I recently had a conversation with a friend who enjoys taking jabs at the media. I also have a lot of friends who prefer more than a jab when debating the direction, intent, professionalism, and honesty of the Fourth Estate. Wow! Fourth Estate. That is a term you don’t hear much anymore. I regress.
It seems the media has played a big part in one of those “uncomfortable” topics once again. This one grew legs in the latter stages of the NCAA Women’s National Basketball Championship Tournament. It gained headlines when LSU beat Iowa in the championship game.
The women’s final four games were top-flight and earned incredible television ratings. The championship game averaged 9.9 million viewers to become the most-watched women’s basketball game ever. According to ESPN, the viewership peaked at 12.6 million viewers. Exactly what women’s basketball needed.
The buildup to the final four games is what bothered many. The final few seconds of the LSU/Iowa finale, and the reaction from millions, showed us why the story has not changed much in years. And the media is a big reason why.
I am sure you know the story. With less than a minute to play in the game and the national championship in hand for the LSU Tigers, Angel Reese turned to Iowa’s Caitlin Clark and did the John Cena “you can’t see me” gesture. Reese then pointed to her finger where the national title ring will later be placed.
Many in the media did not watch enough women’s games this season to realize the “you can’t see me” hand motion was something Clark did regularly, including when celebrating Iowa’s win over Louisville in the Elite Eight.
Just in case you don’t know, Clark is white and Reese is black. That is where my beef with the media starts, again.
Political commentator, and former ESPN anchor, Keith Olbermann quickly posted on Twitter: “F—ing idiot!” about Reese’s “you can’t see me” toward Clark. Shaquille O’Neal responded on Twitter with “Shut your dumb ass up and leave Angel Reese alone.”
Others referred to Reese as classless and a thug. I do not recall Clark being labeled the same after her “you can’t see me” moment just a few days earlier.
Those comments are just the tip of the iceberg. You can only imagine the nonsense on many social media platforms. It did not take long before many of the comments turned racist in nature.
I’m not calling members of the media racists, but I know first-hand, as someone who has been in that world for more than 30 years, how easily some journalists perpetuate the same old, tired, and worn-out stereotypes about black and white athletes.
Awfulannouncing.com has a funny list called White Guy Code Words in describing white athletes. Here are a few:
- Scrappy
- High Motor
- Gamer
- Sneaky Athletic
- Gritty
- Winner
- High IQ
- Good fundamentals
- Plays the game the right way
- Lunch pail guy
A common topic of sports talk radio during the tourney was the extensive coverage of Caitlin Clark. Was she the darling of ESPN and ABC because she is white and uber-talented? Would it be the same if she was black and uber-talented?
Said Reese after LSU’s national championship win, “All year I was critiqued about who I was. I don’t fit the narrative. I don’t fit in a box that y’all want me to be in. I’m too hood. I’m too ghetto. Y’all told me that all year. But when other people do it, y’all say nothing.”
Said Clark, “I don’t think Angel should be criticized at all. No matter which way it goes, she should never be criticized for what she did.”
Caitlin Clark is an amazing player. She was second in the nation in scoring and first in assists. Angel Reese led the country in double-doubles. That is how they both should be celebrated. And they both return next season.
We can only hope LSU and Iowa share a court in next season’s tourney. That would be must-see tv, again.
–Guest columnist Anthony Pittman
