The Pundit Tree: Making Sense of the Doug Glanville Controversy and Embracing Debate Hate

The Pundit Tree is back for its second week so it’s officially outlasted Barstool Van Talk. Every post is a blessing …

The third-rail topic of the day is the Chicago Cubs banning the fan who made this hand gesture behind NBC Sports analyst Doug Glanville from Wrigley Field forever.

General manager Theo Epstein ended a day of speculation with the news during a press conference Wednesday afternoon. The debate, of course, is what the intention behind this hand sign was intended to be. Was it an overt act of white supremacy or a harmless and immature implementation of The Circle Game?

Yesterday I wrote that it’s impossible to know what the motivations were without further information. And here, a day later, it feels as though we don’t have much guidance from the team.

Hours into the Cubs’ investigation, Crane Kenney went on 670 The Score. He was asked if social media aided in that inquiry.

“This is one of the places social media was our friend,” he said. “We hadn’t seen it and to be honest even if I had seen it on the screen I wouldn’t have recognized what it meant and then it was called to our intention by some viewers and after some research we verified it is used in the wrong way by some misguided people. Whether this person is going to ultimately say he intended it, that he was playing the circle game or some other stunt, the judgment to use that in connection with a respected reporter who happens to be African-American doing his job — and we love Doug and he does an amazing job for all of us — that connection … coincidence is not going to fly here.”

What I still don’t understand and am not afraid to admit I don’t understand is if this means the team found this fan’s social media accounts and used them to inform their decision. This would seem an obvious step, one essential to any fair look into the incident. Absent that information, it’s very difficult to fully trust the Cubs.

To be fair, it would be irresponsible for anyone with the organization to dox this person. And perhaps alluding to questionable content on his Twitter or Facebook accounts would inspire someone else to do it. So the Cubs are in a difficult spot here.

With that said, though, it’s a challenge to report on this story with full confidence. No one wants to trivialize the seriousness of this issue and no one wants to cape up for racist actions. The current news environment is not exactly skewed toward waiting for all the facts before coming down on a side.

It was interesting reading the responses I received for even leaving the door open that this guy was playing the Circle Game. Multiple people suggested the blog post was written while wearing a white hood.

With that in mind, it was interesting to see Will Cain dive into the topic on his show yesterday afternoon (26-minute mark here). He brought up a pertinent point, asking how many people were familiar with this gesture and its negative connotations before this incident? It’s one I had as well, and I don’t know the answer.

Cain also explained why he thought it was important to give his opinion, knowing full well the way it could be received, and it’s illuminating.

“I don’t do things because I’m concerned how people will paint it, how they’ll spin it, or what they’ll say about me,” he said. “I do things because whether I think it’s right or wrong. You make the point that the Cubs can kick anybody out. The question is: is it righteous, is it just? And for somebody to get kicked out for being immature and making a Circle Game appearance would be unjust. It’s worth somebody else spinning what I say and distorting me to push back on that injustice.”

One final thought on this that’s largely been unmentioned. The Cubs’ move to digital-only ticketing means they’re privy to more information about ticket-holders than they’ve had in the past. There’s really no way to understand the scope of information they had in making this call and one wonders if we’ll ever have the full picture.

UPDATE: On Thursday’s show, Cain said he reached out the Cubs and was told no evidence from the fan’s social media profiles was used in making the decision, nor were they able to speak with the person in question. It appears clear they have no interest in hearing his side of the story. That side could, of course, be flimsy, but it’s pretty surprising that the team would close up shop before engaging. 

A Master-ful Move?

Tony Romo is arguably the best football commentator in the world. And it may be his second-favorite sport. The golf enthusiast worked a tournament for CBS in 2017, but is apparently not a part of the network’s future coverage.[/caption]

“Nothing in our current plans,” CBS Sports president Sean McManus told The Big Lead. “Tony is the best analyst in NFL football and we’re going to keep him focused on that for the time being so I don’t see that changing anytime soon.”

Allow me to read between the lines here. Romo, who is in the last year of his contract, is as hot a commodity as they come. His services will be lusted after by every company with a microphone. He seems to have CBS over the fire and is expected to garner a $10 million/annual salary (or at least damn close).

What can they do for leverage? Well, offer the Masters and PGA Championship as a carrot. An incentive to stay.

Fox, which has the U.S. Open, can’t quite match that. NBC is better suited with the Golf Channel, but is unlikely to make changes to the Sunday Night booth. ESPN/ABC has the early rounds of The Masters, but that’s still not quite Sunday at Augusta.

Embrace the Hate

Max Kellerman is in the public hot seat for an empirically bad Larry Fitzgerald take. “Larry Fitzgerald is like a Vince Carter,” he said. “He might make the Hall of Fame and the way he was willing to keep playing without being an MVP-kind-of-level guy anymore.”

Fitzgerald, of course, is an absolute lock for Canton. The Arizona Cardinals wide receiver is second all-time in yards, third in catches, and sixth in touchdowns. The 35-year-old will only add to his already impressive list of achievements as he plays out the twilight of his still-productive career.

The negative response is understandable, but here’s an honest question: Do First Take viewers watch the show for buttoned-up, unimpeachable opinions? Or do they watch because there’s a tacit understanding they’ll be privy to outlandish, possibly insane commentary?

And more importantly, are these so-called gaffes good for the sports-shouting bottom line? The cynic in me believes that when it comes to First Take, all press is good press. Kellerman and Stephen A. Smith are relevant because they move the needle. Even if that needle is pointing toward absurdity, it’s still in motion.

There’s an argument to be made that viewers know they’re going for a wild ride and that unpredictability is part of the fun. It’s like getting in a cab with the knowledge the driver is going to veer off course periodically when he spills coffee on his lap.

Not for everyone, but occasionally it’s fun to spice things up.

A Parade of Gasbags

Off the Clock, featuring ESPN’s NBA gang, is nothing like First Take — though Paul Pierce could make it so if he continues to declare series over in bold, wrong fashion. One thing it does have in common is talent who feel comfortable enough to fart. One month after a flatulence investigation brought Bristol to a stand-still, Pierce let one rip while seated next to Michelle Beadle and singlehandedly derailed a conversation.

Like the NBA, supporting programming can be a copycat league.

The Fart Renaissance is here and it is appropriately stupid.

Talking Baseball

MLB Tonight, on MLB Network, is perhaps the most underrated sports show on television and succeeds largely because it cannot get stale. There are too many games each day providing real-time content and debate fodder. That’s baked in. But another reason why it remains fresh is the diversity of thought from across the baseball spectrum. The network has done a thoughtful job in terms of roster construction. Harold Reynolds represents the old guard. Brian Kenny the stats nerds. Eric Byrnes the optimists and Billy Ripken the less sunny. Greg Amsinger is particularly adept at bringing a surprising viewpoint. This makes conversations about the issues of the night unpredictable and different depending on who is sharing their opinion.

The Eggman Cometh

A good rule of thumb for these trying times is that things can always get weirder. With that in mind, let’s consider Johnny the Eggman, who enjoyed internet virality yesterday. Just as the jokes were tapering off, Splinter News‘ Jack Crosbie published a deep dive into the Babe Ruthian breakfast, revealing the possibility they were prop eggs being rotated in front of diners.

So often we talk about the great public service journalism can provide. And this, friends, is exactly what we mean.

NOTEBOOK: The NFL Network is being forced to trim $20 million and is cutting at least five shows, per Andrew Marchand of the New York Post … Meanwhile the network has brought in Joe Thomas for Thursday night broadcasts … Sinclair is becoming an even bigger player in sports media … John Ourand of the Sports Business Journal detailed what that could mean for your local station.

One Last Thing

Attempting to put together a list of the 15 best SportsCenter anchors in the history of ESPN was a tall task bound to result in snubs. Two main takeaways: the stable of excellent broadcasters who have sat in that seat is insane. We’re talking hundreds who have found a way to put their own mark on the venerable franchise. This is a testament to its place as the pinnacle of sports television. If it were a sporting team there would be so few busts. The rigorous process it takes to ascend to the mountaintop keeps its legacy pristine.

Secondly, it’s worth wondering if those coming up through the ranks have any chance of cracking a similar list in five years. And not because of a talent disparity. Because SportsCenter simply occupies a much smaller slice of the pie than it once did, through competition and the highlight revolution. But perhaps most importantly, because it takes up less real estate. One wonders what the cultural impact of those on the list would have been without morning repeats. There was simply more opportunity to get to know these anchors.

The suits know a hell of a lot better than I do, but those back-to-back-to-back-to-back morning viewings did a lot of brand-building, both for the talent and the show.