Mechelle raises a very interesting question for those of us who have the privilege of covering and writing about professional sports. She uses the context of Diana Tuarasi's DUI arrest and her previous article in which she was critical and opinionated on the matter to discuss her role and reaction to taking an unpopular position.
In having the opportunity here in Vegas to spend some time with other NBA writers, this is a topic that's come up a few times. What is the best way to balance your relationships and longer term objectives with a natural desire to express an opinion that can often be unpopular with the team or player?
This is a gross over-simplification, but in general you see a continuum ranging from those who want to avoid saying anything negative so they can preserve their personal and professional ties and those who say whatever they want, consequences be damned. There are very few writers that fall at one extreme or the other and we all tend to lean a bit towards a place that fits our personalities and business objectives. I have nothing but respect for those who are doing what works for them. I respect Mechelle equally for taking a stand and for talking about what it means to her to be conflicted about it. That hit home for me.
I am not really going anywhere with this, but I did find Mechelle's thought's interesting and felt they needed to be shared.