Sports or Scandals? The State of negativity in sports
Cheaters never win, right? Really? Then why do all sorts of athletes and coaches on all level of sports continue to overlook rules on the way to “glory?”
We, as in the media, spend far too much time talking about investigations, senate hearings, suspensions and overall angst. It’s getting to the point that the drama surrounding sports has superceded the games and athletes. But why? Is it our fault for spending too much time reporting on the dirt? Or should we blame the athletes making greedy and selfish choices in a “win at all costs society?”
I guess I’m just tired of talking about steroid use and “spygate” and NCAA violations. I got into this business because I love sports--I grew up an athlete and my dad was a coach. It’s what we talked about at dinner, and it’s what we thought about during the day. The competition and fun we learn from sports is what has motivated me in my everyday life. It teaches some of the best lessons we can learn, about ourselves and others. I love telling stories about the games and people who make them.
So why do stories about off-field issues continue to own the headlines? Simple. They’re interesting. Thousands of baseball games are played every year--a story about a major NCAA violation would always trump a regular season baseball game, because it’s more interesting to the masses. It’s not a good news/bad news thing, it’s a grabbing your attention thing.
I wonder what you think about media coverage of scandals. Should we focus on these events, letting real people know the consequences of cheating? Or should we ignore those types of stories and focus on game and team stories? I mean, we certainly don’t want to promote unethical people and their dealings.
Let’s hear your thoughts on the current state of sports when it comes to scandals. Are we policing athletes and sports enough? Send us your comments, and we may read them on the air.
Thanks
JROD
