Sporting Trolls

     Many complain about how much the face of professional sports has changed since the 1980’s. The athletes are viewed as less tough and more egocentric. Football players can’t hit the same way, and basketball players can’t foul as hard. The rivalries aren’t true because of the fraternizing on and off the field (heaven forbid these men actually be friends!). Entertainment moguls have incorporated themselves into the limelight (i.e. Jay-Z). And, last, but not least, the best players are joining forces to form unstoppable teams (i.e.: the rumors and uproar of the Heat pursuing Carmelo Anthony during the offseason).

     But, I honestly don’t think that the world of sports has changed very much. What’s more, the few things that have changed have been for the better. Roger Goodell and the NFL are making great strides to make the game safer for the players. With all of the troubles that  Flopping may be running rampant in the NBA, but that’s nothing new (need proof? Watch some Bill Laimbeer footage from the old school Pistons). Adam Silver and co. are trying to fix that with fines. Fans like to forget people of the entertainment industry have always been a part of sports (i.e. Spike Lee’s obsession with the Knicks and Jack Nicholson’s obsession with the Lakers). And, I hate to break the basketball purist’s heart, but players joining forces to accomplish greatness isn’t new either (i.e. Wilt Chamberlain joining forces with Elgin Baylor and Jerry West in LA).

     True, fighting will get a basketball player in much more trouble today than in the past, but after the Pacer vs. Piston/Piston fan fight in 2004, I think it was necessary.

     The changes have been for the better.

     The fans just don’t appreciate it.

     The reason is the media.

     That’s right. I said it. The media is destroying the way fans view sports, not the sports themselves.

     Now, I’ve never been one for conspiracies. I don’t think that destroying sports was the media’s intention. It was something that kind of just…happened. Some  commentators,  being former athletes, are bitter because they no longer can perform on the same level as the young guys. They make, saying things like, “The Broncos’ offense is good, but they wouldn’t be able to handle the Steel Curtain!” or, “Kevin Durant is great, but I doubt he would put up that many points against the ’86 Celtics!” Some journalists are bitter that they never made it in the big leagues (I’m not going to drop any names..cough..Skip Bayless..cough cough), so they hold the athletes to a ridiculously high, unattainable standard.

     True, the journalists and former athletes/commentators have been around for a long time, but there is now another factor that wasn’t around twenty years ago: internet and social media.

With the internet, you don’t need cable to know what’s going on In the sport’s world. Just hop on YouTube or ESPN.com and you can find anything you need. With today’s technology, you can access the latest updates from nearly anywhere on your phone. I love it. Never have we had such quick access to information.

      This new feature of our life also allows quick access to opinions—strong opinions. And, unfortunately, the more controversial or whiny an opinion is, the more viral that opinion becomes.

When Richard Sherman was interviewed after the 2013-14 NFC championship, he acted the way that almost any football player in his position would act. There was nothing shocking about what he said if you actually had played football, even if it was just high school ball. He was excited. His adrenaline was pumping. He had just made the biggest play of his career. Of course he’s going to rant and talk trash! Welcome to football, media. That doesn’t mean he is a thug. That means he is an athlete.

      When Jameis Winston was interviewed after Florida State won the BCS championship, the popular, and cruel, opinion of his lack of intelligence began to circulate. Okay, buddy. Let’s see how well you articulate on national television right after you lead your team to a comeback-championship victory and your emotions are running high.

      These are just a few of many public opinions that have been popularized primarily because of social media. People that would never actually sit down and watch a football game were now able to watch a clip and have an opinion on something they don’t really know about. The clip becomes viral, thus putting a bad face on sports. People begin longing for the old, but fail to realize that sports haven’t necessarily changed. What’s changed is the way we get our sports news. Now, everybody can have an opinion, even if their opinion is a terrible one.

       I’m not saying every journalist or commentator is wrong in their opinion. I’m just wondering what happened to developing our own opinion on sports? Hating today’s sports in preference to the old days has become the new norm. That doesn’t make sense to me. The athletes today are bigger, faster, stronger, and more skilled in many ways. They are just as classy. They may seem egotistical, but, trust me, even the guys back then would have a Twitter account if it were available (heck, I follow Kareem and Magic now).  True, they never had to play the teams from the 1970’s or ‘80’s, but, guess what? Until time travel exists, they never will.

      So, just sit back and enjoy the show. Stop your trolling. Sports are still great.