A sports player’s image can be damaged due to sports media.  It’s easy to think that it’s all the players fault. But, in reality, it can be sometimes be blamed on the media.  The media sometimes is guilty of firing up the conversation and affecting the opinions.

The biggest issue with this is the conflict between wanting to give your thoughts on something the athlete did, while at the same time trying to not ruin the players image or career.  It’s easy to lose sight of the player and only focus on the issue.

When Lebron James left Cleveland to go to Miami, the fans in Cleveland ripped into Lebron. They burned his jerseys, went on social media and just wrote tons of angry posts. The media wasn’t any better, fueling the anger for ratings.  It wasn’t a fun time to be Lebron James. Due to all the anger that was posted, many people formed negative opinions on Lebron based solely on the media coverage.

Due to “Sports Talk Live” only being a small college radio show, nothing we say is heard by anyone that could affect the image of an athlete. With that being said, it’s different when it’s a nationally read or watched show.  You have to be more careful on what you say.

Many people don’t care and they will say whatever they want. If you actually care about the athelete, try to remember they’re still a person. They still care about what is said about them. They still have feelings. What is said about them could be seen by a family member. It can affect how the whole family will feel.  It’s always good to have a heart and be objective.

Question time! What athlete do you think has a horrible image due to the media? Please comment your responses below!