Clarissa Ward’s Humanity. Shannon Sharpe’s Irresponsibility. PLUS: Tucker Carlson Talks About Tanning Your Tater Tots. | Winners & Losers in Today’s Green Room
MEDIA WINNER: Clarissa Ward
Despite the constant parade of horrible news from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, CNN chief international correspondent Clarissa Ward managed to find a glimmer of positivity by reporting that an elderly woman she previously met had been safely evacuated from her war-torn area of the country.
Ward has been reporting on the ground since the invasion began, and some of her most recent coverage of the war came from Avdiivka, a Donbas region town near the war’s frontline in eastern Ukraine. Ward heard from numerous desperate residents remaining in the area, one of whom was 86-year-old Lidia, who emotionally described the terror of hearing Russia’s shelling while being unable to evacuate.
Ward didn’t hide her joy in being able to report that Lidia had been successfully evacuated to a care facility in Dnipro. Ward and CNN cameraman Scott McWhinnie caught up with Lidia there and captured the happy reunion.
“It’s our old friend,” said Lidia. “I’m so glad to see you again.”
“Leaving Lidia alone in her apartment was incredibly tough,” Ward narrated in her report. “To see her safe is a huge relief.”
Ward’s reporting style is steady and informative, remaining remarkably calm even in the midst of literal wars, but she never sets her humanity aside. She doesn’t take credit for helping Lidia get to a safer location, although that seems highly likely to have happened. It wouldn’t be the first time she leveraged her resources to help someone escape a war zone.
MEDIA LOSER: Shannon Sharpe
Kyrie Irving left Boston for Brooklyn three years ago, but you would think it was just yesterday judging by the reaction he got from Celtics fans during Game 1 of the NBA playoffs — with the Boston faithful heckling the Nets guard for the entirety of the contest.
Irving didn’t let the heckling go unanswered, giving Celtic fans several middle-fingered salutes and even shouting back at one fan a suggestion he perform a certain sexual act.
At the post game press conference, Irving said that while it wasn’t every fan behaving this way, some had been very vulgar. He saw no reason to just remain “docile,” explaining he would have the “same energy they have for me.”
That’s not good enough, according to Fox Sports’ Shannon Sharpe. The former NFL star said he would have responded to hecklers by going “into the stands,” pretending he was trying to catch the ball and then “catch somebody with an elbow, right on the chin.”
“Imma clean a couple of them clocks,” said Sharpe. “It’ll calm down.”
Irving at least kept his perspective and responded to insults with insults; he didn’t escalate. It’s some laughably illogical reasoning from Sharpe to suggest that hitting a fan would “calm down” the situation. We’ve covered many brawls at sporting events and things absolutely do not calm down when hands start getting thrown. Seriously though, the idea that a professional athlete should jump into the stands and physically assault a fan is insane — and irresponsible.
Links We Like:
Trump Supporters Explain Why They Believe the Big Lie
– Sarah Longwell, The Atlantic
Crime upstages progressive priorities in Los Angeles mayor’s race
– Alexander Nieves and Lara Korte, Politico
Given endless resources, Tucker Carlson zeroes in on UFOs and testicles
– Philip Bump, Washington Post
Apple’s Privacy Rules Leave Its Engineers in the Dark
– Wayne Ma, The Information
Read the full Mediaite Green Room Newsletter here, including a very bizarre new Tucker Carlson special.
