Sports journalists: pushing it for a reason
Ted Fox
Fox Sports ... Almost
I, like every other writer, usually use this column to give my oh so wonderful opinions on the world of sport.
Everything from artificial turf to fans, man, have we got opinions and analysis to go with it.
But today, I got into a reflective mood, and started thinking about us, the people who cover the events..
And I think it's only fair to say that we, the sports reporters, sometimes get, how should I say it, irritating.
Take our questions, for example. After the men's basketball team lost 79-72 on Sunday against the Hoyas, someone asked coach Mike Brey that since Troy Murphy gets so much attention from other teams, would he go with a different primary option on offense.
Huh?
What kind of answer do we expect to get?
"Yeah, even though Troy's going to be an All-American for the second straight year, and is a finalist for both Big East and National Player of the Year, I don't think he can do much for us anymore."
Don't get me wrong: I think I probably hold sports journalism in higher esteem than most other people. If I didn't, I wouldn't be hoping to devote my professional life to what is often times a less than financially secure field.
Sports are critically important to everyone who follows them. They're not only a great diversion but a great unifier, events that even though the outcome of the game might not mean much in the big scheme of things, being a part of them means something infinitely more.
Being able to be a part of that feeling, and hopefully making it come to life even more for those who were or weren't there, is a charge I'm privileged to have.
But the very nature of what we do involves getting in other people's business. We want your thoughts both about hitting the three at the horn, and turning the ball over on the last play of the game.
And not just once, but once for every crew and reporter whose there, because we're all competing with each other to get the best story, the exclusive interview.
Consequently, we'll all ask what you need to do to improve, to win the big game, to fix your problems on defense.
The answers to those questions, whether they be a witty anecdote, a straightforward assessment, or simply a "No comment" are a big part of what we depend on to do our jobs well.
If we have to catch you right before the game or while you're trying to go practice, we often still expect you to be available to give us a sound bite or a headline quote.
The reality is that sports would go on if we weren't there to cover all its moves. Sure, it probably wouldn't be nearly as huge, professional players would have to subtract a few "0's" out of their contracts, and getting that Division I scholarship wouldn't be as prestigious as it is now.
People would still be playing just because they wanted to play.
But take away sports, and the sports reporters, on the other hand, become obsolete.
And not only do those reporters become obsolete, but they also act lost. As one of my mentors has told me, for all the deadlines, pressure, competition and financial instability, you have to wonder why anyone would ever want to be a sports journalist.
The answer he gave, fittingly enough, paralleled experience from the sporting world, namely that of coaches.
He said that like the coaches who have had numerous stress induced health problems and look like they're living dog years, seven for every one, they still can't give it up.
It's something in their blood that is who they are.
And for that same reason, we write and broadcast sports.
Not always well or in the right way. We speculate on things we don't have firsthand knowledge of. We get under people's skins, sometimes justly and other times not so.
After Sunday's game, when asked if the team was in trouble, Murphy said, with some noticeable irritation: "I don't think we've lost an edge at all," and sarcastically asked if the reporter thought they had lost it.
Two people, one whose job is to perform on the floor and the other's to talk about that performance.
One strange thing, there in all of our blood that no one can explain.
The opinions expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
All Sports Stories for Tuesday, March 6, 2001
