happened. In January 2022, Leon Draisaitl's Edmonton Oilers were mired in a miserable six-game losing streak for the second time in as many months.
Facing the media, the German-born Draisaitl took several questions from Jim Matheson, a senior reporter with a mixed reputation among the players. Leon's answer to his first question was two words: "Sure, yeah."
After another unspecific answer, Matheson asked Draisaitl if he'd care to expand. He replied: "Nope. You can do that. You know everything." That prompted the infamous line.
"Why are you so pissy, Leon?" the reporter asked. "Hm?" responded Draisaitl, seemingly caught off guard. "Why are you so pissy?" he repeated. "I'm not. I'm just answering your question," Draisaitl said.
But Matheson insisted: "Yeah you are. Whenever I ask you a question." Draisaitl resisted: "I gave you an answer." And the reporter: "Not a very good one."
Also interesting:
Far from Edmonton!
The uncomfortable exchange (video here) concluded with the reporter asking Draisaitl about showing frustration on the ice. The NHL star offered, "Yeah it's a great thing, for sure," before he swiftly exited.
Afterward, the interview clip went viral and prompted debates. Most took Leon Draisaitl's side in the face of bad reporting, dull and repetitive questions, and the particular reporter's reputation. But others insisted the media deserves better from pro athletes.
In any case, Leon Draisaitl and the reporter provided one of the more heated athlete-media moments in recent history.
