KentSterling.com – What We Do; How We Do It; and What Makes It Different

by Kent Sterling

KentSterling.com tells the truth through the eyes of Kent Sterling, which makes it inherently unique.  That’s pretty simple.  That’s the brand, and everything posted here reinforces it.  The drive to tell the truth isn’t a marketing position, but the only thing I believe to be worth my time and effort.

Writing is not easy, and if not to tell the truth, why write it?  My version of the truth might not be the same as your version, but I am resolute in trying to find the truth and tell it often.

As challenging as communicating my thoughts well enough that you understand them exactly as they exist in my head, finding the truth is the hard part, and it takes time and effort.

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I go to practices, games, and listen to coaches afterward as they explain who their teams are.  Does it take a weekly drive down to Bloomington for the Kevin Wilson postmortem to know that the Hoosiers are having some trouble on the defensive side of the ball?  Not unless you are blind, deaf, and stupid, but sitting in the front row listening to Wilson accept responsibility for the failings of his team and the decisions to come designed fix the many problems is key in assessing his ability to continue to lead Indiana’s football program.

Do I have to go to a Pacers practice to know that they are a damn good team at 9-1?  No, but seeing how hard they work both during and after practice helps inform a unique perspective.  Do I need to stand next to Frank Vogel as he describes his team to hear his words?  No, but why do I want to trust the other media to report what they believe is important?

Talking to Brandon Miller at Butler or Tom Crean at Indiana isn’t necessary to see the challenges those two basketball programs face this season, but it sure helps in understanding how their approach might succeed or fail.

Regular media critiques are a part of the content we generate for two reasons – the first is because someone needs to hold the media accountable for their effort and perspective, and second, because it was my business for a long time.  I was the program director at 1070 the Fan in Indianapolis and 101ESPN in St. Louis for several years.

Prior to that, I was the assistant program director for WIBC – a news/talk station in Indianapolis before becoming program director for a brief time while I was also programming 1070 the Fan.

At all three of those outlets as well as the first two stations where I worked (WMAQ and WGN in Chicago), the truth was everything.

I write about those things that make me feel good about others, and when someone makes me angry, I enjoy exposing his or her idiocy.  Someone needs to tell the truth about the morons who make the lives of others more difficult, or feather their own nest at the expense of the easily exploited.

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Bureaucratic chumps piss me off, and I enjoy writing about them too.  Liars are especially galling because they assume we are too dumb to know deceit when we hear it.  Conversely, I love writing about people who do it the right way and tell the truth.  Examples of the three groups – former Carmel Clay Schools superintendent Jeff Swenson (bureaucratic chump), Chicago Cubs owner Tom Ricketts (liar), and Indiana Pacers power forward David West (teller of the truth).

You won’t always agree, and that is fine with me.  I’m not one of those blowhards who equates disagreement with an attack on my intellect.  You should always feel safe leaving a contrary comment.  If you are one of those psychotics who enjoys flaming commenters or me for that matter, that’s fine too.  Just make it entertaining.

The website has my name on it for a reason – because it is me.  My beliefs are represented here.  You find fault with them?  Good.  Tell me about it.  I like a conversation, and I like learning.  I’m not above learning from people who come here to share their thoughts.

There are occasional typos and grammatical errors.  I loathe them, and proofread everything, but I screw up more often than I would like.

One other thing, I don’t give a damn how many people visit this site.  I’m not involved in the game of statistical excellence.  I was in radio long enough to know that audience follows great content, so I concentrate my energies there.  Trying to game the system to gain page views is not my game.  Kentucky fans accuse me of trolling.  Not here.  Not ever.  I write about John Calipari because he is the poster boy for all that is wrong with the construct of college basketball.  He is paid too much for providing too little to young men who deserve more and better.

Did Calipari invent the rules?  Is he the only coach who exploits the rules?  Is Calipari 100% bad?  The answers to all three questions are no, but as long as players are exploited, I’m going to write about the guy who does it most often to his greatest advantage.

Kentsterling.com is all about pursuing the truth and fun in sports.  If you enjoy it, that pleases me.  If you don’t, that won’t keep me from working at it.  Not everyone will like the site, just like there are people who don’t like me.

Telling the truth isn’t always popular, but as much as I could have benefitted over the years by changing my beliefs or keeping my opinions to myself, I’m just not capable of it.