Sports Field Guide

I’ll say it again – journalists should not be part of the news; instead, we should be reporting the news. Yet, sports writers have been doing just that, making news during the past two days – first, for their votes on baseball’s Hall of Fame, and, second, for their decisions about BCS champ.

Sure, the BCS vote was obvious, right? It was easy for sports writers to deem an undefeated Boise State football team as less worthy than two one-loss Florida and Texas teams, therefore ranking the Broncos fourth in the nation. It was easy to keep Boise State and Texas Christian University out of a title game. By continuing to vote, writers tacitly approve a BCS system that denies FBS football teams access to a national championship, even though every single other NCAA sports – from NAIA to Division I, from lacrosse to field hockey to bowling – earns a championship through a playoff system.

Nope, the football bowl subdivision is different, boys, claim commissioners for the power conferences. “This is big time, son,” they say, draping an arm around our shoulders. “This is college dad-gummed football where bowls are part of the tradition. We can’t be letting any little fella into the big arena.”  Sports writers encourage this behavior by voting in the polls.

Did I mention sports writers also vote for the Heisman? But you already knew that. As a result, universities promote their candidates like Academy Award nominess, sending promotional material to sports departments as early as August. The candidates are embossed on faux Wheaties boxes and die-cast sports cars. Embarrassing.

A full-court press also helped Andre Dawson get into the Hall of Fame. Sports writers succumbed a few days ago, voting the Hawk into Cooperstown. Dawson, arguably, should be in. You can check his impressive stats here. But he was elected because of a strong grass roots effort. Yet, Bert Blyleven and Jack Morris, two dominant pitchers of the same era are left in the dugout because, writes Charlotte News & Observer sportswriter Carlton Tudor, they did not play in a big-market town like Chicago or New York.

On the other hand, Roberto Alomar is considered one of the best second basemen of all-time. But that did not stop Marty Noble from leaving him off his ballot.  He sounded completely irrational and unprofessional last night during an interview on the MLB network. Noble said he was disgusted by the spitting incident with John Hirschbeck. Who wasn’t? And he said that Alomar did not compete as hard during his final two seasons with the New York Mets. Yet, Alomar won more Gold Gloves than any second baseman in history (10) won four Silver Slugger Awards, was a 12-time All-Star and batted .300 for his career. Peter Gammons called him one of the best second basemen of all-time.

But here’s what Noble said last night:

Alomar will probably be elected, and based on performance through most of his 17 seasons, he ought to be. But he will go without my vote this year. I don’t like to use the ballot in this manner, but the best second baseman since Joe Morgan — and probably the best ever — doesn’t deserve my vote for at least one year because of two spitting instances. We’re all aware of the one involving John Hirschbeck. I don’t care that Hirschbeck forgave Alomar for spitting at him; I haven’t. It was unacceptable behavior. And during his 222-game tour with the Mets, Alomar repeatedly spit in the face of the game by playing with conspicuous apathy. His father and brother didn’t deserve that, nor did the game.

To his credit, Harold Reynolds (one of the best baseball analysts anywhere) did not unleash his fury during the segment, instead cloaking his disgust in a smirk as he thanked Noble for coming on the air.

Several other writers have also looked foolish for their votes and comments.

Once and for all, sports writers should stop participating in this old-fashioned arrangement. Let former Hall of Famers, managers, coaches, and executives vote on the Hall of Fame, on football polls, and for Heisman winners. Let journalists act as independent observers, remaining free of activities that may compromise their integrity. Read that once in the Society of Professional Journalists code of ethics. Sounded pretty cool. Maybe it will catch on.