Grant Gordons article for the NFL; “These Niners look a lot like ’94 Super Bowl champs” clearly strives to portray the image that American football teams are a tight knit group of dedicated individuals, which often results in positions being passed down through family members. Although it is an incredibly reliable source in terms of football, it portrays teams in a way that may not be completely accurate to the reality of football and its history.
Image: 49ers Webzone
Throughout the article, the NFL does not make reference to any external sources, only using information provided from other NFL articles, interviews and player statistics recorded on their own site. Although in some circumstances it would be a cause for concern if an article was to only reference their own website, this is not the case with the NFL. As a result of this being the official site of the National Football league, this is an area where they have incredibly strong expertise.
The strong relationship that the NFL has with players is emphasised in quotes from an interview with quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo “I love that we keep it in the family and everything.” Not only does this establish credibility for the NFL as they are able to provide direct quotes from an interview conducted with a player, conveying that they have an incredibly high proximity with the source, it also allows for them to emphasize the idea of the 49ers as a close knit community.
Image : Kron 4
Through the direct quotations it becomes very clear that motivation of the article is to portray the close relationship and pride that players have for their teams. Garoppolo continues on to say that “When those older players come back, just whether they talk to us or you just see them on the sidelines, having them around, it’s cool. It just makes you realize the history of this organization and whenever you get that opportunity, it’s great.” However, the article completely disregards many significant events in the history of the NFL, instead only drawing the attention of fans towards the positive aspects.
It is clear that the writer of the article is playing on the emotions of the readers, and that it is most likely targeted at 49ers fans. Throughout the piece not only is a family like image portrayed through the language used in interviews, but also by descriptive language of the events taking place. The moment that a father, Mike Shanahan, handed the George Halas trophy to his son Kyle is described by Gordon as “tender.” He then goes on to explain that when the trophy was handed over “the father went for a high-five, but the son went right past it and hugged his dad.” This provides a visual of a well united team, that would stand together no matter what, however this is not the reality of the situation.
Image: Essence
Although the NFL as an organisation does not show any bias towards a particular team, it is clear that their representation of football intends to show a very specific viewpoint. No bias is shown towards any team in particular, but instead the overall ideas surrounding football. No critiques or negatives about the games and team interactions, it specifically leaves out the controversy surrounding Colin Kaepernick’s departure from the team after kneeling in protest during the national anthem, taking a stance against police brutality. It is evident that the article aims to create a sense of community, and it is likely that this is done to bring both the fans and the team together as they prepared for the Superbowl, where Kaepernick’s absence would be felt.
Overall, although the article is accurate in terms of sources and evidence used, it is clearly portraying an idealistic view of football. As a result it leaves out any negatives about the team or relationships amongst players, however this is a result of where the article was published and the image of football they are portraying.
Featured Image: Sports Illustrated
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