Tuesday, November 18, 2008
So sports are filled with goats. It’s in our nature to point the finger or pass the blame.
Your team lost? Well, it has be someone’s fault, right? The Boston Red Sox lose the 1986 World Series? Blame Bill Buckner. The Chicago Cubs choke in the 2003 playoffs? It’s Bartman’s fault. The Chiefs go down in the playoffs in 1995? Run Lin Elliot out of town.
Sports is a cruel business, and the media feeds the frenzy with words that are all-too-often unnecessarily spiteful.
Well, blunders are made off the field too. Newspapers, like athletes, can make mistakes.
And on Monday, there was no bigger goat than the University Daily Kansan sports section.
Here’s what happened. After attending the Kansas vs. Texas game on Saturday, I wrote a column for Monday’s sports section. There’s no denying that Saturday was a disappointing day for the Jayhawks. They’ve been knocked around this season. They’ve played an excruciating schedule, arguably one of the toughest in the country. And on Saturday, they played a skilled Texas team, a team filled with NFL talent, and Kansas just couldn’t hang with them. It was a frustrating day, and I think the column reflected that. And as I wrote, well, there wasn’t much to say.
Somehow that column ended up with a headline that read “Senior day proves 2007 was a fluke.”
Here’s where I could spend a few minutes explaining how headlines are created. Explaining that headlines aren’t written by the reporter or columnist, that they are written much later when the paper is being edited and designed.
But that would be useless. As the sports editor of The Kansan, I take full responsibility, and apologize to anybody who might have been offended by the headline.
It was a poor headline for a number of reasons. From a journalistic standpoint, it didn’t reflect the nature of the story, nor did it provide the reader with a proper framework for the column.
But more than that, the headline was simply inaccurate, misleading and a little inflammatory.
You can’t fairly compare the 2007 Kansas football team to the 2008 version. Sure, sportswriters and columnists make unfair comparisons all the time. It’s part of the job. But in this case, the assertion that Kansas’ Orange Bowl Championship in 2007 should be considered a fluke because the Jayhawks have stumbled in 2008 is unfair.
If you follow Kansas football, you probably understand why. Kansas lost two All-Americans — Aqib Talib and Anthony Collins — and a bundle of impact players. They also lost defensive coordinator Bill Young.
You know, it’s funny. I heard a lot of fans and pundits criticize Kansas’ schedule last season.
Come on, they didn’t have to play Texas or Oklahoma.
And now, somehow, a lot of people feel the results of this season have vindicated the criticisms they voiced in 2007.
It’s interesting that nobody has ever argued that perhaps Texas and Oklahoma were lucky they didn’t have to play the 2007 version of Kansas.
But that’s an argument for another time. Kansas’s 2008 version has one game left. And the focus should be on Kansas’ seniors. Guys like James Holt.
Holt is one of the most genuine, likable, and friendly players on the football team. He’s everything a student athlete should be. Obviously, Holt’s senior day didn’t go very well. Texas proved its might.
But Texas didn’t take away Holt’s Orange Bowl ring on Sunday. He earned that. And I’m pretty sure he’s going to keep it.
As for The Kansan’s sports coverage? Let me quote comedian Mel Brooks.
“As long as the world is turning and spinning, we’re gonna be dizzy and we’re gonna make mistakes.”
— — Edited by Mary Sorrick
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Comments
Kansan regrets unfair headline
"It’s interesting that nobody has ever argued that perhaps Texas and Oklahoma were lucky they didn’t have to play the 2007 version of Kansas."
Kind of like Mizzou was lucky they didn't...oh wait, they did. And they beat the Jayhawks handily. And they got the tar beat out of them against OU, twice. You really think that OU or UT wouldn't have steamrolled you guys too? Everybody outside of Lawrence realizes that the only good team you beat in 2007 was an overrated WV team in the Orange Bowl that Mizzou deserved to win.
The original headline was correct. Enjoy mediocrity. Not that ISU can say any better, but at least we don't claim it, either.
Kansan regrets unfair headline
KU played Virginia Tech in the Orange Bowl, not West Virginia. West Virginia spanked OU in the Fiesta Bowl.
Kansan regrets unfair headline
Excuse me. Wrong 2-letter-acronymed team with a V in it. My point still remains.
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