When news breaks in the NFL, or any sport, word gets around pretty quick thanks to the ever-present internet. When the scuffle occurred between Dez Bryant and Tyler Patmon on Sunday at Cowboys training camp, every network that had personnel in attendance was reporting what they had seen and heard.
While most of what was being reported was correct, I came across a few reports before practice had even ended that turned out to be nothing but attention grabbers.
Comments filled up Twitter quicker than a bolt of lightning. Which made me all of a sudden stop and think why fans across the world, no matter which team they support, won’t wait for the team or local reporters to publish the story before forming an opinion?
The national media has their good qualities, but let’s be honest, they are there for one thing: to bring in viewers and generate ratings. It’s their money maker. Whether it’s true or only somewhat true, they want to be the one to break the story. Remember the Dez video that was rumored to have been in existence—the one that was supposedly ten times worse than the Ray Rice video and had even been viewed by different sources?
We’ve been waiting for it to surface since February.
All NFL teams have their own reporters who follow and report for their respected teams. They’re not jumping around from one team to another. They have one job and that is to give their viewers honest and true information about their team. That’s it, one team. They will from time to time, publish a story about an upcoming opponent, or a story that has surfaced within the NFL, but only after it has been verified.
What do you think would happen if a team’s reporter were to start a rumor? If he were lucky, maybe he’d get just a little time off without pay.
So, the next time you’re watching or listening to a nationally broadcasted sports event, and the breaking news comes across the bottom of screen or over the radio, do yourself a favor, don’t form an opinion or make judgement. Wait for all the facts to be gathered by local sources or your team reporters to get the real story.
Trust me, it will help save your blood pressure.
