Kudos to Shutdown Corner's Frank Schwab for calling out ESPN on a misleading headline

I've been saying this for the past few years: ESPN has increasingly become a hybrid of their former selves and TMZ. A report I read this morning by Shutdown Corner's Frank Schwab further proves this. It was with regard to a recent interview Washington Redskins starting quarterback Robert Griffin III had with WJLA, and entitled, "Robert Griffin III gives great interview, then gets his words twisted around."

Before I get into this, let me say that, for the record, I'm not a fan nor foe of RGIII, and while I've been highly critical of ESPN reports and articles over the past year or two, in particular, I'd be lying if I said I couldn't stand anything about the 24-hour sports news network.

Over the past 24 hours, if you were to Google "Robert Griffin III" or "RG III," here are what the top search results would be:

- "RG III: Feel like best QB in NFL" - ESPN

- "Robert Griffin III thinks he's the best quarterback in the NFL" - For The Win

- "Robert Griffin III Says He Feels Like He's 'The Best Quarterback in the League'" - The Bleacher Report

- "Redskins' Robert Griffin III says he feels he's the 'best quarterback' in NFL" - Baltimore Sun

So, no, ESPN isn't acting alone with their misleading headline, but for some crazy reason, I tend to hold them to a higher standard when it comes to the sports world.

Here's what Robert Griffin III's full quote was:

"I don't feel like I have to come out here and show anybody anything or why I'm better than this guy or better than that guy. It's more about going out and affirming that for me, I go out and play, I know I'm the best quarterback on this team. I feel like I'm the best quarterback in the league and I have to go and show that. Any athlete at any level, if they concede to someone else, they're not a top competitor, they're not trying to be the best that they can be. There's guys in this league that have done way more than me. But, I still view myself as the best because that's what I work toward every single day."

Love him or hate him, RG III's full quote wasn't, "I think I'm the best quarterback in the NFL." As Frank Schwab stated in his article, Griffin's response was much more "nuanced" than that. I know media outlets want to garner as much attention, clicks, and debate as possible, but can't we do that by being more honest with readers/viewers? Griffin's quote was taken completely out of context by ESPN and several other outlets. Some may laugh at him for thinking he's the top quarterback in the league, full context or not, but that still doesn't justify these media outlets' highly misleading headlines. If Griffin's performance on the field continues to fail to live up to expectations, then so be it. The numbers will largely speak for themselves. However, let's cut it out with this TMZ-style journalism. When an NFL quarterback says this:

"I don't feel like I have to come out here and show anybody anything or why I'm better than this guy or better than that guy. It's more about going out and affirming that for me, I go out and play, I know I'm the best quarterback on this team. I feel like I'm the best quarterback in the league and I have to go and show that. Any athlete at any level, if they concede to someone else, they're not a top competitor, they're not trying to be the best that they can be. There's guys in this league that have done way more than me. But, I still view myself as the best because that's what I work toward every single day."

That's not the equivalent of him saying this:

"I think I'm the best quarterback in the NFL."

Kudos to Frank Schwab for calling out fellow members of the media who suggested otherwise!

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nfl-shutdown-corner/robert-griffin-iii-gives-great-interview--then-gets-his-words-twisted-around-202640784.html

Boycotting jukeboxes because of TouchTunes

I love music and enjoy hitting the bar(s) over the weekend, so naturally, when the mood strikes me, I've never been coy about playing some songs on the jukebox. This past Thursday, a friend of mine turned 50, so several friends of her's, including myself, all met up to celebrate the occasion. At around 9:30, a friend of mine and I both chipped in $5 to play some songs on the jukebox. Four hours and 231 skips later, we gave up on hearing the songs we had selected, and went home knowing we had just wasted $5. This wasn't the first time such a thing had happened to me (and many others), and due to that, I'll be boycotting jukeboxes. Why? The scam known as TouchTunes. You see, here's how the plot typically breaks down. A person (or group of people) downloads the TouchTunes app on his/her phone, consumes one too many adult beverages, and due to this, has less care for spending extra money to hear the songs of their choosing right NOW. That's the thing with TouchTun

The difference between "looking" and "checking out"

I may be way off with these numbers, but it's my approximation that at least 75% of individuals whom are involved in a serious relationship feel it's perfectly acceptable to "check out" members of the opposite sex they're not involved with. Meanwhile, approximately 25% either don't feel this is acceptable or aren't sure about the matter. I hadn't thought about this matter for a while, but since I've been dating a woman for about 8 months, the topic has been pondered about some. When reading or hearing others discuss this very issue, I often times hear comments similar to the following: "It's human nature to look." "There's nothing wrong with checking others out. I'm sure he/she does it too!" "It's fine to do it. Just don't tell your boyfriend/girlfriend about it or do it in front of them!" "It's natural to find people attractive." When observing the array of comments, I i

The verdict is in. To no one's surprise, Jonathan Hoenig has been found guilty of being an idiot.

Just recently, when discussing the Michael Brown shooting and whether or not race had anything to do with it, Fox News contributor Jonathan Hoenig said, "You know who talks about race? Racists." One moment while I provide Mr. Hoenig with the well deserved slow-clap. :: slow-claps for two seconds :: So, that was quite the line by Mr. Hoenig, wasn't it? "You know who talks about race? Racists." Well, wasn't he just talking about race? So, by his own words, I guess that makes him a racist. Also, if he wants to be consistent, does this mean that people whom talk about gender are sexists and people whom talk about sexual orientation are homophobes? With that line of thinking, Hoenig would engage in the following back-and-forths: Hoenig: "So, who are you voting for?" A woman: "The Democratic candidate, because he's been adamant about his support for equal rights for women." Hoenig: "You sexist feminist nazi!"

The Kind-Hearted Smart Aleck

Search This Blog