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A-League fans have been complaining for years that coverage of their game in the ‘mainstream’ media doesn’t accurately reflect what’s really going on.
A football fan’s exciting, passionate experience can somehow become a reporter’s journey through a burning hell of flares and police activity.
The same can be said – though in far less dramatic fashion – about coverage of American sport here in Australia.
And though the ‘disinformation gap’ is lessening, there still exists a massive gulf between switched-on Australian fans watching the NBA and NFL on league passes, and major networks trying to highlight the triumphs of Aussies abroad.
Cleveland Cavaliers guard Matthew Dellavedova is a prime example of an Australian athlete the big media outlets are struggling to deal with.
‘Delly’ doesn’t have the credentials of Andrew Bogut or the sexy backstory of Dante Exum, but his exploits in the NBA playoffs – particularly since he’s on the court with LeBron James – are getting him noticed both in the US and here in Australia.
Dellavedova played a major part in Cleveland’s Game 6 win over Chicago, which helped propel the Cavs into the Eastern Conference finals against Atlanta. He scored 19 points and attracted queries of “who’s this guy?” from fans across the United States.
LeBron and his Cavs teammates had plenty of praise for the kid from Maryborough, Victoria and the American media slowly began to create a feel-good story about a hard-working overachiever in a sea full of superstars.
So imagine my surprise a few days later when I picked up Melbourne’s Herald Sun – after the Cavs beat Atlanta in Game 1 – and read the headline “Delly has quiet game”.
The story included the line, “the Cavaliers were able to defeat the Atlanta Hawks 97-89 despite Dellavedova having a woeful shooting night.”
To read that sentence, you’d think that the Australian was Cleveland’s main offensive weapon, and in his absence, LeBron (31 points) and JR Smith (28 points) were forced to picked up the slack.
Of course, real Australian basketball fans already know that Dellavedova is a backup role player who is getting more playing time because starter Kyrie Irving is injured.
And while Delly’s achievements are not to be sneered at – in fact they should be, and are being, celebrated – the reality is that he’s doing what plenty of NBA players do… filling in when asked to.
He’s a true pro. He’s a team player. However, he’s not a superstar. But try telling that to mainstream media outlets here in Australia. These are the same folks who say things like, “Bogut dominated… while Stephen Curry ‘chipped in’ with 32 points”.
They’re the people who refer to San Antonio Spurs’ big man Aron Baynes as an ‘NBA star’.
And instead of marvelling at former Brisbane Lion Scott Harding for making the leap from the AFL to major college football, they lead with a line about him one day playing in the Super Bowl.
Look, I get that Aussies are proud of their sportsmen and sportswomen. And when they do it on the world stage – Adam Scott, Mark Webber, Lauren Jackson etc – it’s even more impressive.
But Dellavedova (and Baynes, Patty Mills and Joe Ingles) are great stories because they got to where they are by working hard and believing in themselves. Yes, they’re talented but it’s that work ethic and, dare I say it, ‘Aussie spirit’ that has in many ways helped them succeed at the highest level.
That’s why their stories should be told honestly and realistically.
Dellavedova stepping in for a great player like Irving (born in Melbourne, ironically) is what makes his success so extraordinary. He answered the call when head coach Dave Blatt put him in and wasn’t intimidated by the moment.
To then turn around and criticise him for having a poor shooting night and say that the Cavs won ‘despite him’ is just plain silly.
The good news for hardcore fans of US sport – and there are plenty of them in Australia – is that there’s no need to have this type of news filtered through an Australian lens anymore.
Why listen to a news reporter who thinks a bowl game has something to do with salad when you can tune in to ESPN, log onto any number of American websites (yes, I know you’ll occasionally get a reference to Austria) or follow Aussie writers, including many here at The Roar, who really know and really care about getting it right.
And finally, always remember Public Enemy: “Don’t believe the hype”.
Ed’s Note: This article was written prior to Game 3, before Dellavedova made even more headlines in the US and abroad for an incident involving Atlanta forward Al Horford.
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