Staff Reports
ESPN has once again shown its true colors, and they’re not the vibrant shades of the World Series. Instead, it’s the dull, grayish tint of cold, lifeless AI-generated content. The sports giant thought it could get away with using artificial intelligence to report the tragic death of Bobby Jenks. But fans aren’t buying it. This isn’t just a case of another media company choosing automation over authenticity; it’s a glaring example of how far ESPN has wandered from its duty as a storyteller in sports.
Bobby Jenks, a two-time All-Star pitcher for the Chicago White Sox, who was on the roster when the franchise won the 2005 World Series, died on Friday in Sintra, Portugal, the team announced. https://t.co/S2jqBZM3WR
— ESPN (@espn) July 5, 2025
Bobby Jenks was more than just “on the roster” during the White Sox’s iconic 2005 World Series win. He was a powerhouse, a closer who didn’t just watch from the bullpen; he sealed victories and carved his name into MLB history. Mentioning such an impactful player as merely part of the lineup is either deeply ignorant or deliberately dismissive. It’s an insult to his memory and to every fan who knows the game’s fundamentals better than the supposed “Worldwide Leader in Sports.”
The backlash shouldn’t be surprising. America’s sports culture isn’t just about stats and scores; it’s about heart and stories. And here lies the problem with generative AI writing people-centric news: it lacks soul. Sports isn’t just a game; it’s a story often rooted in personal trials and triumphs. Using AI devalues the personal connection fans have with players—a connection that was clearly overlooked in Jenks’ obituary.
We’re watching an industry giant, once a bastion of sports reporting, succumb to the seduction of technology at the cost of humanity. It’s a shocking misstep for a network that was built on emotional narratives and human achievement. Why hire capable human writers with a passion for the game when an AI program can churn out uninspired text for half the price? Maybe that’s ESPN’s new motto: “Faster, Cheaper, and Lifeless.”
This isn’t just about ESPN; it’s a snapshot of where we’re headed if big media continues down this path of soulless automation. If we let AI drive the narrative on even the most profoundly human stories, who’s to stop them from rewriting history itself? Will readers have to parse headlines for traces of real human thought, or will robots rule our newsrooms? It’s a dark day when we witness such degradation of quality in storytelling. But does ESPN care? Maybe it’s time for them to reconsider what truly matters: the machine or the people they serve.
