Modern Sports Media- I DON'T CARE!!!!!

This has bothered me for quite some time.  Maybe because I just wish sports were sports but more so because I just don't think it's any of my business.  In a new world of Facebook, Twitter, up to the minute sports tickers, news tickers, scrolling news, and non-stop blogging we are bombarded with information from every direction.  Every minute of every day we are getting up to the second updates on situations across the world.  It's no different in sports.

This would all be great if it meant we are getting pumped box scores only but the recent years have shown more and more of a growing trend to cover "news" outside the baseball diamond, football stadium and arena.  Now, the off field miscues, mistakes and downright stupidity are covered with more passion than the 9th inning walkoff from the night prior.

Case in point:  Mark Grace.  Grace was an All-Star first basemen for the Cubs for many, many years in the 80's and 90's.  Then he came to the Diamondbacks and was a star for them.  Gold Glover, .300+ hitter.  Great overall player and very outgoing personality.  He's retired now of course and the color commentator for the Diamondbacks games every night.  Over Memorial Day weekend this year he was making a wide right turn, weaved a little and he was pulled over by the Scottsdale Police Department.  He was cited for a DUI and yesterday it hit the news channels, sports websites and news tickers.  It's all over the news.

So the question is:  Why is this any of our business?  He's not a politician who has an ethics clause in his job description like Representative Weiner.  He's not a teacher who can lose their license for being convicted of a DUI.  He's a former professional baseball player who is now the announcer for the Diamondbacks.  I'm not convinced that this should be public knowledge as it has no bearing on how I feel he is going to commentate a game.

Another example:  Andy Reid's son was a drug addict.  Not our business.  Lenny Dykstra, former stud for the World Champion Phillies 18 YEARS AGO, was arrested this week.  Espn.com didn't hesitate to cover that one.  Jim Leyritz killed a guy while drunk driving in Florida.  Still...not our business.

Imagine this happening in any other business or your own life.  You get a DUI and within an hour it's all over the internet??  How is it affecting your performance on the field?  It's not so it shouldn't be brought up in the news.  The media is stretching for coverage because the overall media conglomerate cares only about ratings and not journalism.  Drama creates ratings.  If you don't believe me maybe you should check out the ratings of the 200+ reality TV shows that dominate the channels.

I can understand Plaxico Burress shooting himself in the leg as that clearly, obviously is affecting his job.  He's then kicked out of football and in prison.  That is a big story.  Kobe raped a girl (would it have been as big a story if he raped a black girl?  ...I wonder.)  Pretty big story because had that happened in any other major corporation that would be major news as well, (see IMF former President allegedly raping housekeeper in The Pierre hotel NYC last month).  Former NFL star OJ Simpson murdering two people?  Pretty big news.

But professional coaches sons getting DUI's?  Why drag that kid through the mud?  Some of them are not even in sports, just their dads coach college teams and they print and "report" on minor criminal acts their family members allegedly commit.  If you are out of professional sports I don't see the need to ever print another word about that person unless you are promoting the person's charity event.  I don't care what Mike Gallego is doing right now.

If he's not playing baseball I don't care what is going on in his life.

Why?  Because it's none of my business.