Phelps Image Tarnished?

Another day and yet another star athlete who has been caught something he shouldn’t be doing. This time, it’s star swimmer Michael Phelps, the American who just broke a record by winning eight gold medals at the Olympics in Beijing.

After the attention from these past Olympic games, it seemed as though Phelps could do no wrong. Now, the country’s “golden boy” may be rusting just a bit.

Apparently these days, Phelps is spending less time swimming laps and more time smoking bowls. Actually, it was a bong to be exact. A British tabloid recently published an image of Phelps smoking what appears to be marijuana and all of a sudden Phelps has dived right into a sticky situation.

Phelps, like any public figure, should know better than to himself into this precarious situation. In this day of the Internet and cell phone cameras, anything and everything can be posted for millions to see in a matter of seconds.

These situations occur all the time and these young athletes just don’t seem to learn from each other’s mistakes. Remember Matt Leinart? The former star USC quarterback who now rides the bench for the Arizona Cardinals found himself with the same problem after a picture surfaced of him using a beer bong with some Arizona college girls. Everybody was quick to determine Leinart was too immature to be an NFL quarterback. Ever since, his field duties have been delegated to kneeling the ball at the end of blowouts.

But the source of the problem comes from the expectations we have for these young athletes. Why would people expect anything more from the 24-year-old Phelps? People obviously don’t remember the DUI Phelps received back in 2004 at the age of 19. And not to be harsh but if you’ve heard the kid talk, he clearly is not the sharpest tool in the shed. Phelps has struggled with learning disabilities and behavior issues his entire life. So why should we expect anything different now?

Phelps’ two main sponsors Kelloggs and Subway were in talks to void their contract with the swimmer. In the end, Subway stuck with him and Kelloggs dropped. But it’s no surprise the cereal company wouldn’t jump at an opportunity to save some money in these tough economic times. Especially when Phelps gets all his attention only once every four years.

America needs to lower their expectations for young athletes. Sure, it would be great for them all to be role models and upstanding citizens, but in the end success on the fields and in the pools is all they are truly responsible for.

Fortunately for Phelps and all the other athletes who have made “questionable” decisions, the public has a short memory. While Phelps gets high from smoking, the public gets their high from hearing stories like these. Fortunately, just like the DUI in 2004, the high will wear off and the memories will fade into the distance.

In 2012, when Phelps is bringing home more gold medals for the U.S., nobody will even remember or care. They shouldn’t care now either.

Revealing Look

Sports Journalism: Surviving the Changes

As we move deeper into the 21st century and technology continues to advance, journalism continues to act like the grandparent who, no matter how many times it is explained, just can’t figure out how to work the DVD player. As new generations crave up-to-the-nanosecond news, information, and media, journalism has lost its identity, struggling to catch up to the demands of tomorrow while stubbornly holding on to its out-dated ways of yesterday. With every bit of new technology at its fingertips, the industry can’t grasp it, fighting to somehow profit in this weak economy. Newspapers shrink by the day, local news broadcasts lose viewers by the hour, and bloggers post news and opinions by the second, diminishing the role of journalists in all fields. Yet while the industry continues to sink, one sector has quietly risen above the rest… sports. If journalism were a high school, sports would be the starting quarterback; popular, confident, well prepared, and poised for a bright future. The other fields of journalism envious of this student’s success while they are left self-conscious, searching for their own identity, desperately trying to achieve popularity, and nervous for what the future will bring.

All ridiculous examples aside, the point I’m trying to make is that sports journalism has been a pioneer in the industry. While others have faltered, sports journalism has thrived, successfully using new advancements to deliver the most in-depth coverage and stunning visuals while transforming sports into a multi-billion dollar industry.

One thing sports has in its favor over, for example weather, is the fan. Not to say people aren’t fans of a 5-day forecast predicting sunny skies and high temperatures, but with sports it goes much, much deeper than that. Sports have cultivated a close-knit community of millions of people around the world who live, breathe, and eat by their sports.

John F. Kennedy once said, “We are inclined that if we watch a football or baseball game, we have taken part in it.” A good point there Mr. President. People don’t just take in sports like they would news about an earthquake in South America or a celebrity volunteering at a homeless shelter. People experience sports. They watch their favorite teams play as if they were part of that team. For the ardent fan, watching a sporting event can be a roller coaster of emotion. High one moment when your team is up, low when a mishap has made things look bleak, and the highest of highs when your team has emerged victorious. For these fans, sports journalism is there for every step of the way as a best friend of sorts, working hard to maximize their sports-loving experience.

Once upon a time, the coverage was limited to game recaps, profiles, and statistics in the morning paper. And while time has brought new media outlets to forefront, sports journalism has seamlessly transitioned into the 21st century, successfully utilizing all mediums into the overall fan experience. The Internet has taken over as the driving force, with constantly updated scores, injury updates, and commentary from a wide range of sports journalists all across the world. Television gives fans game coverage, opinionated sports talk shows, and compilations of breathtaking highlights and news with shows like Sportscenter. Magazines are still going strong. As Gary Andrew Poole writes in a Columbia Journalism Review article: “So far, the magazine industry hasn’t suffered the same kind of economic devastation that has befallen newspapers, and Sports Illustrated, ESPN The Magazine, Sporting News, and The New Yorker still, on occasion, publish put-down-your-iPhone-and-read-this articles.” Even newspapers, despite struggling across the board, offer valuable coverage of local teams that can’t be found on ESPNs and Yahoo!s of the world.

Sports journalism has dedicated itself to providing fans with the best possible experience and I believe, it is due to this dedication, that we have experienced such vast advancements in media technology over the last thirty years. If it weren’t for sports, the High Definition Television technology would not have developed so quickly. Think about it… sure watching Lost in high definition is a treat, but does it truly alter our viewing experience? I’d say no. And don’t pretend for a second that HD was established for the NBC Nightly News.

No, the HD technology was established for sports fans that yearn to feel closer to the game when sitting at home. Nowadays, the crisp picture, vibrant color, and mind-blowing detail make for an incredible viewing experience. And what about all the cameras? From watching a primetime football or baseball game on FOX you get the feeling there are hundreds of cameras, capturing every occurrence imaginable. The newest camera during many football telecasts is one that literally glides over the length of the football field attached to a wire stretching from one end to the other resulting in close-up shots directly above the action. Heck, these sports telecasts have become so good, there are many fans who bypass a chance to see a game live in favor of watching it from the comfort of their own sofa. With television’s amazing coverage these days, you can miss so much detail and information by actually being at the game. Other news topics just don’t have the ability to capture an audience the way sports does. Sure, you might want to tune in to receive updates about a big flood in India, but placing a camera in the water so the viewer can get an idea of what it’s like to float through the streets might capture the viewer’s attention for a good 30 seconds.

But beyond the technology and the fanaticism comes something so basic, yet so obvious. The nature of sports. Late Chief Justice Earl Warren once said, “I always turn to the sports section first. The sports section records people’s accomplishments; the front page nothing but man’s failures.” These days with steroid scandals and DUI arrests, the quote isn’t a 100% accurate depiction of today’s sports headlines, but the basic idea remains the same. Despite the scandal of the day, sports remains one of the true positives in our society. A topic where a story describing an astonishing achievement will always trump negative stories. Kobe’s 81 points, Tiger’s dramatic U.S. Open victory, or the Celtics’ 17th championship. Sports journalism takes the incredible moments and gives them the special attention they deserve, applauding these athletes for their incredible triumph, hard work, and perseverance. Such a buzz is created about these stories, they become etched into the history of sports and are remembered for years to come, thanks to the diligent work of sports journalists. Philip Meyer writes in the Columbia Journalism Review essay Saving Journalism, “The pure news audience is drifting away as old readers die and are replaced by young people hooked on popular culture and amusement.” I won’t go as far to say that sports news is more important than the pure news Meyer speaks of, but I will say that those interested in sports will never grow weary of sports news due to its positive impact on their lives and the enjoyment it brings.

In an article entitled The Forces Threatening Journalism, author Jay Harris says, “The challenges facing news professionals, and threatening journalism in the public interest, are significant and cannot be avoided. The facts of the situation are these: The past cannot be recaptured.” So much is being said these days about how newspapers all across the country are downsizing and going out of business altogether because they can’t figure out how to shift their past success in print, to the new medium of the internet. The blogosphere has caused much of the problem as unpaid bloggers are posting news and opinions at a lightning pace, making some journalist’s work obsolete. The State of the Blogosphere report from August 2006 reported that about 175,000 new blogs were being created each day (about two blogs per second). The report also noted that the blogosphere doubles in size about every 200 days. The statistics are enough to make any newspaper or news entity exec shutter. Yet while they complain, sports journalism seems to be handling the blogosphere just fine, if not thriving off of it. Players, coaches, and fans have created blogs that have received interest from readers but in the end, nothing compares to the inside information and knowledge of the experts. Patrick wrote in his article The 21st-Century Writer, “The Internet is forcing traditional print publishers to innovate or perish.” Yet, it seems as though sports blogs are only giving sportswriters more stories to write about. Just last month San Diego Chargers running back Ladainian Tomlinson reported on his blog that he would like to remain with the team once his current contract expired. The comment sparked some controversial statements from the team’s general manager, and thus, sportswriters had fuel for news and opinion articles regarding the subject.

And while many journalism outlets attempt to figure out how to succeed on the intent, it seems as though sports news entities were ahead of the game. Sites like ESPN.com and cbssportsline.com have been extremely popular on the web for years, and now, continue to improve on what was already stellar sports coverage.

How about the opportunities the Internet has created for sports? The World Wide Web has fostered an explosion in the Fantasy Sports world. With so many sites providing fantasy gaming and millions of participants, the success of these fantasy sports has garnered magazines, books, and television and radio shows specifically about these games. And as news websites struggle to entice advertising dollars, CBS Sportsline raked in millions by providing free live internet streaming of every game during last year’s NCAA Tournament.

There is no denying that journalism, including sports, has changed over the years. As time changes, so does everything else. But while newspapers and news broadcasts fear that they will be forced into making drastic changes in the near future, sports journalism can hold its head high in knowing that it prepared itself and its followers for the new times ahead. The industry was ahead of the game, always looking to improve itself in order to improve the experience of the fan.

A Championship Strategy: Play-off the Voters

Before putting the BCS to bed, I had one more thought that came to me while thinking about last week’s post National Champion a National Emergency? Don't Think So... Now I must warn you before hand… this thought is somewhat ridiculous and is merely a product of my imagination. In no way, shape, or form do I truly believe it will or should ever become reality. But I still think it’s worth talking about, if only just to stir up some conversation.

The thought is again about politics and the BCS. Now I know this may contradict my last post, but think about this… What if politicians fought for sports issues on the campaign trail? For example: “Coming up on NBC Nightly News… Senator John McCain pushes for education reform, tax cuts, and a government-imposed budget on the Yankees.”

Seems pretty ridiculous I know. But could it actually work? In the case of the BCS, it just might.

Say Barack Obama promised voters that if elected President, he would create a college football playoff. Just think about some of the states that might have gone his way had they known he would put an end to the evil BCS.

Utah’s five electoral votes might have gone blue if they knew their beloved Utes might have a chance to play for the national title every year. Being in the Mountain West (a non-BCS conference), they don’t get much love when it comes to the BCS’ final computer rankings. However, after trouncing SEC powerhouse Alabama in the Sugar Bowl to finish as the only undefeated team in Division I college football, it’s difficult to come up with a reason why this team shouldn’t be considered worthy of a national championship.

The same case could be made for Idaho’s four electoral votes. A Fiesta Bowl win over Oklahoma in 2007 showed that Boise State can play with the best. Still, their weak Western Athletic Conference gets no respect.

Total electoral votes won so far: 9

Maybe the most compelling case can be made for Alabama. The owner of nine electoral votes, this red state houses two of the nation’s top football programs with two of the nation’s biggest BCS quibbles. Auburn hates the BCS more than anybody. In 2004, after an undefeated regular season, they were left out of the national championship. Instead the nod went to undefeated USC who destroyed also undefeated Oklahoma. Could the Tigers have competed with the Trojans? A playoff could have answered that.

And what about the University of Alabama? The Crimson Tide missed out on the national championship this year after suffering their first and only loss of the season in their last game against Florida. The problem? Florida also finished with the season with one-loss coming at the hands of a weak Ole Miss team.

They hate the BCS so much in Alabama, if Obama had mentioned it while campaigning there, they may have just handed him the electoral votes right then and there bringing the total electoral votes won so far to: 18.

Last, but certainly not least, is Texas. It would be hard to imagine the Longhorn State’s 34 electoral votes going to anybody other than a Republican. But hey, if there is one thing Texans love more than their republicans, it just might be their football… and this year they had a bone to pick with the BCS. One-loss Texas finished just behind one-loss Oklahoma in the final standings, sending the Sooners to the national championship game. The problem… Texas BEAT Oklahoma earlier in the season.

Knowing that Obama could have reversed the fate of their football teams might have just been enough to reverse the votes.

Total electoral votes won: 52


New Obama campaign ad!

National Champion a National Emergency? Don't think so...

It created quite a buzz, that’s for sure. Just days before Election Day, Barack Obama came out and said exactly what millions of Americans wanted to hear. No, not a solution to the nation’s deteriorating economy or new thoughts on foreign policy. In his most powerful and confident tone Obama announced: “I think it’s about time we have playoffs in college football!”

The statement came in an interview with ESPN’s Chris Berman during the halftime show of a Monday Night Football game, and suddenly, it was the talk of the sports world. A politician of that power echoing what all the fans, sportswriters, and coaches have been saying ever since the BCS began spoiling title hopes for title-worthy teams. When the others spoke, it was insignificant… just more of the same hopeless complaining. When Obama spoke, it brought a new light, a new fire… it brought back the hope.

Could our President actually have a say in today’s most heated sports debate? Probably. Should our President actually do anything about it? Eh, probably not.

It’s been a busy 18 days since Obama became President. An 18 days filled with economic stimulus packages, Guantanemo Bay and abortion bills, Wii bowling with the daughters… yet no mention of the BCS. That’s possibly because college football season ended almost a month ago putting the debate to bed until a new season with new controversies. But it’s probably because Obama knows better than to use his power to meddle in the affairs of sports. It’s great to have a President passionate about sports and even better to have one who expressed opinions. But that’s as far it should go and it’s as far as it will go. To start having politicians dictating the rules of our nation’s professional and collegiate sports would start a long journey down a very slippery slope. Where could it go from there? Congressmen vetoing trades because it hurts the team in their district? Basketball players charged with misdemeanors for flagrant fouls or football players charged for helmet to helmet contact? How about a Presidential pardon for the next big-named baseball player to be suspended for steroids?

Obviously these suggestions are extreme and would probably never happen but it helps to prove that problems in sports are trivial when compared to the problems that politicians should really be worrying about.

And if Obama did decide to act… what could he do? Legal experts gave Tim Lemke of the Washington Times some possible options.
1. Obama could impose an executive order on the NCAA to create a playoff. Result: Being a private institution, the NCAA probably would have the upper hand when the bill went to Congress.
2. Obama could have the Justice Department explore whether the NCAA is violating any laws by excluding non-major conferences from BCS games. Result: Most non-major conference schools shouldn’t be in BCS games anyway. Stupid idea.
3. Obama could threaten to remove the NCAA’s tax-exempt status. Result: Not enough money for the NCAA’s smaller sports to survive.

Taking legal action for an issue that is so trivial when looking at the big picture would be a waste of time. But changes DO need to be made in college football. So here’s to hoping that the conference officials and university Presidents in charge of these decisions will listen to their President and will put an end to the BCS before someone else steps out of their place and does it for them.