All The News That's Fit To Ignore

In the last few days, we've had the following salacious non-stories hit the wires.

1) Ben Roethlisberger sued for civil damages by a casino employee for what is alleged to be non-consensual sexual activities, and

2) ESPN sideline reporter Erin Andrews illegally videotaped at her hotel room for salacious use.

And when you look at the Lemur's front page, neither story is there.

Now, I'm not going to get too deep into the points of either of these, because there really isn't anything too interesting to say about it. Roethlisberger will probably be fine in the long run, seeing how he's not even facing a criminal charge, he's a Super Bowl winning QB, and Pittsburgh Fan probably cares more about whether he's wearing a helmet while using a motorcycle than a helmet while using his junk. As for Andrews, it's like no one has ever seen a naked woman on the Internets before, or that the world does not exist beyond 14 year old boys.

But what's telling, really, is the media coverage of these events, and the litany of fail that makes everyone who consumes media question its choices.

If you're a Michael Vick fan, why, the kid glove treatment of Roethlisberger is just a sign of media racism. If you favor Donovan McNabb, you wonder why his fanbase comes down on him for being photographed at poolside with porn stars, whereas the Steeler QB is knee deep in lesser trim. Brett Favre fans (he still has some, right?) note how These Kids Today just don't yada yada yada.

And if your tastes go for Pac Man Jones, Matt Jones, Tank Johnson, Cedric Benson, Marvin Harrison or Name Your Favorite Got Some 'Splaining To Do NFLer Here... well, you are now a media consumer in the 21st century, where everyone is, basically, gaming the refs.

I'm not sure that it's possible to put the toothpaste back in the tube here. News coverage is a for-profit business that's wildly competitive, and if the World Wide Lemur doesn't deign to cover a scandal, someone else will, because scandals drive ratings. When The Lemur doesn't cover something but Yahoo or Deadspin or Huffington Post or the NYTimes or et al does, it just means that people will stop going to the Lemur exclusively. Considering how the Lemur is expanding into local markets now, it's probably best for all concerned if they turn up their noses at trafficked stories; it will help to prevent the de facto monopoly that's happening right now anyway.

And in the meantime, Yinzer Fan, try not to say something you'll really regret later, if Roethlisberger turns out to be, well, not the guy you think he is. Because, um, athletes frequently aren't. And even casino employees have mothers, and fathers...