The Toxicity of Sports Media
By: Raymond Mbifngwen
Tags: Journalism, Sports, Media, NBA, TV

Not to say there isn’t great sports journalist, they’re many. It’s that though a lot the time negative press and more drama are used to enhance entertainment. For every Stephen A Smith, Shannon Sharpe (Fanboy’s LeBron way too much though and overly emotional), Adam Schefter, and Chris Broussard’s in the sports media, we get the residuals of Skip’s trollish behavior from last decade into the end of the decade such as people like Colin Cowherd(I don’t dislike you but you’re a jerk for this). People such as Will Cain, who I don’t have a problem with, but in the beginning he was tryin too hard. Ryan Hollins, and more who are just goofballs. Search up the questions asked after games and you understand why the players get so heated.

People like Max Kellerman, for example, seemed so pragmatic and watching him during his HBO and SportsNation days, I was happy to see he was the latest acquisition to First Take due to Skip Bayless leaving to go on his current show now(Back in June of 2016). Especially since he was a Hip Hop head who would drop countless analogies from the genre to help his argument, his political views were a lot like mine, and he likes the same sports as I do, he was perfect for a viewer like me.

Yeah, he had his moments, but he would stick to his guns or actually admit he was wrong. Examples such as saying Tom Brady would fall off a cliff since the 2017 NFL season (usually, he wouldn’t be wrong, but Tom Brady is different), even when the stats and championships show completely otherwise. He at least admitted he was wrong by entertainingly saying it’ll happen eventually (probably not wrong there).

Then he started this year just saying things I’ve really never heard from him. Not just him, but it seemed like other sports journalist lately has been very rude when talking about the athletes. Usually, with Black players he would agree with their sentiments on player-fan treatment, but when the discussion of Boogie’s statement about the fans seeing them as not human beings, he decided to be the opposition to the topic at hand.

Saying yes they are superstars and the fans don’t pay to see them as people, but as enjoyment for basketball. Shaking my head if you could see me. He’s someone I still like as I know when he’s out of that element, he gives the audience his usual self, not some guy that seems so different from even a year ago. Purposely being two different people when the setting changes, is just how it is in today’s sports world unfortunately.

Then, of course, Stephen A. Smith, a guy whom I like, but has developed a character since becoming a mainstay on First Take during the early 2010s, was the person going against his viewpoint. With Molly even going against his point (Max’s) point, with his smirk glued on just rushing to argue his point without usually taking time to acknowledge the point the other party made.

Same with Stephen A Smith, just yelling more and more, and just spazzing out quotables to just trend at times it seems. So much different than the days when he was the host of Quite Frankly where he would really listen to the guest. It seems like more of fake banter to disagree and drum up ratings, views, and viral moments on a big platform, then genuine talk about how they feel if they were on a neutral setting where the lights aren’t on them.

Other examples are the personalization of everything with shows such as “The Herd with Colin Cowherd”, on FS1 back in 2016–2017. Colin would repeatedly hammer the point superstars such as Russell wasn’t meant to win in today’s NBA (which I agree, but it’s super constant). There’s enough very grating analyst on multiple networks such as the people I’ve referenced and the media would do better if we channeled better energy onto to neutral based, fact-based reporting from all of the people employed.

Changing The Narratives

Even though Skip doesn’t go overboard with the name calling like he once did, he does still use unwarranted bias to throw sneaky jabs at players like Kawhi, LeBron, Aaron Rodgers, and others credibility. It still plays a role in a toxic sports media where instead of arguing about the person’s stats and accomplishments, they look at the person and attribute that to how they are to the topic. How many time have we’ve heard how Kevin Durant his rings are worthless, while he was the main reason they were 9–1 in 2017, 2018 NBA Finals, averaging 32.4 points on 50–40–90 (FACTS). While many analysts say how the Warriors didn’t need him to win anyways when they were one game away from winning the 2016 NBA Finals. (Who else wishes they didn’t choke the 3–1 lead? I do, the NBA would be better for it)

We all know that the athletes watch what the media says, especially millennials(watch at 8:23), and yeah some don’t have thick skin, but once you tear a person down so much, why wouldn’t try to prove you(media wrong). Only one person, Shannon Sharpe, out of all the 15 shows we see on TV, mentioned how irritating hearing the noise about they(Warriors) can do better without you, and how Kevin Durant knows that he’s the best player on the team, but the narrative is always spun. It’s Steph Curry’s team, he’s the engine that makes the whole machine work cliche phrase (true imo), it’s grating especially since they overblown it since the Draymond Green flare up.

You have people like Max Kellerman who loves to use analytics like Daryl Morey, Houston Rockets GM, does, but he really said 5 months ago that KD isn’t a top 5 player in the NBA (smh). Also, don’t forget when the 1st round of the playoffs when reporters got a taste of how KD can shut down the narrative on being locked up by the Pat Bev (great defender), and ball out with 43 points in Game 3. His whole reasoning is getting his team involved and basic basketball 101, but hardly unless you played organized sports, do the reporters and journalist get it?

Even to the point, they’re not discussing a person’s team, but that specific player’s future to create a way where they can go and have new things to talk about. (i.e., going to the Knicks, Lakers) At a point, just free agency and him, Kyrie, or a team up with LeBron was discussed regularly. KD expressed that sentiment, and we all know how Kyrie feels about the media from his several interactions with them. What I think from what I gathered from the athletes are that they feel of the job the media about their game or the game itself, it’s everything around it.

Who wouldn’t want to show how good they are. Yes, he wanted to play, but people have a reason for playing. If they came back with him after suffering a 3–1 deficit, it cements his value to the team publicly so others can’t take away his and the team’s accomplishments. He even risked aggravated his injury, which unfortunately he worsened. Even when LeBron James joined the Heat in 2010, it was said the top of his list of people to get at was Skip Bayless, until he lost in 2011 and decided to stray away from feeding into the media’s toxicity. After that, the next 7 finals LeBron went to showing why he was the best player in the world. The thing is not everyone is like him, and they don’t react to criticism(overblown) well.

Another one is SC30! Steph Curry is another player that is getting his own narrative changed right now. He went back to being in the top 5 best basketball players in the world discussion after having a playoffs record of 36.5 ppg in a sweep, to having his legacy potentially hurt after being one of the few in an NBA Final to average 30/5/5(well he’s getting the treatment that LeBron got honestly for years). Which one is it media? Is he a top 2 point guard of all time, or is he someone that missed his mark to be closer to Mount Rushmore as he has no Finals MVP (2015 should be his, but oh well)? You see people like Stephen A Smith going back from saying Steph could become the best player in the NBA if his team wins in the 2016 finals, to saying he never consider him one.

Got to love Chuck lol

It was all love for Steph 2 weeks ago…

You see how narratives can flip? It’s no wonder how athletes, especially in a day in age where everything is so accessible to you, can potentially influence a athlete’s emotions and overall game.

Forgetting Athletes are Humans

I remember when Derek Carr, a seemingly very nice guy, getting so mad over the First Take cast over some things they have said. They saw one performance where it “looked” like he gave up when it was a bad year for the team (he got the Vince McMahon of NFL Coaches what do you expect). They voiced their shared opinion(shocking they agreed instead). Carr fired back. Instead of really understanding why he was mad, they reasoned it as lack of sensibility and more of it’s their job to report what they see.

The problem is that it’s not all the time. Derek Carr’s problem is, as the Jalen Rose link attached earlier might give some athlete reference to, is his issue was the semantics. Meaning calling him the word quitter. Something as a man, especially in a sport like football where integrity matters, is a personal attack to him and others like him. Then you get fans agreeing to their(First Take) perspective and it weighs down his momentum(which is big in sports)as a popular great player to someone who’s showing signs of not being an MVP caliber QB anymore. It affects players profile exponentially.

I remember watching a Royce Da 5'9 interview on the Breakfast Club last year and his the only issue he had with Joe Budden’s response to Eminem’s recent music was the verbiage. Nothing more, nothing less. At first, I didn’t get it (Em’s recent music doesn’t hold a candle to his ‘97–’02 body of solo work), but now I get. Personalizing the criticism takes away from the professionalism.