Category Archives: ESPN

Q/A with Adam Schefter: What he will and won’t tweet during NFL draft; ‘Do you want information?’

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Part 1 of 2

The NFL draft begins Thursday, which means Adam Schefter will engage in the Twitter tap dance again.

To tweet or not to tweet, that is the question.

Last year, Schefter and other NFL reporters came under fire for tweeting out picks and draft news during the first night. They were the spoilers, much like telling people in a movie theater how the film is going to end as they walked in.

Schefter was in essence scooping his network. While Chris Berman & Co. speculated on air about whom the Bears, or any other team, will select, Schefter’s followers already know the answer. There goes the suspense.

Wrote John Mitchell of Breakingtackles.com:

What is the cost of being the first to report the draft picks? 1.5 million followers being robbed of the draft experience. You want Roger Goodell to be the first to announce the draft pick. Not an ESPN reporter who happens to find out the information before anyone else.

In a post at ShermanReport after Round 1, Schefter defended his tweets. “When I learn information, it’s my job to report it,” he said.

However, it was interesting that Schefter seemed to dial down his tweeting the following night for the second round.

Schefter now has 2.3 million followers, and many of them will be hanging on his every tweet during the first round Thursday night. During a recent visit to Northwestern, where he received a graduate degree in journalism, I asked Schefter about his Twitter plans for this year’s draft.

Schefter took a breath. “There becomes the big story, the elephant in the room.”

Here’s my Q/A:

What is the plan?

Last year, we revised our policy to a certain extent (between Round 1 and 2). Even in some in round 1, we did it. Basically, what my boss (Seth Markman) said going into round 1: “I don’t want you tweeting every first round pick.”

I’m not going to report standard picks. If a team is sitting still at 15, I’m not going to tweet (that pick). In other words, mundane, Run-of-the mill picks, leave alone. But if it’s a quarterback or a bold move, have at it. ESPN places no restrictions on me (in that regard).

So why was there so much uproar last year?

I don’t know. I still don’t know.

There were big trades going involving picks. Eight of the top 10. Am I supposed to ignore that. Not say anything? This the world we live in. To a lot of people, it’s a Twitter world. I’m sorry about that, but I’m reporting what I’m getting. These are big trades to me. Am I wrong or right?

Last year, I found out about the Patriots trade to move up to take Chandler Jones. (The Jones tweet) was the one that offended a lot of people. And Chandler Jones was not necessarily a name you were hearing in the first round. He made a late charge to become the top defensive end in the draft. The Patriots trade up to take the best defensive end in the draft. I got the story. So now I’m not supposed to report that?

Do you understand why people were frustrated?

I understand people’s frustrations. I am not trying to report picks before (they are revealed on the telecast) and take away from the drama.

There’s a simple solution. Don’t follow me during the draft.

Fans, though, follow you and others because they want information during the draft above and beyond what they get from the telecasts.

What do you want? Do you want information or do you not want information? It’s a difficult process.

What was said to you between the first and second round last year?

We don’t want you reporting on any picks.

They said that to you?

Basically. During the second round, only one or two picks are headline worthy. If it is the headline of that day, and I’m fortunate enough to get that pick, I’m going to report it.

I am almost certain–not to put words in someone’s mouth–that the NFL has to spoken to ESPN and ESPN has told me to be more selective about what I’m tweeting in advance. I am trying to be as considerate as possible and tweet everything we’re getting, but I am going to tweet the headline-making items.

The Tim Tebow thing (in 2011). We had that pick (the Broncos drafting him). I’m telling the producers, ‘Send it over to me.’ They never got to me. I tweeted it after they didn’t get to me. It’s crazy.

How do you think it will go this year?

For ESPN, the NFL, the fan, it’s a whole new Wild West world we live in. How do we watch this? How do we report this? There are no traditions. There are no formulas.

I’m a draftnik. I used to stay at home from school to watch the draft. But I also have a job to do. It’s a judgment call. I’m trying to report the headlines that are making news if I am lucky enough to get them. You don’t always get this stuff. I don’t want it to sound like this stuff just pops up for us. It’s hard to work to get those stories. If I’m fortunate enough to get a headline-making item, I’m going to report it.

Tomorrow: Schefter on his love-hate relationship with Twitter and the pressure to be first.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ESPN writes about its attribution policies: ‘Building trust with viewers’

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Hmm, this is interesting.

Late Wednesday afternoon, David Scott of ESPN’s PR staff did a post on ESPN Front Row, its PR-driven site, outlining the network’s attribution policies.

Why the need for such a post? ESPN has been criticized for being lax in not giving proper attribution to stories from other outlets. Fair or not, ESPN is extremely sensitive to any negative perception about its standards.

In an email, Scott explains:

“One of Front Row’s  purposes is to share pertinent  information with our users in a transparent manner. This post is part of an ongoing dialogue and was not prompted by one thing in particular. We are always keeping an eye on our processes, particularly with news gathering’s rapid evolution in regards to Twitter and social media.”

In the post, Scott opens:

ESPN has always strived to properly acknowledge where and from whom news stories originate. The company constantly reviews procedures and processes to keep up with the ever-changing media landscape and the revisions that follow are a reflection of that steadfast commitment.

“Attribution has been and remains vital to our users,” said ESPN Senior Vice President and Director of News, Vince Doria. “The context of where information comes from helps further establish the trust we have built in 33-plus years. These guidelines are part of our ongoing commitment to being as clear as we can in providing fans with the latest and most accurate information.”

Among the areas we have addressed with our most recent review is how we present, specifically in graphics, those stories that have been independently reported by our staff in addition to outside entities.

Scott then lays out the various scenarios. An example:

News from outside entities: “Media Report” or “Media Reports”
• We will use the name of the entity where we obtained the information in scripts, on BottomLine, and, where possible, in graphics. We will only use “Report” in graphics if the name of the entity is too long.

For example, BottomLine and anchor readers would say: “The Ravens will meet with former Broncos defensive end Elvis Dumervil, the Baltimore Sun reports.” The Topic Bar Header would be “Media Report,” while the body of the bar would read, “Baltimore Sun: Ravens to meet with former Broncos DE Elvis Dumervil.”

Scott then concludes:

In the current environment of blogs and Twitter, it is often difficult to know definitively who was first to report a story, but it is still important to acknowledge how we initially became aware of that news. So, with a few exceptions, scripts and BottomLine entries will state the news was “earlier reported by” or “previously reported by,” rather than “first reported by,” that ESPN reporter or outside entity. It will be at the discretion of the news desk to determine when and for how long a story warrants this treatment on television.

I will have more on this issue next week.

 

 

 

ESPN’s Greenberg opts to focus show on tragedy: Did not feel like we could talk about sports

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On days like today, people turn to sports as a way to escape the harsh realities of life. Even if it only is a few brief moments, they want to hear about the Yankees, Kobe, Tiger…

So it shouldn’t come as a surprise that Mike Greenberg said some listeners were upset with him and co-host Ryen Russillo (filling in for Mike Golic) for focusing much of the Mike & Mike Show on the Boston Marathon tragedy this morning.

After the sports update at 9 a.m. ET, Greenberg and Russillo explain why they went in that direction. Transcript courtesy of ESPN PR.

Mike Greenberg: I would say the reaction I’m getting is something in vicinity of 50/50 on Twitter and in our mailbox of people saying they appreciate the coverage we are doing versus others saying they wish we had spent this morning talking about sports. And I understand that, I fully do.

We spent probably an hour, an hour and a half on the phone last night – all of us on show staff and members of our management – trying to make up our mind on what the right thing to do is. Nine out of ten times when there have been significant news events in our country – including the day after a presidential election – Mike and I talk about sports because we just feel like if you’re coming to us, you’re going to be looking for that.

On a day like this, I’ll tell you the honest reason that we didn’t do it – I did not feel like we could. My heart would not have been into anything we would have been talking about this morning if it wasn’t this – this is all that’s on my mind. I feel like it’s all that’s on many people’s minds, and if you didn’t appreciate what we did today, I understand, we’ll be back, probably, to our normal stuff tomorrow and I look forward to that and I appreciate everybody’s feedback one way or the other

Ryen Russillo: I just hope people realize how much we struggled with the decision.

We sit here and say, are we doing the right thing? I know that in times past, I’ll look to sports, sports radio as an escape. But sometimes it just doesn’t feel right.

And by the way, if you were going to compare it to what other topics are out there right now, it doesn’t make any sense. And trust me, no one goes, Hey I want to go do this for four hours. I can’t wait to talk about this.

. . . It felt like the right thing to do and I heard other stations yesterday afternoon doing things not related to Boston and it just didn’t feel right to me.

This isn’t fun today.

 

ESPN’s Ford on covering bombing: Nothing made sense

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ESPN had the pros out yesterday to cover what now is the biggest sports story of the year. Unfortunately

Jeremy Schaap, Bob Ley, Karl Ravech, Steve Levy were among those navigating ESPN through the unthinkable tragedy in Boston. Journalists are journalists, whether it is covering who wins the race or the minutes after a senseless bombing. ESPN’s journalists stepped up yesterday.

Perhaps none more so than Bonnie Ford. My former teammate at the Chicago Tribune (her byline was Bonnie DeSimone back then) was wrapping up her stories about the race from the media center in the Fairmont Copley Hotel. In the immediate aftermath of the blast, Ford was on the air with Schaap, lending her perspective and talking about her frustration at not being allowed to go outside to cover what had just transpired outside of the hotel’s lobby.

Ford wrote about her experience in a column at ESPN.com.

She opened:

I could lie and say I heard and felt the explosions that will mark Boston and its famous road race and all of us who were here, or watching from elsewhere, forever. But I didn’t. I had my noise-canceling headphones on and I was focused on finishing a story about Shalane Flanagan, who was disappointed she hadn’t been able to deliver the race of her life for her hometown fans.

The writers closest to me said they felt a shiver and heard a sound that seemed, oddly, like thunder rumbling. That made no sense, because it was a sunny day.

In a few moments, nothing made sense.

Her encounter with Joan Benoit:

I sprinted into the lobby, and the first person I encountered was the great American champion Joan Benoit, who stood against a wall with her husband and two kids, sipping a hot beverage and looking gray-faced but composed. “I’d be a lot jumpier if I didn’t have my family with me,” she said. She didn’t want to say much else. “It’s a tragedy, and a shame they picked this event to exploit,” she said with quiet anger.

On conflicting feelings:

Part of me is relieved I wasn’t on the finish line to see the chaos and carnage Monday afternoon, and part of me wishes I had been, because I’m a reporter and my instinct is to convey the most powerful images and messages possible.

Wandering around the lobby again, I found Jason Hartmann, who had finished a game fourth in the men’s elite race for the second year in a row. He looked slightly dazed. Like me, he’d been unaware of what happened until he got a text asking whether he was safe. When he saw the first video footage, he turned to his girlfriend, Angelina Ramos, and said, “Our entire sport is going to change.”

It will in some ways. Public safety officials from the municipal to the federal — and international — level will caucus with race organizers and make adjustments, just as we always do after being attacked.

Ford concludes:

I am stricken by the reversal of that image here in Boston, the fact that people were running away from something terrible seconds after running toward something good. But I also know that will turn again.

Amateur marathoners push themselves for a whole host of reasons. To test their physical and psychological limits. To raise money for worthy causes. To compete. The next time this — or any — marathon is run anywhere in the world, they will run for yet another. To show that the power of communal achievement can be beaten on one day, but not on most days and never indefinitely. And that is what makes sense on a senseless day.

A powerful piece.

 

 

Best part of ESPN’s Masters coverage: No Chris Berman; Augusta National doesn’t want him

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Did you notice what you didn’t hear on ESPN’s Masters coverage yesterday? No promos for upcoming shows (won’t miss hearing the endless plugs for Two Broke Girls on CBS this weekend); obviously limited commercials; and drum roll please, no Chris Berman.

Each year, ESPN commits a major golf crime by allowing Berman to be part of its early-round U.S. Open coverage. His schtick is completely out of place at such a huge event.

You know Berman only is there because he tells ESPN he wants to be there. He enjoys golf and this is his chance to have his shot at a major. ESPN has to know he is horrible, but the network goes along with it because he’s “Boomer.” They want to keep him happy.

In 2008, ESPN lands early-round coverage of the Masters. Well, if Berman loves doing the Open, you would think he would take up residence in Augusta for a chance to work the Masters. Make no mistake, he definitely wants to be part of ESPN’s team for the biggest tournament of the year. It’s “a tradition unlike any other.”

So why isn’t he? Unlike the United States Golf Association, which mysteriously allows Berman on its telecasts, I am certain the august officials of Augusta National said, “No Boomer.” They don’t want his prattle (Clifford “The Big Red Dog” Roberts) messing up the pristine Masters telecasts.

As a result, we heard Mike Tirico handle the host chores Thursday. Now there is an ideal fit for ESPN and the Masters. We heard the familiar voices of CBS; the birds chirping when the fans, er “patrons,” went quiet; and the cheers when somebody rolled in a birdie putt.

We didn’t hear Chris Berman. The sound of that silence was beautiful.

 

 

 

 

 

New 60 Minutes Sports: Lara Logan seems very enthralled with Chris Berman; makes him squirm about his wallet

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The latest edition of 60 Minutes Sports (Showtime, Wednesday, 9 p.m. ET) features a Chris Berman profile by Lara Logan.

Judging from the clip below, it seems as if Logan was very much taken by Berman.

“Some guys are just funny,” Logan said. “He’s funny…He loves what he does. He cares about people.”

Hopefully, Logan will bring up the criticism that has been leveled at Berman in recent years.

Also, near the end of the video, check out Berman’s ridiculously overstuffed wallet, and how Logan makes him squirm.

Schaap E:60 story on paralyzed football player helps prompt legislation in Illinois

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This is an example of how sports journalism can have an impact.

Last October, Jeremy Schaap told the tragic story of an Illinois high school player for E:60.

ESPN E:60 | “Busted Coverage” ~ Jeremy Schaap from Bluefoot Entertainment on Vimeo.

In 2000, Rocky Clark, 16, suffered two broken vertebrae and a devastating spinal cord injury in an Eisenhower High School football game. He was paralyzed from the neck down. His family was told by school officials Rocky’s medical costs would be covered by Eisenhower’s insurance. Full-time nursing, medication, supplies, and his own determination allowed Rocky to surpass life expectancy for most quadriplegics.

Then at age 26, ten years later, the insurance company sent a letter saying Rocky’s lifetime maximum of $5 million had been reached and coverage for his care was ended. Medicaid and limited state resources helped a little, but the quality of his care declined and, in January of 2012, Rocky died.

How was this allowed to happen? Thankfully, the story struck a chord with people who can make a difference.

Illinois State Senator Napoleon B. Harris III wants to make sure it doesn’t happen again. From the Illinois Senate Democratic Caucus staff:

“Rocky’s attitude was always inspiring, and his experience inspired his mother, his family, supporters and me to do something to prevent uninsured catastrophic injury costs,” said State Senator Napoleon B. Harris, III. “I’m sponsoring Senate Bill 2178 to require catastrophic insurance be in place so in a worst case scenario, our student athletes and their families aren’t left on their own.”

Harris’ measure would require public high school districts and private high schools to provide catastrophic accident insurance for all student athletes in IHSA programs, and to set benefit limits of $7.5 million or 15 years, in excess of other insurance provided by the school district. It would require IHSA to provide a group policy to ensure coverage is affordable for school district. The bill does not dictate a funding source, but the cost of $5-10 per student could be an extracurricular activity fee, raised by a parent-booster group, or through other fundraising. Iowa passed a similar law, and the Iowa Farm Bureau stepped up to cover the cost.

National media coverage, including ESPN, helped shed light on Rocky’s story. Representative Will Davis sponsored a bill in the House in 2012 similar to SB2178, and is doing the same this year. Davis and Harris are working together for passage of this measure in 2013. SB 2178 passed in the Senate Insurance Committee Wednesday, and House Bill 127 is currently in the House Education Committee.

 

 

Colin Cowherd: Working on new TV project; Book comes out in November

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Get ready for more Colin Cowherd coming to a TV and bookstore near you.

While chatting with him Tuesday about his radio show being picked up in Chicago on ESPN 1000, Cowherd said he is at work on a new TV project at ESPN. He also has a book coming out in November.

Regarding television, Cowherd said, “It’s under wraps. I don’t think they are comfortable with blabbing about it.”

Cowherd, though, isn’t good at the not-talking thing. While he didn’t divulge everything, he did provide some hints. The plan doesn’t appear to be a daily TV show, as he did with SportsNation. It sounds more like Cowherd will have special segments on various ESPN platforms, including SportsCenter.

“Doing a three-hour radio show followed by a 30-minute to hour TV can be exhausting,” Cowherd said. “Anytime you do that I always worry that the quality suffers on TV. I don’t know if that is my future. Perhaps doing features and really thoughtful pieces would be more my future.

“I’m not one who thinks getting your face constantly on TV is good. To add a TV component, I’d like to make sure it’s smart, thoughtful, well funded. As I get older–maybe I’m losing my energy–I don’t want to just be on the air. I want to do interesting stuff.”

As for his book, Herd Mentality: Things About Sports and Life I Think but Probably Shouldn’t Say will hit the stores in the fall.

“It is stuff from a kid who came through divorces and from rural America, and I always have had a different way of seeing the world,” Cowherd said. “I wanted to put it in book form. It’s been hard, but I don’t know if I ever had more fun.”

 

 

Chicago radio shuffle: Cowherd show to air in morning on ESPN 1000; Waddle-Silvy to afternoons

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Colin Cowherd is coming to Chicago.

As expected, the lineup has been shuffled at ESPN 1000.

Tom Waddle and Marc Silverman are moving from mid-morning to the 2-6 p.m. afternoon slot. Carmen DeFalco and John Jurkovic will shift to the 10 a.m.-2 p.m. slot.

The new addition will be an hour of Cowherd’s national ESPN show. It will air from 9-10 a.m. Gone, at least in Chicago, will be Scott Van Pelt and Ryan Russillo, whose show currently airs from 1-2 p.m. on the station.

The changes are effective April 1.

ESPN appears to be making a push to extend Cowherd’s reach into more markets. It remains to be seen whether Chicago will embrace Cowherd.

Cowherd did some early romancing Tuesday, saying how he and his wife, a Michigan native, consider Chicago “their favorite city.”

“I never thought I’d get on in Chicago,” Cowherd said. “I’ve been on in New York and Los Angeles, so it’ll be great to be on there. Chicago has a pedigree as having a great radio market. There are talented people there (in sports talk radio). I know it won’t be easy. If you don’t bring your ‘A’ game, you’ll vanish in that market.”

Asked how he would describe himself to Chicago listeners who never have heard him, Cowherd said, “It won’t take long for people to know I drink a lot of coffee.”

“I take each segment very seriously,” Cowherd said. “I’m not saying I’m always right, but I’m going to come out with a ton of energy.”

The shake-up was expected after ESPN 1000 cut ties with Harry Teinowitz from the afternoon show a few weeks ago. The station is trailing its sports talk rival, WSCR-AM 670, in the ratings race.

ESPN 1000 knows it has to improve its numbers in the afternoon. In the January ratings of men 25-54 (the key demographic for sports talk radio) from 1-6 p.m., ESPN 1000′s afternoon show placed 17th with a 2.6 audience share.  Meanwhile, its main competition, Dan Bernstein and Terry Boers at WSCR-AM 670, was No. 1 with a 6.5 share.

ESPN 1000 is counting on the appeal of Waddle, a popular former Bear, and the chemistry he’s built with “Silvy,” to cut into that deficit.

As for the morning, there’s an interesting sidelight. Jurkovic now will be competing against his former ESPN 1000 partner and close friend, Dan McNeil, who teams with Matt Spiegel from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on WSCR.

Stay tuned for more.

 

 

Jay Mariotti writes Kobe story for ESPN.com; ‘Thrilled to work with the pros at ESPN’

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Reunited: Jay Mariotti and ESPN. At least for one story.

This morning, ESPN.com posted a lengthy piece from Mariotti on Kobe Bryant and the Lakers.

In an email, Mariotti said, “Found Kobe to be a refreshingly candid interview subject–so reminds me of MJ. I’m thrilled to work with the pros at ESPN, and I clearly have the itch to produce sports pieces.”

Whether Mariotti does more for ESPN remains to be seen. While praising Mariotti’s story, ESPN spokesman Mike Soltys said, “Nothing else is currently planned.”

It is highly unlikely Mariotti will have a regular presence at ESPN. At best, he might do a periodic piece such as he did with Bryant. Then again, this could be a one-shot deal.