Except when operating in the world of board games, we as Americans have come to the general consensus that monopolies are bad.
It is because Borders must answer to Barnes & Noble and Big Mac enthusiasts could easily become Whopper loyalists that prices and product quality are kept in check. That being said, there is one company that has complete domination of its field, and no one seems to be appropriately up in arms. This company has reeled us in and we are so hypnotized by its magnitude that we don't even question its all-encompassing grip on society. The victims are sports fans everywhere, and the culprit is ESPN.
Condemning ESPN is probably a near-crime to most of you sports fans, and understandably so - ESPN is responsible for keeping nearly all of us informed on the happenings of the sports world. But it is because I am such an avid sports fan that I feel the need to raise a red flag about this company.
ESPN primarily targets readers, viewers and listeners, and it does this by informing us not about the most noteworthy sports stories of the day, but rather the most dramatic. A breakout performance by a young player is not nearly as flashy a story as a seasoned veteran mouthing off to his coach, and, when compared to controversy, consistent play from a solid player is hardly newsworthy.
Perhaps we see the power of ESPN's decisions through SportsCenter, its TV show that defines the top sports stories, choosing which plays from the previous night's games are of "highlight-reel" quality. This becomes problematic insofar as it emphasizes not the anecdotes most relevant to sports, but whatever will garner the most viewers - essentially, whatever is most theatrical.
For example, over winter break I watched Sportscenter the day after the Mavericks blew out the Pacers 102-80. True to form, Jermaine O'Neal led the Pacers while Dirk Nowitzki predictably paced the Mavericks; but this game contained a great story: the emergence of Devin Harris, the Mavericks' second year point guard and a rising star. In just over 30 minutes, Harris shot 66 percent for 20 points, dished out five assists, and collected six boards, while managing to neutralize Pacers' point guard Jamal Tinsley.
ESPN highlights from this game started rolling and I perked up, eager to see D-Har receive the praise he deserved from the national media. But, much to my dismay, what did SportsCenter do? They talked about Ron Artest. Because apparently they hadn't talked enough about the defensive star's wishes to be traded. I nearly went ballistic - Artest wasn't the best story here! He had been the focus of the news for weeks already, and he stole the limelight from a more deserving sports story.
This sort of thing is hardly an anomaly. For the majority of the NFL season, SportsCenter ignored real football stories to talk about Terrell Owens dressing in camouflage and refusing to remove headphones, even when in the shower. Yeah, that's interesting and all, and kind of funny, but not to the point where it should completely overshadow real sports stories.
SportsCenter is not ESPN's only weapon. ESPN.com dominates internet traffic, ESPN radio controls the air waves, and ESPN Sports Zones even set the standard for sports bars. There is hardly much relevant sports commentary that exists outside ESPN, as the company runs seven domestic television networks (ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN Classic, ESPNews, ESPN Deportes, ESPNU, and ESPN Today). In case you don't have a TV or a computer, don't feel left out - you can subscribe to ESPN the Magazine to read about all the drama the sports world has to offer.
There is one story in particular that has been propagated by ESPN for several years now that really drives me crazy, and its name is LeBron James. ESPN is determined to convince the world that he's the greatest thing since sliced bread. No matter how he performs, SportsCenter will never cover a Cavs game without highlighting him, even if they have to show him making a free throw. I've seen this happen. Really.
Sure, LeBron's a great basketball player, but his numbers hardly dwarf those of his rivals. He finds his teammates a little better than Kobe but doesn't score as much or as well, and he puts up slightly better offensive numbers than T-Mac but doesn't have the same knack for rebounding. His numbers and performances hardly differ from Dwyane Wade's. But if you only watched ESPN and never looked at statistics or tuned into games, you'd probably think LeBron was the hands-down best player in the league, which is hardly the case.
ESPN just wants a superstar because that's what's marketable. Non-basketball fans are much more likely to watch the greatest player to step on the court in decades than to watch one of the best small forwards in the league right now.
In fact, ESPN is so eager to keep LeBron on a pedestal that when his teenage girlfriend gave birth to LeBron's illegitimate child two years ago, ESPN quietly congratulated the young man on his familial achievement. I'm not passing any judgment on "the King" here; I'm judging ESPN for being inconsistent and criticizing the morals of plenty of players it can afford to degrade, while praising its golden boy for similar behavior.
I certainly partake in more than my fair share of ESPN, and the company has plenty of redeeming aspects (Bill Simmons, for example). But my plea to my fellow sports fans is this: don't let them decide for you which sports stories to care about. Because Devin Harris is going to have more great games this season, and I don't want them to keep going unnoticed.
Leah Roffman is a junior majoring in political science and philosophy.
