Too Up Close and Personal?

By: Nate Wadley

Athletic events that are nationally televised nowadays feature a camera angle from virtually every corner of the court, field, or track. Referees as well as fans around the world find the different perspectives as a great advantage for use of replay as well as receiving a better perspective. And yet, one camera angle has recently gotten the best player in the NBA a hefty $100,000 fine.

Kobe Bryant was caught on camera voicing his frustration with an official which resulted in Bryant yelling a homophobic slur. With the clip of Bryant sitting on the bench and screaming at the referee being shown all over SportsCenter, Bryant has been criticized for speaking out harshly against the gay community. Should Bryant have used the word he said? No. Should the camera have been zoomed in right on his face for the whole world to see his rant? No. It is precisely the “up close and personal” approach that camera men are using that caused Bryant’s language to be leaked to the world. I do realize that people have to know every little thing that athletes say and do because, well, they are professional athletes and we look up to them. Yet the cameras have begun to do more damage than good.

Bryant yelled out the slur in the heat of the moment and with his team struggling as of late, tensions were high and his emotions got the better of him. It is not right that the public now sees him as a man against the gay community because, once again, he spoke out in anger, not in true feeling. Athletes must be granted at least a little more privacy than the media gives them today.

Young athletes and even little kids have their role models which tend to be these highly-paid and respected athletes. If cameras continue to show these athletes swearing and yelling at the referees then what do the young athletes begin to do? Follow the example set by their idols.

Today, everybody believes that professional sports are full of thugs and idiots. Now do not get me wrong, the NBA, MLB, and NFL have their fair share of colorful characters. But the biggest problem is the behind the scenes access that we are granted. People are able to see every little thing an athlete does and the minute he or she messes up, we know about it via television or newspaper. Athletes deserve their privacy and if the media continues to shove their cameras where or when their cameras do not belong, athletes’ reputations will steadily go down.

Photo courtesy of eurweb.com

Nate Wadley is the brother of Zach Wadley and a contributor to the World of Wadley site. He is a junior in high school.