side-lines Perhaps it’s from watching the reaction of sports commentators, columnists and reporterson the American effort to destroy the summer Olympics, and perhaps also from listening to all the commentators from the Olympics in Lake Placid, that a message is coming across loud and clear: the public is being ill-served by the sports media. Have you ever stopped to Mind you, that’s under- think for a moment that a standable. After all, the sports reporter or com- amateurs’ usually don't by Andy Fraser heating the public mentator needs no special training or knowledge? Mind you, in the US. it helps uf the commentator were once a NFL quarterback. Within the Olympics currently taking place in Lake Placid, there are hundreds and hundreds of stories about athletes who have reached, or who are reaching for the pinnacle of success in the world. Yet to a large degree these stories go untold. FLAG WAVING Instead, if you watch ABC, you are treated to Dick Button the ‘expert,’ degrading every figure skater unless they have the Stars and stripes tatooed on their arms or elsewhere. So often we are treated to results with ‘opinions and not the fascinating stories behind the scenes. It is interesting to think about. The lack of knowlege by almost all media types when it comes to amateur athletics is embarassingly abysmal. And apart from the Olympics, or when it ap- pears one of ‘our’ athletes will be a winner, we ignore the amateurs so we can chase the gloss and glitter of the pros. Que ou Protected ? provide free pre-game meals and dnnks to the ‘experts.’ And the amateurs don't provide the odd free trip here and there. But the pros are not on the firing line. Even in covering these sports, there is usually very little done to provide good in depth coverage of the sport. The excitement, grace and beauty of sport is too often ignored for the show business approach. It seems that everyone in this racket wants to be a show- biz personality. And isn't that mdiculous for an ob- server, a reporter? At times the public seems to accept the media in this role. Look at Howard Cosell, iAmmy the Greek — ‘experts. A laugh certainly but they sull have blessings of the networks. WHY OPINIONS? Why is itso difficult for the media to tell us about the sport rather than only opinions? Hockey is possibly one sport which suffers from this ailment. If only color commentators could tell us of the game and give us msights to the sport rather than ‘opimons.” They seem to have this feeling that they must be relating to a bunch of idiots who haven't the LOSING BATTLE AGAINST THE ELEMENTS? rs] | a ..OR IS YOUR HOME FIGHTING A [J a G HAS YOUR PROTECTION:’ @.5'' continuous aluminum gutters, ". @ Double-pane thermal glass conversions for your existing windows. @ Inside storm windows. @ Double-pane thermal glass replacement windows and patio doors. ‘@ Fiberglass insulation, FOR A a a HEAT CONSERVATION 986 -3102 a ff] AND HOME COMFORT CALL a | brains or insight to make a decision of their own. In every other reportonal occupation, there is the need and demand for = con- siderable investigative journalism. Yet sport, which offers the most scope for some in depth work is suffering from a lack of digging journalists. For a bunch of guys supposedly interested in athletes and sport it has been a revelation to see how few of them have shown the least inchnaton to look at the Olympic boycott move from the athletes perspective. ACRYUC SURFACE SPAS parts, package or installed INSTANT EXPERTS So many have become instant political foreign affairs analysts who love to take cheap shots at the IOC. Calling well intentioned officials ‘clowns’ as did one Vancouver columnist, does not raise his stature as an astute sports Commentator. Designed for ... Health, Relaxation .. .... ALKA POOL CONSTRUCTION LTD. . PLEASURE 1372 Main Street ¢ North Vancouver, B.C., Canada, V7J 1C6 CONTINUED ON PAGE BS 985-0313 985-5378 Smooth taste. i By ti, ee it) " gu fl i ie ai) | \,. alien al! iy i % es | “0 am ft the f | i ili a ] | nn 2