Pablo Torre

Yes.

And so what I would express to anybody who doubts whether a sports journalist loves sports is gatekeeping fandom is – I would say it's not only childish.

It's a contradiction.

And I say it this way.

If you're a sports journalist, two things can exist.

You can absolutely love the games, have grown up loving the games, be able to give you chapter and verse, naming a bunch of guys, a bunch of players, be obsessed with the games that are being gatekept, apparently, once you express an interest in telling the truth about something.

But on the other hand...

You can also, because again, I don't wanna be the guy who inadvertently quotes the James Baldwin thing about America, right?

But like, I love it so much that I must criticize it.

You know, and so the fact that critique and hard questions and all of that are mutually exclusive with loving something is one of the most logical fallacies.

One of the most illogical things that can be expressed when it comes to just how you exercise your free speech.

And also the last point on this, I suppose, is.

journalism has a problem insofar as it comes off being the school marm.

Like we're holding a ruler, wrapping everybody on the knuckles who wants to have fun and just watch the games, bro.

And the whole premise of what I love doing in sports specifically is to remind people that silly and serious, highbrow and lowbrow, smart and stupid can all coexist.

telling a story that is premised on truth does not need to be an exercise in scolding.

Oftentimes, it's really fun to find out what people, especially extraordinarily rich and powerful people who would love more Pat McAfee saying more of exactly what he just said, right?

It's really fun to find out what they don't want you to know.

And in sports, because they know of this fandom and how fervent it is and how your love of something can be confused for anything resembling

Gosh, an allegiance to truth.