The Introduction/Statement of Purpose

For the longest time, well before corporate names were hung on stadiums and athletes had publicists, the world of sports has been a means of escape for the vast majority of the public. Regardless of gender, age or ethnicity, the fact is that nearly everyone in the world has either a favorite team or a single athlete which they cheer for.

Many of these athletes and teams today enjoy being fan favorites because of two wonderful things: marketing and media coverage.

Unfortunately, as many organizations and individuals have discovered in recent history, these two highly important aspects are not always on the benefactors' side.

The media are not always kind, especially if a public gaff or the wrong kind of personal information were to be made public, an occurrence which usually leaves the morning talk shows and sports networks chomping at the bit for their very own "oh no they didn't" episodes.

Likewise, some athletes have seen their personal images come crashing down at the slightest sign of trouble, a result of branding themselves as not just the perfect athletic role model, but even a model American, only to have their poor decisions and colorful lifestyles exposed.

But through it all, two distinct problems exist when it comes to sports controversies. Can we really believe that media coverage is as unbiased as they would like us to think? Do we place too much importance on athletic personalities, deifying them in the process?

In the coming weeks, certain situations and controversies will be discussed with an unbiased opinion and an open mind. From athletes "miss-remembering" what their teammates and friends did at the time to swimmers on the bong and wrecked Escalades, we will examine the situations, the media coverage of the events, and even the handling of the aftermaths by both the media and the individuals themselves.

The purpose of this blog will not be to side with or against public opinion, but rather to examine the aspects of controversies that have caught the sports public's eye, regardless of which team or individual comes under fire. After all, we owe it to ourselves as sports fans to seek the truth, question those who tarnish it, and occasionally allow ourselves to be brought back down to earth, even when we think there's not a snow ball's chance in hell that we are wrong.