By Taylor Nigrelli
Sports Editor
This year provided plenty of reminders of why people should not obsessively follow sports. Nearly every major North American sports league found itself embroiled in some type of controversy that overshadowed game action.
Conference realignment rocked college basketball, destroying classic rivalries and furthering the ongoing discussion on the role of finance in amateur athletics.
PBS’s “League of Denial” documentary exposed more of the NFL’s wrongdoing in handling player concussion issues.
New England Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez allegedly killed multiple people, the NHL remained hypocritical and inconsistent in its enforcement of safety-related rules and the MLB performance-enhancing drug discussion refused to die for yet another year.
So 2013 wasn’t an ideal year for the world of sports.
Meanwhile, national sports columnists failed to properly address these issues and instead wasted column space ganging up on the likes of Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Yaisel Puig and Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel for alleged “maturity” issues.
In a year of never ending and all-enveloping negativity, this development was the most troubling.
Scandals and negative stories are unavoidable. In times when both are so prevalent, journalists, even those who cover sports, should hold those in power accountable. In 2013, this did not occur nearly often enough.
The role of journalists, especially nationally-prominent commentators, should be to do more than blindly accept what is spoon-fed to them by league executives. They have a responsibility to attempt to uncover truth, expose injustice and bring under-reported stories to light.
If ever there was a year in sports that called for such journalistic integrity, it was 2013. Yet national sports media outlets met each of the aforementioned scandals with clichéd, lazy takes that failed to address or delve into the roots of the major issues.
This isn’t to say quality sports journalism was totally absent in 2013 – it was just overshadowed by constant barrage or moral hand-wringers and obnoxious talking heads.
The “League of Denial” documentary exemplifies this perfectly. PBS put together an informative hour of coverage on the NFL’s history of covering up the effects of head injuries sustained by its players. Initially, ESPN intended to partner with PBS to create the special. But after a meeting with NFL executives, ESPN brass decided the company wasn’t fit for proper journalism.
And so it went throughout the year. For every fair and balanced piece Grantland’s Jonah Keri wrote on Alex Rodriguez’s performance-enhancing drug suspension, 10 pundits would eviscerate Rodriguez for his “moral wrong-doings” while ignoring Commissioner Bud Selig’s abuse of power in creating the suspension.
For every stat-based perspective on rookie sensation Yaisel Puig’s impact on the Dodgers, one crotchety old sportswriter criticized his perceived (and possibly made up) lack of respect for opponents.
For every nationally-prominent media member wondering aloud whether Johnny Manziel may be justified in selling his own autograph, there were 10 versions of CBS Sports’ Dennis Dodd making Manziel out to be a selfish punk. Then 10 more questioning whether the college quarterback “parties too much.” And then countless other talking heads asked and answered the same question: Can Manziel be a leader of men?
But not nearly enough journalists stopped to question the integrity of an organization (the NCAA) that essentially operates off slave labor from student-athletes. Not nearly enough looked beyond the words (read: lies) of league executives to dig deeper into potentially important stories.
Instead, we were treated to another year of obnoxious mouth-breathers sitting behind desks screaming at each other about whether or not “player X” is ready to win “the big one.”
Scandals and negative stories will not die with 2013. They will continue and likely carry increased weight in the coming years. Each year, a small segment of the sports media retires and college graduates rush to take their place.
Here’s to hoping those entering the sports media in the next couple years are capable of handling “the big ones.”
Taylor Nigrelli is the sports editor of the Bona Venture. His email is nigreltn11@bonaventure.edu.
