In the latest edition of “Philadelphia Sports Fake News Media” we are switching gears from the Phillies to the Eagles. 

Yesterday while speaking with the media, AJ Brown fielded a question from NBC Sports Philly reporter Ruben Frank. The question was in regards to fans “taking sides” between Brown and fellow wide receiver DeVonta Smith. 

Brown, giving a very diplomatic answer, questioned the intentions of the question and why the media wants to pin he and Smitty against each other. 

Frank was operating under the assumption that this was something the fans were doing. Watch. 

AJ Brown on “competition” with DeVonta Smith

I have to be honest with you, the Philadelphia sports media should be embarrassed with themselves and how the are handling “reporting” in regards to our beloved sports teams.

They do this constantly and rightfully so, players and fans are finally waking up to the nonsense and downright made up headlines and narratives. 

Fake News: Phillies fans “gave up” on Trea Turner

Back in early August, we dealt with a similar situation in regards to Phillies’ shortstop Trea Turner. 

To be clear, there was never an actual storyline about Philadelphia Phillies fans giving up on Trea Turner.

Sure, there might have been a small minority of fans who don’t follow or watch baseball and witnessed Turner’s struggles through the first 100 games of the season, but people who actually knew what they were talking about found it quite easy to understand that an 8-year MLB veteran who arrived in Philly as a career .300 hitter would eventually figure it out.

The entire storyline was made up by none other than 94.1, Philly Sports Talk Radio, just weeks after the same people from that radio station suggested that the Phillies trade Turner ahead of the MLB Trade Deadline.  

Luckily, that narrative actually worked out in the fans favor because Trea Turner, backed by ovations from the crowds at Citizens Bank Park, managed to turn it on during a homestand against sub .500 opponents.

Now? Trea Turner is now batting .313 with 31 hits, 7 home runs, 20 RBIs, and 20 runs scored in 25 games this month. Over his past 22 games, he’s batting .356 (31-for-87) with seven homers, 20 RBIs and a 1.083 OPS.

Again, did anyone give up on him? Nope. The Philly media however, told you that was the case while fans and the very same radio station immediately took credit for “fixing” Trea Turner while criticizing anyone (me) who questioned the motives behind the headlines in the first place. 

The entire thing was divisive and split the Phillies’ fan base in half for the better part of August.  

Realistically Turner, along with the majority of the Phillies team have been hot for well over 2 months. Since June 2nd, the Phillies have posted a 48-26 record, good for a .649 winning percentage. 

The narrative that fans had given up on Turner was nothing more than media created nonsense. 

Fake News: Team Smitty vs Team Brown

That brings us to the latest example of media malpractice with NBC Sports Philadelphia and Ruben Frank questioning AJ Brown in regards to a “competition” between him and fellow wide receiver DeVonta Smith. 

Frank questioned whether or not it bothered AJ Brown that there were “Team Brown” vs “Team Smith” discussions happening amongst the fan base. 

That simply has not happened. 

Obviously. For fans paying attention, this was a non-issue. There’s nothing outside friendly training camp competition between Brown and Smitty. Everyone knows that. 

So of course, the fake news starts within the Philadelphia sports media world and then spreads like wildfire to the national media. Sports Illustrated wrote an article the next day about the topic. 

Ed Kracz on the wide receiver “competition” between AJ Brown and DeVonta Smith 

It seems like an agenda, perhaps media-driven, is emerging from the success of the two receivers, with questions about which one is better and if there is a competition between the two. Even fans are taking sides, it would seem.

If anyone can point out the “Team Brown vs Team Smitty” conversation, please let me know.

Again, it just hasn’t happened. If anything, I’m sure Eagles fans are absolutely thrilled to have both Brown and Smitty, two wide receivers who eclipsed the 1,000 yard receiving mark last season and still have a ton of upside heading into this year. 

At the end of the day, the media landscape is obviously changing with social media and the “hot take” generation of radio and television shows that do nothing but try to rile up fanbases for engagement online. 

It’s nasty stuff for sure and does nothing but create division amongst fans that should really just be focusing on the success of their sports teams instead of arguing amongst each other. 

As good ol’ Abraham Lincoln once said…”A house divided against itself cannot stand.”

Join The Chase