Monthly Archives: May 2008
Random Video Clip #17
Big Brown will try to secure the second leg of horse racing’s triple crown this weekend at the Preakness Stakes. His attempt reminds us of the run by Funny Cide in going two for two five years ago…
SportsCenter On Overdrive
It is with much confusion that I read the news release from ESPN promoting the expansion of SportsCenter. According to the announcement, SportsCenter will begin airing live each weekday morning beginning at 9:00am ET. The show will feature three sets of anchors and remain live until 3:00pm. The main anchor will be former CNN, NBC, and CBS personality Hannah Storm.
The announcement itself is not revolutionary. SportsCenter is the network’s signature product and it’s expansion to being live every morning makes sense. It should do very well within the male demographic looking for fresh sports news content each morning.
What doesn’t make sense is the apparent duplication of services across the ESPN family of networks. In making the announcement ESPN indicated it had no plans to scratch ESPN First Take, a sports morning show that airs on ESPN2 right after the telecast of the Mike & Mike Morning. It seems to me that the revamped morning SportsCenter and First Take will have a similar format…highlights combined with more interviews mixed in with commentary. Why duplicate yourself? And what about the content already found on ESPN News? What will be different?
I’m sure we’ll see how this move will benefit viewers as the August launch of the new SportsCenter will coincide with the Beijing Olympics. Much will be happening overseas to keep the content fresh. Once that is over then SportsCenter, First Take, and ESPN News may be sounding very much alike.
I think ESPN should rethink the way they should handle these morning shows and use their networks differently. Remember in the 1990′s when ESPN used to replay their sporting events early the next morning? Why not do that again on ESPN2 while the new version of SportsCenter and ESPN News do their reporting? Unless the network is hamstrung through their broadcast agreements with the leagues, I think that would be a great move to make. Those who want news can find it on SportsCenter or ESPN News. Those who missed the game have their chance to see it as it was first telecast.
Apparently ESPN feels these news programs will each find their niche and be a successful product on their own. Time will tell.
Is Being First Really Worth It?
No one wants to admit when they’re wrong. Especially members of the media.
But that’s what happened yesterday following NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell’s meeting with former Patriots’ videographer Matt Walsh in the Spygate case.
The Boston Herald did admit it erred in its report two days before the Super Bowl that the Pats had taped the Rams walk-through prior to Super Bowl XXXVI in New Orleans back in 2002. We now know through Goodell that as far as the NFL’s investigation and Walsh’s comments are concerned, no taping ever took place.
There is some great local commentary on the Herald’s error by Bruce Allen at Boston Sports Media Watch and David Scott at Scott’s Shots. Both are a must read.
The Herald will be facing much more deserved scrutiny in the days and weeks ahead over its apparent shoddy work. What bothers me is that the practice of throwing out innuendo to see if it sticks is becoming more and more prevalent across all sports media platforms.
We are all to blame. In the world of the 24/7 news cycle no one wants to be left behind. The pressures are enormous. The money involved more so. There are more journalists (including bloggers) digging for stories for print, television, radio, and online sources.
All of this leads to the mentality that any news, no matter the source or circumstances, must be reported, for fear that not doing so will result in less readers and loss in revenue. I have never subscribed to this. I guess that’s why I don’t get as many readers as others. (Check my BallHype rating in the right sidebar) I pride myself in first attempting to be right, not necessarily first. Heaven knows I am far from perfect.
We in the blogosphere should take some responsibility for this. The Deadspins of the world have created this reality. Ethics be damned. It is what it is. I still believe their content has an audience and should not be restricted. But some of their work does not pass the credibility test, in my opinion.
When those sources gain credibility, others in the media feel the need to match it. That may have been the case with the Herald story. The practice lessens the general quality of reporting. Thankfully a good deal of those in the media still take their journalistic integrity seriously. As that generation passes on, I fear the craft will suffer.
Maybe Buzz Bissinger was right after all..
Speculation on Parade
I am spending my lunch hour watching ESPN’s special coverage of the meeting today between NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and former Patriots videographer Matt Walsh…and I am being told emphatically that the New England Patriots are Satan. At least according to those on the ESPN set.
Trey Wingo, Mark Schereth, and Chris Carter are spewing so much speculation and innuendo that anyone watching can come to no other conclusion.
There were so many examples of attempting to mislead the viewer that I lost count. At one point Wingo speculated that although there is no proof the Patriots taped defensive signals during any of their Super Bowl victories, he questioned why the Patriots’ offense was so much more effective in the second half of Super Bowl XXXVIII against the Carolina Panthers, insinuating that the Pats used information collected during the first half. Even though Wingo did make note that the Panthers scored more points in the second two quarters as well, the emphasis was squarely on the Patriots.
Schlereth and Carter both questioned the taping of opponents not in their division, insinuating that the Patriots must have used the tapes during the game in question, as there was no guarantee they would meet these non-divisional foes later that same season.
Even after Goodell addressed the media and said Walsh indicated the tapes were not used during he course of the game, Schlereth and Carter would not let it rest. They kept hammering the speculation that despite the proclamation, it doesn’t mean it did not take place.
Today’s coverage does nothing to paint the media as being responsible. The conduct of the ESPN crew is another example of the need for the media to perpetuate rumors to further a story.
So if you can’t beat’em…join’em.
Just because we don’t have any evidence, it doesn’t mean that the other 31 teams did not also tape oponents’ signals. Also, even though we don’t have any evidence, it doesn’t mean that Mark Schlereth and/or Chris Carter did not take steroids. Sounds ridiculous? You bet. Stick to what we know. Playing the speculation game does no one any good.
