ETHAN MAY
Oh, Waino… What have you done?
Adam Wainwright is not one to take himself too seriously. Jokes are just part of his every day speech whether he’s talking to his teammates or the media. This personality was on display throughout All-Star week.
After being selected to be the starter for the National League, Wainwright was bombarded by questions about what this year’s All-Star game was all about, Derek Jeter. I watched many interviews the day before the game and I felt as though he handled each interview well, as Cardinals fans are accustomed to hearing him.
When asked about Jeter, Wainwright made it clear that he wanted to get him out. He acknowledged the importance of honoring him, but he wanted to get him out. Very clear.
Honor Jeter he did:
But then Mr. Wainwright was not sharp out of the gate as he had a difficult time finding the plate early. He promptly gave up a double to right-field to Jeter on his way to giving up 3 runs in the inning.
This was a disappointing turn of events, but little did we know what was to come.
Wainwright made his way to the clubhouse and found himself immediately in the eye of the media. At this point he made sarcastic remarks about throwing it down the middle. These harmless remarks were merely a way to relax through humor as he recovers from a poor inning. Unfortunately they were not taken this way. The national media took the sarcasm and turned it into something it simply wasn’t as they wrote it on their notepads.
Any sarcastic remark written down without context is going to be taken the wrong way. This was definitely the case in Minnesota on this All-Star evening.
By the 8th inning Fox was interviewing Wainwright inside the National League dugout. At this time, Waino made it clear to any viewer with a brain that he was joking. Any right-minded person watching his mannerisms throughout the short interview with Erin Andrews would understand that it was a joke taken the wrong way. Remorse and frustration were evident.
Unfortunately, it didn’t end there.
I wake up the next morning to see this.
As you can see, I replied rather quickly. (In retrospect, maybe too quickly. But hey, it was early.)
At this point I received my first response from Buster Olney after hundreds of tries since I signed up for Twitter in 2007. (Isn’t it a shame that this is the only way to get a response?)
The article Buster tweeted me was written with much more intelligence than the one in his original tweet. I was satisfied, but I still had to make a point.
It’s after events like these that I hesitate to become a Journalist; however, these moments also motivate me to join the profession to make a positive difference in today’s modern media.
At some point the media needs to quit exaggerating stories just to create a product that will attract views.
If you want views you need to work harder to become a good journalist. If you’re a good journalist the views will come.
All in all, you should not be a journalist if you can’t recognize sarcasm.
There is also no room for journalists who recognize sarcasm and still CHOOSE to not take it the correct way.
Maybe the New York-based national media is still upset about my favorite Wainwright memory:
Now that’s a curveball.
Tell me what you think.
Ethan May 