Welcome to The Coverage’s Better Late Than Never column. Last week, I did an NFL Edition instead, and it was well received, so thank you for reading.
In this week’s edition, an NFL coach upsets an international fan base, Sydney media angers an NRL fanbase, and a journalist has the worst take EVER on the Holly Rowe A.I. video.
Go and grab your favourite beverage, sit back, relax, and read what’s going on in the world of sports media.
How to lose a fanbase in 7 days
LA Rams coach Sean McVay is someone I have respected and admired for a long time. When I heard that the Rams were one of the teams that got the marketing rights for Australia, I was happy, even though I wished it had been the New York Giants. However, I have lost a bit of respect for McVay after what he said this week.
At a press conference, McVay said, “We’re not playing in Australia ever again, I hope. Not becuase it wasn’t a great atmosphere; that will get taken out of context.”
It’s fair to say a lot of people weren’t happy with that comment. Sadly, I had not long woken up and watched those comments, so it didn’t start my day off well. It didn’t take long for Australian media outlets to pick it up and run with it.
But the thing that really got me was that he said it ‘will get taken out of context.’ If he knew that it was going to, why say it? I’m not sure if he is still suffering from jet lag, but he shouldn’t have said it. Also, it wasn’t us or the NFL who decided to fly in 30 hours before the game. That’s on you McVay!
The 49ers, on the other hand, seemed to understand the assignment. They arrived early, interacted with fans, spoke to the media, and even went to AFL games. They did everything the Rams should have done, but instead of saying ‘we will do better next time,’ McVay doesn’t want to play here again.
One thing about Aussie sports fans: we have long memories, and once you’ve lost us, it is damn near impossible to get us back.
Riding off into the sunset?
Living in Townsville has been amazing. I will admit, I do miss Broken Hill, but being back in rugby league country has been good for my soul. I’ve been lucky enough to speak with both North Queensland Cowboys players and fans.
In the media south of the border (Sydney), the Cowboys are rarely mentioned as much as the other teams. This season has been different, and it’s all because of Cowboys Captain Tom Dearden and whether he will move to Sydney when his contract ends in 2028.
Speculation about Dearden’s future stems from his partner, Millie Olliver, being based in Sydney and pregnant with their first child. The Cowboys captain has refuted claims that he will go anywhere else, but Dearden’s future has been a hot topic on NRL 360 and was also mentioned by Danny Weidler on Triple M’s The Journos Podcast.
One Cowboys fan has had enough of the speculation around Dearden’s future, with Star 106.3 FM breakfast host, Tom ‘Donny’ Watkin, speaking about it on air this week. ‘Donny’ unloaded on the Sydney media, saying that the journos keep hearing whispers of Dearden leaving because they are the ones saying it.
Dearden’s contract is not up until 2029, so there is still plenty of time before we know what his future actually holds. In the meantime, I suspect the speculation will continue.
Worst take everrrrrrr
Texas University Longhorns Quarterback Arch Manning found himself in some trouble this week when he laughed about an AI-generated video that showed his coach, Steve Sarkisian, slapping ESPN reporter Holly Rowe.
This video was generated out of an awkward exchange that Rowe and Sarkisian had after the Longhorns’ one-point victory last week over Ohio State University. When Rowe tried to grab Sarkisian for a post-game interview, he said some words (I’ve listened to it lots of times and still don’t know what he said), then made the bull symbol and walked off.
Things got worse when the video of Rowe getting slapped was posted, which led not only to Manning laughing about it, but also to the room full of reporters laughing about it. In 2026, this behaviour is poor from everyone involved.
The media has spoken out about this incident, with Jimmy Traina and Bryan Curtis weighing in on their respective podcasts. I came across one horrible take from Fort Worth Star-Telegram columnist Mac Engel.
Engel wrote that there was no need for Manning to apologise because the video was clearly fake, and since it wasn’t real, no actual violence took place. It gets better, because Engel then goes on to talk about how no one was outraged when a Snickers commercial showed Betty White getting tackled hard. Because, you know, that was not AI-generated.
Engel also writes about an old Saturday Night Live skit starring Manning’s uncle, Peyton, that implies he abuses kids. The skit involves Peyton being tough on the children, teaching them bad habits, or getting mad at them for not catching one of his passes.
The problem with that argument is that it completely misses the issue. The obvious difference is consent. Rowe did not consent to having her likeness used in an AI-generated depiction of violence against her. It’s really not that hard to understand, yet for so many people, it is.
Manning apologised, and Rowe accepted it. But sadly, people also jumped on the ESPN reporter for her reactions to Manning’s apology, with some calling her ‘fragile’ and ‘ridiculous’. The fact that a sports columnist can take this position in 2026 shows there is still a long way to go before women, including the women who report on the sports we love, are consistently treated with the decency and respect they deserve.
That ends another Better Late Than Never column. Sports media consumers, I hope you have a great rest of the weekend, no matter where in the world you are.
Until next time, take care.
Merce
