Sports "Journalism"

The joke that passes for Toronto sports journalism just gets funnier every day.

Friends of mine know the deep contempt I hold for sportscasters, especially the ones that cover baseball. But today's episode of Michael Landsberg's Off The Record helps to back up my claim that as "journalists," anyone within fifty feet of sports is a sycophantic hack. TSN, Canada's lame answer to ESPN, is guilty of it daily, and Landsberg is their bigshot interviewer.

Today, Landsberg's guest was JP Ricciardi, general manager of the Toronto Blue Jays. Landsberg gave Ricciardi a grand total of five minutes on the program, and spent the segment pressing Ricciardi about Barry Bonds. The Jays' hitting has been in the dumps for weeks, and Lansberg wants to know why Ricciardi won't sign Bonds to a contract.

Ricciardi's answer was intelligent and correct. He said Bonds would be too much of a distraction and that the team didn't need him in the locker room. Landsberg pressed him and pressed him, to no avail. Ricciadi stuck with his "distraction" argument.

After the commercial break Landsberg had his usual panel of misfits on for a round table. One was an ex-baseball player, another a radio host from the CBC. Both of them thought it was ludicrous that the Jays won't sign Bonds. The CBC guy said, "What, because of steroid trouble? Yawn. Who cares?"

This round table went on for five minutes, and in all of that time, they only mentioned Bonds' alleged steroid use in passing, and made some humorous references to Bonds' ego. Two of the other panel members said signing Bonds wouldn't be a good idea, because he'd too self-absorbed and likes to have his own recliner in the locker room.

After a good "sports show group laugh" to end the segment, Landsberg, wonderful sports journalist that he is, cut to commercial.

So what's my problem with the show? How about this:

Last year, Bonds was indicted by a US grand jury on charges of obstruction of justice and five counts of perjury. Just last week, the US attorney upped the perjury rap from five counts to 14. If convicted at trial, Bonds stands the chance of spending 30 months behind bars.

So, how many times do you think Landsberg or his panel discussed these felony criminal charges? Not once.

It is inconceivable that a sports "journalist" would not use this material while questioning a GM about signing a player. It's plain incompetent that he didn't tell any of this to his audience in detail.

So why won't they sign Bonds to a contract? Gee, I don't know, Mike. Maybe because they're afraid the courtroom drama will distract the team, and the guy might end up doing hard time before his contract's up?

Every time I think that sportscasters can't do anything else to prove what fools they are, along they come to embarrass themselves yet again. Won't be the last time.