Tim Sullivan

Louisville Courier Journal

We hold this truth to be self-evident: that the loyalty of fans is fundamentally about laundry.

We tend to see the sports world through a partisan prism, unduly influenced by the colors of an athlete’s uniform and what associations they trigger.

Case in point: Why has the famously immobile Peyton Manning been able to sidestep allegations much more serious than those that ensnared Tom Brady? Is it because Manning has the more disarming personality and makes the funnier commercials. Or is it, perhaps, because Brady plays for the nefarious New England Patriots?

Both cases have some holes. The National Football League presented extensive circumstantial evidence that Brady “was at least generally aware” of game balls being deliberately deflated, but it never produced indisputable evidence that connected the Patriots’ quarterback to the most overblown crime of the century.

One of the sources of the Al Jazeera report linking Manning’s wife to shipments of Human Growth Hormone has recanted his recorded statements. But the network continues to stand behind its story and says that its reporting was corroborated by an “absolutely impeccably placed, knowledgeable and credible” second source.

We’re not here to tell you who’s lying – our proposed Pay-Per-View polygraph tests have yet to find firm financial backing – but it's difficult to deny a double standard in how the two stories have been played in the media and in how they have been received by the public Deflategate became a dominant national news story while Manning has largely escaped scrutiny outside of Denver, Indianapolis and Boston.

“If we talk about it, we would only continue to breathe life into a story that, on all levels, is a non-story,” said CBS' Jim Nantz, who conspicuously avoided the subject while broadcasting the Broncos' game last week. “Why add another layer to it?”

“Al Jazeera is not a credible news organization," thundered ESPN's Mike Ditka. "They’re out there spreading garbage. That’s what they do, yet we give them credibility by talking about it. They’re garbage. That’s what they are.”

Some of this response is surely attributable to Americans’ reflexive suspicion (and relative ignorance) of an accomplished Arab-based news operation; some to Manning’s mostly pristine reputation. Yet just as there was a rush to harsh judgment with Brady, there appears to be a similarly hasty effort to exonerate Manning without examining the evidence.

Imagine if Manning had been the quarterback suspected of deflating footballs and Brady’s bride the reported recipient of HGH. Then try telling me that public opinion and media coverage would have been identical.

Much as we might wish to appear objective and fair-minded, sports fans are unusually prone to built-in biases, as Kentuckians are regularly reminded during basketball season.

Here follow the week’s Top 10 sports quotes, presented on a purely subjective basis:

10. Eddie George, former Heisman Trophy winner, on making his Broadway debut in Chicago: “It was through the arts that I was able to find my voice after playing football.” (Good Morning America)

9. Chuck Pagano, Indianapolis Colts coach, on surviving NFL’s Black Monday with a contract extension: “I’ve had a lot of great days in my life, but none better than today. This is absolutely the best day of my life.” (Press conference)

8. Roy Halladay, two-time Cy Young Award winner, on Hall of Fame voting: “When you use PEDs you admit your [sic] not good enough to compete fairly! Our nations past time should have higher standards! No Clemens no Bonds!” (@RoyHalladay on Twitter)

7. Roger Clemens, seven-time Cy Young winner, responding to Roy Halladay: “What is disheartening is getting a call or a text from family or friends about an ill informed player making an asinine statement. The latest coming from a former Blue Jays pitcher. Just to enlighten him, he was accused of using amphetamines by the strength coach. You should be very careful when putting tweets out while not having your facts on the matter at hand.” (Fox 26, Houston)

6. Sean Miller, Arizona basketball coach, on nepotism: “If Bryce Alford had a different last name and played for a different team, in my opinion, the accolades and respect he gets nationally would be far more than he gets playing for his dad at UCLA.” (Arizona Daily Star)

5. Bill Hancock, college football playoff executive director, on declining television ratings: “We have to remember that we know what the factors are. A guy said to me on the phone yesterday that Star Wars was a factor. People are trying to introduce factors all the time. This guy said: ‘The force was not with you, Bill!’ ” (USA Today)

4. Jim Boeheim, Syracuse basketball coach, on his nine-game suspension: "Every game is so important. "People who aren't involved say it's a few games. They don't understand if you even miss five minutes of a game it crushes you as a player or a coach. It's important to fans, but it's our life's blood." (Associated Press)

3. Perry Martin, California Chrome’s co-owner, on the Kentucky Derby winner as a 5-year-old: "His personality has changed over the years. I miss the old days when he was a yearling and we would go to the pasture. He would recognize us and run over and all the other horses would follow him. He'd stick his nose in my chest. He was always playful. Now that he's a grown-up stallion, we have to respect each other's space. I don't want to get bit as he's trying to show everyone who's boss." (Los Angeles Times)

2. Mike Wallace, Minnesota Vikings receiver, on coping with the cold in NFL playoffs: “I’ve got to trick myself. … If I go out there like it’s zero degrees, it’s going to be like negative-30 in my mind. So I’ve got to go out there like it’s going to be warm, get me a fake drink and make it feel like I’m on South Beach. I’ll put a little umbrella in there. I’ll be good, probably like 80 degrees.” (Minneapolis Star-Tribune)

1. Quinn Buckner, former Indiana basketball star, on Bob Knight’s refusal to attend ceremony honoring 1975-76 Hoosiers: “His strength is his curse. That’s true for all of us. His strength was always his conviction. I know he believes he’s right about a lot of things that happened, but the question becomes, what do you do now that you’ve proven that you’re right?” (SI.com)