Sensationalization of athletes misses point

I turned on ESPN Saturday morning expecting to see an analysis
of the Lakers-Blazers series or the usual weekend warm-up coverage.
Instead I came across startling news ““ Minnesota Timberwolves
forward Malik Sealy was dead at the age of 30.

Not too many thought Sealy ever would have been a symbol of the
NBA. But there he was last Saturday, the lead story on
Sportscenter.

It was the quintessential example of sports transcending the
sporting world. And it is getting harder and harder to find the
positives in sports when you combine recent tragedies with the
violence and substance abuse that has haunted athletes in recent
years.

The positives of sports seem to be outweighed in media coverage
by its disasters and misfortunes.

It seems as if sports journalism is increasingly turning to the
world of scandal where everywhere you turn you are confronted with
yet another episode in the saga of professional sports. Media
outlets now choose not to rely on pure coverage of sporting events
in favor of the personal lives of the athletes that are so much
more entertaining (and accessible).

I would much rather see stories about future superstars or
athletes doing charity work than see Ray Lewis being led to a
courtroom in handcuffs. The mind-numbing hours spent on OJ coverage
and the Dennis Rodman fashion hour could have been used for quality
news stories on topics that get lower air play, such as
non-mainstream college athletics.

True, the television audience isn’t crying out for
Caribbean Jai Alai coverage. Also, it seems that the public licks
its proverbial chops anytime an athlete gets in trouble, and the
media has a duty to cover those events. But is it justified to make
a soap opera out of a sentencing hearing?

Take for example the attention given to the Mike Tyson trial a
few years back. Tyson was at the top of his career and was the
center of the boxing world. He also became a celebrity outside of
the sport and his life was followed like he was in the royal
family. The coverage of his life was separated, however, with
sports news covering sports and tabloids covering his
nightlife.

When the rape scandal struck, the media world turned
topsy-turvy. Suddenly, ESPN and other sports papers spent countless
“in-depth” hours dissecting the trial. They
didn’t just beat the horse dead, but their audience as
well.

The Tyson epic was not an isolated incident as countless stories
have been given the too-much-coverage treatment. While stories
about the deaths of Sealy and Charlotte Hornets guard Bobby Phills
deserve media attention, I do not agree that it should take airplay
away from other quality stories.

The future looks bleak for Australian badminton, however, until
either the public or the media start to care more. The world of
sports has the ability to capture our minds and hearts outside of
the sport in the real world. Athletes are placed on pedestals of
immortality and anytime that notion is challenged it leaves the
audience baffled at how such a tragedy could happen. In that
respect, the fact that we can’t do anything about an
athlete’s fall is the hardest part.

But don’t worry, Hungarian handball, as soon as your
athletes gain superstar status or commit a felony maybe
you’ll get the media attention you richly deserve.