How to cover the A-Rod/C-Rod/Madonna/Lenny story

Fine, it's a systematic problem. But don't paint Johnette Howard with the same brush as her editors. She's just trying to do her job to the best of her ability. If her editors say, "Hey, Johnette, go ask A-Rod about this and give us 700 words," what's she going to say? "No, I'd rather not. It's beneath me"?

 

Then they can read about it PEOPLE.

It's nothing like the Kobe saga, in which he was charged with a crime. That's news. That's a fascinating and popular pro athlete who's married dallying with another woman when he's on the road then getting accused of rape. There's substance there. That is news.

A doorman telling reporters that he saw A-Rod walking out of Madonna's apartment in the wee hours? That is gossip. That's the type of stuff that needs to stay in PEOPLE or on Entertainment Tonight.

 

"Cover something that matters. Find out why the damn Yankees have the fattest payroll in all of sport and still haven't won a World Series in forever."

Get me the Hardy Boys, we have a mystery to solve! The case of the underperforming baseball team.

...Seriously, this story is so odd, and tragically funny. Madonna seduces A-Rod with kabbalah?

http://www.nydailynews.com/gossip/2008/07/03/2008-07-03_arods_wife_tells_pals_she_believes_madon.html

 

It's awesome in its weirdness. If he was sneaking around with some stripper, nobody would care, but with Madonna. . . fascinating.

 

I don't think the beat guys should have to cover it. Then again, it might be difficult to get extra credentials for your entertaiment people.

 

Ummm....

When he was sneaking around with some stripper, it made the cover of the New York Post.

 

Yeah, he made headlines with the stripper before, but this relationship involves MADONNA. Whether you like it or not, this is a story. The bottom line is that, in my opinion, the sports arena has changed in the past few years. It's not just about statistics or who scored x number of points. In this day and age, unfortunately, it's also about who you're dating, what strip club you went to the night before, who your friends are, the fights, the DUI's, what you ordered at a restaurant and how you tipped, your childhood, etc...I believe sports has risen to the next level in recent times, not only because the athletes and marketing are better, but also because we now have storylines about all of the main players. That your average sports fan can follow.
Who can name at least 5 women with whom Derek Jeter has been associated? I bet most of us can...I'm not saying it's good, at all...I'm saying it's the nature of the game these days. And the nature of the beast. Readers and fans love stories. And this is a good story.

 

I believe I can name ... zero.

From the why didn't I follow up on this dept.: Maybe 10 years ago, da woman and I were throwing around ideas for making money and, having recently heard about some sports-related scandal or another, she said I should start up a sports version of the National Enquirer, basically a gossip rag with all the latest dirt on athletes and those around them. Her rationale was that she couldn't care less about sports, but she'd be interested in that. We laughed, said it would probably sell like crazy and forgot it.

I believe that concept is now known as Deadspin ...

 

And it was a blip outside of NYC. Nobody in flyover country cared. This, however, is different. This is Madonna. I'm sorry y'all men can't see that.

 

I agree with SC, this is more than your standard gossip. Even better if it's a PR stunt (didn't know the bit about sharing managers).

And I agree with gingerbread that covering this is not optional. Not in our media climate where lines are blurred and yes, People magazine does have a dozen offshoots. To think this can be ignored is terribly naive.

I do think someone had a good point about entertainment reporters not getting team credentials. A very good logistical observation.

 

Mariah Carey
Scarlett Johannsen
Jordana Brewster
Vanessa Miniello (sp? one of the MTV airheads)
Jessica Biel

Guy's seen more ass than the toilets at the Stadium.

 

That's what I was thinking. There's only one People? I guess they don't sell OK! or Star or the Enquirer in colleges.