ESPN: Don’t Hate the Journalist, Hate the Machine
July 16, 2008
ESPN has been downright atrocious the last couple of weeks. Its bias was most blatant last Friday in its refusal to cover same-day breaking stories on the law-breaking of three white athletes (Matt Jones, Brad Miller, and Ted Dupay) on any of its regularly scheduled afternoon talk shows. Please pardon the interruption, but this fact wouldn’t be big news if these shows didn’t regularly moralize around the horn about any black athlete who sneezes.
Just a week earlier, three separate ESPN shows debated and pontificated over what Derrick Rose’s very first speeding ticket can tell us about his character (this is not a joke!). And on the very same day as the Rose traffic fiasco, ESPN’s did not report on Steve Foley’s settlement after his football career — and almost his life — was ended by two police bullets and 12 subsequent surgeries (expect a future D-Wil special on Foley). The lack of coverage is all the more glaring when considering the media spectacle had Foley shot the police officer. (Laundry lists of similar examples can be furnished upon request)
ESPN’s Bias is Institutional: All of the above examples were ESPN management decisions. Too often we focus only on the journalists (yes, I’m guilty as sin!), but the root of these problems are so much deeper than any individual writer or TV personality. ESPN’s racial (and gender) biases begin first and foremost with what stories they decide to call “news” — even if those stories are reported fairly (which they are not). These executive decisions are made because ESPN knows that they can profit off the racial biases of many white fans. The misbehaving black athlete is their best seller, so they keep giving the customers what they want (see 5274 stories on Adam Jones). ESPN execs also know that the more “conscious” white sports fan will rarely ever get mad enough to ever write into ESPN to state their objections. So nothing changes…
However, it must be noted that on the same week that the ESPN machine gets an “F’, some of its journalists came through big-time in their commentary, and certainly deserve some credit. Here are some selections from the last week:
1. Josh Hamilton in Context - Dan Le Batard and J.A. Adande: Firstly, congrats to Josh on his great year, his redemption from drug addiction, and his phenomenal performance at the Home Run Derby. And kudos to Dan Le Batard and J.A. Adande who rightfully heaped praise on Hamilton, but also added the necessary racial context. On Pardon the Interruption, DLB states: “I’m always for second chances, I’m always for a guy who makes mistakes and comes back, but there is not a black Josh Hamilton, there is not a black John Daly. We only do this for the white guys where you waste a lot of talent and we embrace you as a nation.” On 1st and 10, Adande stated:
“First of all, Hamilton needs to be celebrated… so he deserves all the accolades. But I’m wondering why the same attention is not afforded Milton Bradley… I think part of the problem is when we look at athletes in this society African-Americans are not afforded the ability to let go of their past. Josh Hamilton does not get hounded with catcalls about his drug use in the past… Why aren’t we celebrating Milton Bradley for the person he is in 2008 and the season he is having.”
2. Congressional Amnesia on Pat Tillman - Mike Fish: Fish reports that The House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform issued a 49 page report Monday that is critical of what it termed a “near universal lack of recall” by top White House and Defense Department officials including former Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld. Mary Tillman says: “It disappoints me that there is no recommendation and they are not trying to take this further,” Mary Tillman, Pat’s mother, told ESPN.com. “What’s particularly troubling is these top officials all have convenient amnesia. That is absurd.”
3. When Athletes Had Guts - Stephen A. Smith: In ESPN The Mag, Smith wonders if any athlete will have what it takes to make a political statement at this year’s Olympic games the same way Tommie Smith and John Carlos did 40 years ago.
4. NBA Refs Scandal: There are generally two sub-sections of ESPN that seem to have any degree of autonomy within the larger ESPN machine. Outside the Lines is by far and away ESPN’s best show and longtime vet Bob Ley has earned some lattitude as the network’s conscience. Also, True Hoop with Henry Abbott (formerly a blog bought out by ESPN) is the only place on its website where you will regularly find articles critical of the NBA beyond the players. Both offer up interesting offerings into the NBA referee mess.
4A. TrueHoop’s Henry Abbott linked to this article from Bob Young of the Arizona Republic asking for David Stern to step down after a FOX News report that Tim Donaghy has made 134 calls to fellow referee Scott Foster during the time he was making bets. Not only that, but: 1) Donaghy only made 13 calls to any other ref; 2) most calls were short; 3) most calls came before and after games; and 4) most were followed, preceded or both by calls to Thomas Martino the middleman between Donaghy and bookie James Battista… Wow!!! That lone rogue ref theory doesn’t look so good. …In related news David Stern has dismissed this report, and the American League won the MLB all-star game.
4B. Are NBA Referees and Coaches Too Buddy-Buddy? - Mark Schwarz is stunning because it is the very rare ESPN article on referees that wasn’t driven by “mandatory reporting” because the story was public knowledge. ESPN actually made a couple of investigative phone calls here. But before I give too much credit to the network seemingly run by David Stern, could someone explain why they took down the “Outside the Lines” videos on the side bar? Did Mr. Stern place and angry call or something? In any case, it is nice too see George Karl speak up, like right here: Asked if he believes Donaghy is the only referee guilty of manipulating games, Karl squirms before he answers. He leans forward, then back. He sighs. He shakes his head and finally offers, “I don’t know how to answer that question without getting fined.” …Congrats, you just did, George.
5. The Rooneys and the Cruelty of Dog Racing — William C. Rhoden: On the Sports Reporters this past Sunday, Rhoden said: “Throughout Michael Vick’s dog-fighting ordeal, The NFL talked about how it opposed Vick’s behavior and cruelty to animals. Now we find out the Rooneys, one of the pillars of the NFL own a dog kennel. If you think broken down horses have it bad, look at the dog racing industry. It’s not pretty and in too many instances, it’s cruel. The sport should be banned and anyone who aids and abets the industry should be sanctioned — especially an NFL owner whose league just a year ago took a stance against animal cruelty.”
The football message boards killed Rhoden because all they could deduce was a “comparison” of Vick to Rooney and dog-fighting to dog-racing. It’s like if I said “people who murder women and batter women should both go to jail”, and then I was accused of “comparing” murder to assault. (BTW, I’m in favor of a constitutional ammendment that bans the use of the word “compare” from intellectually lazy or dishonest journalists!). Conveniently omitted in the Rhoden reaction was any information or analysis about whether the dog racing industry is actually cruel. Here are some “Greyhound Racing Facts” from the Humane Society, and people could decide for themselves if they wish their own dog to be treated like a greyhound. And it is a quantifiable fact that to support the industry is to support the murder of infinitely more dogs than Michael Vick has ever killed. Hey, considering that Rooney has supported dog mass murder, it is a bad “comparison”! Anyway, Rhoden’s central point about accountability for Rooney stands.
Kudos to those ESPN journalists who stepped up this past week.
Comments
53 Responses to “ESPN: Don’t Hate the Journalist, Hate the Machine”
Got something to say?
For what it’s worth, Abbott’s on vacation. That was his fill-in that linked to the story calling on Stern to step down. If you’re splitting hairs.
Good to see that there are still some journalists out there that are allowed to speak their minds. With the exception of Steven A. Smith and Bob Ley, a majority of them are marginalized at ESPN. Most of them won’t be on ESPN all that much. Therefore, we get to hear the same old opinions drilled into the ground, with little resistance or anything to ask the fans to think for themselves.
Gotta co-sign with LeBatard and Adande on this. And both of those guys are going to get RIPPED over this by baseball dick-riders. Adande will be called a racist, I’m sure, as that’s the only thing the bitch faction of baseball fans can say when their sport is called on the carpet while they ignore how Clemens’ treatment was vastly more sympathetic than when Bonds had his feet to the fire.
Bravo to Stephen A. Smith. But I think he knows the reason that black athletes, in particular, rarely stand up is that they see what happens to their endorsements and how the white media percieves them. They get labelled as “trucculent” or “surly” or they have a “bad attitude” or are “bombastic,” etc. “Fan” boards yell at these guys to “shut up and play” while they would NEVER say shit like that Brett Favre who is quickly becoming less and less a hero than he is morphing into a nice big slab of Baby-Back Bitch.
The reason that today’s black athlete is reluctant to step out like guys like Arthur Ashe, Curt Flood, John Carlos, Harry Edwards, etc. is that there’s just plain too much to lose now. Back in the 1960’s and 1970’s, you weren’t making the money that Venus and Serena Williams make now, for example. I don’t blame these guys for having their mind on their money because of how finite their careers can be; however, if your owner ever says some shit like she’s got “million dollar niggers” on her team, for example? You need to say something in public about that. You can’t sooth-say and shrug shoulders on that.
I think what’s going on now is that today’s black athetes take heat in a different way (internet, 24 hour news cycle) and lashing out on a blog doesn’t always work in their favor. Even when they are right. And each athlete draws his/her own line as to how much b.s. they are going to take from a rowdy fan, a “journalist,” management when it comes to taking a stand. Sadly, wherever that line is, folks like us will or won’t have a problem with it, but the dichotomy is how can many varied athletes that share a race DEFINE a race of people with varied upbringings, social mores, and beliefs? Or do we allow the media to put us in that box and sit there?
Fuck ESPN. THE racist machine.
Adande starting to stand up and be a man, same for DLB. Good for them, especially DLB whose become something of a crusader.
Great post modi. And I cosign everything brotha Kevdog said………….F%$^ black folks hating ESPN.
Hows the fame brotha Kev?
Modi check this out
http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-nflsigns16-2008jul16,0,1332501.story
So is the media reporting on this to throw everyone off track so that the news of GI JOE all american hero Clemens had roids sent to his house???
Yall black folks better watch it with the gang signs…….yall sigmas, que dogs and kappas better chill with the signs. I don’t care what frat you belong to if you black and throw up a sign you gangbanging period.
Thank god Mcnair is gone with that gang banger sign he throws up after every touchdown.
Oh and ms Candice Parker you better not be throwing up no Delta or AKA signs either after you make a bucket.
Thats a gang banger sign for all I know.
Also Phil these brothas and sistas are reluctant to speak because they don’t want to be the next craig hodges or chris jackson. Straight blackballed.
With so many big wigs who have ties with corporations owning the teams and corporate america has so many ties to the teams its hard for these folks to speak out about anything.
Once big money got invloved in sports it was game over. You can see the same thing in mainstream rap. Once big money got involved. These artist can’t speak up and really can’t speak on any issues in their music.
MODI, very good thoughts. Good find on the “gang banger sign” article, Origin.
Phil, it doesn’t seem like it matters whether we sit in that box or not. The issue is propagated by the media’s desire to appeal to middle-class, white males. Pro sports “allows” poor young folks to launch themselves into money by way of athleticism and hard-work.
This then gives the media’s targeted demographic an opportunity to marvel at their skill and delude themselves into thinking that anybody can work hard and make millions.
At the same time, minorities are denigrated in the media for as little as a speeding ticket. These middle-class, white males can then sit back and moralize. And although they have no reason to, both economically and physically, your couch-potato Joe is given the opportunity to demonize a Derrick Rose or a Milton Bradley.
The media has absolutely no incentive to attack Brad Miler or Matt Jones. Why? Because they just “messed up” is all. Didn’t you know? No need to write a story about whether their father was present or what kind of neighborhood they grew up in.
Seems like if we make a push to move outta that box, they just keep stacking wood a few feet out to keep us inside.
Matt, thanks that’s helpful to know. I was wondering if Abbott ever went on vacation. What is the new guy’s name? In any case, the larger point about TrueHoop stands that they are granted more leeway in critiquing the NBA and its refs. there is not a doubt in my mind that many other ESPN NBA analysts have parameters that they can’t cross, even if they wanted too. My guess is that this extra autonomy was spelled out in Abbott’s original contract.
kos, my guess is that EVERY LAST Journalist at ESPN is marginalized at some level, but there are a handful that have more lattitude. But i seriously doubt that if Bob Ley pushed for Outside the Lines to do it’s own 6-month investigation into the NBA referee scandal to see if it is bigger than Donaghy, his request would be shot down immediately. The NBA partnership is just too big for that. A 6 month investigation on OJ Mayo and one of the only black sports agancies is fair game, but NBA refs? Never. OTL basically pushes ESPN’s envelope as far as it can go as far as investigative stuff. E-60 is less investigative and more ESPN promotion. For investigative, HBO Real Sports is as good as it gets. They usually nail three of their four segments.
Phil, Le Batard was working across Dan Shaugnessy that day who was completely disagreeing with DLB. He was loudly sighing and saying dumb shit like “Don’t go there. It’s too easy”. So DLB then asked Shaugnessy to provide him with an example of a “black josh hamilton” and Shaugnessy came up with… Vin Baker! …now did i miss the national Vin Baker lovefest or something??? never got that memo.
Also, agreed that black athletes have much more to lose today — with the exception of Ali. However, what annoys me is that why does this discussion always get limited to black athletes. Why are white athletes absolved of pressures related to civic responsibility?
Origin, thanks for the link. That is pretty damn ridiculous. The article says that the Paul Pierce ahem — “menacing gesture” was one of the impetuses. That’s crazy. The most troubling thing is that there is not one single documented citation in that article of one single previous gang sign in the NFL. There is some vague ambiguous language from Marcellus Wiley and that’s it. Hey do you think QRich and darius miles were in a gang all these years and didn’t tell us?
Modi of course they were silly. Qrich grew up in chicago and darius miles had corn rolls.
And that black frat sigma brand on emmit smith’ s arm stands for gangsta gangst kill kill.
One more thing I brought up to my wife how during the NBA draft ESPN never showed the fathers of the players drafted. Even when the dudes were sitting right freaking next to there sons. Yet you would see a caption with the moms.
Its like they were trying to reinforce a stereotype.
I mean look at this modi.
http://gladstone.uoregon.edu/~pbs/newsite/brand.html
Common ain’t that some gangsta stuff. I bet that was influenced by rap music….probably gangsta rap music.
Let me call unicron whitlock so he can get right on it.
Ditto what KevDog said — again.
Blogs like TSF and this one broke the stranglehold that ESPN had on even the slightest bit of compelling commentary on games. Sports fans who crave a dopamine fix don’t need to do anything with ESPN except watch the games - with the VOLUME OFF.
It’s a video feed. It’s only a network if you want it to be. Great work MODI, as usual.
By the way, I killed Skip Bayless years ago using the same method. You should’ve seen the funeral. No one showed.
Origin,
I saw that article early this morning and wanted to throw up…..I think this is just some weapon of mass distraction tactic by the league to thoroughly impune each and every black player to the point of screaming Toby - just in time for CBA negotiations - lets make SURE the idiotic public thinks they’re all demonic beasts…….gang signs my azz.
Good stuff Modi, I’ve been wondering why the Rooneys get such a pass on that for quite some time.
An article about the NFL looking into gang signs that goes forward despite no documented evidence of gang signs being used by NFL players?
YOu can’t make shit up like that. Nobody would believe you.
Origin,
Unless the UPS/Fed Ex man took a photo of Roger signing the receipt, its just not true -oh and nevermind the needles, gauges, band-aids, witnesses…that’s all a figment of your vivid imagination. This is what a friend told me:
“if you don’t get a video of Roger taking a clearly labled, bottle of steroids, with and x-ray photo of it hitting his stomach, then it won’t be enough”.
Good thing Steve McNair retired….throwing up those Q-hooks would get him an indefinite suspension after the first game.
Thats right sista Miranda and all those Q dogs and sigmas better cover up those brands. Cause those will be the next target.
I mean whats next telling all the black players they need to bleach their skin so they won’t look so dark , mean and angry under that helmet.
@KC: It’s not unusual for the establishment to move the goal-posts and now, it seems, they’ve been moved a bit in sports. There is a teeny tiny amount of black athletes that are “allowed” to be beloved by the mainstream media, but that’s a cat-bird seat you can be knocked out of. One good way is to talk about race in sports and cast the media for what it is.
@ MODI: Fuck Dan Shaughnessy. He’s just as bad as Bill Simmons when it comes to sucking up to Boston and conveniently forgetting its race problems and how they funnel into sports, basketball, chief among them.
@origin: I did find it sort of odd that the NBA draftees’ fathers weren’t more prominent. Draft night is sort of like graduation, though. And what moms is wearing and how her hair looks, etc. is what catches the camera. On a night like that, you sort of expect the old man to stand just out of the limelight. One thing that I, as a black man, don’t do, won’t do and can’t do is take credit for what my son accomplishes. I have a hand in it, but I can understand why a father at the draft wants to be understated on TV if that’s how he plays it. If the kid’s father isn’t a politician or a former NBAer, he’s not getting a mention on TV regardless anyway. Sad.
@BigMan: The NFL, a few years back, outlawed ‘do rags under helmets, though, right? I think the gang situation was why that was done. Then, the guys started using headbands to keep sweat out of their eyes and then people started bitching about those. I guess an NFL player just needs to let the sweat of his brow burn his eyes, then. He could grow his hair back, but not TOO long. We don’t want a black man to have dreads, now. That would be too scary for Ward, June, Wally and the Beav to take. We like our black men like the milkman from “The Niggar Family” skit on Chappelle. That “Rochester” voice sure makes white folks wish for the good old days. I’m with Paul Mooney on this one: “You go too far back in time and then I’M in chains. Fuck you. I’ll stay right here in the now where I can tell you to kiss my black ass.” And my favority Paul Mooney riff: “My favorite part of ‘Gone With the Wind’ is when Hattie McDaniel tells the rebel soldiers to ‘Get off my porch, White Trash!’” Paul Mooney is militant as hell but we got love for him, though.
Well Origin, I suppose we should have seen this coming…I mean, with Barack and Michelle doing that terrorist fist jab thing…you gotta understand the need to crack down on these secret “We’s running away tonight!!” signs.
I hear you phil……but it was sad how they pretended that those brothas fathers didn’t exist.
On the paul mooney tip I saw that brotha last year and almost died laughing.
The best joke or real talk cause a lot what paul is saying is true. But anyway the best line he had was how when black folks were slaves whites folks were happy (even let us live in there house) and we had 13 and 14 jobs. Now we free and all we hear is sorry we aren’t hiring and whites folks are mad as he11. Then paul said that if slavery came back tomorrow white folks would be happy as heck and no black person wouldn’t have a job. Telling us welcome back I kept your room just like it was before you left the first time.
Boy that brotha had me crying. Only paul can make something so painfully true funny.
Origin, Miranda
I saw that crap in the LA Times this morning also. I mean are you serious? Gang signs? WTF NFLPA? Are you going to let the league completely sh*t all over you? No dreads, no do rags, cornrows are next. You joke about McNair’s touchdown celebration but I betcha somebody asked him about it and he had to explain what it meant. Probably same with the brands.
As for the WWL, I have almost eliminated by viewing of the channel. I only watch boxing. It was a gradual thing actually. I would try to follow the sports I liked but eventually the resentment towards black athletes began to stick out like a sore thumb. Almost nobody had anything good to say about any black athlete unless he was a grinning clown. I would watch Pardon the Interruption and the Jewish white guy seemed like he had a better understanding of black athletes than his black partner. I wasn’t a big fan of Michael Irvin but he seemed liked the only one with the balls to actually see things from a black athletes perspective. Unfortunately, I don’t think he was sophisticated enough to get his point across.
So I concur with KevDog who eloquently stated: “Fuck ESPN.” Now THAT shit has a good beat and you can dance to it.
Miranda
LOL at the “Terrorist fist jab thing.”
Orgin
That slavery shit would be even funnier if it weren’t so damn true. Are you hip to “The Space Traders” by Professor Derek Bell?
awb
That’s exactly why I only watch THE racist Machine if it’s a game I REALLY want to see. Like I’ve watched the channel once since the finals, when Tiger won the US open, and I’ll not watch it again until the next Laker game there. And it’s for exactly the reason you stated. I would just get so mad at the daily racial hatred that it made me sick. Decided I didn’t need THAT shit in my life with all of it’s other stressors.
T3
Word
I def don’t watch ESPN, I hope that network collapses, I despise ESPN, it is the most blatantly racist crap I’ve ever seen. It’s also lowbrow crap, anyone with an IQ bordering a 100 would not, could not, sit through an hour of any of that programming.
To paraphrase: When big money gets involved it most definitely is a wrap. This is what happened to ESPN and I weep for what it could have been. I tried to watch the homerun derby the other night and as soon as Berman started with his back, back, back, spiel I was outta there. I really used to like the stuff on the network when it was fresh and new. When Berman before he became insufferable and TJ held down NFL Primetime. When Stuart Scott was actually funny with his hip hop shout outs. I should have jumped when Olbermann and Patrick broke up the first time.
The only thing I watch religiously on the network now is PTI and the Sports Reporters. Why? Because I actually like Kornheiser, Bob Ryan, LeBatard, and Bill Rhoden and sometimes Kevin Blackistone and JA Adande when they find their spines. Like Modi is saying with this piece there are some nuggets of truth in the dunghill of lies.
I do save my scorn for Mitch Albom and Mike Wilbon though. Albom because everytime I see his smug face pontificating on the morality of today’s athlete I remember how he blatantly manufactured columns which is a cause for termination. Wilbon because when he isn’t lusting over some moderatly attractive white woman goes out of his way to play a faux tough guy and crap on a Black athlete. The only time I was in Chicago was for a layover to the West Coast but even I know you can’t claim the South Side yet root for the Cubs. And then his half-assed reason today why the Yanks should sign Richie Sexson over Barry Bonds just made me shake my head and grit my teeth. I would say this guy is heading into Jacque Spitlock territory but he’s worse because even a toad like Whitlock strongly supports his retrograde views while Wilbon will hem and haw and not say a thing. I’m still waiting for his Sean Taylor apology but I guess that’ll come when the Washington football team retires that racist mascot.
Whateva…watch sports with the volume off from now on and ignore the pregame shows because that’s the best way to keep sanity and blood pressure low.
JG, I try to tape the afternoon shows for watchdog purposes so you won’t have to… it also works out quite well because since I’ve been watching so much my IQ definitely slipped under 100 since making it more tolerable to sit through.
Miranda, i don’t even think most folks even know about the Rooneys and if they did, I don’t know if folks know what goes on behind the scenes to make horse racing happen in the first place. They just keep breeding thousands of dogs and end up killing a bunch of the slow ones!!! I
KevDog, agreed on ESPN
Phil: agreed on Shaugnessy
“Albom because everytime I see his smug face pontificating on the morality of today’s athlete”
You nailed it Harvey. Any accurate commentary of Albom must include his smug face and tone. Reprinting his words simply does not do him justice. His condescension drips out of his every pore so much that I’ve considered running my fist through my TV screen a couple of times…
Where were the African Americans in this All-Star experience? ESPN.com’s Rick Reilly addressed the absence during the telecast of the Home Run Derby, but dugout shots during the game said more than any words.
Perhaps that was tricky film work and we were watching a color enactment of a 1950s All-Star tilt. Well, the telecast was in color, but those dugout shots were almost all white in 2008.
Yes, Derek Jeter and Grady Sizemore and Milton Bradley were there, but if after watching that, Major League Baseball doesn’t realize it needs to do more, then it really doesn’t want to do anything.
(This Came from the Sac Bee)
Harvey - ‘Whateva…watch sports with the volume off from now on and ignore the pregame shows because that’s the best way to keep sanity and blood pressure low.’
Yeah, pretty much. I used to love football season, wake up turn on the pregame shows and just immerse myself in football for the day, until midnight pretty much. Now? why bother?
I don’t even have a racial bent on this, ESPN just sucks. It sucks on so many levels and it is depressing.
Btw, they will go after white athletes occasionally, because Rivers does get a lot of crap on ESPN for his shit talking. Final straw coming with the ‘Leaf to Rivers’ comparisons… when the Chargers were going to the championship game. Yeah, Rivers is a lot like Leaf…. what a bunch of f’ing retards, if you can seriously try and argue that… pisses me off even rehashing that. How can people that get paid to have ‘opinions’ be so f’ing stupid? If I even have to explain the differences between Leaf and Rivers then you don’t watch, and have never watch sports.
Also on the Foley situation, that one is a bit deeper than you made it out MODI. You know, as a Charger fan, I sort have paid attention to this one over the last 2 years. There was a lot of wrong in that situation and no innocents. But no, Foley did not deserve to be shot multiple times and not in the back.
Brotha Kevdog never heard of space traders but I will sure look it up. Thansk man.
Peaceman, good to hear from you and thanks for the Sac Bee drop.
gmp, I am not sure of your exact take on the on the Foley matter, but the fact that ESPN won’t cover it in any depth and the average sports fan doesn’t even know about it is simply astonishing… or not if you watch how ESPN does it’s business.
Also, this particular article is about athletes in trouble OFF the field, but since you broached the subject… Sure, ESPN will dog white athletes for on field performances, but they are usually average (Rivers) or awful ones (Grossman, Harrington). Find me one white superstar athlete who gets the Donovan McNabb media treatment? …it just doesn’t exist…
Harvey - You opened up a can of worms when you started talking about The Sports Reports personalities! Albom may be the guy that bothers you, but it can’t be worst than the bitch ass known to us all as Mike “F**king” Luprica! If I could fly from NC to NYC during taping in less than 30 mins when he starts talking and choke the S**T out of him…I would!
His self-rightous pompus ass remarks are protected by a camera, security, and no studio audience. For some reason, he feels that he’s representing the “moral majority” on how athletes are suppose to act. The way he talks you would think he was a world-class athlete in something?
I really liked how he down played Tiger’s injury as if the man was exaggerating and how the media was over-doing it! Of course this was Sunday Morning before the final day of the U.S. Open began later that day, but it doesn’t matter. Luprica would have found a way to fuck it up! The following Sunday, he didn’t apologize or have remarks about it, because he wasn’t there.
BTW, do you ever notice now on The Sports Reports” they separate the journalist now? It’ll be majority black one Sunday and majority white the next with the exception of Bill Roden. Not implying anything about Roden, he’s just their guy of chose when they need to break up the color.
DLH -
Agreed with you on Lupica. He’s annoying as hell. We’ve talked about the lack of racial and opinion diversity of ESPN before, but not specifically the Sports Reporters. Some weeks, they’ll have their unholy Trinity (Lupica, Albom, and Bob Ryan). They almost always have one of them. I’d like to see more of some of the reporters that actually play sports. Len Elmore only gets on the program around time for the Final Four. He’s the only one that I can think of right off the top of my head that even gets a sniff. Heck, I’d just like to see more than John Saunders and three white males most weeks. I hate it when Lupica is hosting. Saunders doesn’t inject his opinion much in any discussion. Lupica tries to control the discussions.
MODI -
Forgot to mention it, but Federer (his back at least) finally got on the cover of SI last week along with Nadal. I think you were the one that said that Nadal would be on the cover first after he won Wimbledon. I think it’s even more deplorable that they put Federer on for the first time after a loss in a Grand Slam event.
Lupica is horrible and Lupica and Albom together is the most unbearable 30 minutes of sports reporting in the universe. I wouldn’t lump Bob Ryan in with th other two. Bob Ryan has good days and bad days, but sometimes point out the absurdity of Albom and Lupica’s arguments.
kos, I actually thing that SI got the cover half-right last week. They were definitely in a bind because of their past xenophobia with regards to Federer. On one hand, they have shafted Federer for all of these years. On the other hand, They just HAD to put this Wimbledon Final on the cover. HAD to. It was clearly the biggest news of the week, and had everybody taliking. So they did the right thing and made the cover about “The Epic Battle” instead of Nadal himself. Had they chosen no cover, then tennis would lose — again.
But it was actually the SECOND best cover option. The first would have been making the story about Wimbledon serving as the potential comeback of TENNIS. Where you have multiple covers (like they often do around March Madness and college FB previews). They should have had two separately released covers: one with Federer and Nadal and the other with the Williams sisters. That would have been PERFECT.
HA the Williams sisters on SI cover. That would have been the last thing they wanted to show.
But modi it would have been the right thing. Doing the right thing hmmmm I don’t think SI even know what that is.
Guys, on the real, though: Venus Williams, once again, got dicked over for an SI cover.
Ironically enough, she actually got bumped off the cover for (wait for it) Jason Giambi.
Someone look this up. How many covers has the talented Miss Williams made as she’s made her ascent to the top of women’s tennis? She’s won 2 U.S. Opens and 5 Wimbys if I’m not mistaken. It’s not a black thang. It’s a black WOMAN thing.
Edit….
Venus missed the cover of SI in favor of Giambi back when he was in Oakland.
Before Barry Bonds invented steroids and Jesse Jackson invented the n-word.
For all the tangents Lupica can go on I can respect his positions up to a point because he goes to the mat for them. Albom on the other hand just exudes nothing but smarminess because I always get the sense he’d sell Morrie down the river for a handful of rice. I felt that way about him even before the fake columns story broke.
Despite all that I’m ashamed to say that Mike Wilbon tops my ESPN shit list because the guy has morphed into…, forgive me for going into my Jesse Jackson mode, an UNCLE TOM. He skins and grins like a cheshire cat when some white athlete, coach, or writer is on the show but let a story turn to Bonds, Sean Taylor, Ocho Cinco, or any other quote unquote flamboyant athlete of color and he’s ready to rip them a new one. ‘Ya’ll low class bucks gone ‘way from heah. These quality white folks and they don’t need to see ya’ll lazy, shifless no’count nigras.’
Just hearing him defend the Yankess signing Richie Sexson over Barry Bonds just turned my stomach today. Harping on his age and his supposed baggage he’d bring to any team. Hello? We’re talking about NYC, a place that thrives on controversy and tabloid headlines and he talks about baggage being a distraction. Negro, please.
I don’t expect Wilbon to defend an athlete just because he/she is black but at least be even handed but since he seems unwilling to do so then I gotta turn my back on him. I’ll watch PTI because I truly do love Kornheiser and LeBatard when they host but
cont…
Wilbon can go screw.
Yeap…phil so true. And black folks invented drive by shooting and drugs.
But I mean what has venus actually done…………
Compared to Giambi.
Thought-provoking piece, MODI - bringing the goods, as usual. i tried REAL hard not to post on this thread, because it’ll look incongruous next to the plethora of “sho’ yo right, dawg!” posts engaging in so-called “reverse” racist mastubatory gangbanging, but …… awww damn, i’m gonna hit that “submit comment” button after all. =(
i agree with your basic premise,…..BUT…..(i like BIG BUTs and i cannot lie)
from ProFootballTalk.Com by BeerCur
“White NFL Guy - Days Without An Arrest goes from triple digits back to 0. Sad day indeed.”
A few other thoughts (these don’t outweigh your point, but they do enhance, expand and unfortunately for you potentially dilute some of your points)
1) Any meaningful discussion about race (particularly racism) SHOULD include class, as well. Race and class are intimately entwined, but NOT synonomous. Your post doesn’t touch on class….but that’d make things complicated and murky, wouldn’t it? That’s the evil genius behind what i call “institutional racism” - discrimination today (whether by people, policies or institutions) far more targets class than skin color, IMHO. Examine the recent Jesse Jackson / Barack Obama story from this perspective, and you’ll see how the (absolutely necessary) inclusion of class into the discussion turns a clear-cut story (of Haterade-drankin’ jealousy) into something less certain (BHO urging black parents to read books rather than play videogames does seem a little out-of-sync, unfortunately). But just cuz it’s harder doesn’t mean it’s any less important! Subtract class from the topic of race and you don’t have much left besides history lessons and a few dentally-challenged dudes with scissors and white sheets.
2) If ESPN has such an openly racist agenda, where’s the anti-Hispanic bent? For many blacks i have talked with, racism equates to a black/white issue - which ironically enough, is itself kinda racist. They slurp everything Yao Ming, Ichiro & Michelle Wie do….does that mean Stamford is overrun with gooks? i thought the media were dominated by the evil Joos!
3) Uncle Tom. Mike Wilbon? Tiger Woods? David Robinson? Derek Jeter? Kobe Bryant? Michael Jordan? Barack Obama? Who and what define this elusive idea, how negative is it, and is it the opposite of cornrows, tatts and gangsigns? Is the only choice facing a young African American boy to emulate Urkel or 50 Cent? Or Dookie versus Bodie Broadus? And who champions this viciously narrow mindset, evil pederast/homo old white politicans, or hip hop culture?
4) Where’s the black Josh Hamilton? Perhaps the same place as the white Nate Newton, the white Dennis Rodman, the white Latrell Sprewell, the white Rae Carruth, the white O.J. Simpson…..yeah i know that was a low blow, kinda like when i read some of Reverend Wright’s sermons which substituted the word “white” for “black”.
5) Barry Bonds absolutely got ripped, but to call Clemens “your hero” is a real stretch. Has he gotten softer coverage? Sure. Is that partially a product of: a) oversaturation of the steroids story and a subsequent decline in interest in similar stories, and b) a rethinking of conduct during the Bonds story arc? Maybe.
6) Kornheiser is OK. LeBatard is fair, but i can’t like the dude cuz his eyebrows have me all fucked up. He has some kind of shave line kinda like a drop shadow underneath them. Disturbing. Wilbon’s OK in my book, too - shoot me.
7) Congrats to Mr. Fish - the Pat Tillman story should not just be quietly buried, it should be a hot knife buried in the back of wartime propaganda. That shit is so 20th-century.
9) Henry Abbott is the man! Kudos to Mark Schwartz, who i had not heard of before. The issue of referee bias is important, but the reason why it makes Stern & Company squirm is because - it is completely unsolvable, unless you have a “review board” at every game with instant replay who can overrule bad/missed calls on any play. Hmmm…..that’s kind of an interesting idea, but it would totally clog up the flow of the game, which isn’t all that fan-friendly either.
10) The Rooneys. Fuck ‘em. i didn’t know this, it’s an unpleasant surprise and they deserve to lose their team now as far as i am concerned. But again, this indirect evidence damning them is a bit thin. You pay taxes, don’t you? Doesn’t that quantifiably prove that you support (insert American foreign or domestic policy sin here)? Vick electrocuted some dogs. Did Rooney, his own rich old white self?
11) The who, the what and the why have all changed drastically in the last decade - i am talking about “The Media” and what they do, and how they do it. You cannot divorce it from this issue of racial inequality in sports coverage, and it is of MAJOR importance. The Baltimore Sun had ANOTHER round of layoffs last month. This point #6 has a multiplicity of shit going on that relates to racism in general, so i won’t even begin to start talking about it. Some aspects enhance and validate and raise the level of importance of your post above, some mitigate or counteract. The end result? Damned if i know! i sure wish we had another season of David Simon’s “The Wire” though, cuz he was about to get all up in dat azz!!!
Some of the posts below your comment are clearly made by people for whom events from hundreds of years ago will define most aspects of their personality and life before they die. Is that sad, or noble?
Damned if i know.
i do hope though, that your keen eye and powerful voice stirs the pot a lot at Stamford. Remember that the cure of racism is NOT EVER political correctness, the cure revolves around pure, naked, transparent and well-publicized TRUTH. i can only hope that these Interwebs, so ballyhoo’d as a potential spreader of knowledge and exposer of dirty secrets, can ennoble and uplift us, until all of us pre-WWW peeps are dead and gone. Hopefully warrantless discrimination can die with us!
::straps into kevlar bodybag and awaits the flames::
Harvey Dent
Calling out that Tom Wilbon is as right as rain. Dude is pathetic
So-called Bruhman
I would rip you a new one but frankly, that tripe you posted is so wrong, at virtually every turn, and so completely chock full of ridiculous assumptions, untruths and ridiculous straw men that frankly, I’m not gonna give it the breakdown, or beatdown it deserves, I don’t think SOMM’s server has the capacity and I certainly do not have the time.
Bruhman, thanks for taking the time with the long post, so I will respond in kind and perhaps tackle a few of kevdog’s point along the way.
1) I just don’t see where “class” plays a role in covering Derrick Rose’s traffic ticket, and not covering Matt Jones cutting up coke, Brad Miller’s THIRD drug violation, and Ted Dupay’s alleged rape. And while I know that Rose grew up in humble beginnings (ESPN told me), I have absolutely no idea of how any of these three white men grew up. But are you suggesting that a) the ESPN afternoon shows did not report them because they did some research on their socioeconomic background, learned that they came from well-to-do suburban families, and then subsequently chose not to cover them? Is this your suggestion? Has Barry Bonds very rich upbringing spared him media backlash? Did Sean Taylor’s middle-class upbringing (his Dad was a cop) stop him from receiving the most unconscionable coverage that I have ever seen as he lay on his death bed. Class plays a big role in many issues, and in many instances is intertwined with race — but a thorough review of black misbehaving players of every single socioeconomic background will show little difference in how ESPN responds to them. I am willing to go fact for fact with anybody on this point.
2) Of course racism is not limited to black vs. white, but any discussion on the NBA or NFL is pretty much reduced to black vs. white because of the make-up of those two leagues. Now as far as baseball goes, hispanic players are not immuned to unfair treatment. In Canseco’s book, he shares a lot of his resentment that he was always fingered as a steroid user his whole career, but McGwire was untouchable. In fact, Canseco was just as motivated by what he perceived as racial bias within baseball media as anything else. This part of his book received no attention at all. Furthermore, I do not believe a white man putting up AROD’s numbers would receive the treatment that he has received. Don Mattingly’s last 6 years were straight garbage and he was still beloved — and untouchable. Maybe in as future column I will spell this out in great detail.
4) I don’t think that I understood the point.
5) ESPN’s disparity of coverage between Bonds and Clemens is night and day. The first thing that you have to understand about Clemens and virtually every other white steroids user is that ESPN has investaigated or busted NONE of them. Mark MgGwire, Rick Ankiel, Andy Pettite, Troy Glaus, and a host of other athletes were all busted by the NY Daily News — a trash tabloid, but the only paper in the country that treated white steroids users as they do Bonds. ESPN had many years to investigate and write about Clemens. They didn’t. Clemens mirrored the same weight gain as Bonds. They passed. Clemens was cited in the initail Jason Grimsley report. There was no ESPN follow-up investigation or articles. Clemens was only outed because of Senator Mitchell’s report. Even still, every ESPN pundit turned into a legal expert all of a sudden. Finally, Clemens kept killing himself with the worst legal advice ever received and FORCED media into a corner to criticize.
This is the same thing that happened to McGwire. He was originally implicated in 1991 in Operation Equine — a sting operation that dwarfed BALCO 20 times over. That was freakin’ 1991! Supposedly not one media member ever knew about this. Then 1998 goes by with every reporter going deaf, dumb, and blind. Then Canseco’s book gets completely ignored. THEN in 2005 the NY Daily News comes out publically with this major story on Operation Equine: http://www.nydailynews.com/archives/sports/2005/03/13/2005-03-13_hitting_the_mark_fbi_informa.html Now here is the funny thing. It wasn’t this story that buried Big Mac. It was the following week when McGwire sniffled in Congress. …Now do you see that pattern? ESPN will only condemn great white athletes WHE IT IS FORCED TO BY OUTSIDE ENTITIES. This shit is documented through and through and I will write more about this. And even to this day, ESPN will never mention the words “Operation Equine”. In all these years the words showed up once in ESPN the Mag and never again. My own mother knows about BALCO, but serious students of the game don’t even know about Equine.
ESPN fans don’t want it, and ESPN listens to its customer service box. To what degree the intent is motivated by race or economics is utterly meaningless. The racially biased result — and the damage done — is just the same.
7) In many ways the Tillman story is as big as any. It is clear goverment obstruction of justice at the highest levels, and ESPN was one of the few in mainstream to cover it, so gotta give them credit there.
10) Indirect evidence? C’mon. The Rooney brothers have OWNED and OPERATED these kennel clubs. Ask for more info and thou shall receive… or you can just google it. This was a private choice with their private money. My taxes go to the Iraqi war against every will I have.
11) The single greatest factor that changed ESPN is the same thing that ruined hip hop and every other musical art form and is the same thing that has made our corporate political media so damn dangerous: It is the 1996 Telcomm Act that allowed big companies to consolidate that limits local ownership in media. (Worst piece of legislation since the privatization of prisons and mandatory minimum sentencing in the 1970s.) ESPN did some decent reporting once upon a time and actually cared about sports. But Disney does not care about sports — they care about profits. The misbehaving black athlete is their goldmine. This is a quantifiable and statistical fact — not just some contrived yelling of “racial bias” at the first whiff of a double-standard. The documentation is long. This particular post is only the latest manifestation of that fact.
Finally, the only reason this fact is not more well-known is because: a) people just don’t want to hear it; and/or b) good people just don’t know because they simply don’t have the time or inclination to monitor this shit at a close level like SOMM or TSF. Personally, I know that “A” will probably never be reached, but keep at this tedious shit in hopes of reaching the “B’ crowd. Whether it happens, I don’t know.
But either way: “blog4change or die trying”…
On the Hamilton thing: This isn’t being hyped because the guy’s white; it’s being hyped because he’s got the chance to become one of the most remarkable redemption stories in sports history. Look at these facts and ask yourself if anybody has started so high, fallen so far and then risen so high again:
1) Hamilton was the No. 1 overall pick of the draft in 1999. While we don’t really care about the baseball draft, just think of this feat in context. He was taken first out of 1,500 players.
2) He screwed up so badly that he missed nearly four years of development.
3) He’s on a pace to drive in 166 runs this season. Even in the age of steroids, nobody in baseball has done that since 1938.
Before you assume the media would never give a black athlete as much attention as it has lavished upon Hamilton, try to think of any other athlete — white, black or green — whose career story has such extremes.
RBD on July 19th, 2008 12:41 pm
On the Hamilton thing: This isn’t being hyped because the guy’s white
ROFLMAO!
I have actually given this story a lot of thought. Now of course, no two redemption stories have the exact same details, so it would be silly to limit comparisons to #1 baseball picks — something that most sports fans have no idea about (as you admit) even though they know NBA and NFL picks.
But clearly there have been fantastic redemption stories that have come to mind that did not get that kind of sustained national love. One that comes to mind was Daryl and Doc. Their downfall was well-chronicled. !n 1993, SI ran a cover story that read: From Phenom to Phantom. In 1995 Sports Illustrated ran a cover story will Doc and Daryl called “The Dead End Kids”. By 1996 both players simultaneously contributed to the New York Yankees championship. This even included magical moments like a Dwight Gooden no-hitter and a Strawberry 3 homer series against the Orioles in the playoffs. Unlike their demise, their rise was not similarly chronicled. The fact that BOTH players came back at once made it almost an unprecendented story.
The John Lucas story comes to mind. He was a #1 NBA draft pick AND a top level tennis player. He ruined his career through drugs, but then came back out of nowhere to have a great season with the Bucks late in his career. But most impressive to the Lucas story is all the former addicts ala Josh Hamilton who he has helped turn their life around. John Lucas never received the cover treatment or national love fest.
The Hamilton story is truly wonderful, but race has something to do with this national love affair. Each of these stories have different qualities of their redemption.
@MODI,
Good points, particularly on John Lucas who is known as “Luke” around these parts (I live near the U of Murland) where he starred in basketball and tennis as a collegian.
Josh Hamilton is just easier for some white folks to stomach. They see themselves in him. He’s the kid next door. Now, put a black guy out there with the tattoos and the drug addition, and he’s a very scary man to some white people and just not as marketable as Baseball Jesus, I mean, Josh Hamilton.
MODI, How about New York’s own Bernard King. High draft pick, put the drug and alcohol issue behind him, went on to lead the league in scoring, multiple
All-star selections and 1st team NBA.
Imhotep, now I hope you know that BK is MY GUY!!! My very first Knick game in person, he lit it up for 33. BK was THE TRUTH. People today just don’t understand how deadly his mid-range game was because it went the way of the skyhook.
As far as “redemption” goes, you can make the argument for BK TWICE — once for drug addiction, and a second time starting the all-star game as a Washington Bullet after his devastating knee injury.
If you didn’t watch him everyday, people just don’t know about BK. I’ll stop here because I can go on forever on this subject… hell, expect an article coming soon
3) Uncle Tom. Mike Wilbon? Tiger Woods? David Robinson? Derek Jeter? Kobe Bryant? Michael Jordan? Barack Obama? Who and what define this elusive idea …?
The answer is me “Bruhman”, the HNIC, dat sound right to u!
And who champions this viciously narrow mindset, evil pederast/homo old white politicans, or hip hop culture?
The answer was the point of this article, ESPN and the media champion it. Coming on here and posting some nonsense, then pointing out how you are going to get flamed, does not make your point of view original or correct. I think the article makes a pretty damn solid case and I think ESPN has a track record that only a biased observer could ignore. You’re basically claiming those biches at ESPN that walk the street every night collecting money ain’t no hoe’s. Well I ain’t no pimp, and you should be glad, cause otherwise I’d smack ya!
Y’all responded to Bruhman? Really? Did y’all notice that the comment he posted contained the word “gooks?”
If you use slurs for minorities I tend to ignore you off top.
Doc and Darryl continued to have problems during, and after their careers with the Yankees. They were not the centerpieces of the Yankees as much as Hamilton is to the Rangers.
I’m not saying this to take Hamilton’s side, because drugs is drugs is drugs. I’m simply saying, Doc and Daryl had their problems on the main stage, just like Nate Newton, just like Irvin, Marion Barry, etc. They see the negative light because they’re in the spotlight. Hamilton did his dirt in the minors, out of the spotlight, in the lowest of the minors just like that Florida #1 pick who is now using Hamilton as inspiration.
MODI, you know as well as I do that if someone who is a #1 pick totally drops off the face of the map and then comes back and disrespects Yankee Stadium with 28 dingers in the derby, that deserves a standing O. You don’t see a guy fall off in low A minors and make the comeback he has made. He looks into the eyes of every borderline, fringe big leaguer and says “I did coke, heroine, crack, etc and I’m still better than you”, or at least that’s what I’d do if I was scary talented like he is.
Why shouldn’t Darryl and Doc get an SI cover when they were at the top of their game back in the day? For the same reason Tony Mandarich got his SI cover for being one of the biggest busts in the history of the NFL Draft, because they were in the spotlight.
Hamilton isn’t beating his wife, fathering children with women outside of his marriage and fighting paternity tests, or failing his league mandated drug tests (at least not yet) like Gooden did while on suspension.
Strawberry and Gooden’s issues were far more than just falling on hard times and coming back to the top. Their issues were on-going, no surprises to anyone when stuff happens kind of stuff.
So, at least in the Hamilton discussion (I agree with your other ESPN assertions for the most part) let’s pick someone else to compare him to than Gooden and Strawberry. They were far worse than Hamilton.. Someone mentioned Sprewell also, that’s not a comparison either. The guy isn’t complaining about how he can’t feed his family for $8m a year or choking his coach either.
Big Man, I actually missed that somehow. I saw his black-hispanic point and glossed to the next paragraph. Anyway, point well taken.
Boney, I mean seriously… Boney.
“Doc and Darryl continued to have problems during, and after their careers with the Yankees.”
Maybe so, but in 1996 they were clean and it was a great story. Hamilton is clean now, and we have no freakin’ idea if he is going to slip up again. Of course, i hope that he doesn’t, but addiction is a fucked up thing, and the fact that Doc and Daryl continued with their addiction problems is completely irrelevant to the story in 1996. Any athlete-addict will tell you that the toughest part is when all of the cheering stops — which is a substitute addiction of sorts in itself (just ask Favre). Bottom line: this point is moot unless you have some sort of cryastal ball.
Secondly, just about everybody who has ever met the man says that he is the nicest guy in the world. Gooden is simply an addict. Addiction happens to good guys.
But you actually SUPPORT my argument. Precisely BECAUSE Doc and daryl’s demise was so well chronicled is the exact same reason why their story was bigger than Hamiltons. Hamilton’s story was only known to baseball heads really.
Also the fact that Doc and Daryl came back TOGETHER is what makes the story incredible. Hamilton is playing on a .500 team that is 9 games out of first…
Also, Hamilton did not start getting love after HR Derby… he got his SI cover weeks ago…
Anyway, I chronicle this type of shit on a regular basis, why don’t YOU show me some nationally celebrated black athletes for their return from addiction…
Please please Boney on that sprewell stuff the media hated that dude and most fans except knicks fans hated that dude after he repaired his image.
Your bringing up the can’t feed his fans crap. That was at the tail end of his career. What about the fans hating him the media hating him after he was traded and playing great with the knicks.
Like MODI and everyone on here have said there hasn’t been a black athlete that was able to do that and there won’t be in the foreseeable future.