In light of the recent steriod revelations by two reporters from the San Francisco Chronicle, isn't it time that sports journalism shed its old "toy department" label and start to take a harder look at the mega-billion dollar industry it covers? Read
"Muckrackers in the Outfield" in this week's Boston Phoenix.
Speaking of sports muckracking, here's a little tale that didn't make it into that story for space reasons. Last Friday, both the Globe and the Herald reported on Red Sox manager
Terry Francona's reaction to the 10-day suspension of reliever
Julian Tavarez for punching Tamp Bay outfielder
Joey Gathright. Only they had it differently.
The Globe piece by Chris Snow quoted Francona saying "That's a pretty stiff penalty."
The Herald piece by Tony Massarotti quoted Francona thusly: "'It seems like a lot,' continued the sarcastic Red Sox manager, who then exaggerated for effect. 'He should have done steroids. He'd get (only) five more (games) and we could replace him (on the roster). It's a little stiff.'"
So the Herald has Francona making what certainly appears to be a sarcastic crack about steroids right after the commissioner of baseball has
announced an investigation into performance enhancing drugs and the Globe does not. What gives?
According to Herald managing editor Kevin Convey, the Red Sox asked the paper not to mention Francona's steroid remarks in its coverage, but the Herald refused.
"It struck me as kind of a throwback," he says. "In many ways it still is the 'toy department'...and the [Sox] want us to play ball with the team because they hand out so many bennies."
Globe sports editor Joe Sullivan also says the Sox asked the paper to avoid using the steroids quote, but adds that it had nothing to do with the paper's decision not to report it. Sullivan says the reason the quote did not appear is because Francona was incorrect in saying a Tavarez steroid suspension would have lasted 15 games. It is now, in fact, a 50-game suspension.
"We let [Francona] make his point," Sullivan says. "You're getting involved in areas where he's wrong...it doesn't make any sense...and Chris [Snow] has to explain why he's wrong. I think Chris did the right thing."
No reason not to accept the Globe's explanation on face value. But why not do what the Herald did which is include the quote and then point out what the correct steroid suspension policy is?
If the usually scripted Francona actually makes some kind of off-hand remark involving steroids, reporting it adds a little bit of insight about and flavor to the man -- whether his words were accurate or not.
Reporters wouldn't choose to leave out a telling George Bush quote if he misstated a fact about Iraqi casualties.