If you are old enough to remember Reggie, you probably know that answer to the rhetorical question I posed. Reggie Jackson was a large enough personality in the 70’s and 80’s, that he was known by his first name. He also played the role of the villain as well as any heel in the WWE.

Imagine if any national baseball writer at the time said that fans should cut Reggie some slack and not boo him every time he stepped to the plate in visiting ballparks. I don’t remember if the dislike intensified after joining the Yankees, but figure his ego with the A’s rubbed people the wrong way.

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Likewise, I can’t imagine any national reporter or writer instructing fans not to hate the Yankees. Even before Steinbrenner bought the Yankees, AL fans across the land disliked the Yankees. Steinbrenner’s personality and spending habits only intensified people’s hatred for the Evil Empire.

Flash forward to the 2020’s when the national media excoriates fans and opposing teams’ broadcasters for hating on the Los Angeles Dodgers for their dominance, spending habits and arrogance. ESPN is one of the national outlets to defend the Dodgers vehemently despite their weaker relationship with the league. I understand the marketing arms of MLB shielding the Dodgers from any criticism even if the 2027 is lost to an owners’ lockout.

Even though broadcasters are employees of the teams, they have been loudest in the criticism of ownership/management to match the Dodgers feeble offer for Tarik Skubal. It’s physically possible to both hate the Dodgers for what they are doing to the game and being disappointed in one’s team for their failures. Likewise, it’s possible to recognize the greatness of an individual player and to root passionately against him. Case in point, several opposing broadcasters praise Pete Crow-Armstrong while rooting against him.

Sports media always has an agenda to push, sometimes as in the informal marketing arm of the league other times as an extension of their love for a particular player. Amazingly, the NBA and NFL never did that with Seth Curry and Patrick Mahomes, respectively. Their play on the court and field spoke for themselves. Fans may have grown tired of seeing the Warriors and Chiefs win titles because of these guys, but nobody said we had to love them. Conversely, the NFL media goes out of its way to defend, promote and absolve Josh Allen for never winning the big game. Talk to the local Buffalo media and Bills fans, and you’ll find a group of people patiently waiting and wondering. Some in the national media are offended by all of the national Allen love when they believe their favorite quarterback is being slighted. You have to exclude the Chicago media who is perpetually offended when the national media isn’t fawning over Caleb Williams or coach Ben Johnson.

One of the many things I learned from first grade students is not to yuk on someone else’s yum, even if that yum is disliking your enemy.

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