(From The USA Today -- By Michael McCarthy)
As CHARLES BARKLEY said famously in A NIKE COMMERICAL -- "I'm not a role model." The newest episodes of WHEN ATHLETES ATTACK will make it harder for pro sports to present its stars as role models.
Omnipresent cameras let media instantly capture the world of sports, good and bad. Incidents caught on tape by local TV crews jump with light speed to national sports networks such as ESPN. The result has been some MUST SEE TV this week.
There was TEXAS RANGERS pitcher KENNY ROGERS on Wednesday shoving several TV cameraman and hurling threats. TV viewers nationwide quickly saw Rogers' tirade, which could lead to criminal charges in addition to disciplinary action by MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL.
Rogers recently broke a pinkie punching a water cooler, and he has refused to talk to the media all year. Viewers saw him boil over as soon as he hit the field Wednesday. First he shoved FOX SPORTS NET (FSN) SOUTHWEST cameraman DAVID MAMMELI. Then he confronted cameraman LARRY RODRIGUEZ of KDFW-TV, throwing Rodriguez's camera to the ground and kicking it for good measure.
Rodriguez left the field on a stretcher. During an interview on ESPN RADIO's MIKE AND MIKE IN THE MORNING, he said Rogers threatened to "put the (expletive) camera where the sun doesn't shine." Rodriguez never thought in his "wildest dreams" the incident would generate so much coverage. "The sad thing is there were a lot of little kids there. They got to see that. That's just wrong," Rodriguez said.
RANGERS General Manager JOHN HART gets the award for the best NEWSPEAK comment -- "Kenny is having anger issues right now."
Rogers' meltdown took the heat off PHILADELPIA FLYERS center JEREMY ROENICK, who went on a rant about fans at MARIO LEMIEUX's celebrity golf tournament last weekend. The last thing the locked-out NHL needs is more bad publicity. But there was Roenick, saying hockey fans can "kiss my (expletive)."
During an interview with ESPN on Tuesday, Roenick clarified he was speaking only about fans who blame players for the lockout. But when Roenick tried to blame ESPN PRODUCERS for twisting his quotes because the "media loves controversy," anchor DAN PATRICK threw it back in his face.
What would the anchor do if fans criticized him as cocky, Roenick asked. "I wouldn't hold a press conference and rip the people who watch SPORTSCENTER," retorted Patrick.
The Rogers incident might not be as bad as INDIANA PACERS players charging DETROIT PISTONS fans in November or TEXAS RANGERS reliever FRANK FRANCISCO hurling a chair at OAKLAND A's fans, breaking a woman's nose, last season. But there seems to be a growing number of "blame the fan" or "blame the media" moments.
"We're seeing a pattern of behavior from athletes that's certainly disturbing," says BOB WILLIAMS, president of BURNS ENTERTAINMENT AND SPORTS, a firm that represents companies seeking celebrity endorsers. "In the sports world, it seems athletes have forgotten who ultimately pays the bills. That's the fans. The fact is they drive everything in the game."
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment