Shedeur Sanders, the presumed number one pick in the NFL by some, has been fighting an uphill battle his entire collegiate career. Thanks to Tom Pelissero, he has a few more hurdles to jump over. The world is full of people trying to get famous through any means necessary. What me be more indicative of the sad state of society, is folks on the fringes of fame, working just as hard to remain relevant in their own minds.
Sports writers are not stars, even if they attach the word “insider” to their resumes. They bask in the warmth of stars (athletes), and feel that being star adjacent makes them somehow important. There is no bigger shot to a sports writers ego than a lack of clicks and a lack of likes. To avoid this devastating blow they try to “break” stories any chance they can get, and in many cases, fabricate stories to break.
They are trained in language, and know which words to use to manipulate the mindset of the nation. They use sources they can’t verify, and vague terms like “people within the organization” or “a source close to the situation”. In his most recent attempt to relevant in a news cycle, Pelissero is reporting that “people within the league” are not as high on Shedeur Sanders, as some initially believed. There are a number of individuals who fall under that umbrella, and this list is just a handful.
“I’ve already talked with people within the league who don’t have anything close to a first-round grade on the guy.” – Tom Pelissero
People within the league could be referring to people who either make personnel decisions or influence those decisions. This includes, but isn’t limited to, owners, front office, coaches, and scouts. Reports from people in this group could hold quite a bit of weight, and would certainly be worth reporting. The problem is, with a source this good, no legimate reporter would use the term “people”. If Pelissero had sources of this quality, he would have used a more specific name for them.
Just because a source lacks legitimacy, doesn’t mean it’s not a source. There are people within the NFL who make no decisions and hold no influence, but are actually within the league. This list is much bigger than legitimate sources, and includes the following and more: Roger Goodell, secretaries, janitors, marketing staff, sales people, official media personnel. None of these folks are qualified scouts or talent evaluators, but can be quoted regarding prospects all the same.
In the old days of reporting, sources were given anonymity in exchange for information. What some journalists have figured out, is that since they don’t have to name an actual person in their story, they can make up a source. The only person who would know for sure is the writer, and if they can live with themselves lying to stay almost famous, they can quote any figment of their imagination that they can conjure. This doesn’t mean that Pelisssero’s source is imaginary, it just means that it could be, and nobody but him would know.
What motive would an NFL insider have to smear a top NFL prospect? Continued relevancy. A story about people “within the NFL” giving Sanders a poor grade will get a writer mentioned by every sports news outlet, and will get them a few guest spots in the Bristol car wash (that’s ESPN’s lineup of shows), and keeps them considered an insider in the eyes of the unassuming public. After all, here is their most recent inside information.
The reality that’s intentionally blurred by the headlines, is that it doesn’t matter if Roger Goodell’s maid, The New York Giants Ticketmaster liaison, or an usher at Gillette Stadium isn’t sold on Shedeur Sanders. It actually doesn’t matter if a few heads of player personnel aren’t sold. Sanders is going to be a top-five pick in the NFL Draft, and most likely, the first overall pick. Slandering the future franchise quarterback won’t affect his draft status in the slightest, but it will give somebody 5 seconds of spotlight that they desperately crave.
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