The answer: Proof that integrity is sorely lacking in today’s sports media.

The question: Who is Colin Cowherd?

In media today, it is becoming increasingly difficult to take sports talk figureheads seriously. Gone are the days of objective analysis, competent takes, and good television/radio.

The rise of social media intertwined with sports media has created an atmosphere where it’s all about shock value takes on hot-button topics.

Translation: These “experts” will say whatever it takes to get a click, a view, or increase ratings. Even at the expense of their credibility.

Nobody exemplifies this better than FS1’s Colin Cowherd. Well, maybe his colleague Skip Bayless. But ‘ol Skip is a different story for a different day.

Cowherd gained my attention during the 2016 NFL season with his relentless criticism of Pittsburgh Steelers head coach, Mike Tomlin. At the time, Pittsburgh was 4-5, so criticism was warranted.

However, Cowherd alluded to Tomlin’s “presence” as being the reason the Steelers were struggling. He offered no X’s and O’s football analysis. He offered no tape breakdown that pointed to coaching woes. He simply gave those listening a bunch of sweeping generalizations and personal opinions.

Cowherd knew bashing Pittsburgh, a team with arguably the largest fan base in the country, would get him a lot of attention.

The Steelers then proceeded to win eight straight games, including a dominant win over the Miami Dolphins in the wild card round of the playoffs last weekend. But Pittsburgh’s 30-12 win, in a game that was over from the first whistle, didn’t impress Cowherd.

He “wasn’t impressed.” Shock value? I’d say so.

Cowherd paid no mind to the Steelers winning seven straight games to close out the regular season and win the AFC North. He paid no mind to a convincing playoff victory. Again, he saw an opportunity to arouse the fan base.

Any objective football mind with an iota of football acumen has given Mike Tomlin credit for the mid-season turnaround Pittsburgh made. They are now seen as the biggest threat to the New England Patriots in the AFC.

So what did Colin Cowherd do?

Jumped on the chance to again harshly criticize Tomlin, for he knew (although sounding like a complete blowhard) it would gain him some attention.

Cowherd has made it apparent that he has some disdain for the Pittsburgh Steelers, and it doesn’t stop at Mike Tomlin. He recently had some words for running back Le’Veon Bell.

In a recent interview, Bell likened himself to the NBA’s Golden State Warriors’ superstar Stephen Curry. In a nutshell, Bell made the comparison in the context of changing how their respective positions are played. It really isn’t that hard to correlate what Bell meant.

Bell has developed a patient style, more unique than we’ve seen from any back before him. He combines his patience with every other element of what makes a great running back, and he performs all of those elements at a top level.

No one is saying patient backs didn’t exist before Bell, just like three-point shooters existed before Curry: but do they both play their positions outside of the norm?

Absolutely.

Before Curry, kids didn’t want to shoot the deep three. Now we’re seeing it more often. More people want to be like him. I’m willing to bet in the coming years, we’ll see a lot more football coaches and running backs being advocates of the hesitation style running that Bell is spearheading.

However, the obvious context of Bell comparing himself to Curry was oblivious to Cowherd. He said Bell was delusional for making such a comparison.

No, Colin, you are the delusional one.

Cowherd went on to ignore the clear correlation of what Bell meant, and went on a blabbering diatribe about Curry globally changing basketball. Somehow Shaquille O’Neal and Wilt Chamberlain entered the conversation.

Never did Le’Veon Bell say he’s globally changing anything. He meant both players have unique abilities, and play their respective positions in their respective sports in a unique fashion. That notion is 100% accurate. Anybody with a sports mind could take what Bell meant and make the connection. It isn’t rocket science.

But of course, Cowherd played dumb, and again pounced on the chance to play to the fans’ emotions to garner himself even more attention. Obviously, Cowherd has gotten pretty far in life. So does it infuriate anyone else that he blatantly acts unintelligent for the purpose of a shock value take?

Maybe I’m expecting too much, hoping that national sports media gets back to doing things with integrity rather than having to be first with their hot takes. It doesn’t seem to matter what the topic is on a given day, we’re almost guaranteed a ridiculous opinion from someone who is supposed to be an expert just to get their ratings up. It’s almost as if credibility is a lost art.

Colin, if you happen to read this, just know that the general public may buy into your nonsense. But real sports fans and objective sports analysts, famous or not, don’t respect you and aren’t buying what you’re selling.

For the record sir, it’s not an accolade to be seen as “more annoying than Skip Bayless.”