Endless debate



The media, particularly the sports media, has evolved over the years. Some question whether that evolution has been a good thing. We marveled at the brilliance of Howard Cosell calling the Muhammad Ali fights or anticipating the next "Whoa, Nellie!" from Keith Jackson on ABC's college football broadcasts. The early days of ESPN "SportsCenter" was must-see television if you wanted to capture the best of the best on a daily basis. Sports broadcasting was highlighted by some of the brightest and sometimes boldest personalities. Although Cosell was never one to shy from controversy, he had a level of respect that made him the barometer of sports-speak.

Then, somehow, things changed, and the transformation from being a voice of the show to becoming the show was complete...

 

There are several examples of athletes taking on the media, but at the end of the day the personalities behind the mic were never the story until the (staged?) fight between then LA Rams quarterback Jim Everett and noted sports talk show host Jim Rome. Now we are in an era in which people tune in  to see the people who talk about sports as much as they do the players on the field or court. Never is that more evident than every weekday morning, when barbershops and television sets tune in to see ESPN's "First Take," which is the epicenter of their "Embrace Debate" era in which we see essentially the same topics being discussed ad nauseam. The most polarizing figure of them all (and even that's debatable!) is one Skip Bayless.

 

To be honest, I've always admired his work as a journalist. He was one of the main writers who helped expose the scandals at Southern Methodist University during the infamous "Pony Express" days that led to the school eventually getting the death penalty. However, to many people he is known as the "Terrell Owens-hater" and staunch supporter of one Tim Tebow during his ascent into the NFL. Love him or hate him, he and his cohort Stephen A. Smith draws people in daily to see their views on all things sports.



I'm not a fan of "First Take." I think it's nothing more than a network's desperate attempt to tug at the heartstrings of passionate fans with contrived arguments, although they are willing to touch upon serious issues, most notably racial situations when appropriate. However, I do believe that what this and other talk shows of its ilk have accomplished is that it has forced people to take a side, which is rare in this "banana boat" era of sports. Sometimes we are afraid to take a stand on something we feel strongly about, regardless if we're right or wrong. While we may not be compensated to give our opinion like Bayless, there is a place for having healthy debates and discussions on issues not only in sports but in more important topics.

While Bayless will be leaving ESPN for FS1, I'm sure that he will continue to be polarizing to all who follow. My question is to you: to what extend are you willing to go to take an opinion, no matter what side of the fence you are on?