Sports Stars Aren't Good Sports Journo's | Thebigtip

Those of us unlucky enough not to forge a career as a sportsperson will often seek an alternative route when it comes to entering the sporting industry. Sadly, the road leading to a career in sports journalism however is becoming blocked by the very stars who ply their trade in the sporting arena.

In this day and age, it has become frustratingly apparent that professional sportsman, both retired and active, posess a solemn passage to the media industry, while so many students must walk the hard road and go to university to obtain the qualifications necessary to perhaps kickstart a career in sports journalism.

The amount of former athletes either presenting or co-hosting a program, writing a column in the newspaper, or providing commentary on both radio and television, just makes it that much harder for many aspiring sports journalists to enter an industry that is already ultra competitive.

While there are some former players and coaches that have forged successful and respected careers in sports media, (SMH writer Roy Masters and the late Johnny Warren come to mind) They do not outnumber the novice writing, reporting and commentary from the majority of sports personalities currently working in the sports journalism industry.

In rugby league, high-profile NRL players such as Robbie Farah, Benji Marshall, Lote Tuqiri and Mark Gasnier have provided uninsightful features and opinion pieces for major newspaper outlets like The Daily Telegraph, The Sun Herald and Sunday Telegraph respectively.

The majority of the opinion pieces these present day superstars of the game conjure up usually involves the typical reaction from a player in a post match press conference after a win or a loss.

I recall one article written by Benji Marshall in The Sun Herald explaining how disappointed he was at losing the first qualifying final against the Sydney Roosters last season. Honestly, is there any need for Marshall, or The Sun Herald for that matter, to publish the article when most NRL followers already have a clear idea as to how disappointed the player would be after such a defeat?

Sadly, the opinion pieces offered up by many of today’s NRL stars pales in comparision to the useless commentary offered by Channel Nine sideline commentators Andrew Johns and Brad Fittler.

Fittler in particular has made an uncanny habit of reminding the television audience how lucky he is to be getting paid good money in exchange for offering next to little or no insightful commentary about the game he is covering.

While Johns isn’t as annoying to listen to, his commentary is also not up to standard in comparision to fellow NRL commentators such as Peter Sterling, Tim Gilbert, Andrew Voss and to an extent, Phil Gould.

Of course, Channel Nine are not the only media outlet responsible for hiring sports personalities to take on a role they are not qualified for.

One HD’s football program ‘World Football News’ has both Zeljko Kalac and David Zdrilic (both retired Socceroos), providing their personal views on the world game, which to be honest, is hardly riveting television.

When asked to offer an opinion on why Australia failed in its bid to host the 2022 World Cup during the broadcast on Channel Ten, both Zdrilic and Kalac proclaimed that nothing was wrong with Australia’s bid presentation, even though the presentation itself showcased nothing about the history of the world game down under.

While both Kalac and Zdrilic do not offer any innovative insight into the world game, the fact that there are others out there that are worst commentators is a blight on the sports journalism industry.

How Melbourne Victory skipper Kevin Muscat found himself commentating next to David Basheer at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa is beyond me. During the Australia – Germany match, one could hear Muscat carrying on like a baby every time Germany scored. The amount of groans that came from his mouth far outweighed anything he offered in terms of commentary.

Even respected SBS Chief Football analyst Craig Foster can go overboard with his constant comments in regards to the Socceroos need to play like FC Barcelona, when it is painfully apparent that Australia possesses nowhere near the class of players necessary to perform at such a high level.

Indeed there are many other sports personalities out there who have forged a career in the media industry despite having no prior experience. Former Australian Cricketer Stuart MacGill looked increasingly uncomfortable hosting the 2009 Ashes on SBS, in comparison to noted sports presenter Simon Hill, who hosted the 2005 Ashes series very well.

It is a great shame that many major media outlets have felt the need to hire active and retired sportspeople who are clearly bereft of any qualifications and knowledge when it comes to commentating on television or writing an opinion piece for a newspaper.

What is even more disappointing surrounds the fact that many aspiring sports journalists who actually have the qualifications and experience necessary to forge a career in journalism, are being left behind in favour of the many amateurish sports personalities who dominate the sporting media today.

One can only hope Australia’s major sports tabloids and media broadcasters wake up to themselves and realise that the best commentary and insight to a game of rugby league, football, or any sport for that matter, comes from those who have taken the time to study, observe and experience the sports journalism industry inside-out, not those that have prospered inside the sporting arena.