An Open Letter to ESPN Radio

RE: Colin Cowherd

As a reasonably mature and intelligent adult, one who does not live in his parents' basement, has not eaten a "booger" since the tender age of 4, and who also happens to be a wrestling fan, I would like to thank Mr. Cowherd for his nonsensical, ignorant, prejudicial, incoherent, condescending and amazingly wrong-headed speech given on yesterday's program.

For if he can make such sweeping generalizations about a fairly good sized chunk of the American populace with little if any regard for the potential ramifications of being wrong on the issue, it makes it abundantly clear that his opinion on other matters must be equally unfounded.

It is thoroughly within Mr. Cowherd's rights to hold and express such opinions about wrestling fans. That's what makes this country great, is that we all have the right to say whatever the heck we want in whatever forum we choose. But we must also be prepared for whatever consequences may result if our opinion is not supported by such trifling circumstances as reality.

Are there wrestling fans who fit the description Mr. Cowherd put forth? Absolutely. Every societal group has members who perpetuate the stereotypes imposed upon it. But there are also a great many who do not. In my own immediate circle of friends, I count a great many who are wrestling fans, none of whom even come close to fitting the description Mr. Cowherd has imposed upon all of us in his rant.

There are steroid and drug problems related to professional wrestling. This is without doubt. As a fan of wrestling, and what's more, a fan of the performers involved, it saddens me to know this fact, for what I love about the business has nothing to do with the size of the participant's biceps, nor the general shape of their physique. What I enjoy and appreciate is the actual performance of a wrestling match, a theatrical presentation that is unlike anything else. I enjoy seeing athletes perform to the utmost degree in an effort to entertain the crowd. And history has shown that wrestlers who add to their muscle mass actually DECREASE their ability to perform effectively in this role.

When a performer I enjoy adds muscle mass to a ridiculous degree, I presume at some level that he has decided to use steroids. It also saddens me greatly. As a fan, the LAST thing I want to see is these performers, who I enjoy watching so much, risk their lives by using a drug which will only hinder their performance, not enhance it.

But I am not deluded. I recognize that wrestlers will continue to use these products as long as they still think that fans care about their physique more than they care about their performance. That's why rants like Mr. Cowherd's actually hurt the issue more than they help. By condescending to fans and making them the target of ridicule, he is only helping to reinforce the stereotype of what wrestling fans are and why they watch. And that will lead to more wrestlers taking their lives in their hands in order to please that hypothetical section of audience, which is actually much smaller than it seems.

So, to Mr. Cowherd, I would merely like to suggest that the next time he feels like making such sweeping statements about the nature of the wrestling fan base, he should take the time to truly examine that fan base before he attempts to condemn them en masse. That would be a truly "grown up" thing to do.

And to ESPN Radio, I would like to suggest that you have now officially lost a listener.

-Jeff McGinnis
Bowling Green, OH