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Posted by Kevin Arnovitz

There's a lengthy interview with Lamar Odom posted in the video gallery at his official website:

This is the problem a lot of athletes have with letting people in. Something so minor and playful like this candy. Could your really think I could get to this level by eating a plate of candy a day? This is the problem and why you have the high-profile athlete who's great at what he does, but he gives the worst interview because he doesn't want to let his guard down to be attacked. 

It's worth noting that Odom is a prince of a guy and probably the most media-friendly athlete in Los Angeles (though Dodgers second baseman Orlando Hudson might give him a run for his money this season).

The candy mishegass seems to be more a product of a bored press corps with nearly a week off than any malicious attempt to denigrate Odom's confectionary weakness. Odom's larger point has merit, but sometimes athletes miss the forest through the trees. Though many jocks would be loath to admit it, they partake in a mutually beneficial social contract with the media. In exchange for ungodly salaries, endorsement contracts, and the prestige that comes with celebrity, athletes agree to tolerate various inconveniences, such as not being able to dress in privacy after a game and the possibility that someone might write or broadcast a stupid -- and even unfair -- opinion about them.

The disgruntled athlete might call this a circus or, in Odom's case, a problem. But does he realize that the media are far and away the most aggressive marketers of his product? Is he under the impression that the escalation in salaries and endorsement opportunities just happened to coincide with the media explosion of the past 20 years? 

I would advise any athlete frustrated with stupid or invasive queries to grin and bear it, not because it's the nice thing to do, but because it's in his interest.