Jalen Rose is becoming a staple in the media, and his moves are more and more effective. In his eyes, that has brought unintended consequences like hate from other professionals in the media, namely those who did not play a sport professionally. After Rose secured the interview of the moment with the much-beleaguered Memphis Grizzlies star Ja Morant, he feels the traditional media members are salty at his rising stature.
“BTW any media members questioning or dismissing my JA interview or his sincerity are just butt hurt they didn’t do it,” Rose tweeted after his interview with Morant.
Rose went a little further, poking the existing bear that is the wedge between traditional media and the so-called new media that consists of former and current professional athletes that are now driving their narratives. For Rose, he wants the world to know that just like he put the work in on the hardwood, he also hustled hard to gain his chops in the media as well.
The Athletic Journalist
“Current & former athletes keep score of those who say I’m not a “journalist”, when my college major was radio,tv,film, been doing this for 20 years & literally write a column for the NYP each week,” Rose tweeted. “They want to pigeon hole us because they are threatened. Breaking glass ceilings.”
The theme is on brand with the Golden State Warriors’ Draymond Green, who has been on a campaign to dismantle what he has labeled “old media” and fully plant a flag for the “new media.” Although Rose hasn’t used that terminology, he sent a clear message that he feels the shade now that he’s getting scoops that generally went to the traditional legacy media.
Then Rose opened the door for a secondary conversation: the lack of representation by Black journalists on the highest levels. With Black former and current players receiving opportunities in the media usually reserved for white traditional media members, he believes that a glass ceiling is being shattered by his very presence on the national stage.
“Very few black writers in sports, I might be the only former athlete. Same w/insiders,new breakers, hosts, producers & play by play,” Rose continued in another tweet. “They want us to stay in the analyst lane to protect this power dynamic.”
Media Growing Pains
Sports shock jock Chris “Mad Dog” Russo has been one of the most vocal opponents of the narratives and personalities created within the new media of athletic voices. On ESPN’s “First Take,” he has come after Green most notably, and last year was a tipping point for the man Green relabeled “Bad Dog.”
“Shut up and play, will you please,” Russo said vehemently during a “First Take” episode. “America’s tired of Draymond Green, and I deal with them constantly. Be quiet and play, and we all know he’s got a great skill set for that team, but he’s so polarizing I can’t root for him.”
Russo was one-half of a popular mainstream sports radio show with polarizing media stalwart Mike Francesa that was definitely geared toward the culture.
For Jalen Rose, his newfound crusade to offer his unique perspective and claim seasoned journalism chops, he is putting the game on notice that no one in traditional media is safe, and he can secure the top story faster than you can.
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