Ok, christ. You wanted it - well when it's all over, remember that you asked for this. You looked in my eyes as it happened.
I need to expound on a theory of sports, which will violently degenerate into a theory about my life, which will then bring us to failure, and that's where it always ends anyway, right?
Right, so get on with it. Roll it tight so when it lights, there's no fight. The money runs everything. We don't go to Canterbury park to watch the pretty horses run in circles. And we don't watch the Panthers play the Bears on a Sunday afternoon unless there is a Reason. And that reason is 33.5 points, of which you'd be smart to bet on the low side. So isn't that a good starting point? The money? It always follows the money anyway. You can discuss sports, but unless you're a Dallas commentator, you can't have a meaningful discussion without eventually touching upon money. This should be the basis of most of the conversation regarding modern sports. Everything else is so fucking played out.
You think Lou Brock gave a shit about the game? You think Barry Bonds is an arrogant asshole who cares only about himself and that Mickey Mantle is a hero to millions of big-nosed drunks in the Bronx? That's a load of shit. The only difference between then and now is the coverage. That's it. There is more coverage of the little things, and media giants like ESPN blow these out of proportion. Terrell Owens would have been a "crazy cat" in the 70s. He would have been known for the touchdown dances, sure, but his contract shit would have been back page news.
So, is it racism? Has the press become more racist? I wouldn't go that far. But I think it's a fundamental fact that needs to be addressed when examining the relationship between media and sports: most athletes are black (or foreign born) and most reporters, broadcasters and columnists are white. It's a fact, so let's deal with it. Now, that doesn't mean that because white people say bad things about black people that it's racist. Or vice versa. It just means... be careful. Be very careful when reading these reports, because there's often something there... something just beyond the print, something buried in the ambition. Personally, I doubt there is a big racist machine driving sports reporting in this country, but I'm not stupid enough to pretend that a good portion of NFL fans look at Randy Moss without a touch of racism. Especially in Minnesota, for fuck's sake.
(bring it back, don't lose it) It comes back to the coverage. The media giants are just fucking lost. I am constantly encouraged by blogs. The Twins community here is wonderful, and other communities are thriving as well. Basketball blogs are blowing up too. When NFL fans finally get down to Circuit City to get them that new Packard Bell computator, there'll be some of those too. It's growing, it's getting better. I don't even read MLB.com articles anymore. I don't read ESPN articles about baseball unless they are written by Rob Neyer or God Gammons. I go to my local bloggers to read their take on the game, and I read the box score from Sportsline. And I think the revolution is happening. And I also think that's WHY ESPN is looking so stupid these days. Because they are flailing their arms trying to gain attention, trying to out-do the blogs, trying to make their name in a changing market. Hell, it's admirable. But I don't like it. They used to be the worldwide leader in sports, now it's just a joke. This fake press conference thing? Sportscenter? It's just sad. Not to mention the dispropotionate time they give to "sagas" as opposed to real highlights. They are trying to gain an edge, to get a foothold while the sports reporting world changes. But they're going to lose. These big companies are going to lose. The power of the people will triumph. There are enough people like me out there - people who are pissed off at the way sports is covered and want it to change. There are enough idiots who carry iPods on the bus who can turn on their laptop and blog about slugging percentages of minor league players. They are out there, they have a following, and their energy will prevail. The old system will die.
But then, it all comes back to money, doesn't it? The money drives it, makes it real. And I guess the big sports reporting agencies have the money. The TV contracts, the endorsements, it's something that the bloggers will never have. I don't think any pud with an understanding of sabrmetrics and a worn copy of Ball Four is going to have much of a chance against fucking Disney. I mean, it's run by Jews, so you know....
Shout out to Gregg Easterbrook. Stay up, player! Don't let the Conspiracy get to you!
So will it ever change? The money stays localized, it hardly ever moves. Look at that fucking deal EA got with the NFL. That's just sad. And it's like that. Monday night football is going to be on ESPN? Strange. Is Stu Scott going to announce? Maybe Joe Morgan? And after the game, you can scoot over to ESPN U to watch... rowing. Anyway, it's an uphill climb, but hopefully, the discussion about sports will eventually return to the simplicity of the old times:
Drunk fan: Hey Aaron, you're a bum!
Aaron: Yeah yeah, shut your trap, drunk.
Drunk fan: (pause) Hey Aaron, you're a FUCKIN bum! (laughs, gives high five to his overweight friend)
I can smell the Miller from here.
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