There's nothing that gets me worked up more than lazy sports writing. These days, the internet makes pesky things like "fact-checking" so easy that they can be done simultaneously with writing. Unfortunately, that's not always how things work. In his latest piece for ESPN the Magazine, Rick Reilly (with his, as he put it, "ridonkulous" ESPN salary), gives us this paragraph in regards to this umpire beaning incident. It happened on May 31 in the Georgia high school Class AAA championship game. Stephens County was losing to Cartersville 9-1 early, partly because nine straight SCHS batters had struck out. The last ring-up so hacked off superstar shortstop Ethan Martin-who had just been drafted 15th overall by the Dodgers-that he threw his helmet in protest. But that figured. Martin and his brother, Cody, who was pitching, reportedly had been complaining about balls and strikes the entire game.The emphasis is mine, because the draft was on June 5th, meaning it's quite literally impossible for Martin to have "just been drafted" because the game was six days before the draft. Now, I get that this seems like a small thing to be whining over. It's an easily glossed over nit that an editor should've caught and we should move on with our lives ... right?
I'll be honest. This entire column bugs me. The internet covered that video to death when it came out at the beginning of June and now, he's writing a whole column about it two weeks later, manufacturing outrage and wishing actual harm on stupid high school kids. Who wasn't an idiot in high school? I was. The school already paid a fine and I'm sure their coach and probably even the school disciplined them. Now they need the Rick Reilly fist of social justice thrust down upon them?
What we've got here, even if we toss aside the lazy fact-checking that could be blamed on an editor, is a two-week old story filled with scathing criticism of teenagers, all done because most people Reilly's age will read that column and nod their heads in agreement. I mean, it's one thing to mail a column in, but it's another to declare to anyone that reads it, "Sorry guys! This one's in the mail! Maybe next week will be better!" This is what ESPN's playing $3 million+ a year for?
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
6-19-2008 @ 6:35PM
Mike J said...
I don't get it. What is your complaint? Maybe the timeline was bad but was he wrong in any facts? Did this kid get drafted by the Dodgers 15th overall?
What does Reilly's age have to do with anything? I was an idiot in HS too but I didn't bean umpires, in fact, I don't remember anybody beaning umpires in HS.
The "school already paid a fine." OHHHH, that makes it all better. Should we talk about these things or just act like they don't happen.
Speaking of age, what are you? 12?
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6-19-2008 @ 7:02PM
krusecontrol said...
I have very little respect for Reilly.
His schtick wore thin with me years ago. It used to be that the only reason I would pick up an issue of SI was to read his column. But I probably stopped reading him 5 years ago (sidenote: SI's back-page columns since Reilly left have been just as unreadable, especially Selena Roberts).
Reilly is just coasting on his reputation, and I am tired of him and everyone who exalts him as the be-all and end-all of sports writing.
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6-19-2008 @ 10:43PM
crowtservo said...
I quit reading Reilly when he complained about the Chicago Bulls all the time back during the Jordan era. As a Bulls fan, I got so sick of his whining. More than anything, though, you've shown that print is a dead medium. Seriously. I don't read SI and ESPN the Magazine for four reasons: 1. They cost money. 2. They cover teams and sports I don't care about. 3. They don't cover the teams I care about enough. 4. Outdated before it hits the stands. Besides an SI issue about the Steelers and Super Bowl XL, I haven't bought an issue since July of 2001. The internet is where I can get more accurate and timely information about the sports I care about. The only thing SI and ESPN the Magazine are any good for in my opinion is flipping through them at the doctors or dentist office waiting rooms.
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6-21-2008 @ 12:49AM
Wade said...
You know, I wasn't disappointed or anything when I read the column. My first thought was- Seriously?
My dad (who is 54 and has trouble checking his email saw this a week a half ago) even asked why he would write about that now. Dad (who is 54) said "we just had one of the greatest Father's Day sporting days ever and he writes about that?". I agree with him.
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7-09-2008 @ 5:53PM
colin said...
I'm surprised no one's ever heard of this before. My understanding is that having your catcher pull up short with his glove on a high fastball has been pretty common for a while, but that's all anecdotal I guess. Considering catchers and umps take ringing fouls off their masks with some regularity, I'm not sure what the real danger is. Looks like those guys got caught doing it very poorly.
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