While ESPN has landed Shannon Sharpe for First Take, FS1 has forged ahead with Skip Bayless and Undisputed, bringing in names like Keyshawn Johnson, Richard Sherman and Keyshawn Johnson.
FOX Sports Radio host Rob Parker felt like while it’s fine that the network and Bayless wanted to go in that direction, more representation from actual Black journalists would go a long way in transforming these debate and discussion shows.
“It’s not an either-or situation with journalists and former athletes,” Parker said to Deadspin.
Deadspin’s piece delved more into the shift in sports television where more former athletes are being brought in to do the talking over journalists. Parker believes leaving the journalists out of the equation is doing viewers a disservice.
“But acting like former athletes are journalists and interviewing each other is the sad part,” he added. “That’s where fans get the short end of the stick. You almost never hear a hard question when all players are involved.”
The in-depth piece was written by Carron J. Phillips and features commentary from Bomani Jones and Howard Bryant in addition to Parker.
