CALLING OUT THE MEDIA
Patrick Creighton: Treatment of Masters champ Patrick Reed latest example of why fans don’t like media
Apr 12, 2018, 12:20 pm
Patrick Reed should have been able to enjoy the moment. Jamie Squire/Getty Images
As Texas native Patrick Reed fought to hold on to win the Masters Sunday, something strange was building up online. A groundswell of support for Patrick Reed was forming – support for him to lose.
I have nothing against appreciating the Sunday charges of Rickie Fowler (-5) and Jordan Spieth (-8) to get them in the mix for title contention, but the rooting against Reed, who entered Sunday -14 and on top the leaderboard was rather strange.
At this point is when the dirtiness started coming out. Media was going to leak all of Reed’s dirty laundry on the day of his greatest career achievement.
With his win at the Masters, many members of the media could not allow the man known as Captain America for his incredible record in international play enjoy his day. They could not sit by and idly watch as CBS’ broadcast team heaped praise upon the 27 year old Spring. There had to be mud throwing.
As a media member, I am certainly not above throwing mud. I just try to throw mud only when it’s deserved.
Some media members decided to go all in on their disdain of Reed, a guy who has been voted among the least liked golfers but for reasons that are quite puzzling, because it seems he would have a lot in common with many well liked golfers.
Reed is confident, maybe arrogant. He believes he’s one of the best golfers in the world. Apparently this rubs some the wrong way. I don’t see how a professional athlete cannot think this way. Thinking you’re inferior to your competitors just gets you beat before you even start.
That wasn’t enough though. The digging up of the rift between him and his family is downright intrusive. Reed and his wife are estranged from Reed’s parents and siblings. Many chastised CBS for not bringing this up during the broadcast. Why should they?
The bottom line is no one in the media knows all the facts here. Actually they hardly know any. Reed and his wife keep their private family matters to themselves. Reed’s mother believes that telling Patrick he was too young to marry his wife is the cause of the rift. Her statement about that is the only info anyone has, hardly enough information to be broadcasting about, and what does any of it have to do with his play on the golf course?
Demanding that the broadcast team air his family’s dirty laundry, especially with virtually no information, on the day he wins the Masters is just pure douchery on the part of the media. It’s exactly why so many fans don’t like the media. It reeks of trying to be a muck stirrer for no other reason than that muck sells.
Should we hold everyone else to that same standard? If we asked the golf broadcast team to air Tiger Woods’ dirty laundry on every broadcast, they would never have time to talk about anything else all day.
I know I don’t want to hear about the Aaron Rodgers family dispute every time the Packers play. That isn’t why we watch sports.
Many fans think the media goes out of their way to be negative to anyone who isn’t considered a “chosen one.” The way so many treated Patrick Reed from Sunday to Wednesday underscores this sentiment.
Golf fans and media are funny like that. They don’t like Patrick Reed because he’s brash, he drops f bombs, he’s estranged from his parents, yet they love Tiger Woods, who’s brash, drops f bombs, and destroyed his family. Tiger even takes it a few steps further with his prescription drug abuse, being notoriously cheap (Tiger doesn’t tip) and being the sports world’s most famous serial cheater (although Cavs center Tristan Thompson apparently wants to make a run at this).
So Reed is hated yet Tiger is loved for having similar traits? Except that Reed isn’t cheating on his wife or abusing drugs?
Reed may not be a perfect guy, but that is one of the things that I like about him. He isn’t fake. He is just who he is. If sometimes he’s a jerk, well sometimes I’m a jerk, so I’m good with that. He drops some f bombs, so do I, so do you. So what? I like that he’s a real guy, and I root for him because of that.
Yes, I’m a member of the media calling out my own. Not every story in sports has to attack someone.
Go wear that green jacket all over town, Mr. Reed. Enjoy your victory.
Patrick Creighton is the host of “Straight Heat” heard Monday-Friday 9p-12a CT on SB Nation Radio & SportsMap 94.1 FM Houston. He also hosts “Nate & Creight” Sundays 12-5p CT on SB Nation Radio & SportsMap 94.1 FM. Follow him on Twitter: @pcreighton1
It’s May 1, and the Astros are turning heads—but not for the reasons anyone expected. Their resurgence, driven not by stars like Yordan Alvarez or Christian Walker, but by a cast of less-heralded names, is writing a strange and telling early-season story.
Christian Walker, brought in to add middle-of-the-order thump, has yet to resemble the feared hitter he was in Arizona. Forget the narrative of a slow starter—he’s never looked like this in April. Through March and April of 2025, he’s slashing a worrying .196/.277/.355 with a .632 OPS. Compare that to the same stretch in 2024, when he posted a .283 average, .496 slug, and a robust .890 OPS, and it becomes clear: this is something more than rust. Even in 2023, his April numbers (.248/.714 OPS) looked steadier.
What’s more troubling than the overall dip is when it’s happening. Walker is faltering in the biggest moments. With runners in scoring position, he’s hitting just .143 over 33 plate appearances, including 15 strikeouts. The struggles get even more glaring with two outs—.125 average, .188 slugging, and a .451 OPS in 19 such plate appearances. In “late and close” situations, when the pressure’s highest, he’s practically disappeared: 1-for-18 with a .056 average and a .167 OPS.
His patience has waned (only 9 walks so far, compared to 20 by this time last year), and for now, his presence in the lineup feels more like a placeholder than a pillar.
The contrast couldn’t be clearer when you look at José Altuve—long the engine of this franchise—who, in 2024, delivered in the moments Walker is now missing. With two outs and runners in scoring position, Altuve hit .275 with an .888 OPS. In late and close situations, he thrived with a .314 average and .854 OPS. That kind of situational excellence is missing from this 2025 squad—but someone else may yet step into that role.
And yet—the Astros are winning. Not because of Walker, but in spite of him.
Houston’s offense, in general, hasn’t lit up the leaderboard. Their team OPS ranks 23rd (.667), their slugging 25th (.357), and they sit just 22nd in runs scored (117). They’re 26th in doubles, a rare place for a team built on gap-to-gap damage.
But where there’s been light, it hasn’t come from the usual spots. Jeremy Peña, often overshadowed in a lineup full of stars, now boasts the team’s highest OPS at .791 (Isaac Paredes is second in OPS) and is flourishing in his new role as the leadoff hitter. Peña’s balance of speed, contact, aggression, and timely power has given Houston a surprising tone-setter at the top.
Even more surprising: four Astros currently have more home runs than Yordan Alvarez.
And then there’s the pitching—Houston’s anchor. The rotation and bullpen have been elite, ranking 5th in ERA (3.23), 1st in WHIP (1.08), and 4th in batting average against (.212). In a season where offense is lagging and clutch hits are rare, the arms have made all the difference.
For now, it’s the unexpected contributors keeping Houston afloat. Peña’s emergence. A rock-solid pitching staff. Role players stepping up in quiet but crucial ways. They’re not dominating, but they’re grinding—and in a sluggish AL West, that may be enough.
Walker still has time to find his swing. He showed some signs of life against Toronto and Detroit. If he does, the Astros could become dangerous. If he doesn’t, the turnaround we’re witnessing will be credited to a new cast of unlikely faces. And maybe, that’s the story that needed to be written.
We have so much more to discuss. Don't miss the video below as we examine the topics above and much, much more!
The MLB season is finally upon us! Join Brandon Strange, Josh Jordan, and Charlie Pallilo for the Stone Cold ‘Stros podcast which drops each Monday afternoon, with an additional episode now on Thursday!
*ChatGPT assisted.
___________________________
Looking to get the word out about your business, products, or services? Consider advertising on SportsMap! It's a great way to get in front of Houston sports fans. Click the link below for more information!