Pal Dan Steinberg has a great post on the D.C. Sports Bog today about trying to pry injury information from Wizards Center Brendan Haywood. The Bog provides a transcript of some TV reporter questioning Haywood about his lingering wrist problem. Here’s a couple choice moments:

What are they talking about in terms of a timeline for you, and what are you looking at?

Don’t have a timeline. If I’m healthy, I’m back, but if I’m not, I’m not.

So there’s been no timeline set for you in terms of a return to play?

They said this injury takes four to six months, so it depends on am I a four-month guy, a five-month guy or a six-month guy. I don’t know yet.

Are you a four-month guy?

Not right now. It’s been four months.

Steinberg put the exchange on the Bog to show readers “what we’re up against,” presumably a reference to the frustrations of covering injured professional athletes. No shit. I have no personal experience in doing the reporter, but plenty as a fan. Throughout the NFL season, for example, it’s sometimes hard to determine what coaching staffs are more focused on: winning the upcoming game or keeping injury information from leaking out. Bill Belichick and the NE Pats, of course, lead the league in obfuscation on this front, but plenty of other clubs are right up there in the rankings.

My own New York Giants distinguish themselves too. Late this season, defensive end Justin Tuck told Mike Garafolo, Giants beat reporter for the New Jersey Star-Ledger, that he’d tell him all about his “seven” injuries when the season was over. Well, not long after that, the season was over, and Tuck clammed up.

It all goes to show you that if your throw enough attention and money at people, they’ll find new and insufferable ways to act precious.