Sports Media Watch presents 20 notable sports media stories of the year 2013. Today, #20-#16, including an announcer ogling a fan, a reporter’s controversial remarks, and a pair of sports labor conflicts.
—: Boston Marathon Bombings
It did not feel appropriate to ‘rank’ the tragedy that occurred in Boston this past April, which is why it appears here. Since 9/11, a thankfully unrealized fear has been that a major sporting event would be the target of terrorism. Such fears usually concerned the biggest events, such as the Super Bowl or Olympics, the latter the site of a terrorist bombing during the 1996 Atlanta Games. Few would have reasonably expected the Boston Marathon, a pleasantly low-key event on a local holiday, to become a target for violence. That of course changed on the afternoon of April 15. Three spectators were killed at the marathon and by the time the perpetrators were apprehended, the death toll had risen to four. Scores were injured. Suffice it to say, every other event on this list is quite trivial by comparison.
Keeping that in mind, onto the rest of the list.
#19: Musburger in Hot Water
Considering that he launched Jenn Sterger to prominence with no repercussions, ESPN’s Brent Musburger probably thought he was on solid ground when he made some off-color comments about a player’s girlfriend during January’s BCS title game: “You see that lovely lady there? … What a beautiful woman! Whoa!” Unlike 2005, however, ESPN apologized for Musburger’s comments the following day — saying that his commentary had gone “too far” (ESPN, 1/8/13). Musburger was less-than-impressed by ESPN’s apology, brushing it off when confronted by a TMZ cameraman. When asked if he thought what he said was inappropriate, he flatly replied no (TMZ, 1/16/13).
#18: NHL Backs Away From the Brink
It is easy to forget now, but the NHL began 2013 on the verge of a second lost season in less than a decade. The owners’ lockout of players did not end until mid-January – even the NBA’s lockout a year earlier ended by December — and Gary Bettman’s deadline for cancelling the entire season was just days away when a deal was reached. Despite trouncing the players in 2005, the NHL owners came away with even more financial concessions in the new deal. Despite an abbreviated 48-game season and the cancellation of the Winter Classic, the NHL bounced back in a big way during the 2013 season, setting numerous local and national TV ratings records.
#17: NBPA Dumps Billy Hunter
Another big sports labor story in 2013 was the unceremonious ouster of NBA players’ association chief Billy Hunter. Hunter, who led the players during the 1998-99 and 2011 lockouts, was fired in February following a Derek Fisher-led union investigation into his alleged improprieties. Hunter has not gone quietly into that good night, filing a lawsuit against Fisher and the NBPA and recently claiming that Kobe Bryant interfered with negotiations during the 2011 lockout. The union remains without an executive director, and the eventual choice for a replacement figures to have major implications for the next round of CBA negotiations.
#16: Broussard’s Anti-Gay Comments
After Jason Collins became the first active professional athlete to announce that he is gay, ESPN reporter Chris Broussard was not shy about his opinion regarding homosexuality. Appearing on ESPN’s “Outside the Lines,” Broussard was asked for his “take” on Collins’ Christian faith — a strange question, it should be noted, to ask a sports reporter. Broussard responded by stating that gay individuals were “walking in open rebellion to God and to Jesus Christ” and could not be considered Christians. ESPN did not discipline Broussard for his comments, instead apologizing for the discussion causing “a distraction” from Collins’ announcement (ESPN, 4/29/13).
The #15-#11 stories of 2013 will be posted on Saturday, December 21.
