Usually, when the sports desk does its dispatching, we don’t take ourselves too seriously.
This column—like the games we cover—is meant to be taken with a grain of salt. Sports, in all their absurdist, vulgarian glory, are here for our entertainment. If you can’t make fun of them what’s the point?
The plan this week was to continue as normal. After a few weeks hiatus, Dispatches From The Sports Desk would make its return with a treatise on over-coaching in the NCAA tournament.
That was the plan anyway. But that changed. If you saw the first half of the Elite Eight tussle between Duke and Louisville then you know what I’m talking about.
The image is still engrained in my brain. Louisville’s Kevin Ware mangled leg covered by a terry cloth towel. Surrounded by his teammates and a swarm of athletic trainers, all unable to hide their distraught.
Suddenly pointing out the shortcomings of anal retentive college basketball coaches didn’t seem so important anymore.
It’s no secret I enjoy taking my shots at the sports media. Especially those who fall back on the crustated clichés and well-worn crutches of the sportswriting game.
But in the aftermath of Ware’s injury, I was guilty of the same behavior reserved for my own glib, snarky remarks. I couldn’t even wait for the medical staff to get Ware off the court before taking to Twitter.
Most of us on the side of paying college athletes aren’t shy about it. They generate millions of dollars for the NCAA without seeing a dime for their labor. Instead, they’re “paid” with a scholarship, which in some cases doesn’t even cover the full cost of attendance.
It’s a topic I’m passionate about, but that’s a whole different discussion for another time. Lost in all our declarative statements about the financial hypocrisy of the NCAA was the real tragedy of the situation.
Kevin Ware lays on the floor in agony. No doubt scared out of his mind. And in response, all we did was use him to rail against the NCAA. Faux-concern for the purpose of dropping sports takes.
Ware is a 20-year old kid from Atlanta. He isn’t a pulpit for the media—including me—to stand on and promote our agenda.
I was wrong. In my attempt to draw attention to the plight of student-athletes, I dehumanized Ware just like the NCAA. Instead of a profit, it was for a retweet.
There’s a time and place to have a discussion about paying players, scholarships and injury issues. I hope I’m around to see the day student-athletes are fairly compensated. For now, I’m going to enjoy watching them play basketball.
I won’t forget the sight of Ware’s gruesome leg injury. And I hope I never do. Because sometimes, even when we’re fighting the good fight, we need to step back and remember these guys are people, too. If not, we’re no better than the institution we mock.
I’m pulling for Louisville—and Ware—the rest of the way.
How about you?
