The Worldwide Leader in Disdain

Whilest parusing my daily links today I stumbled upon a writing of intriguing proportions. Dawg Sports laid out, in very eloquent terms, exactly what his problems with the Worldwide Leader are. As per usual it extremly well thought out, I will not go so far as to say that the logic in it is irrefutible, because I find very few things to be wholy irrefutible, but it makes sense, a lot of sense acctually. It is all a matter of point of view. From my point of view I do not have a problem with ESPN as a news outlet, sure they have too much power and influence, put the power that they had was given to them by people. But the problem with finding fault with an opposation as large as ESPN and bringing it too light, is that it is really easy to find. The spector that the Worldwide Leader casts is so large, and their coverage is spread in so many different corners that there is no hope of doing justice to all the people, and all the diverse fan bases from all the different sports, who turn to the Bouyah Network for information. Finding fault is easy, finding the reason is easier. 

ESPN is just like every other network, driven by the prospect of increasing profit margins in the process of pursuing higher ratings. They appeal to the vast majority of sports fans, the guy who sits in his bed every night and catches the Sportscenter at 11 before going to bed, and the guy in the dive bar at 2 AM both get something from ESPN. I can not pretend to speak to the intents or wishes of others, but the general vibe that I get from reading other bloggers who have spoke to the issue is that they feel that what ESPN provides in programing, and the mannor in which they provide it has turned into one massive abuse of power. Power which was endowed upon them in a Jeffersonian way. That is not something that is exclusive to the world of sport. It is a problem which has plauged the media at large for some time now, Jon Stewart, who is probably the smartest smartass on the planet has railed for years on the issue. Given the fact that his show is on Comedy Central he is easily dismissed, much like many bloggers who have touched on the issue have been dismissed for the inherent nature of blogging, and the easy ability to dispute the voracity of their collective statements. The medium is the issue for most, but the salient points presented by blogs like Dawgsports are inherently sound. In my view ESPN is much like CNN, Fox News and MSNBC, they stopped simply being purveyors of the news a long time ago. They give the news now, as ever, but the difference is that it is not just the news, there is an element of “fluff” to it. The vast majority of the american public wants to be entertained more than they simply want the news. They want to be informed, but in a creative way. Thats why Anderson Cooper gets two hours a day, not that AC360 is a bad show that fails to cover anything of substance, quite the opposite acctually, but Anderson Copper is also entertaining in his delivery of the days events. That is the ideal balance that should be struck, often times it is not. 

That same trend carries through to ESPN. The Worldwide leader has never been renowned for it’s hard hitting journalism, and that reuptation is less than savory at this point. Consider the difference in demographics between CNN and ESPN. Not to insult anyone but it is not a stretch to say that the majority of people who watch ESPN are less refined, not less intelligent, but with interests that are more constricted than those who watch CNN. Yes I do decry the possition in which ESPN is in right now, they are farther from their roots than ever. But I think that what they have done is the natural progression of the company, ever in search for the proverbial untapped markets who have not been presented with an opportunity, or reason to buy into the ESPN brand. ESPN is not just about sports anymore, they are an entertainment company as well as a highly placed news outlet, the two things are not mutualy exclusive. That is not to say that those two things don’t present conflict when the two branches of the company coalesce, it usually does, but they can be made to function in a semi symbiotic relationship. That is the balance that I spoke of above with reference to Anderson Cooper. Finding that balance, and the backlash inherent with trying something new, is a problem that ESPN will be willing to work with because the payoff is worth it. In terms of viewers, sponsers and ratings. By transforming ESPN from a purely news oriented outlet to one that provides a bit of flash and dash with it’s personalities, ESPN draws in the casual viewer who has time to kill and happens upon SportsCenter. Thats what they are after, they have transformed their company in the persuit of that, but make no mistake they are very good at what they do. That is also the reason the Stewart Scott is litteraly everywhere at the same time, he is a personality not a journalist. You can trace that seachange in practice to the infamously entertaining “This is SportsCenter” TV adds that began running in 1994.

ESPN does have problems. One of them is that they have the ability to influence far too many people far too easily. The clear example of this would be USC in 2005. They do have the ability to dictate what matters and what doesn’t. that is a power that should never be given to a media outlet, but ESPN has one. Because they have lead pipe lock on sports. They are a monopoly. And because they are a monopoly they have the ability to dictate to the people what is important and relevent at any moment in time, see last Saturdays Beckhamfest for proof. That is not to say that people have no fault in that. The public endowed that power upon them, unknownling sure, but that doesn’t mean that it did not happen. The worldwide leader might indeed be a monolitic entity dictating to the public what is a story and what will be a story. That is the thing, they have all of this power that they can bring to bear on anything they choose at any given moment, but that power was endowed upon them by the very people who are now decrying the way in which they choose to bring that power to bear. The thing is that I am not sure that the power given by all of us to them can ever be recovered. Will there be a day when the public will turn enmasse from ESPN to SMQ, EDSBS, and Mgoblog for their College Football insights? Maybe, I think it would be good for most people. In the mean time the debate will continue to rage, and I will continue to spectate. But keep in mind that the power ESPN holds, which is the root of this entire debate, was given to them by us. Bloggers are important in this issue, because the only people who can take back what was given are the people who gave it in the first place. Taking back that power requires alternatives, and that is what blogs provide. 

Story Of The Year

There is no refuting the tragedy that shook the hills of Western Virginia. To borrow a line from Franklin Deleno Roosevelt it is a day that will live in infamy. I am a major proponent of the social good that can be achieved through sport. You wouldn’t know it by watching sports center but sports do bring out the best in people on a far more consistent basis than it brings out the worst in them. While there is no conclusive evidence to back that statement up it is something that I really buy into. For whatever reason. As, an idea, it can be easily dismissed, and usually is by the main stream media who generally hone in on all negative aspects of sport, such as player arrests, contract disputes, steroid use, ect. Those are the stories that circulate well, and that we as the consuming public eat up with gusto. But there is a thin line that divides stories that are done with tact, and those that aren’t. ESPN is the industry leader and tends to place one foot on each side of that line. That is something that worries me about this up coming season. 

Now every once in a while a story in the world of sport comes along that is so irrefutably pure, so positive that major media outlets jump on and ride it to death. The most recent example is an obvious one, the story book season of the 2006 New Orleans Saints. It was easily the story of the year in the NFL. It was as pure a story as you can get in this day and age. The Saints throwing the entirety of the gulf coast on their back and simply allowing them to forget every thing that happened. Watching Monday Night Football when the Saints came back to New Orleans was one of those games where you sit on your couch, watching everything unfold and say that you will remember that night. It was such a great night and it was so memorable. You could tell from that moment on that the Saints were a team that ran on emotion and that emotion that poured out from the crescent city was going to drive that team. Now in the beginning the coverage of the Saints was based cleanly on the tactful side of the line. But was the season wore on the coverage of the Saints began to inch close and closer to that line. The constant talk about how the Saints were the rallying point of an entire region did grow old. The video montages comprised of footage from the Saints season interloped with footage of Katrina and her aftermath became more and more frequent. It begged the question why do it? After all this is the era of 24/7 constant media saturation. Everyone saw what happened when Katrina made landfall, everyone saw what happened when the levees were breached, everyone saw how the rescue effort was horribly mismanaged. Everyone around the world saw what happened. So why rehash those horrific events? It is not like anyone had time to forget what had happened so that we had to be reminded. So why do it? I couldn’t find a reason. That is why I grew tired of the media forcing us to remember once more what happened to New Orleans in order for us to rejoice in the positivity that the Saints had brought that region. It just wasn’t needed.

Now, Virginia Tech. The Hookies will have a very good year. Will probably win the ACC Atlantic Division and be ranked in the top 10 all year. That would put them in the center of the College Football world as is. But given what transpired in April the effect and impact will make it without question going to be the story of the year in College Football even if the Hookies have a bad season. If the Hookies can go into Tiger Stadium (Using the moniker Death Valley would be nothing if not obtuse) and come out with a victory the media storm around the team would be so large, and so out of control that I fear what might happen. I don’t want to figure out what the coverage will degenerate into. College Gameday will be in Blacksburg to start the season. I don’t have an issue with that. Tennessee vs. California will the bigger game with more implications than Virginia Tech vs. East Carolina will have on the season to follow. But Blacksburg is the bigger story. I know that ESPN will do a piece on what happened on April 16th, and that it will be extremely well done and will show a lot of respect for the community. But I do hope that it is as far as they go. Hope that they stay on the right side of the line. We all know what happened we all saw it unfold with our own eyes. I just hope that the sports media as a group shows the respect that the national media didn’t back in April. I hope they repress the urge to show video of the bodies being carried out of Norris Hall on a loop when talking about Virginia Tech Football. That was an urge they couldn’t master with the Saints last year, I hope that the people in charge get it right this year. I hope they stay on the right side of the line.

 

The College Football Conspiracy Theory

The fans of College Football are an interesting bread. If there is one thing that every College Football fan has it is a level of hyper-sensitivity that is completely unfounded. If you went to any campus and asked any random fan on a Saturday during the season how they felt about the way the media portrays their team I would be shocked if the consensus was not “The media has it out for our team, they never report anything good and only report the negative.” That answer would be consistent from campus to campus with little exception. Living in Ohio and being an Ohio State fan during the Maurice Clarrett fiasco that was the general consensus around the Buckeye State during that time. Each and every time another Buckeye made a mistake and got caught in the wrong place at the wrong time the cries would begin anew that ESPN was trying to bring down the OSU Athletic Department. Buck Nuts were so caught up in the moment that they could not take a step back and realize that ESPN would have nothing to gain from destroying OSU, especially the OSU Football program. ESPN and its parent company, Disney, had the exclusive rights to broadcast OSU Football games and have done so for years and have made money, and alot of it, because of those possessory rights. Ohio State was, and still is, one of the five most profitable Athletic Departments in the nation with a fan base as massive as anyone in the nation. Ohio State is a bank with an untold fortune waiting to be tapped. Disney would gain nothing by bringing down the OSU Athletic Department. Attempting to bring down the Ohio State program would be akin to robbing a bank, but instead of carrying the cash out, burning the cash. There is no profit in that, Disney is a profit maximizing company and would not even think of burning a profit. OSU, and any sports fans for that matter need something to rally against. “The media” is almost always the easiest target because writing something in an unflattering light is usually enough to set a fan base off, even though it is not logical and plays into the hands of the media. To be angry at the media you have to read and watch what they have to say, which is their only goal in the first place, to get you to put money in their pockets, tuning in and logging on does just that. A fact that is often overlooked and forgotten by the average fan. All the media wants to do is make money, that is it. They don’t really care about what the average fan has to say, they just want to know what that average guy wants to get angry about. When they know that they give the people what they want. To apply this line of thought to the OSU example when the news of Maurice Clarrett’s faulty police report first broke on the heels of allegations that he received improper academic treatment ESPN was the first one on the scene and they reported it from wall to wall converging on High Street and providing hourly updates on ESPN news and the newest information for all their sportscenter broadcasts. For whatever reason some people in Ohio failed to see how the star player on the defending national champion pulling a 180 and throwing the institution that gave him fame and instant recognition under the bus would be a story for the rest of the nation. So the people of Ohio raised up in anger towards ESPN and they bitched and moaned and complained and bitched some more. Petitions were started in an attempt to bar ESPN from ever stepping foot on campus again. Ed-Op pieces across the state ripped into George Bodenheimer for failing to report both sides of the story and in the end all of the bitching and moaning accomplished nothing. There is no way that Karen Holbrook and Andy Geiger were going to look ESPN in the face and say that we don’t need your money. It would never happen. All of this would have faded into the past but Buckeye Football players kept screwing up with offenses ranging from battery to sexual assault and lest we forget the 500 dollar hand shake that will life in infamy. Every new mistake meant that all the past allegations would be rehashed in the media once more and started new cries that ESPN was trying to destroy the OSU program. I thought that this was a problem unique to Ohio. I was wrong, the same tired line is trotted out by fans from Baton Rouge to Eugene. SEC fans think that ESPN has an axe to grind with them because Gameday does not come to SEC country that often, overlooking the fact that Gameday has become a massive promotional tool employed by ESPN to hype of games that will be shown on their network partner seeing as CBS has rights to ESPN why would they promote them? PAC 10 fans complain about the inherent East Coast bias. Big 10 fans complain about something. Big East fans complain about the lack of respect in relation to other conferences. There is little validity to all these claims. Individual people on any network may have a bias for or against one program or another. I will concede that point but the idea that a single company is in the act of defaming and demeaning dozens of programs at the same time is absurd. But there are thousands of people flying the flags of dozens of different institutions who hold firm to the belief that it is happening to them right now. They are convinced that the media has it out for them and intends with their actions to disrespect or demean the number one team in their hearts. I have bought into some strange ideas over the years but the idea that a single company is simultaneously upholding dozens of conspiracy theories for the defamation and destruction of dozens of universities is something that even an avid conspiracy theory buff wouldn’t buy.