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On Track #4: This Is Sportscenter

Sportscenter is awful.

I watch it every day, and I think, "This is awful" every day.

I mean, it's the flagship sports show on TV, and it's coverage of anything besides football, baseball, and basketball couldn't be worse. (Hell, it's coverage of those sports is terrible. Everything from the anchors to the so-called experts is just...inane. But that's another story)

Of course, part of the problem with Sportscenter is the focus on those three sports. I mean, it's called Sportscenter, and yet only three sports get any real coverage. And football...dear god, they always talk about football. Don't believe me? Watch one of the shows this June (JUNE!) and I can almost guarantee they will find a way to squeeze some football stuff in there.

I may have only been in J-school for three days, but I know enough to know that it's just plain bad journalism to only cover the big three sports while calling yourself a sports show. (Of course, that problem is endemic to almost all sports shows...yet another issue for later in this blog)

The other problem -- the bigger problem, perhaps -- is something my college roommates used to call "highlight culture."

The basic idea is this: "news" shows like Sportscenter are centered around these highlights that are able to tell the story of the game/match/race, etc. in neat little summed-up package, usually no more than a minute or two. And we like out sports to be able to fit into highlights; i.e. we like being able to see teams score a touchdown or hit a home run or dunk a basketball...without actually having to spend the time watching the whole game.

How do you highlight a track meet? Especially distance races?

I mean, races like the 100 dash and other sprints are there own highlights. So then is it any surprise that those are the most popular events on the track?

The problem is that a track meet doesn't -- can't -- fit into a highlight. One jump, one throw, one finish can't possibly sum up a track meet. A highlight is too...superficial.

And in a sports nation that is dictated by Sportscenter, well...where does that leave track?

Coming Next: Track on TV

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