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Thursday, March 28
The Indiana Daily Student

sports

COLUMN: Make hot takes great again

Sports Filler

We did it.

Collectively, we’ve done it. The boiling point has been reached. The era of hot takes has officially gotten too hot.

I’m not sure when we reached the marker. Perhaps it was with the admonishing of Panthers’ quarterback Cam Newton or the political takes scorching around the New England Patriots. Perhaps it was the LeBron James-isn’t-actually-that-good judgement that Fox Sports 1 talking head Skip Bayless has repeatedly trotted out to insignificant applause.

There are always epochs in sports journalism, and currently, we’re in the dead-center of the hot take time period. No longer do facts or concrete realities matter; it’s now just about who can say the most outlandish opinion to receive animosity.

All news is good news in the sports media world. Bayless, Stephen A. Smith, Jason Whitlock, Clay Travis and Colin Cowherd are just a select few of the empire that focuses on yelling, screaming and ranting rather than giving compelling opinions.

FS1, in particular, has built an entire company around the mantra of “embrace debate.” It is frankly disgusting and exhausting at the same time.

Along with the increase in outspoken and ignorant remarks, we have reached a point where “journalists” think it’s their business to argue with players.

Recently, TNT’s NBA pregame and postgame show, “Inside The NBA,” has gotten some attention for its back-and-forths with current NBA players. Former player Shaquille O’Neal has gotten into it with the Warriors’ Kevin Durant and JaVale McGee, while current blowhard Charles Barkley has gotten into it with James and many other players throughout his tenure as a sports analyst.

I understand this isn’t as much journalism as it is entertainment, but there are many who confuse the two. Those looking to breathe out the hottest of takes have overshadowed the actual columnists and writers who are doing their best to back up their opinions with substantive research, facts and quotes.

It’s okay to throw out a hot take once in a while to be provocative about a subject you believe in, but these hot take artists who have made it their duty to deliver lava straight to your door daily have ruined the entire art.

You wake up in the morning and turn on the television. You no longer need coffee. Just turn on the dulcet tones of your local hot take artist and soak in the rage and fury.

ESPN, FS1 — name a sports empire. If it talks about sports, you’re sure to find a blistering opinion backed up by nonsense.

Hot takes can be great. There’s a perfect world where someone talks about a bat flip without coming off as a nonsensical buffoon. We’ve lost something great and replaced it with gobbledygook.

Hot takes aren’t necessarily bad sportswriting. They’re fun and ultimately harmless when done well. Yet, when done poorly, they’re infuriating and a stain on society.

That’s my hot take.

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