There’s a LOT of people who work in television today, and specifically sports television, who have made a living by becoming big, bold made-for-TV personalities. These individuals have smartly (and cynically) discovered that the best and quickest way to make a name for themselves is to either yell as loud as they can (see Smith, Stephen A), troll as hard as they can (see Bayless, Skip or May, Mark) or by being as controversial as they can (see Travis, Clay).
But if there’s one person, just ooooooooone person working in the sports media today, who I would tell you beyond a shadow of a doubt is authentic when they deliver a hellfire and brimstone sermon out of the Jonathan Edwards playbook, it’s one Herman Edwards. Why? Well, he did it long before he was on television.
Today on NFL Live we were treated to Vintage Herm in this expository on LeSean McCoy’s Chip Kelly comments and the general mindset of today’s NFL player. In the video, Herm becomes so frustrated with today’s me-first athletes putting themselves and their personal agendas ahead of the team, he almost walks off the set. My favorite part might be where the rundown finally disappears, as if the producers give up on getting the segment back on the rails.
(Side note: I know this post is about Edwards, but Darren Woodson here shows why he’s one of my favorite analysts at ESPN, giving a very well-balanced, well-thought out, passionate take that isn’t going to get any headlines because the volume wasn’t cranked all the way up to 11.)
You play to win the game, indeed.
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