Thierry Henry has been put through the media wringer ahead of his Red Bulls debut. The results, as seen above, have been cringe-worthy. Interviewers have been insulting, poorly researched and unprofessional.  His patience has been remarkable.  Here are a few thoughts about how to make these videos better, or at least a bit less awkard.     [Video via MLS Talk]

Tee-AIR-eee ON-ree. That’s how you pronounce his name. Don’t over think it. There’s no need to excessively Frenchify it and sound like a jackass.

He speaks English, fluently. He played in London for eight years.  He has had tea with the Queen. He was married to an English woman. His daughter lives there.  He has a French accent, but he can understand you.  There’s no need to SPEAK LOUDLY and slowwwly to him. The only confusion has been from poorly constructed questions and some American slang. Ask him if he’s “excited” not “psyched.”

Wikipedia is a wonderful thing. Thierry Henry is one of the most famous athletes in the world. He was the soccer player Gillette chose to be in a commercial with Tiger and Roger Federer. He’s kind of a big deal. At least show him superficial resepect by having your facts straight.  You should be doing that for anyone.  “So you just won the World Cup?” Ridiculous.

Put Some Thought Into This. There are so many great questions you could ask Thierry Henry. He’s won a World Cup, lost a World Cup Final and was just present for one of the World Cup’s biggest train wrecks. He’s won the Champions League and lost the Champions League final. He played alongside Leo Messi as he developed into the best player in the world. Nine of his former teammates were on the Spain team that just won the World Cup. That’s only the surface.

Henry is a rarity among athletes. He’s thoughtful, soft-spoken and humble. Really hoping that Grant Wahl, Bob Ley, Josh Elliott, or someone with the appropriate grace and tact gets a chance before the rest of the American media sours him.