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Says Larry Fitzgerald Sr., “I have no son!”

posted by Charlie at 3:05 pm.

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If you’ve woken up from your seizure after learning that Larry Fitzgerald and the Arizona Cardinals would be playing in the Super Bowl, you’ve probably heard about Fitzgerald’s father, Larry Sr. Fitzgerald Sr. (or Big Poppa, as he will henceforth be referred to), is a long time sports writer for the Minnesota Spokesman Recorder. He’s a highly respected journalist, having covered over 20 Super Bowls and a variety of other big time sporting events. And, it seems, he’s not one to break tradition. Big Poppa has announced that he will continue to objectively (he claims) report on and attend the Super Bowl, despite the fact that his son will be in the starting lineup for the Cardinals.

The Fitzgerald’s and Larry’s late mother, Carol

My question isn’t whether or not Big Poppa can objectively cover his baby boy, but if you’re a Minnesota Spokesman reader, if you even want that? As a journalist, I can be sure that if my brother was taking the hill in game one of the World Series (even if it was for the White Sox, or even..gaaaaaah….the Cardinals), my ass would be about as fair and balanced as Sean Hannity on a bad day. And if I was a reader of the paper, I think I would want that sort of exclusive insight. What’s Larry’s preparation like? How has his relationship with his father affected him up to this point? What do Larry and Big Poppa say to each other if the Cards win (or lose)? All of these columns, none of which could be better written by anybody besides Big Poppa, seem far more interesting to me than the typical “Arizona’s Defense is the Key,” “Get Pressure on Big Ben,” story lines that Big Poppa is sure to write in the upcoming week.

My advice to the Minnesota Spokesman Recorder and Larry Sr., hang up the objectivity hat this time, and just write like you’re his father. Sports are best when there is a human drama, a human touch involved in them. And I can’t think of a single human who would know the Cards and their star player better than Larry Jr.’s, Big Poppa.

Could you be objective if your son did that in the Super Bowl?

Charlie Johnson: Charlie is a student in news/editorial journalism and fully supports changing our national anthem from "The Star-Spangled Banner" to "Go Cubs Go."