Comparing coverage of the Kings

[VF21]

Check out these two articles:

Article 1

James had 34 points, a season-high 16 rebounds and 10 assists for his second triple double of the season.

Those numbers are good, but they don't articulate exactly what happened. The evening turned into a showcase for Kings rookie Tyreke Evans, who displayed his wide array of talents and won over everyone on the Cavs' bench with his ability. He scored 28 points and had five assists.

The problem was he had to play against James, who flexed his superstar muscle in what could only be described as a breathtaking matchup that probably held more entertainment value than when James faces Kobe Bryant on Christmas Day.

And...

Article 2

The Cleveland star refused to be shown up Wednesday night at Arco Arena, dominating in every facet of the Cavaliers' 117-104 overtime win...

...But what he didn't do is try to do it on his own. And Evans, who held his own with 28 points but missed eight of his last nine shots, could not say the same...

...Evans appeared to fall prey to the notion that he could dethrone the King...

...He spent most of the fourth quarter trying to take on James by himself... And while it made for a few oohs and aahs during the countless isolation plays in which Evans occasionally got past James, it rarely ended well for him...

Sometimes you just have to scratch your head in total bewilderment.

I, for one, have now canceled my subscription to the Sacramento Bee. Both papers reported the same game; it's just a shame the local paper wasn't the one actually showing support for the home team.

Bah humbug.

 

[Mr. S£im Citrus]

I can't speak as to the veracity of the Bee, nor of its ability to provide "fair and balanced" coverage of the Kings, but I trust that this is more of a "last straw" circumstance?

 

[Kingsguy881]

Check out these two articles:

Article 1



And...

Article 2



Sometimes you just have to scratch your head in total bewilderment.

I, for one, have now canceled my subscription to the Sacramento Bee. Both papers reported the same game; it's just a shame the local paper wasn't the one actually showing support for the home team.

Bah humbug.

WOW!!! The SacBee is a joke. Every single quality reporter that goes through that building leaves when they get a chance.

 

[SCKingsfan]

I actually think there is some truth in both those articles, although the way they are told in absolutes is, I admit, annnoying. Evans is a great player, but he did try to do too much by himself down the wire, and lebron's approach (sharing the ball to exploit king's weaknesses) showed some maturity and bball acumen on his part.

Whatever, i'll take a 20 yr old without the fear to take on Lebron. With maturity, he'll also look to exploit opposing teams weakness, whether that means taking it to the hole, or passing out to an open shooter when caught far out on the perimeter in a double team that includes one of the league's premier defenders.

 

[VF21]

I can't speak as to the veracity of the Bee, nor of its ability to provide "fair and balanced" coverage of the Kings, but I trust that this is more of a "last straw" circumstance?

There are other factors, such as ANOTHER freaking rate increase for subscriptions, but I was going to find a way to make it work until I saw that article, after reading what the Cleveland papers and virtually every other reporting body had to say about last night's game.

Yes, Evans made mistakes. Yes, he shouldn't have succumbed to the siren call to battle James at the end of the game.

But, that's not the story. As the Cavs website pointed out, this is a freaking rookie we're talking about. This is the future of the Kings franchise and all Amick can do is act as though Evans and Evans alone cost us the game?

Horse pucky. I'll get my assessments of the games from Brick to complement what I've seen with my own eyes from this point forward, and perhaps from the write-ups in the opposing team's home papers. It's more balanced that anything I'd get from the Bee ... and I'm not going to support them or their anti-Maloof attitudes any longer.

/end rant

And note? This is my PERSONAL opinion and does not necessarily reflect the views of Kingsfans.com, its owner or administrators, or any of its other members.

 

[kpm308]

I just read both articles and I found a lot more substance in the one from the Bee. I watched the game, so the points about how good Lebron and Tyreke looked were inconsequential to me, I drew my own conclusions about that last night. Where the Bee article stands out is that is explains to me what went wrong on the last play of regulation, which is something I never would have been able to learn by just watching the game. That is the kind of substance I am looking for, it showed me Tyreke was in fact running the play called for by the coach, and that the coach indeed had a play called. Until reading that part of the article, I had no idea if Tyreke was just going Artest-like and trying to be a hero rather than doing what the coach asked him to. To me, an ounce of substance like that is more important than the way a reporter decides to describe the obvious parts of the game.

 

[VF21]

I just read both articles and I found a lot more substance in the one from the Bee. I watched the game, so the points about how good Lebron and Tyreke looked were inconsequential to me, I drew my own conclusions about that last night. Where the Bee article stands out is that is explains to me what went wrong on the last play of regulation, which is something I never would have been able to learn by just watching the game. That is the kind of substance I am looking for, it showed me Tyreke was in fact running the play called for by the coach, and that the coach indeed had a play called. Until reading that part of the article, I had no idea if Tyreke was just going Artest-like and trying to be a hero rather than doing what the coach asked him to. To me, an ounce of substance like that is more important than the way a reporter decides to describe the obvious parts of the game.

The problem is if you didn't watch the game and only read the article in the Bee, you wouldn't have a clue about how really exciting the confrontation between Evans and James was.

 

[DocHolliday]

To be fair, I think both articlesare pretty accurate, except for lebron dominating in every facet. Tyreke I'm sure won some people over on the cavs bench, it was a great match up, a hard fought game....

AND...

Late in the game Tyreke tried to go too much one on one and he does need to learn at times to use his teammates more down the stretch.

 

[pshn80]

I was at the game and both articles seem accurate and fair appraisals of what happened. Our young Bee Kings reporters (Amick and Jones) do it well IMO though the depth of their perspective sometimes shows their lack of experience. I have always enjoyed Voison. Her years of experience adds to the value I put on her commentary. I can't remember a time in the year I have been reading this blog venue that anyone in the media whether it is local or otherwise has been appreciated. It's usually the other way. I generally don't agree.

 

[John Galt]

The Bee sometimes has coupons and ads that are useful, and makes good kindling.

seriously... that is the only reason I don't cancel. And I may yet.

It is a steaming pile when it comes to sports coverage that is for sure.

 

[kupman]

....resisting, resisting the urge to go on another rant about the Bee in the name of the holiday spirit.

Merry Christmas to all! and to all a good night!

 

[VF21]

I was at the game and both articles seem accurate and fair appraisals of what happened. Our young Bee Kings reporters (Amick and Jones) do it well IMO though the depth of their perspective sometimes shows their lack of experience. I have always enjoyed Voison. Her years of experience adds to the value I put on her commentary. I can't remember a time in the year I have been reading this blog venue that anyone in the media whether it is local or otherwise has been appreciated. It's usually the other way. I generally don't agree.

Maybe that's because for a number of us the Bee let the best ones get away: Mark Kreidler, who truly loved sports and was able to paint a verbal picture better than just about anyone else I can recall, and Scott Howard-Cooper immediately come to mind. Those guys managed to tell the story without having to resort to dissing the local team.

The Bee, from sports editor Bill Bradley, to Marcos Breton and R.E. Graswich (who also got the axe but with whose departure I have no problem), ALL have shown over the years that they do not like the Kings or the Maloofs and have, in fact, been at least partially to blame for a lot of the misunderstanding about the need for a new arena, etc.

I believe that Amick hides behind the "I'm just stating the facts" a lot in his coverage of the Kings. Jason Jones, an outspoken diehard Laker fan, is actually more objective in his coverage than Amick is...

Bottom line for me is that I expect my hometown newspaper to be supportive of the local team, especially when it's a team as exciting and fun as the Kings are right now. You can tell the whole story without the negativity. What struck me as partically ironic is that the first article is from the Cavaliers website and I think their writer did a much better job of pointing out what really happened last night in the big picture than Amick could have ever dreamt of doing.

Just my two cents, of course, but the slant of the Bee article is just way too obvious to ignore.

 

[Insomniacal Fan]

Both articles are supporting their local teams. The Cleveland paper made the game out to be an epic contest worthy of song and legend, rather than a narrow win against a barely average team. The Bee article points out that the result of the game was the result of a series of silly, but correctable errors.

 

[Kingsguy881]

Both articles are supporting their local teams. The Cleveland paper made the game out to be an epic contest worthy of song and legend, rather than a narrow win against a barely average team. The Bee article points out that the result of the game was the result of a series of silly, but correctable errors.

I think I would rather read the epic story telling than the negative connotations.

 

[Asaf]

I actually think it's healthy for someone like Tyreke to receive some criticism to balance out all the praise he's been getting. The hype can easily go to his head, and last night it seemed like it did a little bit. Too much praise can be the biggest hurdle for anyone (not just basketball players) on their way up, so alongside the well-deserved praise, it is important for Tyreke (as well as the other young players on the team) to be called out when he gets a little carried away. I really don't think the Bee article was that bad in that sense. But then again, I'm used to the Israeli sports media which is just a pile of amateur garbage...

 

[OnYouLikeGlue]

I actually don't have a problem with Amick's coverage of the Kings, and think his article was pretty much right on. I didn't take it as him "dissing" Tyreke or the Kings, he just stating what happened during the game. And I also don't think he was blaming the loss on Tyreke, in fact he spent quite a bit of time discussing how Spencer coming out to set a screen on that last possession is what really led to a poor shot attempt.

I think there were plenty of spots where he gave Tyreke his due, he mentioned how he continuously got by James despite not being able to ultimately finish the shot.

Plus, who needs to subscribe to the Bee when it's free online.

 

[DoDiGaG0]

to be fair Tyreke did seem to be taking too many forced/bad shots @ the 4th quarter and OT.... I think there was a point where he put up 3 threes in 5 possessions in the fourth...

We all agree he had a great game and is the future of our franchise, but that doesn't mean he is god and nothing negative can be said about certain performances(ie: Lakers fans w/ Kobe)

 

[iowamcnabb]

I can see why some fans would be upset with that article but maybe its a case of being harder on our own? I'm a huge Eagles fan so I see this stuff all the time haha. What a great game tho. I only listened to the game but I have to say it was one of the more entertaining games this year.

 

[Arco Thunder]

Check out these two articles:

Article 1



And...

Article 2



Sometimes you just have to scratch your head in total bewilderment.

I, for one, have now canceled my subscription to the Sacramento Bee. Both papers reported the same game; it's just a shame the local paper wasn't the one actually showing support for the home team.

Bah humbug.

Honestly, the comparison bothers me as well, but maybe it truly is a case of our writers being harder on our own. I don't know, but...

Bah humbug too!!!

 

[Showtime]

I don't get what's so wrong with the second quote. It's true. Evans tried to do too much against Lebron late in the game, and the lack of ball movement cost them the game IMO. Too many times Evans dribbles at the perimeter for about 8 seconds doing nothing, then goes into his move or comes off a pick. On the last play of regulation, he took way too much time getting up court, and didn't even pass it off to Omri when the double came.

 

[JB_kings]

I dropped the Bee a few years ago for a number of reasons that had to do with their staff. Not just sports either. It hasn't gotten any better in my eyes and the newsprint media is settling to a new bottom every year. So I'm not alone in finding my source of news elsewhere. That's the great thing about it, you don't have to pay for what you don't want.

It was nice of Amick to report what happened on the final play. But to be fair, Jerry Reynolds pointed it out during a replay that Spencer messed up by trying to set a screen. Although I didn't listen to the post game conference for the coach, I'm sure that question came up there.

 

[Löwenherz]

You know VF, I actually have to agree with you. Amick's article was particularly negative considering our rookie just went toe-to-toe with LeBron freakin' James and came out looking more or less like an equal.

Still, I also agree with the point that Evans seems to be trying to shoulder too much of the responsibilities and hopefully that's a lesson he'll take away from this loss.

Too me, the article should have expressed that last night proved two things:
Positive: 'Reke vs. LeBron is, amazingly, rather evenly matched.
Negative: 'Reke vs. LeBron&Friends is not.

 

[Chupacabra]

I agree with the main point that the article seems to be getting at. Tyreke is certainly our superstar and the key to our future. However, he doesnt need to shoulder the entire load at any point of any game. There are other capable players on the team that can make shots. All in due time.

 

[AriesMar27]

i dont see what the big deal is... it wasnt like they were lying about what happened. id rather read about how evans tried to do too much against lebron than how the kings shot 68% from the from the freethrow line, couldnt call a timeout for the last play or how they couldnt make a basket in overtime...

though i didnt care much for this....

"There was a misunderstanding," Evans said. "Coach called for a four flat and Spencer (Hawes) came out to set a pick, and I told him I didn't need a pick, so I came up anyway and it messed the whole play up."

why didnt he just pass the ball? it was a botched play with time running out, he could have passed the ball. if im not mistaken casspi was wide open, if he makes the shot the kings win, if he misses we go to overtime.

 

[OnYouLikeGlue]

i dont see what the big deal is... it wasnt like they were lying about what happened. id rather read about how evans tried to do too much against lebron than how the kings shot 68% from the from the freethrow line, couldnt call a timeout for the last play or how they couldnt make a basket in overtime...

though i didnt care much for this....



why didnt he just pass the ball? it was a botched play with time running out, he could have passed the ball. if im not mistaken casspi was wide open, if he makes the shot the kings win, if he misses we go to overtime.

Because he's a 20 year old rookie who's still learning what to do in crunch time, and he's probably trying to put a little too much on himself right now. Can't really blame him though, during the last 3 victories he has pretty much made the big plays down the stretch every time, so if he has a slip up here or there I'm fine with that.

 

[6th]

I think there were plenty of spots where he gave Tyreke his due, he mentioned how he continuously got by James despite not being able to ultimately finish the shot.

This is known as a back handed complement. Appear to praise by saying he continuously got by James, but then totally negate the complement by mentioning he can't finish. The second (and last) part is a diss.

If you wanted to put that into a more positive perspective, you might say:

While Evans had trouble finishing at the rim tonight, it must be mentioned that he continuously got by James.

What is left in your mind is that he (at times) outplayed the reigning MVP and arguably the top baskeball player in the game today. It is not what you say, but how you say it. The Bee continuously prints backhanded complements. IMO, that is our local newspaper doing anything but supporting the local team.

 

[OnYouLikeGlue]

This is known as a back handed complement. Appear to praise by saying he continuously got by James, but then totally negate the complement by mentioning he can't finish. The second (and last) part is a diss.

If you wanted to put that into a more positive perspective, you might say:

While Evans had trouble finishing at the rim tonight, it must be mentioned that he continuously got by James.

What is left in your mind is that he (at times) outplayed the reigning MVP and arguably the top baskeball player in the game today. It is not what you say, but how you say it. The Bee continuously prints backhanded complements. IMO, that is our local newspaper doing anything but supporting the local team.

Not sure that's a "diss", since he did miss a couple easy shots after blowing by Lebron, just telling it like it is. And I don't think he was saying he can't finish, just that on this night he had trouble. To me Amick's sentence said the same thing your supposed positive sentence said, and it did leave me feeling as if Reke is capable of playing on the same level as Lebron at times.

I guess I'm just not seeing what some of you others are seeing.

 

[USNAVY15]

While Voison may be gone, her ghost lives on.

 

[VF21]

While Voison may be gone, her ghost lives on.

Um, what? Ailene Voisin isn't gone. Check out the front page of the Bee sports section today... Evans primed for first matchup against Lakers. I think it's pretty clear Voisin is still alive and well.

...Mostly, he has been outstanding, his efforts Rookie of the Year-worthy. Then there are those occasions when he actually plays like a rookie. Dominating the ball. Forcing shots. Succumbing to the ill-fated, one-on-one sequences that also tempted fellow rookie Omri Casspi during the 13-0 overtime shutout against Cleveland on Wednesday night.

But Evans is just a kid, remember, although it is becoming increasingly hard to remember. And while eagerly awaiting his first Kings-Lakers experience and wondering exactly how crazy it gets inside Arco Arena, he has a confession to make; teachers and parents might want to cover their ears for this one.

"I used to miss school because of that rivalry," the Philadelphia native said. "The games were on so late in the East Coast, that it seemed like we were up all night. My cousin was a Lakers fan, and I never liked the Lakers. I was rooting for the Kings. Bibby, Vlade, Christie. They had a great squad back then. That's when you could hear the cowbells on TV. We're trying to bring that back."...