Dan Le Batard interviewed ESPN NBA analyst Tim Legler on WAXY-AM in Miami this week (audio starts at 5:36), and asked him, “What one thing would you change that bothers you about the (sports) media?”
Legler’s response: “The thing that bothers me the most is what has become a very blurred line between a journalist and ex-players as analysts - people that actually played the game.”
(*Mystery*: A “writer” spouting “inaccurate” analysis who “isn’t qualified”?)
“That’s not to say that everybody that’s an analyst who was an ex-player is good at this job, because we both know there’s a lot of guys out there that probably shouldn’t be on TV or radio.“
“But more and more journalists (sportswriters) now cross over into doing real, hard analysis and trying to get into what’s going on on the court and what should go on on the court and a lot of times, I just don’t think a lot of (those) people are qualified to do that.“
Then Legs gets a smidge more specific.
“I look at our network (ESPN) as much as any and think it’s become a situation where it’s a great time to be a journalist, because there are so many opportunities on television and I know that it pays more and you get greater exposure … now there’s a lot of guys (sportswriters) that are household names. That’s how they started out, and that’s fine when you’re giving information, and you’re giving your opinion and reporting things.
“But then sometimes we blur the line and (sportswriters) cross over into providing analysis and I think sometimes people aren’t qualified to do it. If you really dive into it (what sportswriters are saying), I think most of the time it’s inaccurate.“
Not surprisingly, Legler’s ESPN brethren, Le Batard, did not press the analyst on who he was referring to specifically. But we’ll give you one guess on who best fits that description at ESPN (at least in Legler’s NBA arena): his name rhymes with Heathen K. Myth.
Now we apologize in advance for asking this very politically incorrect (and perhaps unthinking) question, but if Mr. Myth were white, do you think he’d be in a NBA analyst’s chair at ESPN?
By the way, we love Legler’s work. And we think ESPN has improved the net’s overall NBA coverage this season - though it is still not at TNT’s level. The weakest link in the WWL’s pro roundball review is, of course, the team of Mr. Myth and Jalen Rose. But on the bright side, the duo allows us to get some light housework in before the second half.
12:17 pm on May 1st, 2008
The head of ESPN said when he saw Stephen A. completely alienate, disturb and piss off everyone who saw his test screening for the Worldwide, he knew he had to have him.
WTMF, dude? That’s a brilliant way to hire your talent. Find the one your test audience finds the most annoying.
BRILLIANT.
7:12 pm on May 1st, 2008
Um…yeah, that is kind of politcally incorrect and unthinking of you. Look, each time I’ve come to SBB I find one or two columns either excusing borderline racist white behavior or calling out black people for playing the race card. I’m not saying that either case is rare. But it has to go the other way once in a while, right?
And for the record, yes, I’m white too. But I’m not pleased with the tone of SBB. For example, to put the shoe on the other foot, would it be polite of me to say that “If many of those SBB girls were black, do you think Brooks would still be paying them to pose for him?” No, because I have no idea how you run your business, and I only have seen the site a couple times. I may have my suspicions, but I wouldn’t say anything without firm evidence. I wish this site would stay away from the same type of generalization.
12:10 pm on June 20th, 2008
If Stephen were not articulate and informative……he would not have a slot on TV…Period. Black or white, Green or Yellow….no skills or personality equates to zip. As far as him not being a professional…….College ball is pretty close and the years of honing our games every summer against the very pros we admire and root for gives us a guage which we measure ourselves. Jalen rose certainly isnt the worst…..but I have to give that honor to his michigan teammate…Chris Webber. As far as being black ……Puhlese!!!! I don’t hear anyone tearing down Jim Rome or Len Berman …………….these are journalist as is Stephen A. Smith……now is it against the law for a journalist to make commentary or suggest a scenario ? I personally played with Stephen A. Smith….in junior college….the no15 ranked junior college in the country F.I.T., I will also take credit for steering him to Winston Salem State…….Steve is a solid dude……What I do hold true though…is that on a whole……..the world isn’t ready for my little hood to start taking over tube!!!! Peter Vescey, Bob Costas, Mark Jackson, Stepen A. Smith, one more….and we will have our very own sports journalistic dream team !!!