In a recent Bleacher Report column, a writer devalued Bears quarterback Caleb Williams, citing as evidence that Williams only threw seven touchdown passes this season.
In reality, he threw 20.
The article’s mistake has since been fixed. However, the tweet that pointed out the blunder has received more than 218,000 views.
Bad reporting and misinformation are becoming more common on sports pages and broadcasts as sports journalism favors clicks and views over ethical reporting. As a journalism student, I see that as a problem. As a sports fan, I enjoy it. And I’m not alone.
“Regardless of the nonsensical or outrageous takes, I still find sports media entertaining to watch,” says James Michalik, a local fan and longtime sports buff. “It can give me the ability to compare my own takes and sometimes even makes me feel smarter after hearing their takes and comments.”
Sports media plays a huge part in American culture, but to many, it seems like the quality of the coverage in sports is on the decline.
“These BSing TV talkers are actually paid for being as outrageous as possible. I doubt even they believe a lot of what they say,” said Greg Couch, former national sports columnist and two-time winner of the Lisagor Award as Chicago’s best sports columnist. “The more outrageous, the more viewers. The more viewers, the more pay.”
Despite public opinion, sports media outlets only seem to climb in ratings every year. According to its own press room, ESPN averaged 723,000 viewers in 2023, up 2 percent from 2022. But the shows no longer seem to hold themselves to journalistic standards or ethics.
For starters, some of the analysts on these shows don’t know what they’re talking about. For instance, Shannon Sharpe reveals his lack of accurate information in this viral clip from ESPN with Dan Orlovsky.
Sharpe, a former NFL receiver, made a claim that there has never been a triple crown winner (leader in catches, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns) in the NFL’s history to miss the playoffs. Orlovsky immediately fact-checked him, telling Sharpe that it was his own brother who had won, leaving him stunned.
Backlash from fans followed for Sharpe, who is one of the most well-known analysts, especially in football.
It’s not just about the false claims, but the absurd takes. Analysts continue to make out-of-line statements on these shows despite the backlash.
Long-time ESPN analyst Skip Bayless took his shot at making false claims back in 2022 on his podcast, The Skip Bayless Show. Bayless said that a 59-year-old Michael Jordan could beat LeBron James one-on-one. At the time, James was 38 years old and widely considered a top-10 player in the NBA.
If claims like this make fans criticize sports media, why are they still being made?
“I believe that the decline can be blamed on money,” Michalik said. “Producers want as much money as they can get within the ever growing sports market. In return, they create these outrageous takes to create more clicks.”
All press is good press, especially in the sports world. Even though fans might hate these wild claims and inaccurate statements, it gets their attention. The attention gets people talking and watching or reading.
As a result, things may never change in the sports world. At the end of the day, people find these things entertaining and it gets these companies money. According to their own press room, ESPN has been the No. 1 primetime cable network for 10 straight years. So why should they change?
“Journalists are paid to tell what they believe to be the truth. These guys are not,” Couch said. “Eventually, they do cross over some sort of invisible line and are able to get in trouble for real. But the whole thing sort of seems like a joke or a game and not real journalism or even serious commentary.”
Watching these shows and reading these articles is like having a conversation with my dad when I know he’s wrong about something. Except these analysts do it for a living. They’re paid to watch sports and give professional analysis. Yet they are so wrong, so many times.
How can they be so wrong?
Velocity 
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