As soon as Tennessee lost their first game, numerous networks, especially CBS, were referring to New York Bretts, I mean New York Jets, DT Kris Jenkins as the frontrunner for Defensive Player of the Year. I saw this and had only one question to ask.
Are you serious?
One good game against the Titans means more than 10 good games played while injured? What a joke.
Until a couple of weeks ago, the Bretts' defense couldn't stop anyone. Now, if you believe what you read, all of the sudden they're better than a defense that consistently batters opponents.
Think of the "frontrunners" for the MVP award: Drew Brees, Brett Favre, and Kurt Warner.
Drew Brees is putting up big yardage, but the Saints are still 6-6. Big numbers do not make an MVP. But because of today's fantasy-football-obsessed fan base, stats are more important than winning games.
Also, since Reggie Bush was drafted and over-hyped, pundits love picking New Orleans to win. The fact remains, though, that New Orleans is subpar and Drew Brees isn't carrying them.
Favre is a big name in a big market. Combine this with all the coverage he got this summer, and it's a no-brainer that the media wants him to succeed.
As far as Warner, look at it this way: he plays in the NFC West, the most pitiful division in the NFL. He is throwing to Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin. He should be putting up big numbers AND winning a lot of games.
The fact that the Cardinals didn't do this last year or the year before is moreso a testament to Matt Leinart's failure than Kurt Warner's "greatness." But his career is a feel-good story, and he really is a great person, so the media adores him.
The mainstream sports media picks and chooses what it wants to cover. Thankfully, there are journalists like Whitlock who are unafraid to speak their mind, who characterize journalistic integrity, and who are not afraid to discuss not just sports but pressing social issues.
Unfortunately, Whitlock's excellent article was ignored by the mainstream media, with the exception of Fox Sports, who feature him now that he's no longer with ESPN.
If ESPN was the only source of bad coverage, maybe other networks would've looked at his article and commented on its validity.
However, the fact that almost every major sports network completely ignored him just goes to show the problem is not just ESPN, but all mainstream sports media.
Independent thinkers like those at Bleacher Report are our best hope of independent thought in today's closed-minded sports media. Get out there, write some articles, and make your opinions heard, regardless of unconventional they are.
0 Comments
Loading more comments...
This comment and all replies have been deleted This comment has been deleted Undo delete