No topic expounds egocentrism and hyperbole quite like professional sports. It is not so much the perception of these athletic narcissists with psyches more fragile than an oriental vase that is most disturbing. What is, sadly, is us.
The media.
Granted, there is a definite discrepancy between a journalist and a “sports personality.” Nonetheless, we are improperly miscast as being one in the same. Generally, journalists find out news and disseminate it to the public. If the piece is solely that of opinion, concrete facts support the claims, adding a sense of credibility to the topic of discussion. Sports personalities, on the other hand, are the ones that give modern-day athletes these larger-than-life attributes, more often than not to a ridiculous extreme.
Was this always the case? Of course not; after all, it was legendary journalists such as Grantland Rice and Red Smith who built up Notre Dame’s Four Horsemen and Babe Ruth to the point of almost mythical proportions. But that was a different time; newspapers served as the primary information source in the early 20th century, and journalism back then was much different than it is now.
Today, sports personalities seem to compete with each other to see who can make the most outlandish statements in any 30-minute segment. None of these thoughts are based on facts, and almost every response reflects on the individual making the comment, not the topic of the discussion. Answer me this: would you consider Peter Gammons and Tom Arnold to be colleagues in the same profession? How about Chris Collinsworth and Wanda Sykes? In a world ruled by television ratings and media conglomerates, it is becoming more difficult to state the obvious: N-O.
This brings all of us to Rush Limbaugh. The syndicated radio show host and arguably the most opinionated man in America recently resigned from ESPN after making disparaging comments during ESPN’S “Sunday NFL Countdown” show. Here is the excerpt from ESPN.com:
“Sorry to say this, I don’t think [McNabb] has been that good from the get-go; I think what we’ve had here is a little social concern in the NFL. The media has been very desirous that a black quarterback do well, black coaches and quarterbacks doing well. There is a little hope invested in McNabb, and he got a lot of credit for the performance of this team that he didn’t deserve. The defense carried this team.”
Mind you, Limbaugh said this about a man who has made Pro Bowls, and led his team to the NFC Championship game the last two seasons. As for a defense carrying a team? That was the Trent Dilfer-led Baltimore Ravens in 2000. And what the hell does Limbaugh know about sports? Oh yeah, that’s right, I almost forgot; one of his first jobs was as director of group sales for the Kansas City Royals in 1979. As far as football qualifications, he was an offensive lineman during high school in Cape Girardeau, Mo. Here is what he had to say for himself upon getting the job, according to ESPN.com:
“Football is like life and I know life. I am a big fan of the NFL and now I get to do what every football fan would love to do. I get to take my observations from the living room couch to the ESPN studios and talk football with the best journalists and players in the business.”
ESPN would have been better off hiring Bill from Somerville or any other schmoe from the local bar. Limbaugh was hired to stir the pot, make some noise, and obviously, to spike the ratings. Whether the ratings saw an increase for that show is irrelevant; the man placed a black eye in the profession of sports journalism and may have passed Trent Lott as the individual most hated by African-Americans in the process.
I am disgusted by these comments. I am disgusted by the mere possibility that someone may consider Limbaugh and me partners in the same profession. I am disgusted that the man, who pundits label a conservative, will more than likely keep his day job as a syndicated radio host.
Then again, what does any of this mean to you? Before you go around, ranting and raving that it is just another case of the vile and haphazard media peddling their smut to the masses, look again, and note the difference between us … and them.
– Evans Erilus may be reached at [email protected]
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