Layup

"Not everybody agreed with ESPN's decision to air LeBron's live TV event. ... it ultimately undermined the network's journalistic integrity and spun out of control."

This one is not tough, what journalistic integrity?

ESPN will write, print, show, air whatever they need to in order to keep the masses coming, to keep them entertained. ESPN has become the Barnum and Bailey of Sportscasting. Yes they have some good reporters out there in the field, but the percentage of "journalistic integrity" at ESPN versus not has actually had me writing the occasional email to ESPN writers that do write a great story, or cover a story with sensitive content in a classy way.

ESPN is no different than our society in this way, unfortunately, but it is true that there is no so little "journalistic integrity" that the rare appearance of such is what catches the eye, rather than a lack thereof.

The Lebron James "Decision" show was simply a manifestation of Lebron and all his ills and ESPN's lack of journalistic integrity all coming together in one place. The perfect storm of US sports absurdity.

It is time that ESPN, professional sports, professional athletes and US sports in general get back to the basics to clean up our act in this country.

Here is the real question, if Lebron had stayed in Cleavland, and that whole show had been a celebration of that fact and of Cleavland and Cleavland sports, would ESPN be admitting any error in judgement at this point?? And yes that was a rhetorical question.

Thank you ESPN for spurring today's sports thought!!

MJ Speaks

Very simply put, MJ finally said what so many have thought and said, and in so many ways, but thankfully, as usual, MJ said it with many fewer words, and from a perspective that no one else on the planet could ever have, and with a class that he carries because of his father, those he played with and against, Magic, Bird and Pippen primarily, and because of his respect for the game.

Lebron has made a fool out of himself, he has made himself rich, and he has given himself a much better chance to win a championship than he had in Cleavland, maybe, but he has done so in such a way that not only has it all become a circus, but Lebron has become the clown.

So many people said it today, and I firmly believe it, sports, and athletes, are simply not the same anymore. It has all lost something. I blame it on Facebook.

Thank you ESPN for spurring today's sports thought!!

Stop The Madness

OK, so we all know I am not exactly a Lebron James fan, in fact I firmly believe that if Lebron were to join the Heat is would be the third best player on that team, but I need to continue here for a moment tonight. This is not really about Lebron, but about sports in this country period, it is just that Lebron is the most obvious and visable symptom.

A one hour special to announce a decision as to where he is going to play basketball next year?? Yes, it is great that he will help the Boy's and Girl's Clubs of America, but does anyone really buy that they are the only reason he is doing this special?? Not to mention the "whores" that ESPN have become...OK we will come back to that one at a later date because they do give me something to write about every day.

We have youth sports in this country that has gotten so bad that I actually saw a player, in a youth game, under elevens mind you, shove a coach!! Yes I said shove a coach. Now, I give the coach, parent helping out as a coach, a great deal of credit for not losing it on the player, and in fact he stayed patient with this young man, and I use the term as loosely as humanly possible,and gently made his point before leaving him on the end of the bench for the rest of the game to rot. But, this kind of behavior is not the exception at this point, it is the rule.

It started, I guess, with the spike in football, and then the Icky shuffle, and now it has reached a point hat college players in the major sports celebrate and taunt routinely, and as it works it way down, none of the work ethic, respect for coaches, respect for teammates, opponents, the games themselves, or even competition exists anymore and so you simply have spoiled, entitled little "shits" running around believing they rule the world, and then we wonder why we have had to use "professional" athletes, and I use that term loosely as well, for all the team sports in the Olympics.

Take a look at the teams, the countries, the different sports that all of sudden everyone is getting good at, and look at the United States. Look at the World Cup and the countries that were suddenly competitive. We have lost control of youth, athletes, and sports in this country, and we have definitely lost control of youth sports. People will tell me well it is because we don't have enough good coaches at the youth levels, or the high school levels, the sport is simply growing too fast. Well maybe we should take some control over how we grow the sports we grow in this country and maybe the people that want to help should do a little more than just show up, and if we do that, if the "grown-ups" take responsibility and ownership of educating themselves about that which they are trying to teach, including the sportsmanship and respect components, then maybe the youth players will take their lead.

What a novel concept, coaches leading players by example, glad I thought of it!!

Thank you ESPN for spurring today's sports thought!!