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A perfectly hateful column from Bob Kravitz on the eve of the Super Bowl

Discussion in 'Journalism topics only' started by Piotr Rasputin, Feb 8, 2010.

  1. Piotr Rasputin

    Piotr Rasputin New Member

    He spotlights the fact that Sean Payton was a "SCAB!!!!!"

    http://www.indystar.com/article/20100206/SPORTS15/2060333/1034/SPORTS15/Kravitz-Payton-s-start-a-shocker

    I know . . . some would say this is "JOURNALISM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

    But you'd feel differently if you read the nice homer coverage from the Star, including beat jockey (and unfortunate Joe McDonnell lookalike) Phillip B. Wilson's preview and real-time game chat, in which he openly wondered why the Saints were getting away with so much holding. I wonder if this column is written with this tone if Jim Caldwell had been a "SCAB!!!! . . err . . .replacement player!"

    I always take notice when media show how out of touch they are on this whole "SCAB!!!!!!!!!!!" issue. The average fan doesn't care, and players know they shouldn't comment on it after what happened during the baseball strike.
     
  2. TheSportsPredictor

    TheSportsPredictor Well-Known Member

    Seems like the gist of that story is that no one cares except for Kravitz's righteous indignation.
     
  3. Ace

    Ace Well-Known Member

    Disagree. Interesting angle -- something fairly rare for a Super Bowl story or column.
     
  4. JayFarrar

    JayFarrar Well-Known Member

    Weird bit of work from Kravitz.

    I can only assume he went fishing and thought it would be something that would get former and current players stirred up. It didn't, so he backpedaled and worked his own feelings into it.

    Is the Star a union shop? It would be interesting to see if Kravitz is writer's guild and if he's a had a leadership position. Or participated in stikes at previous union shops or withheld a byline in protest.

    I strong suspect he's talking out of his ass, but that's just a guess.
     
  5. playthrough

    playthrough Moderator Staff Member

    Definitely a change of pace from the rest of the Star's coverage. Found it a little weird as a day-before-the-game column, but that's probably not a big deal either.

    And yes, it is a union shop.
     
  6. Herbert Anchovy

    Herbert Anchovy Active Member

    This storyline has been available for years and years.

    Jim Zorn and Rick Neuheisel were scabs too, there wasn't an inquisition when their careers took off.
     
  7. cwilson3

    cwilson3 Member

    Yea, it is interesting, but would have have written it about a coach from the Colts the day before the Super Bowl?
     
  8. Ace

    Ace Well-Known Member

    Is there some expectation that they would treat the hometown team like every other team in the league?
     
  9. TheSportsPredictor

    TheSportsPredictor Well-Known Member

    Not:

    http://jacksonville.com/sports/columnists/gene_frenette/2010-02-05/story/sean_payton_follows_road_from_scab_to_saints_folk_h

    http://www.sun-sentinel.com/sports/um-hurricanes/fl-saints-notes-super-bowl-0205-20100204,0,913827.story
     
  10. Ben_Hecht

    Ben_Hecht Active Member

    Somewhere, Baltimore fans with throbbing memories of Skokie Bob are laughing.
     
  11. Piotr Rasputin

    Piotr Rasputin New Member

    Note the date of publication on those two, and on Kravitz' screed.
     
  12. Ace

    Ace Well-Known Member

    So what is the issue?

    That it ran on Super eve? That the Star wouldn't have written the same story about the Colts coach? That Kravitz had an opinion in his column?

    That he was being a meanie to a nice guy coach?

    The Star probably have their Super Bowl week stories planned out for a month.
     
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