ESPN ceases to amaze me

By: Nick Shears

Blood, a Black Eye, and a Blooper

In between innings of  last night’s game between the Red Sox and the Diamond Backs, Kevin Youkilis exited after a practice ground ball thrown by Mike Lowell popped him in the face, leaving a black eye that made his head look big.

The incident, while rather trivial and more typical of a Little League game, was kindling for the ESPN announcers as they waxed poetic on the player’s grit: “Such a tough ball player,” “It’s fitting that he should walk outta here with a shiner,” etc.

And then there was Josh Beckett. Orel Hershhiser–whose name is so well fit for the amount of praise he gives to certain players–could not stop telling the world how good Beckett was on the mound until, of course, he gave up two runs in the seventh inning. All the while, Dan Haren  pitched a one-hit wonder into the seventh inning, allowing only two hits and no runs, with no Orel treatment.

If you think I am a Yankee fan who is jealous of the national air-time Boston, you are right; also, I admit Youkilis is a tough player, and I wish A-Rod had half the grit he possesses.

But there’s only so much I can take of the incessant barrage of Boston brown nosing a la ESPN. The “injury” to Youkilis was a blooper at best, while the announcers portrayed it as another instance of Blood, Guts, and Glory. Let’s be honest and less biased, ESPN, or else you will soon be on the level of FOX.  

After growing up in Evanston and New Jersey, Nick Shears is a Yankee fan by blood (his uncle gave him a signed Joe Dimaggio book at birth) and a Cubs fan by principle. Although this may be one reason you do not like what he says, understand that this complicated baseball enthusiast offers a necessary East Coast perspective in an all too central minded town. He is ready to take on any of your questions or comments at shearsna@eckerd.edu.

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2 Comments

  1. You write this article as if the Yankees are never on national television in primetime, and that goes for both the regular season and the playoffs. Try living anywhere else in the country. I’m sorry, but it’s hard for me to feel too sorry for you.

    Comment by Ryan on June 24, 2008

  2. Hershiser was on assignment elsewhere last night, so the commentator you felt was overpraising Beckett and neglecting Haren must have been Steve Phillips or Dan Shulman. I’ll disclose that I’m a Beckett/Sox fan, but I really didn’t share your take on this — I thought both pitchers were fantastic and were a joy to watch (hey, somebody had to take a hard-luck loss; 2 ER in an eight-inning performance, 8K night is nothing to apologize for), and both of them were deservedly praised throughout the game.

    Comment by Todd on June 25, 2008

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