Usually, I write the sports media thoughts in bed on the iPad, but as I have some free time and I don’t want to lose my trains of thought. As usual, they come in bullet form.
- Finally, ESPN has decided to dial back its Tim Tebow obsession. In my last sports media thoughts post, I compared the network’s constant harping on Tebow to Inside Edition’s daily reporting of Lindsay Lohan. Now, we’re seeing a change in position from ESPN management. In Monday’s edition of Sports Business Daily, John Ourand quoted network president John Skipper as saying that he’s instructed producers to dial back its Tebow coverage. And that’s for the good. Having Skipper reflect on the coverage is also good. It shows that he’s willing to admit that he’s wrong and not fall back on the “We’re doing this for the fans,” argument when the whole thing is about driving ratings. Now we await the next ESPN obsession.
- Speaking of the ESPN obsession, has the network taken the “embrace debate” thing way too far? On today’s edition of “First Take” on ESPN2, Rob Parker took a subject way too far when he questioned whether DC NFL Team quarterback Robert Griffin III was “a brother or a cornball brother,” meaning he wasn’t really African-American. And it took Stephen A. Smith of all people to be a Voice of Reason wondering why Parker even went there. It’s one thing to debate topics, but then to come up with silly things like this is beyond belief. Maybe this is another idea that John Skipper can reassess and do it quickly.
- The Big East is dead. Actually, it’s been dead for years, we just didn’t know it. With the pending withdrawal of seven Catholic basketball schools today, the heart of the conference will be cut out. The conference has been treading water since the ACC, Big Ten and Big 12 have been picking off its carcass over the last few years. And with schools like Boston College, Louisville, Miami, Pittsburgh, Rutgers, Syracuse, Virginia Tech, West Virginia, etc. leaving the league for more money and hoped stability, the Big East has slowly flatlining. Now this move by the basketball-only schools to leave and possibly form their own conference with five Atlantic Ten schools will officially declare the Big East dead. Yes, UConn can attempt to lead and hold the banner for the conference, but it won’t be same. This is all about TV money and Survival of the Fittest. Right now, the Big East is on the wrong side of the college sports evolution chart.
- I have not seen any official word from CBS yet, but Advertising Age reports that the Tiffany Network will stream Super Bowl XLVII from New Orleans online. This follows NBC’s initial streaming of the Big Game last year. CBS had sought to stream Super Bowl XLIV, but at that time was turned down by the NFL. CBS will not promote this as an alternative way for viewers to watch the game, but as a second screen, giving fans the opportunity to see angles not provided on the television broadcast. It also gives CBS the chance to sell more ads and make money. It’s all about the money.
We’re finished with the thoughts.
