These days the media want to report on everything there is to know about Arizona Cardinals receiver Larry Fitzgerald on and off-the-field.
(Fitzgerald accused of slamming her head onto a marble floor while holding their son)
Or do they?
For the past few weeks, we’ve been pummeled by the hit-you-over-the-head angle on Fitzgerald and his fake sportswriter father, Larry, Sr. But besides that, there’s been radio silence from all media on the biggest recent event (late last month) affecting Fitzgerald off the field: allegations of abuse directed at him by the mother of his young son, Angela Nazario. Not to mention previously fighting Nazario tooth and nail over the (now-obvious) paternity of their son.
(Dad taught his (alleged) baby mama-beater son all about “class”? Thanks Jason!)
While most of the football reporters at the Super Bowl I’m sure are somewhat aware of the restraining order slapped on Fitzgerald to stay away from Nazario, who is raising his son, they don’t seem to have an appetite to ask him about it now.
And we all know that there are a ton of media at the Super Bowl who don’t know about Fitzgerald’s alleged off-field transgressions. (I doubt the folks from Telemundo are prep wizards.)
So why isn’t anyone asking? I think I know the answer.
I’m guessing that Mr. Minny media himself, Larry Sr., has used his longtime relationships with sports reporters to run interference on football media regarding the abuse allegations against his son, not to mention the subsequent restraining order.
Or perhaps there’s just an embargo on the story. Or, maybe I’m making too much of this and nobody cares?
I seriously doubt that, considering the challenge in creating compelling content during Super Bowl week. It’s a war to come up with reportage that hasn’t been done millions of times before. Which is the reason I completely ignore that crap unless we get an angle like Fitzgerald’s alleged despicable behavior with Nazario.
In case you don’t know, Fitzgerald is accused of physically abusing her, including slamming her head onto a marble floor, which subsequently caused Nazario to have concussion-like symptoms and loss of “chunks of her hair“. And doing it while holding their child Devin!
Don’t you think a non-sports outlet covering the Super Bowl would like to know about that
It’s a sad thing, guy allegedly beats the mother of his child, and gets a free pass at the biggest annual media event this side of the Obama inauguration.
The big irony in all of this is that there are rumblings that Nazario and baby Devin will be at the Super Bowl game. If that happens, will a NBC game broadcast camera train on them? I’m guessing that’s where Larry, Sr., might come in, asking TV broadcasters not to show the pair. If NBC does, then I would hope there would be media followup on the ugly backstory.
But don’t hold your breath.
9:05 pm on January 29th, 2009
You'd think at least the Pittsburgh media would mention it.
4:01 am on January 30th, 2009
Doubtful. After all, Fitz went to Pitt so people around here like him.
8:37 am on January 30th, 2009
Perhaps the reason the Mainstream Media has not been covering this story is that, after review, they think that this story has no legs.
9:08 am on January 30th, 2009
Why is it that we feel the need to drag players names through the mud based on accusations? You had to keep writing "allegedly" throughout this story because nothing has been proven. No one takes into account the fact that a lot of time we find out later that the victim led about whatever the incident is. It's not fair to roast Fitzgerald or anyone else until they've had their day in court.
9:46 am on January 30th, 2009
If she has a restraining order on him and she gets seats close enough to the Cards bench will Fitz have to leave the field?
9:47 am on January 30th, 2009
Chris,
The point is not about "roasting" Fitzgerald over these accusations. The point is that nobody in the media anywhere has even mentioned this. If this was TO or Plax or Chad Johnson or even Boldin, everyone would be mentioning the pending allegations. The problem is that the media have all supposed that Fitzgerald was a classy guy from the start and have said so, over and over again. And now this story breaks, and nobody wants to admit that maybe they were wrong. People want to believe that there is a star wide receiver out there who is classy, who is somewhat reserved and who is not arrogant pompous ass. Fitz was supposed to be that guy and now the media is finding it hard to admit that maybe that guy doesn't really exist.
10:07 am on January 30th, 2009
I'm guessing she has to have really bad seats in order to remain 100 yards away from Fitz.
10:28 am on January 30th, 2009
Wow. I don't know who wrote this, but if that's really how they think media works I'm embarrassed for them. You think Larry Fitzgerald Sr. has influence? LOLOLOLOL! Maybe he might be able to get his own paper to keep this quiet, but others? Nah. If this hasn't been a story, it's because media outlets have either not heard of it or aren't interested in it. So blame individual reporters, but to say that it's some vast media conspiracy shows the naivete of the writer for sure.
10:49 am on January 30th, 2009
maybe the reason Pittsburgh outlets won't cover it is because James Harrison did much the same this offseason and was kept while a less talented player was charged with spousal abuse and was cut…
11:36 am on January 30th, 2009
Most effective embargo since Cuba! Wait to go Mort & Co.!
12:16 pm on January 30th, 2009
The Ticket in Dallas did a whole segment on this the other day.
1:13 pm on January 30th, 2009
I'll go to bat for Fitzgerald any day! Christ Himself said you shall know them by their fruits and with how selfless and gracious he is, the accusations are in stark contradiction to what he has revealed himself to be. In this vein of thought, if this was TO being accused, I'd believe every sordid word.
4:10 pm on January 30th, 2009
It's one of the easiest things in the judicial system to get a restraining order. Doesn't mean he's guilty of baby-momma beating or anything else, other than lacking discretion in spreading his seed. I've personally seen very minor arguments between male and female escalate into criminal charges and restraining orders. Sometimes legit, and sometimes to set up the guy to get hit with big penalties in a civil trial…there are always many sides to a story, and many of them hold nuggets of truth.
5:23 pm on January 30th, 2009
As a lawyer in AZ I can tell you that restraining orders are not that easy to come by. A judge determines the validity of the Order of Protection after the court is petitioned. They need evidence of harrassment or abuse. This is a civil O of P not criminal so there is a lesser burden of proof ( criminal is what we consider domestic violence), hence the belief that they are easily obtained. However, the defendant may move to dismiss the order or modify it. Larry has not done so, so one might find some guilt by his failure to petition the court for dismissal. I do not necessarily agree with that.
I am a life long Cardinals fan, however, the lack of attention this story received over a month ago disturbed me. He has been painted as "holier than thou" by many and as a return to the old days of humility and class in NFL players. However, much of his behavior is really just weird when looked at in total. This is one more strange example of behavior of many.
3:17 am on January 31st, 2009
Looks like Hines Ward is going to get fined for this.
5:31 am on February 1st, 2009
What the hell does his personal life have to do with the Super Bowl ?
Enough with the Enquirer-esque vitriol please.
Will we ever be able to rise above this sludge disguised as journalism ?
10:24 pm on February 1st, 2009
SbB ,i, guess its karma as you noted nobody cares , score a touchdown watch you team lose , and mouth no no no no how did this f–king happen, this is your life mofo now take care of what is