It continues to boggle my mind that in an age of increased information, the sports media continues to flood our minds with, well, an absolute lack of analytical information. Seldom do we get actual breakdowns of what’s happening on the field. Rarely does the media ever teach us anything about the sports they cover. Instead, we’re bombarded with clichés and generalizations like “He’s a winner” and “This team just can’t get it done in big spots.” No analysis, no breakdowns.
The Yankees completed their sweep of the Twins on Saturday, marking the second time they’ve done so in as many years. They obviously have the Twins’ number. They have for about a decade. But what could possibly be the explanation for this? Ask the supposed experts, and they’ll tell you that the Twins have a mental block. They JUST CAN’T beat the Yankees. No mention of the fact that the Yankees pitched two very good lefties, C.C. Sabathia and Andy Pettitte, which helped neutralize a Twins lineup whose most dangerous hitters happen to be lefties. No one dared say that the Twins lack a starting pitcher who can be counted on to shut down a good lineup. No one in the media would admit or even suggest that the Yankees’ pitching, both starting and relief, is simply much better than Minnesota’s, or that the Bombers’ lineup is much more dangerous and versatile. No actual analysis was provided at all. Instead, we were given the “mental block” explanation.
Let’s wander over to the NFL. Max Hall, the Arizona Cardinals’ small rookie QB out of BYU, made his first start this Sunday against the defending champion Saints. Somehow, the Cardinals won. 먹튀검증사이트 According to the media, Max Hall was the reason. Supposedly, Hall outdueled Drew Brees. Supposedly he lit a spark under the Cardinals Defense. Never mind that he threw for 168 yards, no touchdowns, an interception, and fumbled twice (one of which was luckily recovered by his own player for a touchdown). Don’t worry about the fact that he led the Cardinals to less than 200 yards of offense, or that his defense scored 2 touchdowns. No, no, no, it was Max Hall. The little guy made things happen. He willed that Cardinals Defense to play well. In fact, this is exactly why the Cardinals signed him. Can he play the position? Who cares, as long as he can inspire his teammates – The sad part here is that the sports media members who write/say this type of stuff actually believe it.
The Tennessee Titans won a big game this weekend, beating the Cowboys in Dallas. Vince Young strikes again! Although, not really. This guy is the poster child for unexplained success. He doesn’t throw the ball well at all. His footwork and mechanics are sloppy. He can’t read coverage. And as a runner, he’s sometimes dangerous but hardly dynamic. Yet Young continually gets credit for the Titans’ success. I want to go back to Week 2, after he was benched against the Steelers. This is a situation that no one has been talking about since it happened. I’m not referring to the fact that Young was benched, that happens to the best of quarterbacks. I’m talking about why he was benched. Jeff Fisher, the Head Coach, explained it pretty clearly by saying, “[The Titans] needed to throw it to catch up to have a chance to win.” Uhh, am I missing something here? Isn’t it the quarterback’s job to be able to throw the ball, first and foremost? Isn’t that the number one skill required to play the position?
Why didn’t Fisher’s comments throw up a huge red flag to the sports media world? Why weren’t alarm bells going off telling them that this Coach knows exactly how bad his quarterback is? The answer is simply that the members of the media don’t know any better. These so called experts actually believe that being able to throw the ball is not a necessary skill for playing quarterback (otherwise they wouldn’t think Tim Tebow is an NFL caliber signal caller). Instead, they think leadership and the ability to inspire are the sole prerequisites for playing the position. This is why when a head coach comes out and basically says his quarterback sucks at throwing the football, no one thinks twice about what that truly means. It’s just onto the next ridiculous question, “Coach, what did you say to your team to get them inspired before the game?” “What is Vince Young like in the locker room?”