So we end up with an assortment of sites that traffic in stupid hot takes, ridiculous memes, Barstool-style dudebro tomfoolery, and the worst kind of vapid clickbait. These offerings, presented under the guise of faux authenticity, have all appeared to fill the information vacuum in this declining sports media environment.
If I hadn’t grown up consuming a lot of sports-related content, I would likely think that the current environment is just fine. But because I did, my take is that something has changed substantially, even though I know that watching sports is probably more accessible than ever—if you’re willing to pay.
I have unfollowed Facebook fan pages devoted to my favorite teams (Lions, Pistons, Spartans, and Tigers) because it burns my eyes to be exposed to this stupid garbage. The same goes for SI.com, Sportskeeda, and similar sites. Jock-lar memeing and fake, poorly sourced stories are even worse.
“The Sports Reporters” (from left) Albom, Ryan, Saunders, and Lupica
I realize that sports are already the lowest common denominator. Still, I do remember an esteemed world with people like Dick Schaap, ESPN’s The Sports Reporters, and sports reportage that was about sports and not gossip rag-level, celebrity-obsessed caca.
Vent over.
