After multimedia journalist Pablo Torre uncovered a 61-page ruling from system arbitrator Christopher Droney divulging evidence that NFL owners colluded to diminish guaranteed money in player contracts, he received criticism from FOX Sports Radio host Doug Gottlieb on the matter. Gottlieb, who has been a radio host for more than two decades, conveyed that while Torre as a guest can be amazing, having him as a host “can be a little exhausting.”
Furthermore, he opined that Torre is too smart to be discussing sports and searching for the gotcha moment, leading him to believe that he is being disingenuous or “frankly misusing the idea of collusion.” Dan Le Batard, the co-founder of Meadowlark Media, addressed Gottlieb’s comments on his show Thursday morning.
Before delving into the situation, Le Batard noticed that show producer Chris Cote yawned in his face when he was explaining what Gottlieb had said. From there, he asked if Gottlieb was still doing the daily radio show for which he was made fun of by LeBron James amid also being the head coach of the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay men’s basketball team. The group finished with a 4-28 record on the season, which included a 21-game losing streak and 0-for-14 record in conference play.
“Everyone here sides with Doug Gottlieb over Pablo Torre — is that something that just happened?,” Le Batard asked. “Pablo Torre is doing important reporting, he’s doing good reporting. He’s one of the last people out there actually doing some of the work required and he’s getting some awards, but he’s also getting some blowback, and I think it’s because it’s Pablo Torre. I think if it was somebody else reporting this, it wouldn’t be received the same way.”
Amin Elhassan, who was co-hosting the program on Thursday, admitted that what Torre is doing is real journalism and newsbreaking. Le Batard, however, is more convinced than ever that people do not want real journalism, an assertion to which Elhassan replied that people do not know what it is.
“What Pablo Torre is doing is extraordinarily difficult,” Le Batard said. “He’s at a trough where all news gatherers are, and he’s consistently finding things, reporting them, vetting them, taking them through lawyers and making people unhappy because power doesn’t want you to see things that are true. To me, that’s one of the most important things in journalism and one of the most heartbreaking things to see over my last 20 years in it is that I care about it deeply, and man, so many people do not at all — don’t care enough to even get inform about why they reject it viscerally. Now in Pablo’s case, it’s the condescension.”
Elhassan voiced that this reputation is not imputed against all of journalism, but rather specifically associated with Torre. As an example, he mentioned how there are not people who talk like that about ESPN senior writer Seth Wickersham, who he articulated does excellent reporting as well. In response, Le Batard underscored how FS1 host Nick Wright had asked what the big deal was with Torre and wondering why everyone was writing and talking about him. Le Batard also averred how Torre can report on a variety of different subjects and stated that some of his work may feel like it comes from a place akin to a yacht club.
“That’s the issue, right?,” said on-air talent Tony Calatayud. “It feels like he’s on a high-up castle and being like, ‘You peasants, I will let you know what you need to know,’ and then we’re like, ‘Wait, what? I can read this in the tabloids.’”
Show producer Jeremy Taché assumed that the story would probably be received better if he reported it over Torre, resulting in Le Batard explaining that you cannot do that with the work. Torre discovered this document that Pro Football Focus founder Mike Florio could not obtain, and he affirmed that what Torre is doing is “a valuable service.” Le Batard subsequently drew parallels between himself and Torre, recognizing that the message of what was being communicated had indeed been receiving tangible applause.
“I’ve not taken an action to be more likable, but you have heard my lament over the course of 20 years here on this show that hasn’t improved any which is — I know my message is okay, it’s the messenger that’s the problem,” Le Batard said.
“It’s my tone, it’s strident, it’s obnoxious, it’s emotional. It doesn’t get any better, it yammers, it thinks it’s right. It’s all the things Pablo is. No one in the media’s history has ever been more like me than Pablo, and so I’ve already taught him everything I know, and this is the circumstance. He has all of the information that I can impart, and the result is this, what is in front of you reporting from the yacht club.”
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