Allow me to start by offering my heartfelt congratulations to the McAllister Little League of San Antonio. This summer, their 12 year old all star team has made it to the Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pa. The San Antonio media has been a buzz over the last few weeks about this town’s first team to make it that far in the LLWS. There’s a slide show on the local newspapers website which features the players of San Antonio’s first entry into the August classic. I’ve been involved in Little League for the better part of 8 years now, and I can appreciate the work all of those guys have gone through to get where they are. Good luck to all of them.
Now that I’ve gotten that out of the way, allow me to take into question the journalistic integrity and healthy application of the double standard on the part of the San Antonio media over San Antonio’s “first” entry into the LLWS. It’s been all over the tube, the radio, and in the newspapers. In all of the reports I’ve seen, heard, or read, not once has any of the local media clarified the claim.
It’s as easy as this. The McAllister Little League of San Antonio is not this city’s first entry into the Little League World Series. If it was, do you really think I would be able to post this link to the official Little League website, or this link to same newspapers website which reports that the 15-16 year old all star team from Northwest Little League of San Antonio attended and won the same series in their age group in 2007? Just the year before, the same core group of players took 3rd place in the same series.
Where was the orgasmic treatment of this team from the local media? Did the radio stations put out a call for donations to finance the pricey trips it takes to get the families of the players to see their daughters play in the LLWS? Were the games broadcast live on the local sports radio stations like they’ve been this year? Was there a nifty slide show on the newspaper website like there is now?
Let me assure you. If the local media had actually gone ga-ga over the team from Northwest Little League as they have over McAllister, you wouldn’t be reading about it here. ‘Nuff said.
Tharpster
