First Takes Show The Jaded Side Of Sports Coverage
The NBA Finals are a thrilling conclusion to a 2023-2024 NBA Season. For the sixth consecutive season, a new champion will be crowned from the Boston Celtics or the Dallas Mavericks. While several news organizations are extending complete coverage of the NBA Finals, ESPN”s prized show First Take is going beyond, but not above.
Rather than talk more about the Finals, more significant news or give some appreciation to the Stanley Cup Finals, something they rarely accomplish anyway, the show will discuss LeBron James unfollowing Kendrick Perkins on Twitter. Perkins was willing to call his former teammate “soft.” First Take used air time to, once again, give James the national spotlight on something so minor.
First Take Show The Jaded Side Of Sports Coverage
The Media Treatment Of James Isn’t Uncommon, But The Timing Is
LeBron James has been at the national spotlight daily even before he was drafted into the 2003 NBA Draft. His motives, decisions regarding team projections and his teammates and coaches are often a daily conversation. There comes a time and a place for every piece of significant news, but James unfollowing formers isn’t news that shouldn’t prime morning national television coverage or should that small news be twisted. Perkins’ take on the matter was evaluated and produced into a show where other key stories should’ve been mentioned.
This time of the year should be focused on the championship rounds, the controversy surrounding LIV Golf vs the PGA and the current state of the WNBA. Instead, we are making a huge deal on the social media patterns of who he unfollows. No other player is essentially mentioned during these finals regarding news outside of the NBA Finals.
Sensational Media Like First Take Isn't For Real Devoted Fans
This adds a new low to how big media handles the treatment of James and what petty topic shows like First Take they are willing to. First Take isn’t a show where relevant sports takes and statistical analysis is respected. It is a show where the winner of the take is decided who is the loudest and who can make the other commentator shut up. First Take made the brilliant move of adding Shannon Sharpe to the roster along with Stephen A Smith and other guest analysts including Perkins. These commentators have one goal; to be loud and make their point heard.
Shows like First Take, Get Up and First Things First will go out and make a big deal out of the big brands such as the Dallas Cowboys, LeBron James and Aaron Rodgers and beat the news like a dead horse until it’s a puddle.
There are way more storylines that have the potential to be leading topics in sports, but casual sports fans will do nothing but shift their focus to the Cowboys and the Lakers based on laziness, just like these shows. When those teams are not in the postseason, they will be mocked for a few days and then those same casual fans will not care about who is in the finals or in the Super Bowl.
These are big reasons why ratings are down in championship series like the 2024 NBA Finals in the beginning.
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