09/28/06

09/28/06
Inspiration

In my last rant-and-rave session, I reported the disappearance of my humor. Maybe, if all goes well and I can manage to be funny after this first story, I will be able to report its discovery. Unfortunately, during this first segment, you will most likely be shouting something along the lines of “Start making me laugh! And where are the sports?”
I will commence with little pretense. The inspiration to start writing a sports blog dropped on my door step in the form of Page 2, on ESPN.com. For those ignorant among us, Page 2 is a mind-bogglingly hilarious feature which brings realism, entertainment and some self deprecating humor into a world—the sports world—that is in desperate need of such medicine. Page 2 has several writers, including the greatest sports writer alive. Outside of articles devoted entirely to humor, there are also very well thought out treatises (which still contain fair amounts of laughs) on issues from the mainstream to the totally obscure—with clichés and stereotypes often effectively challenged.
Writers, commentators, players and even some fans take sports as a way of life rather than an entertainment source these days, and Page 2 is refreshing, in a “I just downed a cold soda on a 99 degree day with the humidity in the 110% range after playing basketball for three hours” kind of way, by reminding us all what a “sport” really is.
If Page 2 can get a lazy teenager to write, it must be doing something right. Recently, however, a nasty and childish feud between Jason Whitlock (a Page 2 writer—and a good one at that) and other ESPN employees has left Whitlock no longer employed by ESPN, Page 2 down a good writer, and bad tastes in all mouths.
Most people have never heard of Page 2, Mike Lupica, Scoop Jackson or Jason Whitlock, although a few might have seen him while filling in for Jim Rome on “Rome is Burning”, or Michael Wilbon on “PTI”. Whitlock is an opinionated, well-spoken man who usually has interesting ideas to discuss.
After referring to Mike Lupica, part of the show “Sports Reporters” as an “insecure, mean-spirited busybody”, and referring to Scoop Jackson, another Page 2 writer, as a “clown”, Whitlock was quietly dismissed by ESPN, whom Whitlock also spoke of when he said “And the publishing of (Jackson’s) fake ghetto posturing is an insult to black intelligence”. Jason Whitlock is an African American, and while he often injects racial issues into stories, more often than not his complaints reside in African Americans treating their own people in a way that would make Fifty Cent proud.
Jason Whitlock wrote an article published in the Kansas City Star in which he explained his side of the issue. He admitted ESPN had every right to do what they did, and said that he regards ESPN as a great network, but nonetheless one far too sensitive to differing opinions.
He fails to distinguish between differing opinions and name calling. He can claim Lupica and Jackson are wrong about everything (and they are often), and even report to them or to their employer (who happened to be his employer at the time) the problems he so clearly detailed in his interview on thebiglead.com. But going public with such ad hominem nonsense is cheap, childish and wrong.
Page 2 made me want to write. Now it makes me wonder if these guys do any writing at all, or just get in cat fights.
Oh well. There is still the greatest sports writer of all time and his articles on Art Shell. (if you haven’t read them... go read them. I kiddeth not).