The Big Dozen Sports Media Stories of 2013

It’s time to look back at the Year in Sports Media. Once again, it was a rather busy year in covering sports media. Since beginning this site in 2007, covering sports media has grown to a 24/7 beat. It’s never enough to cull stories to 10. That’s why I have “The Big Dozen.”

Why is it called “The Big Dozen?” When I used to work at WPRI-TV in East Providence, RI, a.k.a. Channel 12 in the Providence, RI-New Bedford, MA market, my co-worker, the great sports producer John Crowe used to say, “Time to head back to The Big Dozen!” It struck me funny and for years, I was hoping to use it somewhere and thanks to this platform, I can use it rather freely, but I have to credit John for creating the phrase.

So with that out of the way, it’s time for The Big Dozen Sports Media Sports of 2013 with a few honorable mentions thrown in for good measure.

12. CBS’ Shaky Coverage of the Super Bowl Blackout

In any other year, this would have been higher. Everyone got caught by surprise when the Superdome in New Orleans had a power failure. CBS which had not used sideline reporters during the season got caught with Steve Tasker and Solomon Wilcots, two men who were used in the booth. Both men did their best to recap the situation, but did not get information out right away. CBS’ experienced sideline reporter, Tracy Wolfson was in New Orleans and made just one report which was very strange. Eventually, the NFL Today crew got to the field to fill time, but the network played catch-up. Later in the year, NBC with Michele Tafoya showed the proper way to use sideline reporters. Hopefully, CBS has learned a lesson from Super Bowl XLVII.

11. ESPN Takes US Open Tennis Rights From CBS

This was not quite a surprise. ESPN loves tennis and completed the Grand Slam by buying the rights to the entire tournament starting in 2015. It will mark ESPN gaining the rights to 3/4 of the Grand Slam. NBC still has the rights to the French Open. CBS attempted to keep the rights, but could not match ESPN’s price. The Tiffany Network’s long relationship with the United States Tennis Association dating back to 1968, will end in 2014. The announcers who have called the event for CBS include Bud Collins, Pat Summerall, Tim Ryan, Jim Nantz, Dick Enberg and Bill Macatee.

10. Passing of Pat Summerall and Ken Venturi

It seems fitting that Summerall and Venturi would pass in the same year. Venturi and Summerall worked together for many years on CBS’ golf coverage. Summerall was a perfect companion to Venturi when they worked The Masters together. Venturi was a very good golfer and became a very good analyst overcoming a stutter. Summerall was a very good football place kicker and if it weren’t for a fateful phone call in which he answered for a roommate, he might not have become a broadcaster. Pat had a great career calling the NFL, golf, tennis, boxing and basketball as well as being a commercial spokesman. Summerall worked with some of the greatest broadcasters, Jack Buck, Ray Scott, Frank Gifford, Venturi, Tony Trabert, John McEnroe, Mary Carillo, John Madden, Tom Brookshier and he always let them shine instead of himself. Both he and Venturi will be missed.

9. Manti Te’o Coverage

2013 began on a strange note thanks to this insane story which showed the inadequacy of some mainstream media coverage. Deadspin gleefully pointed out that the Notre Dame linebacker had been duped by a family friend into thinking that a woman whom he had thought was his girlfriend had died. Mainstream media reports during the football season picked up the Te’o girlfriend story, but it was Deadspin which discovered she had never existed. Then ESPN’s Jeremy Schaap interviewed him, but no cameras were allowed and Schaap had to recreate what was said. Eventually Te’o went on Katie Couric’s show to talk about the whole hoax. The person who created the whole hoax went on Dr. Phil to say he was in love Te’o. Luckily, we were able to move on, but it’s hard to believe the country was consumed by this story for six weeks.

8. Retirements of Tim McCarver and Dan Dierdorf

Both men analyzed their respective sports for the major networks dating back to the mid-1980’s. And both men worked for multiple networks. Dierdorf began broadcasting in 1985 after a long playing with the St. Louis Cardinals football team. He started with CBS before moving to ABC’s Monday Night Football and working with Al Michaels and Frank Gifford. McCarver started with the Philadelphia Phillies before moving to the New York Mets and then making the network leap in 1984 with ABC. He also worked with Al Michaels. Dierforf stayed with ABC until 1998. McCarver called baseball for ABC, CBS and Fox culminating an almost four decade career in broadcasting. Dierdorf in his second tour for CBS worked with Verne Lundquist, Dick Enberg and Greg Gumbel. Dierdorf is going out on his own terms. McCarver may be back on national television either for MLB Network or TBS. Stay tuned.

7. Sports Radio Stupidity

Where do we begin? Do we begin with Miami talk show host Dan Sileo who chose to offer a bounty to University to Miami players to injure a Florida State player? How about San Francisco host Damon Bruce who went on a rant against women in sports? Or how about the Atlanta morning show which mocked former New Orleans Saints safety Steve Gleason’s ALS affliction? We don’t expect NPR’s All Things Considered when listening to sports radio, but we don’t expect total stupidity from the hosts either. It’s one thing to go on a rant against a local team or a coach/manager/GM/owner, but when a host goes overboard and attacks a gender or a person’s affliction, that’s when the line gets crossed. In this day of social media and things going viral, it’s amazing to think that someone can leave his/her senses and totally forget how things can mushroom and boomerang, but they happen time and time again. This isn’t the first time a local sports radio host has gone wacko and it won’t be the last.

6. Fox Snatches the US Open Golf Rights

This was a complete surprise. NBC has been partners with the United States Golf Association for the U.S. Open and associated events dating back to 1995. ESPN goes back even farther to 1982. Both networks will be jettisoned after 2014 when Fox comes in to televise golf for the first time. Fox came in to swoop the U.S. Open from NBC and ESPN with a 12-year, $1.1 billion contract that puts golf on Fox and Fox Sports 1 starting in 2015. In its history, Fox has never aired a major golf event let alone a PGA Tour stop so this will be virgin territory when it begins televising the U.S. Open. There will be a lot of scrutiny when it starts, but the status quo has definitely been taken for a loop by this bid.

5. The NHL/Rogers Deal

This shook up the sports media world in Canada and could be used as a model for sports rights deals in the United States. Rogers went all in for the NHL taking rights to all regular season and postseason games plus pay per view rights and multimedia rights. When it was all said and done, TSN was left on the outside looking in. CBC could only muster a sublicense deal for four years. Rogers signs a huge 12 year, $5 billion deal and can broadcast the NHL as it sees fit. It’s a contract that will leave a mark on the league and influence how games will be broadcast in Canada for many years to come.

4. Michelle Beadle’s Fall From Grace at NBC Sports Group

At this time last year, NBC Sports Group was preparing to premiere Michelle Beadle’s new show, The Crossover. They had lured her away from ESPN and in 2012 had used her on the Olympics, the NFL season opener and the horse racing Triple Crown. However, 2013 turned sour as The Crossover turned out to be a disaster. There was no chemistry with co-host Dave Briggs. A revamped version with Beadle hosting solo was then pre-empted so often by the America’s Cup that any momentum was lost. Then her appearance on the Sports Media Weekly podcast in September paved the way to the cancellation of the show. Since then, she’s appeared on Access Hollywood and a WWE event, but nothing sports-related. There are reports she’s going to ESPN, but nothing concrete.

3. NBC Sports Group’s Success with the English Premier League

If NBCSN had trouble with Michelle Beadle, it can look at the English Premier League as a true success. Coming on board with EPL games in August, NBC Sports Group’s coverage of English football is one of the highlights of the year. By not dumbing down coverage, hiring Rebecca Lowe as host, using Arlo White as its main voice, and supplementing the world feeds with excellent production, the Peacock can be very proud. Ratings have been solid and the fans has been universally positive over NBC/NBCSN’s understated coverage.

2. Keith Olbermann’s Triumphant Return to Sports

His return to the sports world began with the news that he signed with Turner Sports to host TBS’ MLB Postseason coverage. But it really started in earnest when it was announced that K.O. would return to the Worldwide Leader to host an nightly ESPN2 show aptly titled “Olbermann.” Keithy is in his element bringing some of the features of his old “Countdown” show to “Olbermann” and he looks like he’s having fun. His hosting of the MLB Postseason was some of his best work to date. Working well with Pedro Martinez, Tom Verducci, Dirk Hayhurst and Gary Sheffield, Olbermann brought some intelligence and humor to his hosting. Olbermann says he wants to ensure that the way his first ESPN stint ended won’t be on his gravestone and the way his second one is going, he’s on his way to erasing that.

1. The Launch of Fox Sports 1

In 2012, Fox Sports 1 was just a concept, but in 2013, it became a reality. With a lot of fanfare and a bit of drama, Fox Sports 1 launched in its desired 90 million homes in August. It had a lot of studio shows, but a dearth of live action at the beginning, however, it’s gaining traction with more live games on the schedule. In 2014, MLB comes to FS1 and in 2015, there will be live NASCAR races, the U.S. Open and FIFA Women’s World Cup. And with an all-sports cable network in tow, Fox will be a major player in sports rights bidding over the next few years including the NBA, the Big Ten, MLS and the English Premier League. It’s already influenced a few ESPN moves in 2013. There may be more to come in 2014.