Marcellus Wiley is fed up with anonymous sources dominating sports media discussions. The former defensive end opened up on his podcast, Hydration Situation, about why he thinks it is time for insiders like Adam Schefter and Mike Florio to take a backseat when it comes to leaking stories.
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Schefter and Florio made headlines following an altercation where Florio called out Schefter for leaking news that wasn’t real. Reportedly, Pete Carroll expressed interest in the Bears, head coaching vacancy, or as Schefter reported.
Florio argued that the story was fabricated to generate buzz for the former Super Bowl winner — possibly orchestrated by Carroll’s PR team, he suggested.
“It’s one thing to express organic unsolicited opinions,” Florio wrote. “It’s another thing to let your strings be pulled by ‘sources’ who want to get their back scratched.”
Essentially, Florio called out Schefter’s job integrity and questioned whether his reports hold any weight. But Wiley believes the news itself is beside the point. Instead, he focuses on why these two are even a main talking point at all.
“Never confuse a VIP with a star,” Wiley stated. “Very important people, Mike Florio, and Adam Schefter. But y’all are not the stars. The stars are the athletes. I’ve been a star before and now I’m just a VIP… Nobody is sitting there telling you any information unless it benefits them… If I’m talking to you, Adam Schefter, I’m leaking, because that leak gonna help me.”
It’s an interesting perspective that is not often brought up in sports media. So much of the attention in recent years has turned to breaking news because of the rush and drama that comes with live-developing stories. But Wiley wants us to realize that sometimes these stories don’t hold any weight and a lot of the time they’re leaked just as a favor to a client.
Is Wiley making sense?
There is some sense in what Wiley is saying. Both Schefter and Florio have cultivated online personas with a fanbase that extends beyond their gameday reporting. At times, it feels like their reports may not materialize, yet the issue remains that occasionally, they do prove accurate.
Schefter is good at his job. He’s always on his phone and has tons of phone numbers in front offices that can provide legitimate information. Schefter also has systems set up with player agents, as Florio points out, which led to the controversy. He may fire off a lot of shots, but he also hits with them.
Although, some of us may feel like Wiley from time to time. The constant churning of news and trying to pick out what’s real from what’s not can get tiring. But it’s the reality of sports media today. Some news is fake, and some is real. It’s the reader’s job to not jump to conclusions and try to think of the bigger picture without getting too wrapped up in the story.
Wiley even admits that he likes real-world drama. He just wants it to occur between the athletes and not the reporters. Which is understandable. But insider sources aren’t going anywhere and leaks will continue to drive the world of breaking news in sports media.
