Why The Media Needs to Back Off Taurasi

Over the past couple of years, I’ve been searching tirelessly for real media coverage of women’s professional basketball in Europe. With the exception of the athletes on Twitter, and a few sites like Eurobasket, FIBA and Basket Plus International, it’s pretty safe to say that nobody in the USA really knows about the leagues or the lives of women who play professional basketball overseas during the months of August through May.

But over the past few days, this has changed. Why?

Because mainstream sports media decided to cover it. No – not because of the awesome talent, unique lifestyles or underlying stories about the market for women’s basketball internationally.  No, that’s not worth their time.

Instead, they’re casting poorly-researched opinions from their offices here in NYC about how Diana Taurasi tested positive for the drug modafinil while playing in Turkey, after an AP story ran and started a wave of rumors.

For those who don’t know, modafinil is a stimulant used to treat narcolepsy, a stimulant that prevents excessive sleepiness.  That’s what created news about women’s basketball.

Here are some examples of how sports media is serving us with this story:

• Diana Taurasi’s positive drug test may mean U.S. Olympic team only wins gold medal by 40 instead of 60 (NBC Sports)
• Modafinil: THG’s partner in crime? (CBC Sports)
• Diana Taurasi fails drug test in Turkey (ESPN)
• Laboratory that tested Taurasi has questionable history (Slam Online)
• Taurasi may face Olympic ban for positive drug test (New York Times)
• Taurasi tested positive for modafinil (Washington Post)

To be frank, the USA coverage on this story is nothing but complete and total bullshit. Here’s why:

1) The testing isn’t even complete yet (they need to do two urine samples in order to conclude anything).

2) All the outlets listed above – ESPN, Slam, etc., NEVER cover the women’s game in Europe.

We can never even find a freaking score. But then this week, they lead SportsCenter of with a story of an unconfirmed drug test, for a sleeping pill? Really guys??

How about this – is anyone brave enough to send someone over there to Europe? Has anyone discovered WHY these ladies are playing there every year? What kind of money are they making? (hint: for the best players, it can be 10 times their WNBA salaries). Why do they get paid this much? What are their lives like? Did Taurasi knowingly take a pill that prevents sleepiness? What would make someone want to do that?  Why would she need a boost? Is this even performance-related at all?

Until someone in sports media finds the balls to ask for money to get these questions answered and told by a real reporter, I’m going to continue to hit the bullshit button on this story. It’s pure speculation and really bad reporting.

12/29 Update: Note – When this was first published, I mistakenly called this drug a sleeping pill. I’ve adjusted the post above. It still does not change the direction of my argument, however.