A lot has been made about the Trump vs. media war of words. I am intrigued by this discussion, and yes, I have a vested interest.
Let's discuss.
No matter what I write here, I doubt anything I write can change the mood or minds of the folks who are neck deep into the fake news narrative.
I have never, in 20 years of news meetings and discussions with editors or reporters, told someone or been told by someone what to write because of personal or political bias. Be it a boss or the organization.
The blame-the-messenger play when you don't like the message is a super dangerous move. (To that point, check out this Tweet from the Catholic League about the most-recent sexual assault allegations: "There is no on-going crisis - it's a total myth. In fact, there is no institution, private or public, that has less of a problem with the sexual abuse of minors today than the Catholic Church." Oy vey.)
But let's explore this for a moment. My personal experience does not include time spent with national outlets, especially national TV outlets. When Fox and CNN realized the profits to be made - and the brand loyalty to be found - from preaching to their converts, the national perception forever changed.
And the trickle down opinion lands on all of us in the industry whenever people do not agree with something we write or say. (I got multiple emails calling me a right-wing nut and part of the liberal media this week. So there's that.)
But please do not take this as a woe-is-us lament for the media. We must be better. We must be above reproach, whether it's sports or politics or anything in between. We must continue to do our job properly with the knowledge that the negative reactions our words can generate could cost us our job in the long run.
Because we also believe this: There has never been more of a need for good journalism than right now, whether we are talking about secret tapes, FBI probes, the football culture at Maryland, or what is going on in our schools, city and county government.
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Nice guys finish first?
I have said before that I believe Brett Kavanaugh is a strong choice to be our next Supreme Court justice.
There will be a ton of debate about his nomination.
Let's hope everyone involved has a little more background and pre-interview intel than Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wisconsin.
Yep, ol' Ronnie said this week Kavanaugh should be approved by the Senate 100-0 because, wait for it, he's a "nice guy."
Dear Lord Ron, c'mon. There are so many ways to show support for a legal mind like Kavanaugh. Back his decision-making on the bench. Back his family-first approach and his relationships with his daughters and wife. Back his belief in the law, first and foremost.
For Pete's sake, back the fact that he reminds you of Jack McCoy from "Law & Order" or that he makes a mean chicken salad.
But a 100-0 endorsement because he's nice? What is this, a Supreme Court candidate or a blind date?
Heck, I'm a nice guy. Am I ready for a spot on the highest court in the land?
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Saturday stars
Friday night was the first full night of high school football games in Tennessee.
Good times, friends. Strike that. Great times.
Yes, the players will make memories forever over the next three months, and that's cool.
Here's a tip of the visor to the parents of those players.
Those parents have made the countless trips to and from practice since little Johnny Tailback was little more than a helmet and cleats, bandaged the scrapes, counseled the heartache of defeat and celebrated the victories with unending dedication.
Way to go, Moms and Dads.