Does the "E" in ESPN Stand For Evil?
by Glenn Logan on Jul 15, 2011 9:50 AM EDT
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PrintThe sports world is abuzz today about the firing muzzling indefinite suspension of college football writer Bruce Feldman by the Dark Powers at Barad-dûr ESPN. Twitter is alive with Feldman support, the #FreeBruce hashtag is now a trending topic, and the support from the sports media has been unanimous, loud, and is getting angrier by the hour.
John Clay has a rundown of some of the media coverage so far, including a profane but funny tirade by Buzz Bissinger (with the naughty words bleeped out of course).
As far as I have been able to determine, the facts are these:
- Former Kentucky assistant coach Mike Leach was fired as head football coach of Texas
A&MTech, in part for alleged mistreatment of players, including ESPN analyst Craig James' son, Adam James. - Leach wrote a book entitled Swing Your Sword, which is critical of the elder James, accuses him of a conflict of interest and coloring ESPN's coverage of the Leach controversy.
- ESPN The Magazine's Bruce Feldman, a football writer, was given permission by the Worldwide Leader to assist Leach in the writing of his book;
- ESPN, and James in particular, were not fond of Leach's characterization of them as bad guys in the book, so they suspended Feldman.
Note that Feldman did not make the statements ESPN found so offensive, Leach did. Yet ESPN apparently suspended Feldman just for his participation in the book, participation for which Feldman reportedly received express permission from ESPN. That doesn't just sound dirty, that sounds over-the-top unconscionable, inexcusable, reprehensible ... well, let's just say what we mean here ... evil.
ESPN has yet to provide their side of the story. The world is waiting. The stakes are untold millions of dollars. Sponsors might flee to some degree if ESPN doesn't have a good defense -- this is every bit as unethical and wrong as Tiger Woods' adulterous affairs. The rest of the sports world will not forget it, nor will they let ESPN forget it unless they have a bang-up explanation.
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It could be.
From an ethics standpoint, it certainly is.
A Sea of Blue -- Kentucky Sports for the Discerning Fan
Of all the stuff ESPN has ever done ot make me hate them, this tops it
It’s not like ESPN suspended a blowhard like Colin Cowherd for mouthing off something stupid. Bruce Feldman is a respected journalist who’s only crime was writing down the words of someone else.
Dayman, Fighter of the Nightman, Champion of the Sun
Yep.
That’s what it looks like to me.
A Sea of Blue -- Kentucky Sports for the Discerning Fan
by Glenn Logan on Jul 15, 2011 10:04 AM EDT up reply actions
ESPN is a bureaucracy - anyone surprised? One caveat Glen
While this makes my reading of the ESPN book more interesting, I am not surprised by this move. This may “cost” ESPN something now, but another author will think long and hard before he participates in taking a shot at ESPN, even if given permission – that seems to be the real message to me.
Glenn, while this looks like a cold-blooded, under-handed, hypocritical move by ESPN, I am having a hard time with “this is every bit as unethical and wrong as Tiger Woods’ adulterous affairs.” Maybe I’m an old-fashioned Bible thumper, but messing over your wife and kids is still more severe than messing someone over in the business world. Mr. Feldman will have many suitors for a job and may make even more money because of this (I personally had never heard of him before, but I’ll take your word, and the myriads of others, that he is a good guy done wrong). The Woods’ family situation, on the other hand, is irredeemable.
JandPsDad
Been Blue All My Life
Bleedin' BLUE all over NW Indiana
It is just as unethical, in my opinion, if true as reported.
It may not be as bad. That largely depends upon your personal views.
As to “irredeemable,” all I can say is a primary ethical value is forgiveness. It is also a primary Biblical value. With that said, Woods cannot be redeemed by us, but we can forgive him for his failings. But that is largely up to each of us.
A Sea of Blue -- Kentucky Sports for the Discerning Fan
by Glenn Logan on Jul 15, 2011 11:49 AM EDT up reply actions
I completely agree - ESPN is acting in an unethical fashion.
I did not mean to say that Woods was unforgiveable – but his family situation was beyond repair and ended.
Keep up your good work!
JandPsDad
Been Blue All My Life
Bleedin' BLUE all over NW Indiana
You could not be more right about his familiy situation.
A Sea of Blue -- Kentucky Sports for the Discerning Fan
Looks like evil proliferates
Between this piece and TeamWeaver’s on Parrish, evil is all around us.
Darkness is consuming us!
Oh, woe! :-)
A Sea of Blue -- Kentucky Sports for the Discerning Fan
by Glenn Logan on Jul 15, 2011 11:50 AM EDT up reply actions
Just hoping
Frodo makes it to that mountain and throws that darn ring in quickly.
I woke up feeling BLUE this morning. It's gonna be a great day.
????
OK I admit I am not as educated as most of my fellow bloggers but the one thing I feel in my bones is the ESPN is only second to the NCAA====ESPN has a lock on what they offer to the public and the same goes for NCAA to the athlete trying their best do interview for a better way of life…….. I think education is #1 for anyone and everyone has an opinion …that and a dollar plus tax will get you a SWEET ICE TEA from you know who
by kentuckystrong on Jul 15, 2011 11:01 AM EDT reply actions
I have to agree
ESPN and the NCAA do have some things in common. They offer a product all of us want, but wish we could get from some other avenue. The problem is that neither has done anything so horrible that it will make us turn the channel. I use to love watching MTV, until all the reality shows took over. It has been years since I have watched MTV. ESPN, the NCAA, and MTV are just like several big American corporations. They are so big, they can do whatever they want, with no consequences. Hell, even when some of them fall from grace, somebody is there to bail them out.
Lord Acton Was Correct
“Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely….”
History, and the present and likely the future, is filled with examples. In the context of this piece the virtual monopoly by ESPN and NCAA are archetypical.
"Statistics are no substitute for judgment" — Henry Clay (my namesake)
seattle times- uw mens basketball blog
check out John Wall and Tony Wroten Jr. going at it in Seattle.
Somehow this action does not surprise me
Does ESPN still have an Ombudsman? If so, I can imaging what their next column is going to deal with.
The thing about is, pretty soon ESPN is going to have a hard time attracting/keeping good reporters/writers/contributers. There’s no chance Feldman stays with them now and as the links indicate, he will not be hurting for employment.
Age is always advancing. And I believe it's up to no good. - Harry Dresden
Leach said his biggest mistake was not dismissing Adam James from the team before the bowl game
might be right on that one in hindsight… looks like the elder James wields a lot of power, not only with Texas Tech, but also with ESPN …
exactly along the lines of what I was thinking.
not only about the dismissal from the Bowl game, but my goodness, Leach is probably even sorry he recruited the kid. What a headache. Recruit the kid and in this case you get the overly pompous parent that go along with it. Yikes.
Leach coached at Texas Tech
Please do a little bit of research, and don’t insult Texas A&M by saying the classless clown coached there.
Eh.
You Texas teams all look alike to me. :-)
Thanks for the correction, sorry for any offense.
A Sea of Blue -- Kentucky Sports for the Discerning Fan
I still think UK should had hired Leach as OC when they had the chance
One of my rare comments concerning UK football.
A man is nothing more than a summation of his scars!
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