TMZ.Sports will change the world! But who really cares?
Is TMZ publicly traded?
If so, I will buy some stock as they are going to shake things up!
They have now launched tmz.sports (http://www.tmz.com/category/tmzsports/) and they are going to change the world of sports as we know it!
Perhaps not for the better, but change it nonetheless.
“Heroes” will come tumbling down from their pedestals.
Think of all the Hollywood graft/corruption TMZ has uncovered. Then think about why they have been so successful. Hollywoood is full of dirty secrets, always has been. This seems to be because Hollywood is full of people with a ton of money who are “Stars”. And these “Stars” don’t feel like they have to play by the same set of rules and therefore they don’t.
We read about some of this stuff in the newspaper (hopefully in our favorite home town newspaper the Houston Chronicle) or hear about it on TV news (or if you are so disposed; you read about it in the gossip rags at the checkout counter).
It is a sure bet that we don’t hear about ALL that goes on; however TMZ has certainly changed a bit of that. Stuff that before was swept under the rug is now coming out on their nightly show.
I don’t watch TMZ, but I have seen it and it is salacious and boring all at the same time.
Now, think of ALL the dirty secrets in sports (college kids getting girls and money under the table, pro athletes (tiger, et al) http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/sports/6871548.html cheating on spouses, referees partying all night before critical games or hanging out with “known gambling associates”. Think about all of the team owners doing all those things that team owners do and of course the baseball managers (Ranger’s Washington as a recent example) doing illegal drugs http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/sports/bb/6917413.html .
It is a pretty well known fact that one major college (Division I) football coach is a big time drunk and has been pulled over, more than a few times, by local police for suspicion of DUI. He is let go (or given a ride home) as he is a “god” in the small college town where he coaches. I doubt that he is the lone ranger here.
Think that TMZ.Sports would have much to say about the Rick Patino http://blog.pennlive.com/patriotnewssports/2009/08/louisville_basketball_coach_ri.html scandal or Mark McGuire’s “short term use” of PEDs? http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=4816607
TMZ will go where no sports talk radio or tv/newspaper/magazines go because they (sports talk radio or tv/newspaper/magazines) all have the “reliance” on the sport (and associated local teams) and therefore they won’t dare dig into salacious stories about the local “golden calf” (read home team or players).
Let’s hope that TMZ doesn’t decide to add a new program TMZ.WashingtonDC to the offering as they will no doubt bring down democracy as we know it!
Muckrakers in the 1900’s ruled the press http://www.historymania.com/american_history/Muckraker and TMZ.Washington DC could end up doing the same thing.
Long ago, Charles Barkley said that athletes should not be role models http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/c/charlesbar386417.html .
I believe he certainly should not be a role model (ok, not enough room here to post ALL of the goofy things that The Chuckster has done in his adult life to disqualify him as a role model for anyone!), and a bit sadly, I believe that athletes in general should not be role models.
Why am I writing all this on a parenting blog?
Many folks still see Stars (Hollywood stars/starlettes, musicicans, athletes and yes even politicians) as role models for their children.
If you do so; please reconsider.
If you don’t reconsider, TMZ.sports may take that role model down a few pegs.
…happy parenting…
(and as always for more parenting thoughts you can always turn to the book on amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Divorced-Rules-Raising-Relatively-Stable/dp/144045843X/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1269269462&sr=8-6 )
