I'd go so far as to say it's preferable. The only downside is that dumbass fans read into everything an athlete says, and player meatball statements can therefore further instill meatballism and all of its ills into the unwashed masses of fandom. But then again, there will always be dumbass fans. And if the player says non-meatball things those same fans and media members will ride him for being soft or something. Well the thinking is, if every player said non-meatball things, or if most players didn't, you could help elevate the discussion a bit. But that's pretty utopian. ETA: Besides, if there weren't meatball fans, I wouldn't be able to feel smug when discussing player value in the bleachers.