TMZ has the Kardashians and sports networks have Grayson Allen.
Wherever you go or look, you just can’t get away from it. And that’s the problem.
If embattled Duke star Grayson Allen choose to eat cornflakes instead of sausage and eggs one day — heaven help us all — you can bet that media networks would be all over it.
It’s gotten so bad that I wouldn’t be shocked to see articles written about Allen that blame him for global warming, groundhog Phil for seeing his shadow or the state of the U.S economy.
The Duke standout has more coverage than Verizon, and what most people have with Obamacare.
Networks adding fuel to the fire
The media’s fascination with Allen is mind-boggling as they evaluate his every move. There isn’t a day that goes by that there isn’t some mention about Allen.
Yes, he’s brought it all on himself for numerous tripping incidents over the past two years, but networks haven’t helped with their click-bait videos and articles such as:
“Duke’s Grayson Allen had a meltdown after his rogue leg struck again.”
“Grayson Allen looks like Ted Cruz.”
“Did Duke’s Grayson Allen trip someone AGAIN?”
“This Grayson Allen face-plant: Trip revenge, karma or accident?”
“Grayson Allen gets a drink and sits on the bench. You won’t believe what he did next.”
OK, so I made the last one up but you get the point.
Grayson Allen could sneeze and a number of media members would be all over it. While getting those clicks and chasing that money is what it’s all about for those networks, they are also part of the problem as they continue to stoke the fire.
A great example of this came from ESPN’s Linda Cohn when she interviewed Arizona signee DeAndre Ayton, the No. 1 player according to most recruiting websites last month on SportsCenter. Here’s how the conversation went.
Cohn: “Let’s fast-forward. Freshman at Arizona, let’s just say, we’ll play a hypothetical game. You’re up against Duke and Grayson Allen trips you.”
Ayton: “Oh.”
Cohn: “How do you react?”
@TheDukeNation is this a joke?? I have lost all respect for reputable journalism from @SportsCenter pic.twitter.com/OR63ZmD1sF
— Colin MacCloskey (@Average_George) January 14, 2017
Yes, she actually said that. Unbelievable.
Ayton, who wasn’t highly recruited by Duke, isn’t even going to an ACC school. Duke isn’t even scheduled to play Arizona next year and to top it off, Allen might turn pro after this season. That means that Ayton would have no shot at playing against Allen if both teams were matched up in the NCAA Tournament.
There is absolutely no reason for Cohn to bring Allen into the interview whatsoever.
And it doesn’t stop there.
Michelle Beadle, co-host of ESPN’s SportsNation, went off on Allen last month when she suggested that an opponent should “knock him out.”
“Knock him out. Enough is enough,” she said on national television. “I don’t need him to be punished, I don’t need Mommy and Daddy to step in. I need an opponent to say enough.”
ESPN SportsNation host Michelle Beadle is calling for someone to knock Grayson Allen out? What? 2wrongs don't make it right. pic.twitter.com/PcjIJF5LIo
— Gary Viggers (@coachviggers) January 11, 2017
Innocent until proven guilty? Not for Allen
With under five minutes to go in the second half in a game against Wake Forest last month, Allen missed a 3-pointer as his shot bounced off the side of the rim. The 6-foot-5 junior chased it down and tried to swat the ball back into play as he was going out of bounds.
Bryant Crawford, of Wake Forest, was the one that was guarding Allen and got upset with him in front of the Duke bench. A number of Wake Forest players quickly came running to Crawford’s “rescue” as Allen was suddenly swarmed by a number of Deamon Deacon players.
Before the refs could get control, Allen was slammed down on the bench by Wake Forest’s Brandon Childress. And for what purpose?
Greyson Allen gets slammed in front of Duke bench by Wake Forest player. #SitDown ? pic.twitter.com/xGIwQvmume
— T (@Tdouble2323) January 28, 2017
Allen didn’t do anything wrong. It was a simple hustle play that happens in every game across the country. But it didn’t stop several media outlets from going bonkers with ridiculous headlines as they try and portray Allen as the villain once again.
Luckily for Duke fans everywhere, Allen handled it with class and didn’t overreact like Childress did. The comments under a Facebook post of one of the click-bait articles was absolutely fantastic with people — who don’t even like Duke — coming to Allen’s defense.
Even North Carolina head coach Roy Williams defended Allen when he was asked about the Allen scrutiny before North Carolina took on Duke in the first game between both storied programs earlier this month.
“It’s way, way, way blown out of proportion,” he told the News & Observer. “I think he’s a wonderful kid who he himself, and Mike (Krzyzewski), has said has made some mistakes.”
The stories that matter
With 351 Division I men’s basketball programs and 349 on the women’s side, that amounts to nearly 11,000 basketball players at the Division I level. Yet, instead of finding the heartwarming stories of athletes overcoming obstacles and the adversity to get to where they are today, media networks can’t stop following Allen wherever he goes.
Northwestern is on track to make its first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance and is one of college basketball’s best-kept stories this year.
Staying in the Big Ten, what about Purdue’s Caleb Swanigan who has become one of the most dominant players in college basketball. The 6-foot-9, 245-pound sophomore is having a year to remember as he averages 18.6 points and 12.6 rebounds per game. But it’s his remarkable story that makes it worthwhile as he overcame homelessness and obesity and is on track to become an All-American this year.
Gonzaga made program history with its 29-0 start and BYU ended it to pick up its first win over an AP No. 1 team in school history. It was the third consecutive win in the Kennel for the Cougars.
Conclusion
Yes, Allen has brought some of it on himself for his tripping incidents, but at the same time, big media networks have also been part of the problem. We all make mistakes and our entire life shouldn’t be judged solely on what we did in college.
Remember, competition brings out emotion, and college and professional athletes lose their cool from time to time and we all move on. Just look at Serge Ibaka, Blake Griffin, and the Draymond Green issues. What about Shaquille O’Neal and the Charles Barkley incidents as well as the feud between O’Neal and JaVale McGee.
It is time for the media to let go of their fascination with Grayson Allen and to start concentrating on the real issues at hand in college athletics.
