The media at times has an enormous fascination with finding the next Michael Jordam, Wayne Gretzky, John Elway, etc. Anytime a young player in any the professional sports has a run of individual excellence they are tagged with these comparions.
Yet it was amusing to watch the afternoon SportsCenter try and go even further back in time with present day analysis.
They spotlighted two matchups tonight, Kober Bryant vs. Lebron James and Alex Ovechkin vs. Sidney Crosby and had analysts Jalen Rose and Matthew Barnaby debate which was more significant.
This is an example of the media looking for the Magic Johnson-Larry Bird rivalry. This was especially evident in the Ovechkin-Crosby argument where it was mentioned that they "don't like eachother" while Kobe and Lebron are "friends".
What is forgotten is that while on the court Bird and Magic were intense rivals, off the court they were very good friends. That same logic, from all accounts, can't be there to describe Ovechkin and Crosby but can for Lebron and Kobe.
Media is too eager to jump into the past to form what is going on in the sports world today. Let the games and the matchups develop as they may.
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Knight In Shining Armour
Sometimes the most knowledgeable expert doesn't translate into the best TV personality.
Enter former college basketball legendary coach Robert Montgomery Knight.
For years Knight berated the media on various occasions. His post game outbursts put Mike Ditka to shame.
Now Knight is the lead analyst for big college basketball games alongside lead announcer Brent Musburger. Knight is as shrewd as they come with the coaching x's and o's. He's a brilliant tactician who can dissect a basketball problem before it even occurs. As a coach he was one of the most fiery competitors college basketball history.
Yet as a TV analyst he's as exciting as dry wheat toast. There is no passion in his analysis.
Should he be like Dick Vitale? No, nobody should be that animated. But it would be nice if we could see the real "Knight" in action. Just once.
Enter former college basketball legendary coach Robert Montgomery Knight.
For years Knight berated the media on various occasions. His post game outbursts put Mike Ditka to shame.
Now Knight is the lead analyst for big college basketball games alongside lead announcer Brent Musburger. Knight is as shrewd as they come with the coaching x's and o's. He's a brilliant tactician who can dissect a basketball problem before it even occurs. As a coach he was one of the most fiery competitors college basketball history.
Yet as a TV analyst he's as exciting as dry wheat toast. There is no passion in his analysis.
Should he be like Dick Vitale? No, nobody should be that animated. But it would be nice if we could see the real "Knight" in action. Just once.
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
M.L.K.
For some, Martin Luther King Jr. is a day off from school or work and just another Monday. In essence, a chance to knock another day off of January.
However, for many it's equivalent to Thanksgiving. A chance to remember a man who stood up for racial intolerance not by the power of the fist but by the power of speech. A man who helped turned the racial tide of this country.
In the world of sports, athletes, coaches, adminstrators and media alike look at King with the reverence of a king. For many people in each of these roles now would not have been occupying them 37 years ago.
Yet even as the calender passes 2010, there are still racial issues in sports that are deemed problematic. In Major League Baseball, it's the low amount of African Americans in the sport. For the NBA, it's a lack of caucasian athletes. For the NFL it's a lack of asian presence among athletes and minorities in the coaching and adminstration ranks.
However in these various professional sports they are no longer "predominantly" caucasian. On the hole they are the "best athletes" not the best "caucasian athletes". That is racial progress.
Still, in the world of sports there is still a lot more left to be done.
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Driving Down Manipulation Lane
Once upon a time, college football coaches stayed at University's for long periods of time. They were there because they loved the game of football, embraced teaching their kids, and would work for peanuts just because of their love of competition. Loyalty, trust, and commitment were actions not mere rhetoric.
Yea, I don't remember that either. That had to have occured right after dinosaurs had been wiped off the earth (apologies to Carl Everett).
After spending 1 season as Tennessee's head football coach (or about 18 fewer years than predecessor Phillip Fulmer), Lane Kiffin left to become the head football coach at USC. The buck doesn't stop there though. According to multiple reports, Kiffin and his staff made numerous calls to prospective Volunteer recruits telling them to not go to class and come to USC.
What is wrong with this picture? Aren't these "student-athletes" that come to these places? These aren't professional free agents.
The bottom line is, college football is more a business than it ever has been. With the mega millions brought in through TV revenue, it's about finding the best recruiter, the guy who is going to win and give the kind of flare that will grab attention. Getting the best "athlete" and hoping he does well enough in class and in society to remain eligible.
Enjoy Joe Paterno while you can. The days of that type of loyalty and integrity are long gone.
Yea, I don't remember that either. That had to have occured right after dinosaurs had been wiped off the earth (apologies to Carl Everett).
After spending 1 season as Tennessee's head football coach (or about 18 fewer years than predecessor Phillip Fulmer), Lane Kiffin left to become the head football coach at USC. The buck doesn't stop there though. According to multiple reports, Kiffin and his staff made numerous calls to prospective Volunteer recruits telling them to not go to class and come to USC.
What is wrong with this picture? Aren't these "student-athletes" that come to these places? These aren't professional free agents.
The bottom line is, college football is more a business than it ever has been. With the mega millions brought in through TV revenue, it's about finding the best recruiter, the guy who is going to win and give the kind of flare that will grab attention. Getting the best "athlete" and hoping he does well enough in class and in society to remain eligible.
Enjoy Joe Paterno while you can. The days of that type of loyalty and integrity are long gone.
Monday, January 11, 2010
A Juicy Big Mac
One of the big stories that has dominated the last few baseball offseasons is the continued admittance of current and former players of using performance enhancing drugs. It seems with each passing name, the reaction has lessened.
Then the word came yesterday of former MLB slugger Mark McGwire's admittance to steroid and HGH use during his playing career, including his 70 home run season of 1998. This news comes as no surprise to many, as McGwire for years had been linked to performance enhancing drugs.
What McGwire's admittance does rehash is the poor media coverage of that 1998 baseball season. Instead of questioning how a pair of sluggers in McGwire and Sammy Sosa could both be in such a prolific chase, members of the media on the whole wrote glowing stories of both. Despite McGwire admitting to using androstene, after it was discovered in his locker by reporters, the story did not get a great deal of followup or scrutiny by the press.
Almost twelve years later, that tide of coverage has turned almost completely. Rarely can a sports section be opened without a player accused or confessing to taking performance enhancing drugs, or for doing something negative that is thoroughly reported on such as the Tiger Woods sex scandal and the Gilbert Areans gun situation.
Now, as 2010 has entered its early stages and new media and social networking continue to grow, the question becomes: has media gone from turning the cheek and reporting on the sensation of records to the other extreme of looking for the weakness of every great athlete and reporting on it diligently?
So far it seems the answer is yes. However, only time will tell if this path will continue.
Then the word came yesterday of former MLB slugger Mark McGwire's admittance to steroid and HGH use during his playing career, including his 70 home run season of 1998. This news comes as no surprise to many, as McGwire for years had been linked to performance enhancing drugs.
What McGwire's admittance does rehash is the poor media coverage of that 1998 baseball season. Instead of questioning how a pair of sluggers in McGwire and Sammy Sosa could both be in such a prolific chase, members of the media on the whole wrote glowing stories of both. Despite McGwire admitting to using androstene, after it was discovered in his locker by reporters, the story did not get a great deal of followup or scrutiny by the press.
Almost twelve years later, that tide of coverage has turned almost completely. Rarely can a sports section be opened without a player accused or confessing to taking performance enhancing drugs, or for doing something negative that is thoroughly reported on such as the Tiger Woods sex scandal and the Gilbert Areans gun situation.
Now, as 2010 has entered its early stages and new media and social networking continue to grow, the question becomes: has media gone from turning the cheek and reporting on the sensation of records to the other extreme of looking for the weakness of every great athlete and reporting on it diligently?
So far it seems the answer is yes. However, only time will tell if this path will continue.
Sunday, April 19, 2009
Section 8
On Saturday I went to Toyota Park and saw the Chicago Fire take on Kansas City sitting in the frenzied fan area known as section 8. However, the seeds of information were gathered well before the opening kick.
The night before, on Friday, I had the opportunity to meet and talk with the president of section 8. Then, at the tailgate prior to the Fire game on Saturday, I was able to talk to the owner of the Fire as well as a pair of members of section 8. One of the members was in his first year as a section 8 member, while the other has been a member of the section for several years.
I have had the opportunity to go to a handful of Chicago Fire games the past two years, all of which I have sat in section 8. I have had the opportunity to get to know a few members, and a couple of friends of mine are season ticket holders, so I certainly have an idea of the culture of the group and what it's like.
They are definitely a unique fan base. And that's just a tip of the iceberg.
The night before, on Friday, I had the opportunity to meet and talk with the president of section 8. Then, at the tailgate prior to the Fire game on Saturday, I was able to talk to the owner of the Fire as well as a pair of members of section 8. One of the members was in his first year as a section 8 member, while the other has been a member of the section for several years.
I have had the opportunity to go to a handful of Chicago Fire games the past two years, all of which I have sat in section 8. I have had the opportunity to get to know a few members, and a couple of friends of mine are season ticket holders, so I certainly have an idea of the culture of the group and what it's like.
They are definitely a unique fan base. And that's just a tip of the iceberg.
Friday, April 10, 2009
Da Bulls
With a Charlotte Bobcats loss tonight, the Chicago Bulls officially clinch a spot in the playoffs.
Even with such an accomplishment, Vinny Del Negro still seemingly never gets any credit for it.
Here's a team that has a rookie starting at point guard, an immature starting center (albeit one who is improving), a power forward still learning what a quality shot is, a shooting guard who is undersized and has more deficiencies than strengths and a small forward who's only been with the team for a few months.
Did I mention that the original starting small forward is out for the season and the Bulls are only playing about 7 players a game now?
Despite all of these circumstances, the Bulls are playing their best basketball of the season right now. Perhaps the head coach with no prior experience at any level should be given some credit for that.
Even with such an accomplishment, Vinny Del Negro still seemingly never gets any credit for it.
Here's a team that has a rookie starting at point guard, an immature starting center (albeit one who is improving), a power forward still learning what a quality shot is, a shooting guard who is undersized and has more deficiencies than strengths and a small forward who's only been with the team for a few months.
Did I mention that the original starting small forward is out for the season and the Bulls are only playing about 7 players a game now?
Despite all of these circumstances, the Bulls are playing their best basketball of the season right now. Perhaps the head coach with no prior experience at any level should be given some credit for that.
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