I long ago vowed not to watch the NFL pregame shows that are foisted on football fans for hours on end every Sunday, save for those exceptional circumstances. This past weekend was one of those times, in the wake of the murder-suicide committed by Kansas Chiefs player Jovan Belcher (he killed his girlfriend, Kasandra Perkins, the mother of his three-month-old daughter, before shooting himself), I was curious to see whether the shows would drop their usual hee-haw jock-ularity in favor of a thorough examination of the tragedy.
The verdict:
Fox NFL Sunday did a nice job with the story, abandoning its usual fraternity-hijinks-style presentation and delivering a somber, fact-filled show. The highlight came when Terry Bradshaw forcefully reminded viewers that the suddenly orphaned little girl is the person who should be on everyone’s mind, not the football hero.
CBS, on the other hand, turned in an abominable broadcast of The NFL Today. Astoundingly, the show didn’t open with the crime, choosing instead to talk football and the hosts’ sartorial splendor. Finally, after five long minutes, James Brown brought the fist-bumping and back-slapping to a halt with a ham-fisted transition for the ages, saying, “OK, fellas, a little switch here now.”
Oy.
CBS did provide some coverage from KC, but then dumped the story (presented by 59-year-old Lesley Visser) to ensure its bottom-feeding viewers were rewarded with some eye candy—Victoria’s Secret model Lily Aldridge, on the set to display her football knowledge by picking games against the drooling group of ex-jocks. CBS annually shoves its synergistic tie-in with the underwear label down America’s throat, airing an entire fashion show and larding its entertainment with walk-ons from the models. No Debbie-Downer stuff from Kansas City was going to put a damper on the titillation, that’s for sure.
ESPN went out of its way to keep Kasandra Perkins at the forefront of the story, airing an obit graphic for her alongside Belcher’s image throughout its coverage Sunday. But ESPN did sink to its usual habit of taking credit for information that others have reported. Somehow, Bristol football insiders Adam Schefter and Chris Mortenson broke every detail of the story, even though neither was in Kansas City. Such dishonesty in sourcing is commonplace for ESPN, sadly, and stains the network’s exemplary and creative work in other areas.
Lastly, there was NBC, which didn’t check in until Sunday night, but when it did, emeritus broadcaster Bob Costas made his considerable presence felt, slamming America’s gun culture and liberally reading from Jason Whitlock’s column about America’s suicidal love affair with weaponry. There was considerable blowback to Costas’s editorial (some would say jeremiad) for daring to interrupt something so holy as a football game between two sub-.500 teams, but regardless of where one stands on the issue of gun-control, Costas has certainly earned the right to give his opinion.
The short segment at halftime of the nationally televised Sunday night game is given to his commentary for precisely this reason, and for him not to weigh in when a story with so many pressing angles overlaps with football would have been far worse. Costas was universally lauded for defying the International Olympic Committee back in July by giving an on-air memorial on the 40th anniversary of the massacre of Israeli athletes in Munich in 1972. How would it look if he gave a pass to the Belcher story, or, worse, didn’t speak his mind? Kudos to the Peacock in both cases for not interfering.
Another angle that might get examined is the role of brainy injuries in the lives of atheletes.
For instance:
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/06/sports/hockey/derek-boogaard-a-brain-going-bad.html
http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/subjects/f/football/head_injuries/index.html
#1 Posted by Thimbles, CJR on Thu 6 Dec 2012 at 12:54 PM
This is one of the saddest stories I will cover on Center Stage this year, simply because it appears to have been preventable so many times over...Please check out www.blogtalkradio.com/centerstage , tomorrow night Dec. 7, 2012 from 8-10-pm CST as we cover the topic: "Javon Belcher Murder-Suicide: Was It Preventable." This talk show will air "live" and will have 50 phone lines available to discuss just what went wrong that night that caused Belcher to snap and kill Perkins then himself leaving a 3 month old parentless.
#2 Posted by K. Hines, CJR on Thu 6 Dec 2012 at 04:22 PM
he has earned the right? what right has he earned, because he is a game show host?
#3 Posted by john hughes, CJR on Thu 6 Dec 2012 at 05:44 PM
So sad. A beautiful young mother horrifically shot to death at the hands of an violent and abusive father of her 3 month old child. Think of the terror and pain as she was bleeding to death hearing her child crying in the next room.
Gasping for air, her thoughts most assuredly on the child, disbelieving and begging God to save her.
A mother witnessing the whole tragedy playing out in real life. Her son doing the unthinkable, right in front of her. Watching her whole world collapse while trying to save and comfort her bleeding and dying daughter in law. The mother of her beautiful granddaughter. Calling the police for help. Still holding the child. Horrific!
The tormented son, crazed, confused at what he had done. Running for solstice to the only place he knew. His NFL team's stadium. Realizing his certain demise. Committing the final act of this insane tragedy. Signing The Cross on his chest, kneeling and pulling the trigger of that devilish man made weapon on himself.
....and finally the child. Left without parents. To be raised without the succor of her mother and the safety of a father's arms.
It's just too sad to be comprehended.
#4 Posted by justice4allofUS, CJR on Thu 6 Dec 2012 at 09:05 PM
Being a firearms instructor for over 10 years now I always find it interesting to watch the knee jerk reaction to events like this. Gun violence is scary and those who are unfamiliar often repel and run from what they don't understand and constantly seek evidence to support their beliefs. More to the point, the real issue is the unhealthy domestic violence that was latent in the relationship that should be the real issue. The couple had been fighting intensely for weeks. Sprinkle in some narcotics for a head injury and allow the NFL star to continue to drink and party like everything is normal is just a recipe for disaster. This is certainly a negative for the Gun enthusiast but hopefully rational minds will prevail. To all of you who have firearms...please don;t treat them like a vintage corvette only breaking them out once or twice a year. Go get the proper safety training to keep accidents to a minimum and always keep your muzzles front.
#5 Posted by Rob, CJR on Fri 7 Dec 2012 at 11:36 AM
The Swiss have a gun in almost every home. Violence of any kind is rare there, and that includes gun violence. It really is the people, not the guns. So why are media people so knee-jerk on this issue? I shouldn't say that, come to think of it - the current 'Atlantic' tries to explain some inconvenient realities to its presumptively 'liberal' readers, and Craig Whitney, formerly of the NY Times, does the same in a recent book. On some issues (teachers unions are another), liberals of good will do come around to positions that exasperated 'conservatives' have been trying to get them to understand, though their new enlightenment has to be framed as 'hey, I"m not a conservative, but . . . '
It's silly to praise Bob Costas for (1) an emotional reaction, (2) framed as a policy prescription. CJR is behind the curve. 'Gun control' is a fringe issue, though the fringe is still heavily concentrated in the chattering classes.
#6 Posted by Mark Richard, CJR on Fri 7 Dec 2012 at 12:28 PM
Mark is right, we should have gun laws and permits to carry arms like the Swiss and then maybe we'd see a reduction of violence.
(Le sigh)
#7 Posted by Thimbles, CJR on Fri 7 Dec 2012 at 01:59 PM
Thimbles misses the point and links to non-sequitors, as usual. The anti-gun zealots believe that the availabliltiy and proximity of guns by itself leads to gun violence, which is simply not supportable by evidence. Would he be OK with universal gun owership if every household was a member of a government militia? Doubt of the anti-gun lobby would. Nice try at changing the focus, though.
#8 Posted by Mark Richard, CJR on Fri 7 Dec 2012 at 04:54 PM
"The anti-gun zealots believe that the availabliltiy and proximity of guns by itself leads to gun violence, which is simply not supportable by evidence."
O'rly.
What people who are pro-gun control believe is that guns are a heavy responsibility which carry a large societal cost when used irresponsibly. Therefore there should be a process of licensing to demonstrate you are properly trained and mentally capable of handling a gun, and that guns of different class should demand different levels of license to wield. Ammo should not be sold to people who cannot produce this license and this license should be subject to suspension and revocation as a consequence for irresponsible use and conduct.
This is only radical to the people who think a mentally unstable teenager should be allowed to drive a bus with an open beer on his lap. Because freedom.
The rest of us believe in the licence to drive and a licence to carry. Like they have in Switzerland, which you brought up do recall.
Further thought on this topic, I'm gonna outsource to Pierce:
http://www.esquire.com/_mobile/blogs/politics/the-nra-on-jovan-belcher-120712
"[W]e should also be talking more about domestic violence but, unfortunately, Eric Cantor is holding up renewal of the Violence Against Women Act because he is a member of the Republican leadership in the House Of Representatives and, therefore, by definition, a dick.
This country seems to have some problems it doesn't like to talk about."
Just a couple. On any given day.
#9 Posted by Thimbles, CJR on Fri 7 Dec 2012 at 11:38 PM
Things we don't want to talk about vs things we do.
#10 Posted by Thimbles, CJR on Sun 9 Dec 2012 at 11:47 AM
I was relieved that CBS Sunday show, which I like better because it's less "about" the high-fiving poisonalities and more about NFL football, did not feature the murder/suicide. These guys have nothing of interest to say about things like that, and spare me the predictable grief equivalent of post-game commentary. It was stunning of Costas to express himself on gun control, completely tearing up the script, and I generally agree with him on the gun control policy issue, but as practical fact it's just one man's opinion and worth exactly that.
#11 Posted by Albin, CJR on Sun 9 Dec 2012 at 03:06 PM
"What people who are pro-gun control believe is that guns are a heavy responsibility which carry a large societal cost when used irresponsibly. Therefore there should be a process of licensing to demonstrate you are properly trained and mentally capable of handling a gun, and that guns of different class should demand different levels of license to wield. Ammo should not be sold to people who cannot produce this license and this license should be subject to suspension and revocation as a consequence for irresponsible use and conduct.
This is only radical to the people who think a mentally unstable teenager should be allowed to drive a bus with an open beer on his lap.
Because freedom.
The rest of us believe in the licence to drive and a licence to carry."
James Fallows suggests I may have used the wrong framing.
http://m.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2012/12/gun-safety-not-gun-control/266318/
"I will henceforth and only talk about "gun safety" as a goal for America, as opposed to "gun control." I have no abstract interest in "controlling" someone else's ability to own a gun. I have a very powerful, direct, and legitimate interest in the consequences of others' gun ownership -- namely that we change America's outlier status as site of most of the world's mass shootings. No reasonable gun-owner can disagree with steps to make gun use safer and more responsible. This also shifts the discussion to the realm of the incremental, the feasible, and the effective."
I can live with that. "What people who are gun safety advocates believe..."
I think the rest can go unaltered.
#12 Posted by Thimbles, CJR on Sun 16 Dec 2012 at 12:29 PM