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Canzano Skewers ESPN's BCS "relationship"

Discussion in 'Journalism topics only' started by SockPuppet, Dec 31, 2011.

  1. Boom_70

    Boom_70 Well-Known Member

    How are you able to run a college football poll if you are not able to watch a good portion of the teams whose games mostly appear on ESPN?
     
  2. DanOregon

    DanOregon Well-Known Member

    Well...
    http://www.oregonlive.com/ducks/index.ssf/2011/09/oregon_insider_uo_football_pro.html
    I don't know if Phil Knight requested the changes - I do know that the rules don't apply to him. If he wants to watch a practice - he watches a practice.

    I do find it interesting that a column like this would be made by Canzano. He's the big dog in Portland: Oregonian column, radio show on the station that carries the Blazers, a once a week TV spot on the top station in town and even a charitable foundation that I can't help but think benefits from his access to sports teams in Oregon, let alone his many platforms to promote it.
    There are many in the media world who parlay a column to a radio gig, maybe some TV work, they feed off of each other, usually beneficially - but when things go bad. When someone tries to influence you with a nice donation to your charity, maybe you write a flattering column about someone and then the charity gets a nice donation - there is reason for concern.
    Probably a big reason why The Oregonian forbid writers from hosting radio shows until the last few years.
     
  3. I Should Coco

    I Should Coco Well-Known Member

    The SEC plays on CBS, my friend. That's all you really need to watch! ;)
     
  4. dooley_womack1

    dooley_womack1 Well-Known Member

    But you still need to rank 13 through 25.
     
  5. Mizzougrad96

    Mizzougrad96 Active Member

    As everyone around here knows, I'm a huge Canzano fan.

    My only problem with the column is his assertion that there has been a mass exodus from ESPN. I completely disagree. They've lost a few big names and it makes the news when it comes out that Charles Robinson turned them down, but I think a lot of people would be surprised to know the number of people on ESPN's staff that have turned down chances to leave.

    I have a big problem with how ESPN does certain things. I think ESPN is one of the biggest roadblocks to getting a playoff in college football because this shitty bowl system now is a huge moneymaker for them.
     
  6. Stitch

    Stitch Active Member

    You watch sports on TV, so there isn't a "righteous" stand you can take. You watch a game on ABC, guess what, it's just ESPN on an over-the-air station. Other networks aren't any better. They all mix in a show with journalism.
     
  7. Deskhack

    Deskhack Member

    This column struck me as sour grapes and, frankly, a little whiny. Network TV has gotten the benefit of behind-the-scenes access since Brent Musburger was doing the NFL Today. This can't be new to him. What IS new is that Oregon, and specifically the football program since Chip Kelly came along, controls access to information much more closely -- not giving out injury updates, severely restricting access to players, closing practices -- then, meanwhile, pasting on smiles every time Herbstreit, Andrews, Fowler and the rest come to Eugene.

    That didn't happen nearly as much when Bellotti was coaching the team, but it's probably a sign of the times as much as anything else. Coaches all think they're mini-Belichicks now, and athletic administrators and team owners want to control the flow of news through their own Web sites and Twitter feeds now, so they can get ahead of the story. It sucks, but I'm not sure it was worth the column Canzano went with today.
     
  8. Versatile

    Versatile Active Member

    I'm curious: Has anyone seen any of the ESPN.com and ESPN: The Magazine guys get the same kind of special treatment as the broadcasters? Was ESPN.com Pac-12 blogger Ted Miller, for instance, allowed to stick around for the entire Rose Bowl practice?

    In my experience covering major college sports -- I've spent most of my career on the desk, but I've also covered ACC and Big 12 football and basketball -- the ESPN.com writers haven't been treated any differently than others from major outlets. I don't think the writers gain as much from the deals their companies have as they do from the size and reach of their publications.
     
  9. playthrough

    playthrough Moderator Staff Member

    Yeah, that part gave me pause too. ESPN hasn't stopped hiring; forget the mass exodus.

    Dumbest part of the piece was harping on the Herbstreit kids with Oregon players. What are you trying to say, that this is the kind of preferred treatment that gives non-ESPNers the short shrift? That other journos' kids should be included? (haha) Wrong anecdote to make your point.
     
  10. Mizzougrad96

    Mizzougrad96 Active Member

    They are treated differently. Talent (Gameday crew) gets the most access. On-air reporters are probably second and the print guys are third. Does Ted Miller get the Herbstreit treatment? No... Does he get better access than the local beat writer? I would say yes...
     
  11. Boom_70

    Boom_70 Well-Known Member

    Ironic that CBS has had best game of bowl season so far.
     
  12. micropolitan guy

    micropolitan guy Well-Known Member

    Aren't all NCAA tournament practices open to the public as well as the media? I remember that being the case. And I also remember NCAA rules dictating locker rooms were open after NCAA tournament games. Perhaps that has changed since the last time I covered an NCAA game.

    ESPN is a shill for the BCS and for coaches. It generally glosses over legal problems by players on games it broadcasts, and never even questions how certain basketball players end up at national powers like Kentucky, while giving JC the brown-bunny treatment.

    It probably won't even mention on the Rose Bowl broadcast that Oregon is under NCAA investigation for major recruiting violations, IE paying a street agent for access to recruits.

    If viewers don't already know that, they're not paying attention.

    Kelly has dramatically restricted the rules for access at Oregon from the norm in the Rich Brooks/Mike Bellotti years. He's made it considerably tougher for the beat writers for the Register-Guard and the Oregonian, the two papers to regularly cover the Ducks, to do their job, by refusing to give even perfunctory news on injuries, smart-ass, disingenuous answers to legit questions, etc. And as long as he's winning, the Oregon fan base - which loses when access is limited - are drinking what he's selling and love his "Masshole" approach, as evidenced by the comments on Canzano's column.

    I don't always agree with Canzano, and think he sometimes writes stuff even he doesn't believe just to get a reaction. But he will never have a hard time finding a job because he's good at what he does.
     
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