Will, this is going to be FASCINATING.
The Jets have a history of...shall we say...hedonistic quarterbacks. Guys marketed specifically for a big, open, cosmopolitan city. That's not Tim Tebow, although he is a quarterback with a strong personal brand.
Believe it or not (you probably won't) I have little interest in seeing Tebow humiliated or villified or made into a hypocrite. His "LOOKATME LOOKATME LOOKATME I'M EVER SO PIOUS!" brand of Christianity grates on my to...well...high heaven, but I don't want to see him brought low just because he believes in god differently than I do.
But I do want him challenged. I want to see him made to answer tough questions and consider evidence that contradicts his conclusions. I want to see him think through all of the ramifications of his very public strand of Christianity, and decide how much of that he's willing to live with.
Because here's the thing: I have no reason to think that he is a fundamentally mean or stupid man. Indeed, I think if he were confronted with some of the problems of his line of thinking- if he had to tell a rape victim to carry the fetus to term, or had to explain to a gay American why he should be accorded fewer rights than anyone else- he would rethink his positions. And if he does, well, he could become a powerful advocate for a kinder, more inclusive form of Christianity. But, up until now, I think that, as the home-schooled son of missionaries blessed with preternatural athletic gifts, he has been rather sheltered from confronting those things.
Well. That's sure going to end in the NYC media market.
Showing posts with label Tim Tebow. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Tim Tebow. Show all posts
Wednesday, March 21, 2012
Friday, February 17, 2012
We Report What We Decide
So LeBron James has indicated that he's open to playing for the Cleveland Cavaliers again, which of course means that ESPN has exploded into ZOMGWTFBBQ mode. Here is the quote:
A couple points:
1) A search of google, YouTube, and ESPN's web site could not reveal a transcript of the interview in which LeBron's comments were made. Meaning we don't know what the interviewer actually asked. Was the reporter asking soon? Eventually? Ever? Why can't ANYONE post a video of this interview or a transcript to show us the exact context of the answer?
2) LeBron himself gave no time frame on such a return, nor did he list it as a certainty. He didn't say he intended to come back, or even that he wanted to come back, simply that he wouldn't rule out the possibility.
Now, with those two things in mind, let's run through some of the reactions:
1) Michael Smith on ESPN's First Take used the language of infidelity in regards to LeBron, saying that Miami went from being the mistress to the second wife. The panelists then discussed whether Miami fans should be offended.
2) Michael Wallace for ESPN continued the sexual talk and piled on condemnation by writing an article entitled "LeBron wrong to flirt with Cavaliers reunion."
It isn't a reaction, actually, but back in January Sam Amico of Fox Sports speculated that LeBron would return to Cleveland in 2014 when his contract in Miami is up because he doesn't like the management there. Anyone doubt this will breathe new life into such speculation?
LeBron didn't take out an article in the Cleveland Plain Dealer polling the city what they would think about him returning in 2014. He was in Cleveland for a game against the Cavs, and a reporter asked him if he'd ever come back. What was he supposed to say? I mean, he had options. He could have said "no comment." He could have said "no way." He could have said "as soon as possible." He could have said "I am your Lord God and thou shalt have no gods before me." There is an infinite combination of words in the English language, but I don't see anything in LeBron's statements to invite such sermonizing or speculation. Maybe he will one day return to Cleveland. Maybe if he tries Cleveland will tell him to get lost. Who knows? Who cares? We are talking about something that probably won't happen ever, and even if it does, couldn't happen before 2014. ESPN is spending hours discussing a possibility two or more years down the road when they won't spend 5 minutes out of 1440 minutes a day talking about hockey, or soccer.
That's the crux of this, is that this didn't become a story that they reported on. They created this story. I think the "worst" think you could say about this is that LeBron was offering an olive branch to a city and franchise he snubbed because deep down he wants everyone to like him. Whether that's a character flaw or not isn't something I'm interested in discussing right now. What it isn't is an invitation to speculate on the timing or probability of a return. But ESPN ran with it anyway, which is going to lead me to punch myself in the balls by bringing up the dreaded name of Tebow.
ESPN is still, today, mentioning Tebow and Tebowmania. They are using Linsanity to bring Tebow up. During the regular season and the playoffs they used any excuse to bring up Tebow, going so far as to mention his name 160 times in a single hour long broadcast of SportsCenter. Throughout all of this, they would open the discussion with a defense of why they were bringing it up by saying "it's all people are talking about." But maybe the only reason people are talking about it, is because ESPN, as the biggest name in sports news, made such a big point of promoting him. This blog already had one post comparing the stats of Tebow, Joe Flacco, and Alex Smith during the regular season that showed how Tebow was worse than them in every measurable way.
I am actually not hating on Linsanity, but what percentage of the people that are aware of Jeremy Lin are aware of Ty Lawson and his work with the Denver Nuggets, or Kyrie Irving in Cleveland? But Lin plays in New York, which nets more exposure, and he is a more compelling story at the moment when you factor in the win streak and the personal struggles he's overcome.
But let's recognize that in saying that, sports reporters are making an editorial decision. ESPN is making specific programming decisions. They have an agenda, and they are pushing it. By tying Tebow into Linsanity, they are explicitly using a player they didn't create to try and maintain the relevance of a player they did create. And while they never doubted Tebow, watching First Take the past two days you'll already see the knives coming out to tear down Lin. Yesterday they declared the death of Lin puns, and today they are already anticipating the bubble popping, the other shoe dropping. When Lin (and the Knicks, let's not forget them) finally lose (which they will), I wonder what the story will be then. But there will be an angle, and ESPN will be crafting it, not reporting it. Perhaps it's inevitable, maybe it's desirable, but what it isn't is something they are blameless of doing.
"I think it would be great, it would be fun to play in front of these fans again. I had a lot of fun times here. You can't predict the future. Hopefully you continue to stay healthy. I'm here as a Miami player and I'm happy where I am now but I don't rule that out in any sense. If I decide to come back, hopefully the fans will accept me."
A couple points:
1) A search of google, YouTube, and ESPN's web site could not reveal a transcript of the interview in which LeBron's comments were made. Meaning we don't know what the interviewer actually asked. Was the reporter asking soon? Eventually? Ever? Why can't ANYONE post a video of this interview or a transcript to show us the exact context of the answer?
2) LeBron himself gave no time frame on such a return, nor did he list it as a certainty. He didn't say he intended to come back, or even that he wanted to come back, simply that he wouldn't rule out the possibility.
Now, with those two things in mind, let's run through some of the reactions:
1) Michael Smith on ESPN's First Take used the language of infidelity in regards to LeBron, saying that Miami went from being the mistress to the second wife. The panelists then discussed whether Miami fans should be offended.
2) Michael Wallace for ESPN continued the sexual talk and piled on condemnation by writing an article entitled "LeBron wrong to flirt with Cavaliers reunion."
It isn't a reaction, actually, but back in January Sam Amico of Fox Sports speculated that LeBron would return to Cleveland in 2014 when his contract in Miami is up because he doesn't like the management there. Anyone doubt this will breathe new life into such speculation?
LeBron didn't take out an article in the Cleveland Plain Dealer polling the city what they would think about him returning in 2014. He was in Cleveland for a game against the Cavs, and a reporter asked him if he'd ever come back. What was he supposed to say? I mean, he had options. He could have said "no comment." He could have said "no way." He could have said "as soon as possible." He could have said "I am your Lord God and thou shalt have no gods before me." There is an infinite combination of words in the English language, but I don't see anything in LeBron's statements to invite such sermonizing or speculation. Maybe he will one day return to Cleveland. Maybe if he tries Cleveland will tell him to get lost. Who knows? Who cares? We are talking about something that probably won't happen ever, and even if it does, couldn't happen before 2014. ESPN is spending hours discussing a possibility two or more years down the road when they won't spend 5 minutes out of 1440 minutes a day talking about hockey, or soccer.
That's the crux of this, is that this didn't become a story that they reported on. They created this story. I think the "worst" think you could say about this is that LeBron was offering an olive branch to a city and franchise he snubbed because deep down he wants everyone to like him. Whether that's a character flaw or not isn't something I'm interested in discussing right now. What it isn't is an invitation to speculate on the timing or probability of a return. But ESPN ran with it anyway, which is going to lead me to punch myself in the balls by bringing up the dreaded name of Tebow.
ESPN is still, today, mentioning Tebow and Tebowmania. They are using Linsanity to bring Tebow up. During the regular season and the playoffs they used any excuse to bring up Tebow, going so far as to mention his name 160 times in a single hour long broadcast of SportsCenter. Throughout all of this, they would open the discussion with a defense of why they were bringing it up by saying "it's all people are talking about." But maybe the only reason people are talking about it, is because ESPN, as the biggest name in sports news, made such a big point of promoting him. This blog already had one post comparing the stats of Tebow, Joe Flacco, and Alex Smith during the regular season that showed how Tebow was worse than them in every measurable way.
I am actually not hating on Linsanity, but what percentage of the people that are aware of Jeremy Lin are aware of Ty Lawson and his work with the Denver Nuggets, or Kyrie Irving in Cleveland? But Lin plays in New York, which nets more exposure, and he is a more compelling story at the moment when you factor in the win streak and the personal struggles he's overcome.
But let's recognize that in saying that, sports reporters are making an editorial decision. ESPN is making specific programming decisions. They have an agenda, and they are pushing it. By tying Tebow into Linsanity, they are explicitly using a player they didn't create to try and maintain the relevance of a player they did create. And while they never doubted Tebow, watching First Take the past two days you'll already see the knives coming out to tear down Lin. Yesterday they declared the death of Lin puns, and today they are already anticipating the bubble popping, the other shoe dropping. When Lin (and the Knicks, let's not forget them) finally lose (which they will), I wonder what the story will be then. But there will be an angle, and ESPN will be crafting it, not reporting it. Perhaps it's inevitable, maybe it's desirable, but what it isn't is something they are blameless of doing.
Monday, January 16, 2012
A Comprehensive Theory on NFL Schadenfreude
This is an easy one: There is a strong, direct correlation between the grandiosity of a player's "victory" celebration and your joy in seeing him defeated.
This is why the games this weekend were so awesome. There was no discount double check from RAHDJAHS! There was no Tebow-ing from Tebow (and I don't give a shit about his sincerely held faith, it's a fucking touchdown dance. You don't need to talk to Jesus every time you score like a potty-trained child calling his parents every time he successfully flushes. Anyway, Jesus, being Arab, is way more into football than football). I don't know what Brady and Manning's touchdown celebrations are- fucking some model and crying alone in a dark room, respectively, if I had to guess- and that's kind of exactly my point.
Now of course, there is a limit to this. Once you get to TO or Ochiocinco levels of insanity, it loops back around, and you'd be glad to see that again. For instance, I wouldn't spray fire retardant foam on the Milwaukee Brewers if they were trapped in a tire fire, but this is just delightful. But those kinds of celebrations are usually isolated and unique, one-time things done in the hopes of getting a viral video.
This is why the games this weekend were so awesome. There was no discount double check from RAHDJAHS! There was no Tebow-ing from Tebow (and I don't give a shit about his sincerely held faith, it's a fucking touchdown dance. You don't need to talk to Jesus every time you score like a potty-trained child calling his parents every time he successfully flushes. Anyway, Jesus, being Arab, is way more into football than football). I don't know what Brady and Manning's touchdown celebrations are- fucking some model and crying alone in a dark room, respectively, if I had to guess- and that's kind of exactly my point.
Now of course, there is a limit to this. Once you get to TO or Ochiocinco levels of insanity, it loops back around, and you'd be glad to see that again. For instance, I wouldn't spray fire retardant foam on the Milwaukee Brewers if they were trapped in a tire fire, but this is just delightful. But those kinds of celebrations are usually isolated and unique, one-time things done in the hopes of getting a viral video.
Sunday, January 15, 2012
Just In Case...
...you were hoping that the Patriots' victory last night would tie a bow on the Tim Tebow saga (figuring, probably correctly, that defenses are going to figure him out during the offseason), I'd like to point out...
...that the QB who dismantled the Broncos last night grew up outside of San Francisco, plays in Massachusetts, has a side job as a male model, married a foreign (female) model, fathered a child out of wedlock, and is coached by the most Machiavellian motherfucker this side of Rahm Emmanuel.
Oh yeah. The culture war skirmish around Tim Tebow is alive and well, baby. It's just entered the Sarah-Palin-Esque, We've-Already-Lost-And-Now-We-Just-Resent-The-Hell-Out-Of-It Phase.
...that the QB who dismantled the Broncos last night grew up outside of San Francisco, plays in Massachusetts, has a side job as a male model, married a foreign (female) model, fathered a child out of wedlock, and is coached by the most Machiavellian motherfucker this side of Rahm Emmanuel.
Oh yeah. The culture war skirmish around Tim Tebow is alive and well, baby. It's just entered the Sarah-Palin-Esque, We've-Already-Lost-And-Now-We-Just-Resent-The-Hell-Out-Of-It Phase.
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