Former NFL player Warren Sapp filed for bankruptcy on March 30, and his story seems to have gotten a big boost from The Associated Press:
“Former NFL star Warren Sapp owes more than $6.7 million to creditors and back child support and alimony, according to a Chapter 7 bankruptcy filing in South Florida. Sapp’s $6.45 million in assets includes 240 pairs of Jordan athletic shoes worth almost $6,500; a $2,250 watch; and a lion skin rug worth $1,200.”
- dvolpe_87: “A black man doesn’t pay child support? What is the news here?”
(note: comments containing racial slurs are quickly scrubbed out by ESPN)
$250,000 = Sapp Net Liabilities
$9.7 million = Kosar Net Liabilities
$19.2 million = Brunell Net Liabilities
“Kosar owes almost $1.5 million in “unsecured debt” to the Cleveland Browns… owes his ex-wife Babette $3 million and $725,000 (from a personal loan) to the owner of the Cleveland Gladiators of the Arena Football League. He owes a bank more than $9 million for bad real estate deals. The 45-year-old Kosar got divorced in 2007 and last year saw his steakhouse go out of business.”
“In 2007, Kosar’s wife, Babette, filed for divorce. She accused him of acting ”financially irrationally and irresponsibly” by ”giving away money,” according to court documents. ‘It [the divorce] has been a public disaster, with him being accused of several addictions, of erratic behavior and of giving away the couple’s money.’”
Kosar’s alleged “irrationality”, “irresponsibility”, and “addictions” never made into any sports sections, nor his failed support or mention of his own children. Conversely, the final line of Sapp’s Associated Press story on Sapp ended in the same spirit that it was started:
“[Sapp] was arrested in 2010 following an alleged domestic violence incident at a Miami Beach hotel. He would have faced one count of misdemeanor domestic battery, but prosecutors declined to prosecute, saying in court documents that there were inconsistencies in the victim’s statements and evidence.”
Despite no conviction or relevancy to his bankruptcy, this was an important inclusion to the AP writer. As such, Sapp’s story is being held up as the latest media ”cautionary tale” — a more common media response to Black athlete misbehavior.
Sapp is not just an individual story – but part of a longer media narrative. Not an “athlete” narrative, but largely a Black athlete narrative. Depending on the journalist and outlet, that narrative could be subconscious or conscious (like Sapp’s AP author). The same can be said for caring gentle touch afforded to Brunell and Kosar during their difficult times. Buying into such narratives without critical analysis of media and stereotypes is the real “cautionary tale” for readers.
Should you still doubt the power of such media reporting on racial narratives, see how many of these media “cautionary tales” on bankruptcy highlight both Brunell and Kosar in their articles instead of long dead white QBs…
Or you can just spend some time in sports Internet comment sections to get a richer flavor on the color of misbehavior…
Or you can do neither and simply conduct your own personal sports fan poll on athletes and bankruptcy, and tally how many times “Mark” and “Bernie” come up despite 30 million combined reasons to remember them.
Finally, the human empathy and privileges received by Brunell and Kosar may have also extended beyond media coverage. Despite being released by the Saints, 40-years old, and unemployed at the time of his bankruptcy, Brunell was still able to receive a tw0-year contract with the New York Jets. Shortly after news of Kosar’s bankruptcy broke, he was then signed as a consultant with his old team, The Cleveland Browns.
As it stands, Sapp’s current NFL Network announcer contract ends in August, and early indications are that it will not be renewed.
One Response to Bankrupt: Warren Sapp Not Reported Like Bernie Kosar and Mark Brunell
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Yeah, the AP and their like-minded ilk aren’t sources of info I tend to look for. I’m glad I keep my distance from anything media-driven and the ESPiNners message board was the place I actually heard about Sapp’s finances…go figure! As for Brunell and Kosar…SMH!