Sports Media: Time to Focus on the Light, Not the Darkness

The sports media are like a gigantic microscope that uses a tarnished lens to magnify events and stories.

The lens is essential to any device that is used to magnify an object, so when it is tainted, it needs to be removed, cleaned, and refocused.

The sports media are no different.

Instead of magnifying great performances or outstanding achievements, the media’s lens focuses on events that are about violence, foolishness, and stupidity.

The principle that has been adopted by media conglomerates such as ESPN, CNN Sports, or The New York Times is that whatever sells should be focused on the most.

These companies need to make money and it's understandable they are looking for the best way to make a profit. But what these media outlets do not understand is that their job has a responsibility—to communicate what is important, what is good, and what is beautiful about the world—in this case, the world of sports.

The view of the sports world presented to an average spectator through the lens of the media parallels the current state of our nation: dark, troubled, and hopeless.

An athlete’s job goes beyond their performance on the field or off it. Their role in society is to inspire.

On a daily basis, millions of onlookers invest their faith in these athletes. They do this because they want to believe that in this world of confusion and despair, goodness can still be achieved.

Athletes portray the hope all humans contain—that nothing is impossible.

Two football players in the past month have fulfilled this notion, only to be overshadowed in the media’s eye by two players who represent the evil and selfishness that have destroyed our society.

On Nov. 16 in Atlanta, Denver Broncos fullback Spencer Larsen did something that is a true rarity in his sport: He logged minutes on the offensive and defensive sides of the ball.

He started at fullback, a position that he claimed in the preseason, but, surprisingly, Larsen also nabbed a starting position at middle linebacker.

Larsen joined a list of just four NFL players to play "iron man football" since 1990.

And while that's impressive, what was even more impressive was the seven tackles that Larsen accumulated at middle linebacker, a position he hadn’t played all year long.

The media gave only brief coverage to the achievement. ESPN’S Chris Berman and Tom Jackson commented on Larson’s performance for about a moment and a half, while USA Today and The New York Times failed to mention it at all.

Six days after Larsen suited up both ways in the NFL, a collegiate athlete achieved something off the field that displayed the true greatness in humanity.

Florida State safety Myron Rolle received a Rhodes Scholarship award in Birmingham, Ala., on the afternoon of Nov. 2 and then traveled to College Park, Md., to meet up with his team for the second half of their victory against Maryland.

Rolle’s accomplishment was mentioned on ESPN’s SportsCenter and in a few big newspapers, but never received a feature story.

He got a small blurb in Sports Illustrated's SI Players section, but no columnist at this widely distributed magazine thought that Rolle’s story was important to the world of sports.

Larsen and Rolle, who are just ordinary human beings, did something extraordinary.

Larsen started at middle linebacker, a position typically played by an athlete with size and speed, something Larsen lacks—that's why he is a fullback on a typical day.

The middle linebacker is also the quarterback of the defense and requires a great understanding of how the game of football. Larsen not only filled this position with success, he kept his teammates going by being a leader.

The result was the Broncos upsetting the Falcons, 24-20.

In Rolle’s case, he proved himself to be more than just an athlete.

Coming from a football program that is better known for producing criminals than students, it is inspirational to see Rolle overcome the adversity that many African-American football players face and win a scholarship that is handed out to only 32 students across the country.

The Rhodes Scholarship is considered perhaps the most prestigious postgraduate academic scholarship in the world and will enable Rolle to pursue a career as a neurosurgeon if he opts out of playing in the NFL.

Larsen also went against many stereotypes that said he couldn’t really be anything.

After all, Larsen is only a rookie this season and was picked in the sixth round of the draft, but on that Sunday never let that information play into his mindset or diminish his confidence.

The result of his outstanding performance didn’t go completely unnoticed, though as the National Football League named him the Rookie of the Week in week 11.

Rolle's and Larsen’s achievements were some of many great ones this year in sport, but while these excellent leaders and stellar athletes were demonstrating all that is great with sports it was pompous idiots such as Plaxico Burress and Pacman Jones who draw most of the media attention.

Sports stories should be written about games and players that are extraordinary.

After all, athletes are labeled superstars because of their ability to do something other humans are not.

But when an athlete makes a mistake it shouldn’t draw any publicity at all, because he or she is doing wrong not only to themselves, their team, but more importantly the society and culture he or she represents. He or she shouldn’t be celebrated for acting human.

The lens needs to be refocused.

No longer should athletes like Burress or a Jones grab spotlight from players like Larsen and Rolle, who fulfill their duties and responsibilities not only as athletes, but also as humans.

They exude selflessness and honor in a sports world that seems to lack it.

Their stories need to be on the front cover, because sports have the power to change people, change attitudes, and change lives.

In a time of darkness for our country, the media shouldn’t give attention to evil.

Instead, the media should be responsible for preserving the light that humanity is able to accumulate, even if it means making seven tackles or winning a scholarship.