Why I Am Sometimes Ashamed To Be A Part Of The Media
This post has been lurking around in my brain for the last several days. I almost let the idea pass until I saw that Jay Busbee felt the need to let us know that a bouncer at Dale Earnhardt’s night club “Whiskey River” was busted for dealing cocaine.
Then I got pissed off. Really pissed.
Why? Why is this worthy of mention in the sports section of Yahoo? If Anthony Ortega Rodriguez were working ANYWHERE ELSE BESIDES DALE JR.’S BAR he’d be relegated to the newspaper police blotter in the newspaper and he’d merit maybe one news cycle’s mention on the local TV and radio stations.
Cue “Dirty Laundry” by Don Henley as my soundtrack.
I’m just sick of crap like this. This comes on the heels of a week where All-Pro knucklehead Plaxico Burress shoots himself in the leg accidently with a firearm he’s not permitted to carry. This week, the world of sports is also dealing with the potential suspension of 5 NFLers for use of a banned substance, and one of its greats being sentenced on a variety of criminal offenses. I could go on about more about professional athletes behaving badly, but that would take more time than I want to devote here to it.
On more than one occasion my boss has told me I need to split my sportscasts in to three parts: the scores, the news and the crime report. It’s downright shameful sometimes- and you may find it hard to believe- but it wasn’t always this way.
Newsflash: sports has always had its share of miscreants. In the 1920s, a woman was reputed to had slept with the entire USC football team, including a player by the name of Marion Morrison, a guy we came to know as John Wayne. Babe Ruth was a world class party hound, as were the likes of Mickey Mantle, Paul Hornung, Joe Namath, Wilt Chamberlain, Curtis Turner, and the list goes on and on in all sports.
The difference between the relative silence on the misdeeds of these players versus what we read and see today has to do with the messengers: the media. Back in the day- we didn’t have ESPN, Fox Sports, Yahoo and a small army of bloggers to report on “Pops” Turner’s all night parties. The NASCAR pioneer ran many race hung over and on no sleep whatsoever. Only years later in biographies would you read about how Yankees players would risk career-ending injuries dodging trouble, or would we find out that Wilt The Stilt has more conquests than Ghengis Kahn. The media knew, but there were far less of them than now, and they found no good purpose in besmirching athletes idolized by little kids and big kids alike.
Maybe they had it right.
I know that it serves no good to look at the world through rose-colored glasses. We put mere mortals on pedestals they were not intended to stand on. Frankly, I don’t mind a little humanity in my favorite athlete. Thus, I can live with whatever the truth was on the dissolution of Jeff Gordon’s first marriage. I am willing to look past the drug addictions of a Josh Hamilton. I understand that, put in their shoes, I might “go postal” like Carl Edwards has done on an occasion or two. But for the grace of God, there go I.
To some extent, the news is the news and you have to report it, no matter how unpleasant it is. I experienced this first hand as a one-time associate of mine was arrested for trying to arrange a tryst with an underage girl on the Internet. If for no other reason than public safety, I must report it.
But think about all the other stories, like this one about a bouncer at Whiskey River. Will people us this to insinuate that Dale Jr. may be tied to drugs and unsavory types? Absolutely. You know his detractors will be all over that like a bulldog on a pork chop.
To me the question is this: Is it a news story? Sadly….yes. Does it serve a purpose to report where Rodriguez worked? Yes. Does it belong on the sports page?
HELL NO. No more than these sophomoric discussions as to whether or not Alex Rodriguez is involved with Madonna. It’s none of your damn business, and neither is it mine.
You know now why I never visit Jayski’s. Yes, I am calling him out for passing off rumor as fact. It’s why when it comes to sports talk radio- I’ll take Chris Myers over Andrew Siciliano (a guy I like when he sticks to sports) anytime. It’s why I respect “JT The Brick” (though I disagree with his viewpoints frequently) more than I do Jim Rome.
Personally, I’d rather stick the scores and focus more on the scores of uplifting stories that get little attention. Yes, I have a responsibility to report the news, no matter how negative it is, but it doesn’t mean I need to devote endless conversation to the Michael Vicks and the Barry Bonds of the world. Not when I have a Kyle Petty, or a Brandon Roy, or a Tony Stewart to talk about.
If you’ll excuse me, I feel like I need to take a shower now.
God have mercy on us all.
December 6th, 2008 at 10:31 am
Well I didn’t know anything about it until I read your blog but having read that I have to comment.
You can’t have it both ways - you can’t use your “stardom” to promote a business and then not expect it to draw all kinds of attention including the negative. That said, I would never think Dale Jr had anything to do with the selling of coke at his club. He would not be involved in the hiring of anyone other than a manager who would then be responsible for the staff.
Jr fans overreact to this kind of thing and truthfully Jr should be more embarassed by that then the fact that some one at his club hired a drug dealer.
December 6th, 2008 at 10:40 am
I live in the New York metro area and arrests of bouncers or other employees of a nightclub or bar, particularly a well-known one, for drugs or other offenses aren’t just relegated to the police blotter, it’s news because of the fight against drugs in general and at nightclubs/bars specifically. Maybe it depends on the part of the country that something like this takes place in but regardless of who owns the club/bar I would expect an arrest like this to generate more coverage than just a brief mention.
I also have to agree with the person above me - you can’t promote a bar on the basis of it’s association with a celebrity and then expect that person to be immune from criticism or negativity when things happen. It’s for that reason I was surprised when Junior decided to enter into this kind of a business venture. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with bars or nightclubs but there is a risk of issues like this and NASCAR is a very image conscious sport where sometimes minor things turn into a big deal.
December 6th, 2008 at 11:37 am
@ April - You make a good point. For my part, my greater issue is with the messenger than the message. While you take risks as a celebrity in a venture like this, I think the news was handled immaturely. I have as much a sense of humor about things as the next guy, but I’m not sure a story like this one where I would apply humor. Drugs ruin lives and in this case, dirt reputations by association.
December 6th, 2008 at 11:45 am
@ Deborah- Even here in southern Oregon-where Medford is nicknamed “Methford”- we see more than you might think. I’m not suggesting a story like this gets only a paragraph, but to then go off on some kind of riff about the scurrilous activities of NASCAR drivers (even if tongue in cheek) is to me inappropriate.
I also tend to wonder what it says about our world when a post like this gets 3 times the traffic that a more positive piece gets, like when I put up a post here concerning the philanthropy of NASCAR drivers. A rhetorical question.
December 6th, 2008 at 1:50 pm
Idolizing athletes? Are you kidding me? These guys are the same morons you went to high school with. They don’t deserve to be idolized _ ever. And you’re not a media member. Don’t make me puke. You’re a fanboy.
December 6th, 2008 at 2:46 pm
@Steve. Actually I am. What do you know of my professional background? Not much apparently. That said, I agree with you comment- though I’d take it further. Putting anyone on a pedestal is a set-up for disappointment- regardless of who it is.
December 7th, 2008 at 11:55 am
Normally, I consider myself pretty NASCAR savy. I’m an ammature writer for a couple different NASCAR-related websites, however it was a friend who made me privy to this article. Other than that, I had heard nothing. I can come out and admit the fact I am a Dale Jr. fan, so surly to most this opinion will seem bias.
First, I was at Whisky River in August while stopping in Mooresville in the last leg of our summer vacation from the coast, working our way back to Ohio. It’s an “A-list” club, and anyone can determine that simply from walking through the doors. If you get in early, they will graciously permit you to sit in areas normally “reserved” for the money holders. Other than that, you sit at one of two bars, or stand. It’s a nice facility, don’t get me wrong, however, it was conceived to cater to a certain clientelle. Of course, Jr. states this is one more way his fans can get closer to him, but as I recall I paid $6.00 for a Beam and Coke!!! Take it at face value.
However, once reading the article, and being a staunch Dale Jr. fan, I, in no way, would ever insinuate that he was dealing out of his nightclub simply because a bouncer got busted doing the same. Therefore, let me put to rest that Jr. fans “over-react to this kind of thing”. That’s it, it’s no more to me than just a “thing”. He owns a business, whoopie! There are always risks among your employee base any time you are the head cheese, and this is one of them. It would surprise most to know how many drivers dabble in business ownership. I can assure all of you that this will: ONE, not effect his fan base whatsoever, and TWO, nor stop patronage to his nightclub. Hell, even I’d go back the next time I’m in The Charlotte area. Let sleeping dogs lie, and focus on racing. After all, it wasn’t Dale Jr. snorting, dealing, or shooting himself in the leg.
December 7th, 2008 at 11:58 am
Ack, I really should proof-read before I hit submit. It shold read, “Therefore, let me put to read that Jr. fans don’t “over-react to this kind of thing”.
December 7th, 2008 at 1:02 pm
@ Steve……I’ve been privy to Jim’s knowledge of Nascar for quite awhile now. He IS a professional……don’t dog him on his own website.
Now Jim….. I whole agree with you 100%. In every city there is a bar with problems such as this…. Why exploit this one. Just because it is Jr.’s bar doesn’t mean he is there 24/7 to take care of such things.
December 7th, 2008 at 2:33 pm
@Jerm. Thanks for sharing your experience. I admit- the last bar I went to a bar- it was in SLC where the Jazz guys hang out. Any bar you go to where you get frisked on the way in is a sure sign you don’t belong there.
December 7th, 2008 at 2:36 pm
@ #1 Newman Fan. Thanks for having my back. I have no doubt Jr was aware that opening a night spot would offer the potential for embarassing incidents like this. AS you can see, it bothers me that some in the sports media are using this as occasion to make him the butt of a joke, and there will be those who will make the leap in logic that Junior himself uses.
December 7th, 2008 at 7:00 pm
Ah, regardless, I’ll still be sitting on the Superstretch February 15th (my birthday) cheering Jr. on!
Not to gloat, but the last two times the 500 was on my birthday, and Earnhardt won: Sr in ‘98 and Jr in ‘04…I probably just jinxed the whole deal! lol
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