Reds Manager’s Tirade at the Media

by Ben Olson

            The Cincinnati Reds are off to a slow start to the 2015 MLB season.  This past Monday, their frustration reached its height.  Their manager, Brian Price, went off on an expletive-filled rant at the media during his pre-game press conference.  Below is the video of Price’s tirade:

             According to C. Trent Rosecrans, whom the manager’s tirade was aimed at, the manager used 77 f-bombs throughout his 5-minute, 34-second rant (Rosecrans, 2015).  Price was not happy about what the media was reporting throughout the season; issues about catcher Devin Mesoraco’s injury, usage of speedy-outfielder Billy Hamilton, and the demotion and promotion of two players.  Price argued that the information that the media shares is an advantage to the Reds’ opponents.  Price waited until television cameras were removed from the room before he went on his tirade.

            I don’t see an issue with most of the things that the media was reporting.  The only issue I have is when the media shared that catcher Kyle Shipworth was being demoted before the club had the chance to speak with Shipworth.  I believe that every player deserves the chance to find out about demotions, promotions, and trades by the club and not by the media.  I believe that Price should not be punished for his tirade.  Although, he could have handled this situation better than he did.  What Rosecran’s tweeted out is not anything different than what media members for other clubs around the MLB do.  Price apologized for the language that he used but he did not apologize for the message that he delivered.  There has been no punishment for Price for this tirade.  

            What do you believe the punishment should be?  Do you believe that the media was in the wrong for sharing the club’s information? Or do you believe that Price was in the wrong?

References

Rosecrans, C.  (2015, April 21).  A profane Brian Price vents frustration.  Cincinnati.com. 
              Retrieved from http://www.cincinnati.com/story/redsblog/2015/04/20/
              bryan-price-reds/26101107.

Who should vote for MVP?

by A. Khuny

The following topic might not be considered an ethical issue in a traditional sense, especially when comparing it to some of the dilemmas we have discussed in class or on this blog. However, since it relates to the article by Hardin, Zhong and Whiteside (2009), which we discussed a few weeks ago, I consider it worth bringing up on this blog.

During the time of this years’ NBA All-Star Game, reigning regular season MVP Kevin Durant was asked about his opinion on the voting procedure for the prestigious award he won roughly a year ago. According to Durant, the MVP should not be determined by journalists, but by (former) players (White, 2015). The six-foot-nine forward was quoted saying, “You guys [the media] get too much power to vote on stuff quite frankly I don't think you know a lot about, not as much as we know about it […]” (White, 2015, para. 2).

Durant’s statements raise some interesting questions and can be approached from different angles. On the one hand, when discussing his statement in the light of the article by Hardin et al. (2009) it could bring an end to one of the issues they have brought up. According to Hardin et. al. (2009), award voting can be seen as being “highly controversial” (p. 322),  and they furthermore conclude, could cause  “conflicts of interest” (p. 323) among journalists.

On the other hand, Durant’s statements seem disrespectful towards sports journalist. Even though some of the issues Hardin et al. (2009) come up with (e.g. gambling, gift acceptance, friendships with athletes) might be accurate in some cases, they should not be confused with incompetence. Not only are sports journalists very knowledgeable, but often had a history as coaches or players in the respective sport they are reporting about.

References:

Hardin, M., Zhong, B., & Whiteside, E. (2009). Sports coverage: "toy  department" or public-service joumalism? the relationship between reporters' ethics and attitudes toward the profession. International Journal of Sport Communication, 2(3)

White, R. J. (2015, February 13). Thunder SF Kevin Durant against media voting on MVP. CBSSports.com. Retrieved from
http://fantasynews.cbssports.com/fantasybasketball/update/25068527/thunde   r-sf-kevin-durant-against-media-voting-on-mvp

Weighing the Risks of Randy Gregory

by Joey Durant

Randy Gregory, a highly touted NFL Draft prospect by most media outlets, has been in the headlines recently for a seemingly common reason that NFL and NCAA football players make headlines. Gregory tested positive for marijuana at the NFL Combine, even when he was aware of the date of the test well-ahead of time. Gregory, in response to his failed test, claimed that he " he stopped smoking in December, but still failed the combine test (Fox, 2015. para. 15)." Gregory went further in his discussion of his marijuana use, not denying that he was a user but that he was a "frequent pot smoker at Nebraska (Fox, 2015. para. 15)." In her article, Fox quotes an unnamed scout as saying that failing a drug test that the "player and his representatives know it's going to be administered is like 'failing an intelligence test (Fox, 2015. para. 6).'" The question everyone is asking is how far will Gregory drop in the draft, and how will he handle his situation as a professional. I believe a better question is why Gregory, a young man who doesn't seem to act maturely or think like an adult, should be getting the opportunity to enter the NFL and sign a multi-million dollar contract while already facing subjection to the NFL's substance abuse program? If you were to fail the preemployment drug screening for your dream job, would they give you a second chance? The NFL seems to find itself each year "protecting the shield" from situations involving players like Ray Rice, Adrian Peterson, and Josh Gordon, but still allows players with obviously high risk factors like Gregory to come to the league. I understand that the nation-wide laws governing marijuana use are changing quickly, but they haven't yet changed in the NFL. The NFL, in allowing players who fail drug tests or have prior arrest records enter their draft, leaves its member franchises at risk of failure, scrutiny, and setback. The media and fans criticize the teams for giving these players chances, but the NFL first gives them the chance to enter the league through their draft.

Do you think players with obvious red-flag characteristics should be allowed to enter the NFL? What makes it okay for these players to enter one of the highest-paying jobs in the world, even when they have violated substance abuse policies? Is there a bigger benefit in allowing red-flag players into the league rather than denying them?


References

Fox, A. (2015, April 11). Randy Gregory's marijuana use makes NFL draft status unclear. Retrieved from http://espn.go.com/nfl/draft2015/story/_/id/12641673/randy-gregory-marijuana-use-makes-nfl-draft-status-unclear

Vincent Marshall

UCLA five-star RB signee Soso Jamabo arrested on prom night

Watching television shows and movies you are shown how prom night is celebrated and sometimes these shows give you a glance of the good, the bad, and the ugly. The good part of prom are the pictures and rented cars that parents and working kids go out of their way to drive their dates’ in; the bad are the late night parties that happen afterwards that go unattended by parents and this would be the ugly part. Soso was arrested for evading arrest with a vehicle, minor consumption of alcohol, minor in possession of alcohol, speeding, driving without possessing a driver's license, and disregarding a stop sign. Now these were bad within itself and I don’t know if he had a criminal record before this but for most schools he has thrown away a full scholarship to a good school and as I searched further into this story it was said that Soso was said to be crying that his life is over. I think the police got this one right but I know he will probably lose his scholarship and have to choose a different route but I wanted to ask what should happen next. Ethically, I can see UCLA revealing him of his scholarship but should they keep him and put him in a program where they could help him with alcohol abuse. I know this is farfetched but would it be unethical for them to do that or is it easier to just get rid of him and have him fend for himself.

Patterson, C. (2015, April 19). UCLA five-star RB signee Soso Jamabo arrested on prom night. Retrieved April 20, 2015, from http://www.cbssports.com/collegefootball/eye-on-college-football/25154964/report-ucla-five-star-rb-signee-soso-jamabo-arrested-on-prom-night

ESPN Reporter Goes on a Tirade at a Towing Lot Employee

by Ben Olson

 

Britt McHenry is a 28 year-old sports reporter for ESPN.  She has been working at ESPN since March 2014.  On April 16, 2015, McHenry was caught on video verbally abusing an employee at a tow lot.  During the video (Zucker, 2015), which can be seen below, McHenry states that she is a television reporter, she makes a number of abusive and downgrading remarks toward the tow low employee about her looks, her education and her job, and she threatens to sue. 

McHenry took to Twitter the next day to apologize for her outburst.  ESPN suspended McHenry from the network for one week due to her outburst.  A few days after the incident and ESPN’s reaction to it, TMZ caught up with a number of ESPN employees about McHenry.  It was anonymous, the way these employees felt about McHenry.  Not one person said that they were alright with McHenry only receiving a one week suspension (TMZ Staff, 2015).  One high level producer told TMZ (2015) “She’s the worst.  Hopefully she’ll be fired soon.”  I believe that this speaks a lot about a person. 

Watching the video and reading the remarks of her colleagues, I do not believe that this was a one-time occurrence for McHenry.  Not a single one of her colleagues stood up for her and said that she is a good person who let the moment get the best of her.  McHenry clearly felt that she was better than the tow lot employee who she verbally abused.  How should ESPN handle this situation?  Her outburst makes ESPN look just as bad.  She is a face for ESPN and what it represents.  

References

  

TMZ Staff.  (2015, April 18).  Divide at ESPN: Several employees want her fired.  TMZ.com

             Retrieved from http://www.tmz.com/2015/04/18/britt-mchenry-divide-at-espn-

             several-employees-want-her-fired/#ixzz3Xm22E1jX.

Zucker, J. (2015, April 16).  Britt McHenry Suspended by ESPN for Incident with 

             Towing Company Employee.  BleacherReport.com.  Retrieved from  

              http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2433335-britt-mchenry-suspended-

              by-espn-for-incident-with-towing-company-employee.

Junior Jewell Loyd and WNBA Draft

Jewell Loyd Leaves for the Draft

Jasmine Matthews

After the 2015 NCAA Championship game Notre Dame point guard Jewell Loyd decided that she would leave and enter the WNBA Draft. The Women’s Championship game on April 7^th included the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and the UConn Huskies. Even though the Huskies ended up defeating the Irish by 10, Notre Dame would return next year with more strong juniors and seniors and would most likely end up back in the Final Four for 2016.  Unfortunately after losing that final game, Jewell decided not to return.  This was a surprise to Head Coach Muffet McGraw because apparently Loyd was asked before the NCAA tournament if there was any chance of her leaving and she reassured her and the team she had nothing to worry about.  Obviously Loyd changed her mind.

This past Thursday was the 2015 WNBA draft and with junior Jewell Loyd now in the running for possibly being a top pick, things got interesting.  “The Seattle Storm selected Notre Dame junior guard Jewell Loyd with the No. 1 pick in Thursday’s draft. Loyd joined Candace Parker as the second underclassman in league history to be the top pick. She led Notre Dame to the national championship game this season and averaged 19.8 points and 5.3 rebounds while shooting 44.3% from the field. She was a consensus First Team All-American and the ACC Player of the Year.” (SI Wire, 2015, para.2)

How do you feel about her decision?  Was it selfish?  Should girls be allowed to skip they’re senior year for the draft?  Why is this such a big deal?

Seattle Storm draft Notre Dame's Jewell Loyd with No. 1 pick. (2015, April 17). Retrieved April 20, 2015, from http://www.si.com/wnba/2015/04/17/seattle-storm-draft-notre-dame-jewell-loyd-no-1-pick

Josh Hamilton's Contract Could Lead to Battle in Drug-relapse Fallout

Josh Hamilton, a name in baseball that almost everyone is familiar with and sadly relates it to drugs and alcohol. A very talented athlete with impressive skills has marred his reputation and leaves some people with a bad taste in their mouths. That all changed when he was suspended from the League and the Angels resigned him for $125 million five year contract in 2010. After a two year suspension and a newly rehabilitated lifestyle, everyone thought Hamilton was over his addiction and was ready for a new lifestyle in the Big Leagues. That was up until this past winter when he had a relapse that he reported to the League after it happened. Just this past week an arbitrator ruled Hamilton had not broken any of Major League Baseball’s drug policies and could not be suspended (Para. 5). Owner of the Angels, Arte Moreno, however had a different idea of what should be done with Hamilton. He states “We have a contract with Hamilton and that contract has specific language, that he signed and that was approved, that said he could not drink or use drugs” (Para. 7). However, the MLBPA denies that Arte Moreno assertions “that the Angels had requested and received the approval of the union to insert language into Josh Hamilton's contract that would supersede the provisions of the Joint Drug Agreement and/or the Basic Agreement.” (Para. 8). This provides a very sticky situation in what to do for Hamilton’s future. He was not invited back for this year’s home opener and has not even been given a locker in the clubhouse.

Do you think this is fair? The League has stated he has not broken any of their policies on drugs, but Moreno is stating that there is more in Hamilton’s contract that holds him to a higher standard should he play or not? Does Hamilton deserve the $83 million dollars that he is still owed?

Amanda Notley

Shaikin, B. (2015, April 11). Josh Hamilton's contract could lead to battle in drug-relapse fallout. Los Angeles Times.