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Sports Journalism & the Descent Into Celebrity
ESPN, Stephen A. Smith, and the prioritization of notoriety over substance
As the buzzer sounded on an overtime win against the New York Knicks, LA Lakers star LeBron James had a score to settle. He saw ESPN analyst Stephen A Smith courtside and decided to take him to task for things that Smith has been saying on his ESPN show “First Take” about his son, Bronny, who was drafted this year by the Lakers in the second round of the NBA Draft.
The confrontation has resulted in Smith going on a media tour explaining his side of the story to anyone that will listen, which as it turns out is a lot of people. The irony is of course that he lamented that LeBron didn’t confront him in private, making his whole reaction to the situation a case of “do as I say and not as I do”.
The injection of a personal note by Stephen A Smith is indicative of a larger issue than just a TV personality in a war of words with an athlete. In the current journalism landscape that is seeing countless reputable scribes lose their jobs in favor of highly paid personalities, this incident is a reminder that nuanced analysis long ago took a backseat to loud and controversial caricature figures.
