A torn meniscus in my right knee and psoriatic arthritis effectively ended my days as a sports writer/reporter in the scholastic domain in January, 2018. I was ready for it anyway having passed my 65th birthday and growing weary of contemporary journalistic principles.
Sports reporting today is rife with rumor-mongering, speculation and conjecture, a far cry from what enticed me to the medium as a child and student. I was always anxious to research news-oriented stories and feature pieces on worthy scholastic athletes as a service to the reader. Any speculation or opinion on my part was limited to columns with my photo on top, an indication that what was written below was not necessarily the opinion of my newspaper du jour.
For example, The Hartford Courant today (May 13, 2019) ran a story from The Washington Post that erstwhile Boston Celtics guard Kyrie Irving being reunited with Lebron James for the Los Angeles Lakers "could be on the table."
Sure it could be, but I wonder if that table has one, two or three legs because it sure doesn't come your way from the steady sphere of reality. The writer indicated her source was an ESPN commentator speculating on his radio show. Aha! We know that this yap crap on radio, television and sprinkled liberally across the internet is essential to drawing clicks, page views or whatever it is that the media thrive upon today so they can mislead advertisers and retain their shrinking niche in American culture.
I see it ad nauseum in forums that once reported the truth and I don't have the slightest inclination to be any part of that. Writers that can't match the tense of their verbs to their subjects go off on absurd tangents and bend their opinions to lure unsuspecting readers searching for positive reinforcement about their teams. I've heard it referred to as "click bait" -- websites needing a reaffirmation of relevancy to lure in advertisers. They'll mislead the reader in any way they can to get that page view.
Kyrie purportedly is joining the Lakers because he and Lebron were seen chatting with their lips shielded to prevent lip-readers from eavesdropping? Surely they were talking about reuniting after their uneasy existence in Cleveland, right ESPN? Hey, I think Kyrie could have just as easily been asking Lebron what he thought of the Peloponnesian Wars and their effect on modern-day Greece.
Greece, as in slippery slope? Yeah, I'd apply that to the piece of dreck in The Courant. If Kyrie should end up playing elsewhere or stay in Boston, does the Post and Courant have to print retractions? Thankfully not because retractions would fill the space every day.
So, I've removed myself from the scene. What little is available on scholastic sports no longer piques my interest. My intense interest in minor league baseball for over 30 years left my consciousness when the Eastern League departed New Britain under venal circumstances. What the hell is a Yard Goat anyway and what does it have to do with Hartford? I have not even been to Dunkin' Donuts Park.
The downside of my reclusive mantra is that I had made some sincere friends and had the pleasure of entertaining discerning readers who must wonder what the heck happened to me.
Well, I've had about a year-and-a-half to contemplate where I'd like my life to go, and I know that writing should be a part of it. Some small media outlets and internet concerns inquired about my availability but sheepishly asked if I'd be willing to write for free. While money has never been a big issue with me, I'm heavily into respect. Respect for a gift that God was good enough to grant me. Respect for my opinions that are probably not shared by many but are nonetheless my intellectual property to project as I see fit. If I'm going to write for free, I'm not going to conduct interviews and run up mileage on my 14-year-old Avalanche. If my opinions send you scooting for the "ist" page (you know, sexist, misogynist, racist), too bad.
I cannot readily opine on scholastic sports or the minor leagues anymore since I'm removed from those realms. I do enjoy my sports on television -- most notably basketball because I'm completely averse to what Major League Baseball has become. I enjoy interjecting my opinions on related matters.
So is Kyrie going to the Lakers? Is the sun going to be shining on my birthday in August? What will swallow us first, the pathetic financial condition of our state or the hideous specter global warming that no amount of money or attention can alter? Heck, I don't know. Kyrie doesn't know. ESPN doesn't know, and The Washington Post must have other assignments into which its sports reporters can delve.
I'm not going to offer the same unsubstantiated junk here, and whether or not people want to read it is up to them. I'm just going to use this space to let off some steam, sports-related or otherwise, and those who wish to read along, you're welcome. Those who don't like it, simply use your ESC key.
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