There are times you just have to love ESPN. I mean that in the most sarcastic way humanly possible.
The latest thing to raise my dander is how they're covering the feud raging between the classiest coach in all of sports, Pat Summit and the coach of U-Conn, one Gino Auriemma, who I swear every time I see him I think he looks more suited to selling used cars than coaching basketball.
For those of you not aware of what's going on, Summit decided to end the yearly series with U-Conn and being the classy person she is, she didn't disclose why. There's no point to airing dirty laundry and giving your opponent bulletin board material for when you meet in the Final Four.
Turns out part of the problem is that Gino and U-Conn were committing recruiting violations, including giving tours of the ESPN studios up in Bristol. And while Summit reported them, I guess she saw how badly Alabama fans reacted to anyone daring to question their program and how that impacted Phil Fulmer and decided to be the better person and not tell everyone far and wide about it.
If only Gino and ESPN could show the same amount of class. Or even a small amount of class. Or even the same amount of class and dignity that Pat has in her pinky finger.
Alas, it's not the case.
Instead, ESPN acts like this is no big deal for them to help recruit players to U-Conn. Which if the roles were reversed and let's say Pat took a recruit to the women's basketball hall of fame in Knoxville, you can bet ESPN would on their high horse screaming about it. I hate the snarkiness of their reporting, esp. on SportsCenter where it's buried with the highlights of the Houston Astros and the Tampa Bay Rays as if to say--look, see how unimportant anything Tennessee says is. Look at those crazy Southerns getting all upset over nothing.
Then you've got Gino, who responds like Jimmy from
Seinfeld. "Gino know why. Gino could tell you but Gino says you should ask Pat."
Anyone who refers to himself in the third person shouldn't and can't be taken seriously. And it just goes to show the complete lack of respect that Gino has for Pat Summit. I made the mistake of reading his "memoirs" and I have to admit the chapter where he throws Pat under the bus was making me see red. But it just gives me more reason to dislike him, which I suppose is a good thing.
And it gives me one more reason to not like ESPN. As if I need more...
posted by Michael Hickerson at 4/26/2008 10:17:00 AM |
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