A question for sport's direction
Stephen Yang, The Athletic (New York Times), August 3, 2023, summed up the issues surrounding the USA's team at the FIFA Women's World Cup after they squeaked into the last 16 in Auckland this week.
But he might have been talking about many other teams in many other sports worldwide.
Here's what Yang said about perceptions of the USA team, who were criticised by a former player for their post-game demeanour of laughing and dancing.
"… no player or coach is going to fully give away what is going on within camp. Reporters might get to go to open practice, but after the first 15 minutes, everyone gets kicked out so the team can prepare in earnest. Why, then, would anyone assume that what we see is representative of the total picture?
"Not only are practices a momentary glimpse, no one is privy to team meetings with and without coaching staff, strategy sessions, recovery, private conversations between players, calls to family members, sessions with team psychs or the hours of downtime. We don’t know if they’re actually having a chill time in camp or if players are sobbing in their rooms, nor are we entitled to know any of that.
"Not even the people who used to be on the team know. They have their own valid experiences, true. But personnel change, dynamics change, and players know better than anyone that the people commenting from the outside can only guess at the feelings inside."
There was a time when efforts to achieve transparency in sports communication were given and, for those prepared to put in the leg work, a chance to dig deeper through the application of journalistic methods of investigation.
Are sports fans in a better position due to the closing off of access to information and personalities? Will the accurate picture be revealed to those who pay for the tickets to major events, who pay for the TV coverage of games and contribute to the salaries of those who play, and who buy the merchandise to show their support?
Is sport in a better place because of this managed approach?
Will things ever change, and does anyone care in a time of media diminishment?