In another thread, Mili suggested that perhaps it is time to start getting over ESPN. In the interest of starting a wide discussion, I am starting this thread in the main
OSU football forum and I am going to try to start it in a balanced and factual way.
There is no need to review that reasons why Buckeyes everywhere felt disappointment, anger, and disgust toward ESPN as a result of their coverage of the Clarett allegations and subsequent matters. Nor is it necessary to mention the lifelong consequences of some of these actions for people like Andy Geiger. These events we all know and understand.
During recent months, beginning with the run-up to the Texas game, ESPN has appeared to be trying to build bridges to the Buckeye Nation.
For many of us, the price of normal relations was an outright apology and some ESPN personalities apparently came close to that on-air this summer. Gene Smith, however, accepted their overtures when he opened direct relations with ESPN and a new relationship began to be built.
Perhaps in an unrelated matter, perhaps not, Trev Alberts began to feel less appreciated at ESPN. This culminated in the firing of one of the announcers who besmirched Ohio State at every opportunity and attacked the team, its adminstrators and its coaches in such a disgusting manner during the Alamo Bowl this year. Mark May, the other announcer, seems far more balanced in his comments.
During this football season, ESPN has telecast almost every Ohio State game on GamePlan, perhaps more than any other team, and have done things that seem intended to build revenues and brand strength for Ohio State. It and ABC have been positive about Ohio State sports in almost every respect. It has given scant coverage to a few minor transgressions at
OSU that might have once filled pages, virtually ignored the matters that Gene Smith left behind in Arizona, and otherwise acted in a supportive and friendly matter to Ohio State.
This is not to say that there has been a revolution of great journalism breaking out at ESPN. In many ways, ESPN has become the tabloid of sports broadcasting. It has reduced sports to commodity, brought poker and NASCAR the same coverage as major sports and pioneered "screaming match" as program content.
In defense of ESPN, these programs are successful and must reflect viewer interests or these would not run.
It also doesn't mean that ESPN has decided to make nice with college sports or turn a blind eye to problems. Other coaches and teams who now feel ESPN breathing down their necks with sensationalistic press are now saying some of things we all once said.
However, this does not cloud the present situation. ESPN appears to be the major sports broadcaster it has emerged as the multinational power and it is the most likely leader into pay per view, games on demand and many other elements of the future. It appears to be mending fences with Ohio State.
How do we feel about this? Is it time to drop "ESPiN" and allow ESPN to mend fences? Is it time to start getting over what they did to Ohio State?
