ESPN, Patriots create an obvious conflict of interest

[SVN]

ESPN, Patriots create an obvious conflict of interest | ProFootballTalk.com

funny to imagine espn and pats collaborating....

 

[ALP]

funny, didnt realize sports networks HAD to cover questionable lawsuits against athletes w/o exception

 

[TheBeers]

So Kraft is going to sell local advertising for espnboston? Oh the horror!! OBVIOUS conflict of interest!

I wonder how many games this is going to help the Pats win?

 

[oldskool138]

Sounds like sour grapes to me...

 

[jmt57]

It's amazing to see how many fans around the country consider espn to be Pats lovers. I guess they missed the 300 consecutive daily updates on the latest speculation, rumors and outright lies in espn's coverage of spygate in 2007 and 2008.

Besides, this is Kraft Sports Group working with espnboston - not espn national.

 

[DaBruinz]

I'm still trying to figure out how it is a conflict of interest.... Its not like KSG is going to OWN part of ESPNBoston.

This is just Florio being an idiot, imho..

 

[italia44]

I'm still trying to figure out how it is a conflict of interest.... Its not like KSG is going to OWN part of ESPNBoston.

This is just Florio being an idiot, imho..

................and the hate goes on....................next,it will be Kraft donating funds to Israel and zero to the PLO
...............Oh......The Humanity!

 

[Bill B.]

I had to laugh at the comments about ex-patriots being biased. I guess they never heard Mark Schlereth or Tom Jackson when they talk about the Broncos or worse yet, Merrill Hoge when the Steelers are discussed. Former athletes are always going to talk about their former teams favorably.

 

[mgteich]

I agree. Kraft has chose CBS and ESPNBoston as business partners.

BTW, expecting ex-players to be unbiased is a really silly idea.

Sounds like sour grapes to me...

 

[eagle eye]

Look guys, say what you will but there is clearly a conflict of sorts here. The author mentions the latest Brady thing and how its not mentioned anywhere. Tom Brady is news, if he had stammered after a few drinks its news, if he takes off his knee brace it news. So the fact that this is not being given huge press by ESPN is strange. This is what they live off of, National Enquirer type stuff.

If you read between the lines, what the guy is saying here is that there might have been a deal struck where EspnBoston.com got a very nice deal here from Kraft's company.

 

[spacecrime]

ESPN, Patriots create an obvious conflict of interest | ProFootballTalk.com

funny to imagine espn and pats collaborating....

Yeah. It's even funnier to read the comments following the article and talk about ESPN bias TOWARDS the Pats, and one moron who says Goodell does favors for the Pats. I guess taking away our first round pick was Goodell's way of helping Kraft save money by not having to pay another player?

 

[oldskool138]

Yeah. It's even funnier to read the comments following the article and talk about ESPN bias TOWARDS the Pats, and one moron who says Goodell does favors for the Pats. I guess taking away our first round pick was Goodell's way of helping Kraft save money by not having to pay another player?

And all those fines Vince Wilfork pays weekly go into an IRA so he'll have a nice nest egg when he retires.

 

[JSn]

Didn't ESPN also NOT get into the whole Big Ben suit that's going on? It's possible it's just policy.

Look guys, say what you will but there is clearly a conflict of sorts here. The author mentions the latest Brady thing and how its not mentioned anywhere. Tom Brady is news, if he had stammered after a few drinks its news, if he takes off his knee brace it news. So the fact that this is not being given huge press by ESPN is strange. This is what they live off of, National Enquirer type stuff.

If you read between the lines, what the guy is saying here is that there might have been a deal struck where EspnBoston.com got a very nice deal here from Kraft's company.

 

[eagle eye]

Didn't ESPN also NOT get into the whole Big Ben suit that's going on? It's possible it's just policy.

I don't know anything about it anymore, I don't bother with ESPN anymore, well outside of the odd article thats linked here.

 

[BradyManny]

The reason no one is reporting the lawsuit is b/c its completely frivolous. Giselle and Tom said months ago there was nothing to it. I mean, Giselle is now an Ambassador to the UN or something of that sort. This isn't Ben Roethlisberger.

 

[MoLewisrocks]

Florio the ESPN washout has always had it in for ESPN, let alone after selling out his little rumor mongering website to NBC...probably his only taker.

 

[borg]

Kraft can't own a NESN, so at least partner with the broadcasters....this why he is rich and getting richer.
Question to the board....How is Patriots Place doing?

 

[oldskool138]

Kraft can't own a NESN, so at least partner with the broadcasters....this why he is rich and getting richer.
Question to the board....How is Patriots Place doing?

I wouldn't say Kraft is "getting richer". There are still a lot of empty storefronts in Patriots Place...

 

[jmt57]

Look guys, say what you will but there is clearly a conflict of sorts here. The author mentions the latest Brady thing and how its not mentioned anywhere. Tom Brady is news, if he had stammered after a few drinks its news, if he takes off his knee brace it news. So the fact that this is not being given huge press by ESPN is strange. This is what they live off of, National Enquirer type stuff.

If you read between the lines, what the guy is saying here is that there might have been a deal struck where EspnBoston.com got a very nice deal here from Kraft's company.

JSn is correct. Espn has a policy of not commenting on pending civil suits; that's why they didn't comment on the allegations made against Roethlisberger. There's a lot that I don't like about their content but at least they got this right. The more news there is about these type of stories, the more people are going to be encouraged to try and extort money from those that are in the public eye.

I don't really see the conflict of interest. There's no cross-ownership. If the Krafts try to exert control over content, espn can simply refuse - or fire them. What is Kraft Sports Group going to do, tell espn they can't find any advertisers? Do that and KSG themselves loses out on the commissions, I don't see that happening. Tell espn they'll have the NFL find somebody else to air Monday Night Football? Nobody else is going to pay as much for those rights as espn does, and the NFL has never taken a low bid on anything (see Sunday Ticket and DirecTV.)

This is just PFT doing what it does best: stirring the pot in an attempt to create controversy, more web traffic, and increase ad revenue. As Florio noted, even Sports Business Daily saw nothing wrong with the business arrangement.

 

[Jackson 2]

Kraft can't own a NESN, so at least partner with the broadcasters....this why he is rich and getting richer.
Question to the board....How is Patriots Place doing?

Pretty well these days. Been there recently?