As an aspiring sports journalist/broadcaster it once was my dream to work at ESPN. While I still watch the various ESPN stations and enjoy some of the programming, it is my view that the business has gone downhill. No longer is ESPN an unbiased sports news station. Instead it centers around it's favorite teams and leagues. Rather than reporting on stories and issues, the various shows that ESPN airs would rather debate about the topic in an almost-uncivilized manner. It's all too much. It's not good reporting or journalism and it has brought ESPN's credibility down. Below are my observations.There's an ESPN favorites club
If you're in the ESPN favorites club then life is sweet. If you're not then forget about being covered. For example, if LeBron James changes his shoes at halftime of tonight's game then I'm sure even that will be covered by Sportscenter tomorrow morning. However, if Indiana's Paul George records a double-double in the series clincher against the Knicks then it will register as just a blip on the radar. Why is that? Well it's obvious. Carmelo Anthony is a member of the Knicks and a member of the ESPN favorites club. When the Pacers defeat the Knicks that is not a story. The story is that Carmelo didn't get it done for the Knicks. Same story with the Heat. Instead of asking, how did the Bulls win, they ask, how did LeBron let the Heat lose?
Brett Favre might be the president of the ESPN favorites club. Remember his multiple retirement saga? ESPN followed him around like it was some kind of reality show. If Favre was caught throwing passes at a local high school then it was the top story. Meanwhile, the quarterbacks who were actually on teams at the time were getting zero press.
ESPN has there favorite teams too. The Cowboys and the Jets are always going to be top stories when it comes to the NFL. If it's the NBA then it's the Heat or the Lakers. Never mind that LA was ousted by the Spurs almost two weeks ago; ESPN still discusses the future of the Lakers despite all the other playoff series still going on. The Yankees are always going to be covered when talking MLB and the NHL hardly exists to ESPN. They have their favorite teams and players and those are the ones that will receive the coverage.
The sports world revolves around the NFL
ESPN has plenty of different shows that air on a daily basis, but there is an obvious favorite among the major pro sports. The NFL has almost five shows that air during a week and all of them cover the same topics. In contrast, the MLB has Baseball Tonight, the NBA has Fastbreak and the NHL has nothing. It is the middle of May and there is still NFL Live, NFL 32 and NFL Insiders airing on a daily basis. Why do we need that much NFL coverage? I couldn't tell you because Sportscenter also feels the need to use much of their program to cover pro football.
It's not fair at all because the reality is that most fans' only avenue to sports news on television is ESPN. That means that all they hear about is football. But you know what ESPN can't figure out? They will be the ones to comment on how hockey seems to be lacking attention, lacking fans and lacking interest in the United States. They fail to realize that their lack of coverage on the sport is part of the problem.
Right now I should turn on ESPN and see plenty of coverage on the NBA and NHL playoffs to lead off. Following that there should be coverage of last night's MLB games and then lastly there should be news from the NFL. The NFL is irrelevant right now because it's out of season, but someone forgot to inform ESPN about that.
A story isn't worth reporting if ESPN can't argue and debate it
Here's the perfect example on this new-found phenomenon at ESPN of always debating stories. When Jason Collins came out as the first openly gay athlete in American pro sports, it was a huge day for the LGBT community. It was a monumental moment and no one can argue that fact. Whether you support gay rights or not, this was a story worth reporting because it signals a change that is imminent in our professional leagues. Sports Illustrated reported on the story and did a magnificent job of letting Collins tell his story. That's it. Just tell his story.
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| Smith has become the poster child for the Debate Era |
I used to like watching ESPN First Take, but I no longer watch it because I cannot stand to listen to Stephen A. Smith and Skip Bayless yell at each other about every topic put in front of them. There is room for debate in sports journalism, there is no doubt about that. Pardon the Interruption has found the happy medium between debating and discussing. First Take would rather yell their way through the show and that is not enjoyable at all. Sometimes a story is just made to to be reported, not to be debated.
These are three of the biggest faults ESPN commits and it has hurt the television shows, their reporting and their entire programming in general. I sometimes wonder what direction ESPN is headed in because, in the day and age of reality television, it really seems like that's the direction that ESPN wants to go. They are not worried about giving equal coverage to all leagues and teams, but they would rather focus on the teams and leagues that they find most exciting. That's not good reporting.
ESPN is highly-regarded as the best option for sports reporting. If we really do consider them the best then it's time they be held accountable.
It's not ESPN bias or a favorites club. It's a "what sells" club. Sportscenter has a segment with Barry Melrose on every episode about the happening in the NHL. They have constant debates because that's what most viewers want. They expanded First take because it gathered so many viewers. Your problem isn't with ESPN it's with the people who actually like what the channel airs. Disagreement sells just as much as agreement so yes the Cowboys, Jets, Yankees, Red Sox, Dodgers, Heat, Lakers, Clippers, Knicks, Patriots...all the major teams that people either love or hate will always be the center of attention because almost all sports fans have an agressive opinion on these teams. The favorites club is not a favorites club but rather a gain as many viewers as possible. The focus is on the big name stars because all sports fans expect the big name stars to deliver. When they don't people wonder why. Paul George is incredible and he will get his due, you're simply complaining about Sports fans because ESPN is just delivering what the masses want. They've done studies on what players, teams, and leagues generate the most viewers and therefore money and that's what they are after. It's not a sports business, its a money business. Nothing will change that.
ReplyDeleteYou make a good argument and I agree with all the points you make. My beef is due to the fact that ESPN will get viewers no matter what. They are the best and they have been for a long time. In my mind they have the room to expand and not be so focused on the mainstream athletes and teams. To me, they have a job to be unbiased, fair and equal and it just doesn't seem like that's happening. That said, all your points are very valid.
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