More ESPN bashing

[adam941]

http://www.truth-out.org/news/item/...ld-why-espn-can-t-be-trusted-to-cover-the-nfl

From a Boston writer, but well written and covers many of the issues we've covered here. Still don't get tired of seeing this:

Lester Munson is an almost cartoonish case study.

 

[karguy85]

The fact that Brady's 400th TD pass was not in Sportscenter's top 10 shows some bias...

 

[Archeryaddict12]

The fact that Brady's 400th TD pass was not in Sportscenter's top 10 shows some bias...

Mannings was the top story when he hit that milestone.

 

[PatriotsPimp136]

Forehead Manning has always gotten love over the goat.

 

[PatsDeb]

The fact that Brady's 400th TD pass was not in Sportscenter's top 10 shows some bias...

Not only that, but I went on ESPN and NFL.com last night just to see if the Brady TD was on their front pages. It wasn't, on either page. Instead the headlines were all about how great Peyton Manning played and other less significant news of the day.

The Brady FU Tour is alive and well and coming to a stadium near you!

 

[mitsudriver]

I wonder how much of this is because Brady won't give them the sound bite they are looking for. When he was asked about the football ending up in the stands his response was something like "I don't care what happened to it, he (Amendola) made a great catch".

 

[MitchKumstein]

This reminds me, isn't it almost time for ESPN to drop their weekly anti-Patriots story, filled with inuendos and unproven accusations from unnamed sources?

 

[VrabelJr]

This reminds me, isn't it almost time for ESPN to drop their weekly anti-Patriots story, filled with inuendos and unproven accusations from unnamed sources?

I believe Tuesday is the day they drop that.

 

[Mack Herron]

Thanks, that article was researched and written far more rigorously than anything that comes out of ESPN. Well supported allegations of bias, conflict and corruption in Bristol.

 

[Reckedtrek]

The fact they ignored Brady's 400th is GREAT news! Tom knows that Pats fans know, he knows, and anyone he cares about knows. The fact that the NFL* is unwilling to acknowledge it, and the more ESPN* pretends it never happened, it just adds even more fuel to the fire.

Keep the hate among the other 31 + the head offices and their ESPN (The NFL's propaganda machine) alive and well; it is a never ending source of motivation. Keep the #5 Lombardi in the Pats sites!

 

[YOUGOTMOSSED]

Why would ESPN make a big deal about Brady's 400th TD pass?

Most Patriots fans don't watch ESPN. The few that still do, are just looking for reasons to be outraged by ESPN's coverage of the Patriots.

 

[wolverinejoe80]

peyton is at 530+td. now that's big deal for statmongers

 

[Rhodey]

"One way ESPN protects the league is by silencing its critics."

"But the league's transgressions are rarely exposed by sports media. This is especially true of ESPN, which has consistently enabled the league's misconduct. Valued at $40 billion, ESPN is the largest sports media company in the world. In 2011, it signed a $15.2 billion contract to air NFL games. This financial relationship causes a conflict, as ESPN claims to have a news team that works "independently" and "with great rigor."

Perhaps, this is why ESPN loves to accuse ANYONE else of cheating? It's that ole juvenile thing we learned when we were kids: Keep pointing at the other one(s) for doing what YOU are doing and repeating it.

ESPN: What a bunch of wankers!

 

[Jackson 2]

That is one fine piece of journalism. It nicely summarizes ESPN's track record of carrying the NFL's water. I thought one significant omission, however, was the OTL lines lying report by Kelly Naqi. However, overall it's a job well-done.

 

[kilgore]

. I thought one significant omission, however, was the OTL lines lying report by Kelly Naqi. However, overall it's a job well-done.

Hi there. I am the author of this piece. Thanks to the OP and for everyone's insights. Especially this one about the OTL piece. I wanted to include it, I really did. If fact I also couldn't fit in stuff about ESPN cancelling a show due to pressure from the NFL. And of course, there were many instances on bias on the deflategate issue: the "correction" about the walkthrough"; them re-writing Reiss's article that was critical of the OTL piece and other such things.

Truth is my editors let me go about 700 words longer than they prefer (3200 words, to the typical max of 2,500). There is literally so much evidence on ESPN's bias toward the league that it is hard to fit it in an article, even of that length. Also I wrote and submitted the first draft just as that 10,000 word OTL piece came out, so I could only briefly address it (when ESPN contacted me they directed me to that article as evidence that they can be critical of the NFL, which I had to respond to).

So, yeah, unfortunately I had to leave out some compelling examples. I also wanted to make sure I didn't focus almost entirely on Patriots stuff because I am writing for a national audience (and not a sports-fan audience at that), so I wanted to try and document other examples. Obviously my byline makes it obvious I am from Boston, so I wanted to make an argument that was broader than the Patriots stuff -- the biased coverage of deflategate is really just one example of many in which ESPN is compromised when it covers the NFL.

I will say that for some of the stuff I couldn't write about I tried to include them in some of the links.

Anyway, thanks for reading, posting and for your response. You are right that OTL situation would have helped to tell this story. I wish I had found a way to squeeze it in there.

Best,

Michael

 

[RelocatedPatFan]

Michael, keep fighting the good fight. Sooner or later some network will come at odds with either ESPN or the NFL. Perhaps, then, we'll get some measure of fairness (in reporting). If they could flip someone in Goodell's inner circle, I imagine it would be juicy enough for NBC to go after them...perhaps.

 

[adam941]

Hi there. I am the author of this piece. Thanks to the OP and for everyone's insights.

. . . . .

Anyway, thanks for reading, posting and for your response. You are right that OTL situation would have helped to tell this story. I wish I had found a way to squeeze it in there.

Best,

Michael

Personally, I would like to thank you for taking the time to respond. When it's becoming more and more obvious that good journalism is really hard to find, especially in the sports arena, I, and I get the sense that many others here, really do appreciate good examples of journalism and endeavor to promote both those articles and their authors, at least as far as our discussions here go.

I will keep an eye out for your next byline.

 

[50-yard-line]

I was on a plane during the game yesterday, but CBS didn't have the Pats on up in the sky. Fox had its games, though, so I watched the Jets-Eagles.

When Brady got 400, they didn't even mention it. The ticker down the bottom showed the score and Brady's game stats, and so I knew it was number 400, but the announcers didn't discuss it at all, which I thought was very strange.

 

[PatsFanSince74]

Hi there. I am the author of this piece. ...

Truth is my editors let me go about 700 words longer than they prefer (3200 words, to the typical max of 2,500). There is literally so much evidence on ESPN's bias toward the league that it is hard to fit it in an article, even of that length. Also I wrote and submitted the first draft just as that 10,000 word OTL piece came out, so I could only briefly address it (when ESPN contacted me they directed me to that article as ....
Anyway, thanks for reading, posting and for your response. You are right that OTL situation would have helped to tell this story. I wish I had found a way to squeeze it in there.

Best,

Michael

Thanks.
Why don't you write a book?

 

[Tony2046]

I believe Tuesday is the day they drop that.

Running up the score piece is my prediction.