(Peyton, the quarterback who never misreads a defense, misread late in the fourth quarter and lost the game for the Colts in Super Bowl XVI)
Obviously, the biggest story out of the sports world today was the Super Bowl highlights and the champion New Orleans Saints. N’orleans played a great game and had many game-changing plays. But most of the debate centered around the mistakes made by Indianapolis Colts players. One of the moments in the game that played over and over on ESPN was the drop by wide receiver Pierre Garcon. Pierre started to anticipate getting hit and lost his concentration while trying unsuccessfully to catch the ball. The other mistake was Peyton’s fourth quarter interception that was returned for a touchdown to all but win the game for New Orleans. Both mistakes changed the momentum of the game and led to the Saints’ eventual win.
What struck me was how much these plays were replayed, criticized and picked apart every half hour on each sports show. “What if someone would have looked at me while I worked for three hours and analyzed it with this amount of detail? I’m not sure how I would handle it,” I thought to myself. Some people would argue that this is the reason they get paid the big bucks, to handle the media scrutiny. I still argue that it would be tough to handle. Peyton was compared unfavorably to Super Bowl quarterbacks from the past, even though he won a championship four years ago!
Another story, definitely not as big as the Super Bowl but worthy of headlines, is the story about how Danica Patrick is headed to NASCAR. She has done pretty well in the Indy Racing League, but never dominated like others (Juan Pablo Montoya) who have made the jump. What’s most interesting is that all of you know who Danica is, but probably few of you know Juan Pablo. If not for her racing records, then you probably know her because she has her face plastered all over the GoDaddy Super Bowl advertisement every year. This most likely is what led to all of her criticism from people who might think that she has gotten by on her looks, even after she posted great results in a difficult professional racing league. There is no doubt that her introduction to NASCAR will bring even more undo criticism to the young driver.
Celebrities and professional athletes are used to this kind of public bashing. It is the widely accepted as the cost of being famous. But now criticism can be leveled at anyone with a website or email address. The internet and social media has given everyone their own voice, which is sometimes used to criticize. As someone who writes on a blog, I open myself up to criticism every day, even if the criticism doesn’t seem justified. It is a fact of life in our new, highly connected society.
The thick skin of a celebrity is something that is critical to have when writing for everyone to see. I have been working on my own thick skin as I interact more and more with people online. There is no doubt that I can learn from Peyton, Danica or other widely criticized celebrities.
What kind of trouble have all of you had with criticism, online or in person? Do you think that relationships over the internet will get more or less civil as the social media removes anonymity from it’s interactions? I would love to hear in the comments.
{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
I like your analogies here Ben. Criticism is 100% not easy, and ultimately, online ability to do these things can be even more harsh. I think many people criticize because they feel more and more disconnected from those they are critiquing online. I try hard to balance having a thick skin with always being ready for a fight (if that makes sense). I think you touch on a really important component of blogging, and it’s definitely something to think about.
@Beth – I agree that one reason people are more harsh is the wall that the internet seems to provide to critics between themselves and what they are complaining about. Sometimes it is important to stick up for yourself, but it seems like every argument online just escalates in ridiculousness. Thanks for adding your ideas!
You make a very good point. Celebrities are definitely held to different standards and have to endure certain things because of who they are. I’ve thought about this scrutiny before and whether it’s fair, and it was actually a topic of discussion in several of my journalism classes in college. The thing is that a lot of celebrities choose their careers knowing that they’re going to be in the spotlight, that’s just part of the deal. The ones that are thrown into it by having famous relatives or friends or becoming overnight sensations or something, them I feel bad for. But, Peyton knew when he decided to play professional football that he was going to be under a microscope all the time. He also makes a pretty hefty salary…so I guess it’s a trade-off. Great post, my friend!
There really is an interesting thing that celebrities are subject to when they become famous. It is pretty crazy the details that the public knows now because of 24 hour television and websites like TMZ. The standard trade that everyone has accepted, if people are paid lots of money, mistakes in their professional and personal lives are fair game to judge and criticize. Again, something that seems to be a fact of life, but is debatable whether or not it is fair. Thanks for the comment Sam!