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“The times they are a changin” as Bob Dylan famously sang.
The media landscape is so different from what it used to be.
And this isn’t “a get off my lawn” column, just an acknowledgement of the new reality.
And coverage of this recent Geno Smith story is a perfect example of the new reality we are living in.
Longtime Jets beat writer Rich Cimini, now with ESPN, said on his new podcast that on July 6, Smith was pulled over for going 70 miles per hour in a 45-mph zone. Smith was also cited for not having a license on him.
Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio had an interesting observation about the veteran scribe’s coverage of this story:
“Cimini hasn’t tweeted about it on his account, and there’s no item on ESPN.com,” wrote Florio, also of NBC Sports.
This is intriguing.
Why is there nothing on his Twitter account or on ESPN.com, but he mentioned it on his podcast?
Rich is a smart guy.
There has to be a reason.
Nobody is saying Smith getting pulled over for speeding and not having his license with him is a heinous crime.
But don’t you think an NFL starting QB getting pulled over for speeding and then not having his license is at least a note on ESPN’s website, probably the top sports website in the world?
We are not saying it should be the top story on the website or even on the front page, but nowhere?
We are talking about a starting QB in America’s top league, one of only 32, and this isn’t considered at least a little newsworthy to ESPN.
But it was newsworthy enough for the writer to bring it up on his podcast.
Once again, not making this into robbing a bank, but let’s not forget, the New York Post reported this item recently about Smith:
“On a rainy March 18 afternoon, the Jets quarterback was pulled over by a Davie PD officer on a roadway in Davie, Fla. after he had allegedly been driving a Rolls Royce with improper tags. Body camera footage obtained by The California Post on Tuesday shows Smith was not thrilled to have been stopped,” wrote the Post’s Edward Lewis.
So the fact that there was another driving incident, three months before the new one, kind of makes the speeding/no license deal more newsworthy.
An NFL starting QB having two driving indiscretions in three months, that is kind of news, at least it was in the past.
But the sports journalism landscape has changed quite a bit in the last few years.
First of all, a lot of newspapers are either folding or cutting staff, so the number of people covering teams is way down, from let’s say 5-10 years ago.
Secondly, there is a lot of cross-pollination now, where leagues are in business with media entities.
ESPN and NFL Network recently merged.
This was a brilliant move by the NFL. You would have to think “The World Wide Leader,” as people refer to ESPN, is going to cover the NFL with kid gloves now.
Now that they are business partners of ESPN, you would have to think the coverage of their teams and leagues is going to look a little different.
So perhaps that contributed to Smith’s latest driving issue not being covered on ESPN’s website.
Can’t prove that, of course, but it’s quite possible.
Once again, not saying Smith’s latest driving issue is equivalent to “The Brink’s Job,” but no mentioned by ESPN and most of the people who cover the team.
Times have certainly changed.
July 10, 2026
Premium will return by 9:30 pm (or sooner) on Monday.
