The Media Needs Football To Start Now

You have to love the dog days of summer. 

Since the end of basketball free agency the major sports writers have been trying their mightiest to find a headline. 

Yeah, NFL training camps have opened but it isn't the same.  Baseball is in the summer lull and there hasn't been a no-hitter in almost a month.  So, what have the writers been doing, making up stories on topics that really aren't story worthy. 

I'll give a few examples and how I think they could be solved.

1.  LeBron James leaves to Miami, Owner Dan Gilbert writes a letter

There were many out there throwing around the race card on this letter. 

I read the letter and have to say it sounded more like a jilted lover and less like what Jesse Jackson said.  The obvious solution is this, ignore anything Jesse Jackson says. 

It doesn't matter what the issue, if Jackson can put his opinion in and claim racism, he will do it.  It should be noted, he never said a thing when the Black Panthers new president said in his opening speech, "Kill all white crackers and their kids." 

Guess Jackson didn't see it as racism.  I reiterate, when it comes to the Reverend, ignore him.

2.  Dez Bryant tells Roy Williams I will not carry your pads 

Ok, this rookie hazing stuff is crap. 

You don't see it happening in the military, the military academies and most big time businesses.  Heck, it doesn't happen often in any other sport but football.  All the athletes say it is a business, so treat it like one, shut up and just play. 

I don't see hazing as team building, I see it more as veterans getting a few laughs at the expense of others.  Also, Roy Williams called out Dez on this one.  Roy Williams only has two things going for him, he has been more productive than Mike Williams, and every so often he gets confused with the Pro Bowl DB Roy Williams.  Solution:  I have two, either ban rookie hazing or if you keep it and it is supposed to be about team unity, be a team and shove the media out.

3.  Nebraska Coach Bo Pelini bans the media for a few days

I had to laugh about this only because I first caught word of this from Tom Shatel's column in the Omaha World Herald. 

Mr. Shatel has had a mightier than thou attitude for some time and this past summer I figured out why, he comes from the University of Missouri School of Journalism. 

This is the same school that gave us "un-biased" facts that Nebraska stabbed Missouri in the back when it jumped to the Big Ten while selectively forgotten that Mizzou itself was courting the Big 10 themselves. 

Sour grapes to those writers and Mr Shatel. 

Anyway, the Nebraska media ban was due to the fact that writers were calling Sean Fisher's family while he was still on the operating table asking about his injury.  I guarantee his parents and head coach heard about the injury from some writer who wanted to make headlines before they heard about it from the coaching staff. 

Of course, I have two solutions. 

First, keep the media ban up, other schools do it and have the coaches and/or players talk to the media after practice.  Works for me. 

Second, if you want to allow the media to watch, put up a rule that states they are not allowed to post anything to their papers or on-line until after practice is over. 

On the injury front, nothing is allowed to be posted until official word of the days injuries is released by either the coaches or medical staff.  This gives those folks time to evaluate and contact family and were saved the grief of heartless writers badgering parents for information.

4.  LeGarrette Blount throws punch in practice

This headline is so ridiculous its not even funny.  News to all football fans out there, there are skirmishes, tussles, and yes, even fights in every training camp. 

Heck, Phillip Dillard of the New York Giants had a to-do with an offensive player last week as well. The only reason I found out is because I am a big time Nebraska fan and there was a bit about it through the Giants website. 

Nothing was mentioned on ESPN though, I guess the only fights they worry about involve Blount. 

Solution:  Get the whole story and put it out there.  Blount on many occasions tried to walk away from the skirmishes and just happened to get cornered. 

I don't care who you are, if you get cornered you are going to try your hardest and every way possible to get out.  The way it was put out there, it sounds like Blount pulled the same thing he did after the Oregon/BSU game.  That couldn't be further than the truth.

So, what to do know. 

As a whole, writers need to take a step back and get over this collective attitude that we can throw all morals out the window as long as we get the big story.  That cannot be further from the truth. 

A story is great, but if you sacrifice ethics and morals to get the story, are you helping or hurting yourself. 

Think about it and until next time, watch some pre-season football and hope the regular season starts sooner than later.

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