Media’s Representation of Player Performance

A player’s statistical performance during a given week of an NFL season is something that influences the way the media views them. Statistical performances are often a great barometer of how talented a player is. The quarterback position in the NFL is often one that the media puts under a microscope. Players are constantly praised or criticized for their ability to lead their respective teams as well as their ability to fill up a stat line. During the 2012 NFL season there were many quarterbacks that the media tended to focus on. Drew Brees, Cam Newton, Russell Wilson, Tony Romo and Aaron Rodgers all received their fair share of media attention. Using the media outlets of Yahoo Sports, ESPN.com, CBS Sportsline and Sports Illustrated these five quarterbacks were analyzed to see how the media represented them. The goal of this research was to determine if these players were represented differently by the media based on how well they performed on the field. Outside factors such as race, legal issues and religious views were taken into consideration when determining why the media might represent some players differently