NSR ~ ESPN's Colin Cowherd Show

[EPSkis]

Not necessarily JUST sports-related, but Colin's topic today was an interesting one:

Would YOU, as a sports fan ~ Support a magazine or other media outlet that delved into the "gossip" side of sports?

A magazine that gave the inside dirt on say ~ Who was partying at AI's house this past weekend & outlined some of the debauchery. A rag that talks about the real-life quarrels between team players, etc.

OR

Do you think we're better off NOT knowing all the inside dirt on our favorite sports stars?

Somebody called in & said that though it might bring some women viewers into the fold, but that guys weren't interested in hearing about the personal lives of players..

Colin's response? What about O.J.? Why was Playmakers such an overwhelming success? (A very good point.)

So what do you think?

[mr_gyptian]

If ESPN did that I would pack my 32" TV with semtex and express a package to Bristol.

I couldn't give a rat's ass about what they do off the field. It seems NBA players are in a constant competition to see who can father the most bastard children. currently Calvin Murphy stands alone at 14. A record that makes his old free throw record pale in comparison. The NFL's leading rusher is currently about to go to trial for possessing an amount of dope that might even raise Snoop's eyebrow. Baseball players are finally going through an unmasking regarding performance enhancing drugs(something the NFL went through in the early 80s and still hasn't squashed). NHL?? Kevin Stevens is/was such a crackhead he should have been the token white guy in New Jack City.

Charles Barkley was right, they're not role models.

also, I enjoy SI immensely. been a subscriber for almost 20 years. I've seen what People and US magazine are. No thanks.

[Arty50]

Originally posted by EPSkis
Would YOU, as a sports fan ~ Support a magazine or other media outlet that delved into the "gossip" side of sports?

A magazine that gave the inside dirt on say ~ Who was partying at AI's house this past weekend & outlined some of the debauchery. A rag that talks about the real-life quarrels between team players, etc.

I don't need a new magazine. If I want this info, all I have to do is turn on ESPN. Or worse, ESPN News. Seriously, I'm beginning to fucking hate ESPN. Since they can't seem to find enough material to fill in a full day or even hour of programming, they end up reporting a whole bunch of bullshit.

Case in point, Peter Gammons on Inside Baseball or whatever the fuck it's called. The guy is ALWAYS talking about trade rumors. "My super top secret inside source told me that the Yankees were going to trade 5 minor league Dominican teenagers who are pretending to be 18 years old for Ken Griffey Jr. This source has never been wrong, so this is a lock." And without fail, he's almost always wrong. The worst part is they invariably put this swill on SportsCenter and then replay it 100 times a day for the next two weeks.

No thanks. I just don't give a shit. Give me actual events, some scores, and some highlights. That's all anyone really wants. Not all this filler BS. Some of it's so ridiculous, I swear they make it up.

[EPSkis]

Personally, I think we get enough of the inside bs as it is. I subscribed to SI for more years than I can remember. My parents gave me a subscription for my b-day when I was about 8, and I got it up until about 10 years ago. For me, there's only so much track & field, basketball and baseball I can take. Not taking anything away from them, they were the authority long before anyone else came along. I'd rather get my sports on SC or ESPN radio.

Gyptian, you're right - Every sport has it's notorious idiots, and we certainly hear enough about them. I also agree that sports figures shouldn't be construed as role models. Which, on the other hand - I think could be different. I remember as a kid that some sports figures WERE heroes to me. As misguided as that might seem now (can anyone say O.J.?), it was always a thrill to see one of "my" players do well. Somewhere along the way, that feeling went away. I don't know if it was because the media became more "intrusive" (?) along the way and started showing certain athletes for what they REALLY were ~ or whether I just realized that for the most part - individual performances rely greatly on the performance of your teammates. But I also think it would be a nice change of pace for a professional player of today to ACT as if he had kids looking up to him/her. There don't seem to be any left. Sure, everyone's going to stumble from time to time, but it doesn't seem to me that there are any real "sports heroes" left. If I had to pick one that COULD be, I'd point to Tiger. But if there WAS such a publication that pulled the covers off of Tiger's personal life, would he really be as squeaky clean as he comes off? I doubt it. For the sake of the kids, and sports in general - I think such a publication would be a BAD idea.

Arty ~ Cowherd actually said something along those lines. His theoretical retort to that was: "Yeah, but can anyone REALLY get by on reporting nothing but scores, stats and trades?"

My answer would be yes - because that's what I WANT when I tune in or pick up a magazine. If I wanted fluff, I'd be buying the Globe.

However ~ the question made me think of certain things over the years that made me wonder..... Everyone saw the impromptu interview with Iverson's mother - "AI's AI. He gon' do what AI gon' do." Hysterical.

The women reporter in the Patriots locker room years ago (Lisa something-or-other, help me NE fans..) that was offended when a player refused to cover up so she could interview him. His comment was basically "If you don't like it, leave. This is a men's locker room." Again ~ though you may not agree with the players' action, it's tough to disagree with his logic. I think that was something worth hearing about.

There's so MUCH stuff going on that we never hear about because the NFL, NBA, NHL ~ Don't want their players being exposed or put under the proverbial microscope. Which as a celebrity ~ You have to expect.

I just found the subject thought-provoking. Not that I'd buy into the concept.

[mr_gyptian]

I'm being harsh. This Kobe thing is continuing to dominate news coverage here.

I want witty commentary. SC, on balance provides that. Writers from Sportsguy, to Steve Rosenbloom, to Tony Kornheiser make sport great. I don't want holla back slang bullshit from Stuart Scott, but there is a large market, both black and white that do. so be it.