Sources: ESPN Practices Horrible Journalism

I'm not ashamed to admit it: I'm a huge NBA fan. While the Memphis Grizzlies are by far my favorite team, I follow closely the other 29 teams in the league and am enthralled by the playoffs every summer. However, the recent NBA free agency period, and the media's coverage of it, has made me seriously reconsider my fanhood.

As the playoffs drew to a close, I was sad to see actual gameplay end. I wasn't that upset, though, because I knew I would be treated to free agency news for the next month. It was the summer to end all summers for the NBA; Lebron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, Amare Stoudemire, Rudy Gay, Joe Johnson, Carlos Boozer, Paul Pierce, Dirk Nowitzki, David Lee, etc. were going to be free agents and the entire league would be bidding on their talents. For years (literally), teams had been dumping players so that they would have cap space to sign one or two (or three) of these free agents and immediately compete for a championship. Everyone knew that the entire NBA landscape would be altered by the events of June and July 2010. I was ready to follow it all. I felt that it, as an NBA fan, it was my duty.

Fast forward to 20 minutes ago, noon on July 7. I was finishing my lunch break at work and had spent the last hour flipping between ESPN and ESPN2 as they devoured the news that Wade and Bosh would be joining forces to play for the Miami Heat. How would this affect LeBron's decision?? Will he stay in Cleveland?? Would he join Amare with the Knicks?? Does this make the Heat a legitimate Finals contender??, etc. etc. etc. It was at this point that I sent the following text message to a couple of friends: "All this free agency news, rumors and reports are literally making me sick. Everyone is saying the exact same thing and no one knows anything about LeBron." Whoa. I felt weird as I was typing the words, as if I was turining my back on the sport. But the words are true.

How, in a span of three weeks, did I go from being excited about the start of free agency to feeling sick (literally) while watching the greatest channel in the history of television? The answer: ESPN's (and other media outlets') shameful reporting of the free agency period.

Throughout the last 3 weeks, a story about LeBron James, Dwyane Wade or Chris Bosh has appeared on ESPN more often than Stuart Scott's lazy eye and Scott Van Pelt's bald dome combined. And that's saying something. Every story had the same format: Sources: (Insert Player Name) Talking with (Insert Team Name). What followed was ten minutes of discussion about what might happen, what could happen and how the report affected LeBron's decision. Chris Broussard became a household name by breaking these so-called reports and then rambling about how they were huge news. (I have to say this, too. LeBron is pronounced "Luh Bron," not "Le Bran") You may have fooled some people, Chris, but you didn't fool me. Since July 1, you have not reported one useful bit of information. According to you, Chicago was in the lead to land LeBron one minute, Miami the next, New Jersey the next, Cleveland the next and New York after that. FACE IT, CHRIS: YOU DON'T KNOW ANYTHING!!!!!!!!!!! None of your band of insiders do either. If I was the President of Journalism, Broussard, Chad Ford, J.A. Adande, Marc Stein and Michael Wilbon would have their credentials repealed immediately. You know what, the entire ESPN network should have theirs revoked too. Until this morning, when Wade and Bosh announced that they were going to the Heat, a grand total of zero ESPN reports had been official and correct. They were all brought to us by "sources," "sources close to the situation," "people with knowledge of the situation," "unnamed team officials" and "insiders." Who the hell are these sources!?!?!? Show your face, you cowards. Actually, I take that back. You'll just be ridiculed for leaking completely false information. In the past three weeks, sources have told us that LeBron is going to Cleveland, New York, Miami, Chicago, New Jersey AND Los Angeles and that he will play with Wade, Bosh, Amare, Johnson and Rose. Wow, sources... I didn't know it was possible for one player to play for six different teams and play with 20 different players. Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised to see this story flash across ESPN's ticker this afternoon: Sources say that LeBron James will be player-coach for the Golden State Warriors.

I have absolutely no faith in ESPN to practice quality journalism anymore. Sportscenter has been reduced to a series of rumors and speculation and has been robbed of whatever journalistic qualities it had.

To sum up my thoughts on the reporting of the LeBron Sweepstakes, I would like to share a quotation found in this morning's Commercial Appeal. It was in a story about LeBron landing a 1-hour special on ESPN to announce his decision and his making an appearance at his basketball skills camp. After the author speculated about whether or not LeBron was any closer to making a decision, he or she (I don't know, because the byline was "from our press services") said that LeBron seemed cool as he walked into the camp, where he promtly sat down on a courtside chair. Here comes the quotation... "Later, one of James' bodyguards brought in a bag believed to contain the star's workout gear." Wow, so one of his friends bringing him a duffel bag is now considered news and could have some bearing on where LeBron goes... Unbelievable.

Going back to the text message I sent to my friends, here is the second part of that message. I mean this sincerely: "I want to fall asleep and wake up in a month when everything is decided and official. ESPN and ESPN2 are reporting the exact same thing and running the story into the ground. This whole saga is a cautionary tale in bad journalism."

Sorry if this rambling post is boring, I just had to say this stuff,
Owen