Jason Giambi Reveals Double Standard in Sports Media

Following the Oakland Athletics' 8-5 loss to the Seattle Mariners on April 11, Jason Giambi explained to reporters why he had to take himself out of the game after seven innings.  

He was tired. 

According to Joe Stiglich of the Bay Area News Group, Giambi had to tell A's Manager Bob Geren that he was simply too exhausted to go on. 

"I told Bobby, '[The legs] are dead'," Giambi said in the article. 

And who could blame him? 

After all, Giambi was forced to run all the way to third base after his routine ground ball was thrown by the pitcher past the first baseman and down the right field line. 

"This is way too much running for me," Giambi said in the article.

No kidding. I'm getting winded just thinking about that marathon. 

And as if that wasn't more than enough to ask of the 38-year-old first baseman, Giambi also legged out an infield single earlier to lead off the fifth inning.   

Luckily for Giambi, Jack Cust hit a two-run home run with Giambi still on first, allowing him to trot home.  

"If Jack hadn't hit the ball out of the ballpark, it'd have been like an auto parts store out there," Giambi said. "My hamstrings would have fallen out. My groins would have fallen out. I would have been done for the year. Thank God that ball got out."

Thank God indeed. I don't want to even think about the kind of godless, evil world in which a professional athlete might be asked to actually run more than 90 feet at a time (before he can return to the dugout and sit again).

I understand Giambi is old. And I understand that he is a slugger not known for his wheels, but come on! This is still sports, and Giambi is still considered an athlete, however 'unathletic' he may be. 

It's got to be insulting to all baseball players in the minor leagues and all over the world who are busting their tails just for a chance to play pro ball when they hear a multimillionaire complain about having to actually run, not to mention take himself out of the game before it's even over. 

Geren, the A's manager takes the cake though, when he said, "[Giambi]'s been playing hard. That's all you can ask. You go hard, and when you can't go, you can't go. I love the effort."

I guess the issue here isn't so much with Giambi himself or his embarrassing lack of conditioning. The real issue I have here is the complete lack of outrage or even criticism from the media.  

Sure, Giambi's self-deprecating quotes about his age are funny and cute, but there hasn't been anyone in the local media who has even asked the question, "Jason, don't you think you owe it to your fans and organization to be in a little better shape than this?"

What if an NBA player pulled himself from a game before the fourth quarter started? The media would absolutely crucify him, labeling him lazy and spoiled regardless of his age. 

So what is the reason for this double standard? Why is Giambi given a pass for something the vast majority of athletes would be criticized for?

I don't believe it's necessarily a race issue. Equally slow sluggers like David Ortiz or Ken Griffey Jr. probably would receive the same treatment, although I do believe racial stereotypes do play a role in why people are more willing to vilify NBA players versus MLB players, but that's a different issue. 

Much of it probably has to due with age. Reporters and fans are presumably more willing to accept the fatigue excuse from a dinosaur like Giambi than they would from a strapping youngster like Hanley Ramirez. People understand that deterioration happens to everyone as they age, not just athletes, and they can relate to Giambi. 

The difference between a sport like baseball and more fast-paced, running-oriented sports like basketball or football also contributes to the double-standard. If you are slow and tire easily, you are probably more of a detriment to your team if you play a sport full of constant movement.

Baseball seems to hide those faults because of the start-and-stop nature of the game. 

I guess in the end, the fact that Giambi receives such a pass regarding this issue has everything to do with his relationship with the media. 

Even dating back to his steroids scandal, Giambi made many friends in the media-world by being apologetic and sincere about his mistakes, as opposed to media-villains like Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens who tried and failed to fool everybody by denying the steroids allegations. 

The lesson here is: make sure you are a likable and approachable athlete who gives good quotes and the media will leave you alone.