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Sure sports folk, do what you want,
we um...we CAN see you, you know? |
Someone pull the plug.
End this madness.
Give my
son someone to look up to as he tries to find a roll model on ESPN. “Daddy, did
Tiger Woods kill somebody?”. “Of course not buddy you must be thinking of O.J
Simpson....or...former Super Bowl MVP Ray Lewis, perhaps you have him confused
with Jason Williams from the New Jersey Nets..um, yes son Tiger probably killed
someone.”
Having watched sports as well as The Discovery Channel over the last
20 years it is not difficult to believe tigers are capable of killing, perhaps
more than just gazelles.
When did this madness begin, this glorification of
demons, this infidelity turned innocuous, drug use turned commonplace?
When
will I have a media machine that will help me explain to my kids that cheating
on mommy is not cool?
Where is Mohammed Ali when you need to explain how going
to jail is sometimes necessary, not just something that will cost you a few
million dollars when it is time to re-negotiate your contract?
In 1967 Mohammed Ali famously declared, “I ain’t
got no quarrel with them Viet Cong..They never called me nigger”. He was
consequently stripped of his title, banned from boxing, and vilified. It was a
truly reprehensible affair, with the press treating this man like Satan rather
than a man of conscience.
Since then there has been a steady stream of
professional athletes guilty of, on their best day, moral turpitude, drug use
and general jackassness while the media and their respective sporting
organizations have turned a blind eye to this despicable behavior. An hypocrisy
that has once again reared it’s ugly head with the actions most recently of
Tiger Woods and John Terry.
When did this double standard begin and more
importantly when will it end?
In my life, I believe I witnessed the beginning
of the end in 1991, the summer and autumn of my discontent. PeeWee Herman was
arrested for masturbating in an adult theatre in the late hours of the night. Magic Johnson, 5 time NBA champion and LA Laker great, shocked the world with
the announcement that he had tested positive for the HIV virus.
PeeWee Herman
lost everything, while Magic Johnson was named to The Presidential Council on
AIDS. George H.W. Bush famously remarked,"For
me, Magic is a hero, a hero for anyone who loves sports."
The
beginning of the end.
A man who contracted a then fatal disease cheating on his
wife and jeopardizing the life of his unborn child a hero, while a man
practicing the safest sex lost upwards of 50 million dollars?
From that moment on the world has been treated
to an onslaught of sex and drug scandals in the land of sport, rarely resulting
in anything but a slap on the wrist and a forgive and forget attitude from the
media and fans of these giants.
I guess I shouldn’t expect media condemnation
when the media includes people like Marv Albert.
Albert an NBA and New York
Knicks commentator had his own issues in 1997 when he was tried and convicted
for biting a woman on the ass during an extramarital affair that included his
proclivity toward cross-dressing. Despite losing his job at the time Marv
Albert can still be seen and heard on NBC working Christmas Day NBA games as a commentator.
For anyone who has seen the recent documentary
Tyson, it will come as no surprise that Mike Tyson is a good boxer and if the
media had there way a slightly confused man. Slightly confused? A convicted
rapist and famous ear biter (twice) is just misunderstood if it means a big
money fight on HBO.
Basketball seems to bring out the best in
everyone. Michael Jordan, the best player of all time, was embroiled in a
number of sex scandals. I would elaborate but because he was Michael Jordan I
don’t even remember these. No one with such skills could ever be held
accountable for his actions and since the media deemed this forgettable
behavior I will choose to forget it. Kobe Bryant on the other hand is a rapist, I
mean defending champion and MVP, no rapist.
I get so confused.
While this behavior and wink-wink mentality with
the press is certainly an international affair it seems the USA just does it
best. Their national pastime, baseball, has been haunted over the years with
allegations of drug use. Not fun drug use, though cocaine ran rampant through
the professional ranks in years past, but performance enhancing drugs that have
seen its most celebrated achievers breaking records of yore while juicing
themselves up with steroids. Mark McGuire, who first broke Roger Maris’ record
for home runs in a single season recently “apologized” for his drug use though
did so while the media was tearing Tiger Woods apart and the spotlight was
focused elsewhere.
And yes the media and news outlets did have some
fun with Mr. Woods but he will be welcomed back with open arms. He sells
newspapers, Buicks, and Gatorade.
Additionally he has said the three magic
words that make everything okay or a minor infraction at worst: “Sorry”, “God”
and “Therapy”.
Brendan Byrne, is a freelance writer, and impossible mix of sycophant and misanthrope. He truly is horrible, if he walks into your city/town grab the pitchforks and torches. Until then, he will drink rather than monetize his blog, and tempt us with his "past the deadline angst" we trust he could have finished two days earlier. He hates himself for living with a French woman, and is a confirmed serial monogamist, but loves it when women contact him at theflask@gmail.com
