When did CBS Sports become a tabloid?

I'm writing this here, rather than at Wildcat Blue Nation, because I don't wish to speak for anyone else but rather speak for myself and my own views on the matter.  I don't say this as someone who considers myself as a sportswriter.  I don't say this as a Kentucky fan.  I say this as someone who has taken a class in news writing.

I had just finished reading a brilliant article by John Clay of the Herald Leader on the latest around of CBS Sports anonymous polling.  It's just disgusting to me.

When these coaches say things on the record and actually turn people in, let me know. Until then, CBS Sports has fallen so low with this series that it's ruined the good name of sports journalism. Since when did CBS Sports disgrace the good name of sports reporting and become the National Enquirer?!?  Was it this summer or did they somehow get replaced with writers from a parallel universe?

I had a friend attack me for complaining about this CBS Sports series and they asked me if I was "so shocked that other coaches flat out hate your hero Calipari?"

 I had to respond to that comment.  This is not about John Calipari and the University of Kentucky Wildcats.  It's about the good name of sports journalism and what that stands for.  I've never met a single sportswriter that wanted to be a sportswriter so they could poll coaches anonymously and not even quote them on the record.

CBS Sports has done a whole SERIES of anonymous polls. They are not even quoting ANY coaches on the record. It's nothing but a play for page views. That's all it is. It's below the level of National Enquirer. Even the Sporting News' Mike DeCourcy has attacked CBS Sports for pulling this stunt and he really went after the coaches who responded. What CBS has done here not even journalism. Hell, it's not even reporting.

 

Perhaps, the best question they asked was about which coach was perceived to be the most underrated.  I'll give them credit on that as Mike did.

I already know for a fact that they didn't interview Coach Calipari for his thoughts on the matter. I used to have respect for CBS Sports. I say used to because this goes against everything a sportswriter represents. It goes against everything that the good name of journalism represents. I stopped watching shows like Entertainment Tonight because it was starting to veer down that road of tabloid journalism, which is--by far--the worst kind of journalism that is out there.

It's a sad day for CBS Sports when Gregg Doyel has become the only respectable writer worth reading on their site.  At least he's not one that is writing and polling for this series of articles that is shoddy at best.

 

Why aren't they going after UNC for the academic scandal? That would be real sports reporting!