ESPN, get a clue on what you report year after year

[PhillyEagle]

My last thought on this topic, the reports coming from ESPN are accurate in saying that a high percentage of athletes don't graduate.

Athletes ARE held to a higher standard because they reflect their school.

If a Virginia Tech student is caught with drugs, it won't be national news, therefore it won't really reflect upon VT's reputation. If a VT athlete is caught with drugs, it will be all over ESPN and other forms of media, then it DOES reflect upon VT's reputation.

Every single report done by ESPN, Fox, CNN...is reported from a certain angle. Whether it is done to support Obama, trash Hillary, support a certain university, or talk badly about a university. This is no different.

[Pa Jayhawk]

Originally Posted by PhillyEagle

My last thought on this topic, the reports coming from ESPN are accurate in saying that a high percentage of athletes don't graduate.

Athletes ARE held to a higher standard because they reflect their school.

If a Virginia Tech student is caught with drugs, it won't be national news, therefore it won't really reflect upon VT's reputation. If a VT athlete is caught with drugs, it will be all over ESPN and other forms of media, then it DOES reflect upon VT's reputation.

Every single report done by ESPN, Fox, CNN...is reported from a certain angle. Whether it is done to support Obama, trash Hillary, support a certain university, or talk badly about a university. This is no different.

In this post you bring up very valid points. I guess it is even more valid in the sense that what you mention should relate to the fact that:

Even though it is ESPN and they are a proven source for athletices, does it mean that we can not question them and view them with the same skepticism that we would view any other resource?

I have serious questions on what they reported not just this year, but two years in a row.

While ESPN is still my favorite sports network, it does not mean they should be less accountable for their mistakes. I would hold FOX, and CNN to the same standards in their field.

The analyst that I am, I just feel that they failed miserably in this report. To me it would seem that they gave credence to the person doing the report simply because he held the status of DR., while in in other format, that title in itself would not excuse him from supporting his Thesis.

[Pa Jayhawk]

Originally Posted by PhillyEagle

Athletes ARE held to a higher standard because they reflect their school..

I also missed this one when commenting last night, that is what too many Vodka and Tonics will do to you. My question was and still is, should they be held to a higher standard, specifically in this case?

They only usually reflect on their school after their last year of eligibility if they make it to the pros or commit a criminal offense. In which case, and at least IMO, it would be a positive reflection to the schools basketball program by making it in the pros. See, this even goes against your own argument of their purpose in being there is for education. That being the case, why should they be held to a higher standard of any other student at the university. In which case, this goes back to my point of the purpose of an education. It is too become successful in your field. I just don't see how by maintaining the academic standards of the university and your scholarship, yet becoming successful enough in your field to move on prior to receiving your degree could be construed as a poor reflection on the school. Yet because it appears to be the conclusion of the writer at ESPN that it is, we are supposed to give his conclusion merit because he writes for ESPN. Actually I believe his actions are a poor reflection on ESPN or any other reputable news source by simply making open ended comment and putting a bad spin on them without giving any further information. That to me is the bigger issue here. Why should we hold him to a more lenient standard if he is the one to draw into question character.

I would only see this as a poor reflection on the university if it were supported by facts to the regard that say 50% of the players are now unemployed, living on welfare, and a burden to society, after being given every chance to succeed with a valuable education.

Again, does Tiger Woods reflect poorly on Stanford, does Bill Gates reflect poorly on Harvard (if it does, someone may want to tell Harvard, because he spoke at their commencement last year), does Cheryl Crowe reflect poorly on Missouri, does Don Johnson reflect poorly on Kansas (don't answer that one ), this list is endless, these are simply the ones that came to mind immediately. They all became a success in their field without achieving a degree. To many they are still considered role models, again because of their character and what they did with their life and not because of a piece of paper with the University seal plastered abroad. I have to question if this doctor and this writer just assumed they should be considered role model simply because they have that piece of paper. I actually do not hold the Dr. responsible for doing the research and that is probably poor to mention on my part. I hold the writer responsible for taking his work and putting a poor spin on it and using it to suit his own goals. Probably because he was disappointed that his degree alone was not enough to give him the role model status he did not earn and is not entitled to simply because he has a piece of paper with a nice seal at the top.

Athletes are really no different in this sense. Most you see and hold to high regard in regards to the university they attended, I seriously doubt many even know the status of whether they received a degree but instead their achievements. Did Wilt Chamberlain or Gale Sayers receive a degree from KU, I don't really know but if I want to google it I could probably find out. Would it make their achievement any less astounding, or would I be leary to say they went to the University of Kansas for sake of reflecting poorly on the university. Very doubtful.

edit 1 - Actually I do remember Chamberlain left early but to emphasize the point if you look at Wikipedia, while it mentions Sayers went to KU, they did not deem it to be important to say if he received his degree or how it possibly related to his life.
Gale Sayers - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia