Monthly Archives: April 2012

Different draft for Bill Polian on ESPN

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Bill Polian never was a threat to pull a Bill Tobin during his long run as a general manager. Unlike another former Colts GM, he insists he didn’t dwell on what Mel Kiper, Tobin’s nemesis, and the other draft experts were saying.

Last week, I asked Polian a few questions in advance of his first NFL draft as an analyst for ESPN.

There’s so much out there in the way of speculation and analysis about the draft. Did it ever have any effect on you as a general manager?

Polian: When I was a general manager, I paid very little attention to it. I was paying attention to getting our board right and doing things necessary for us to have a good draft. I was concentrating solely on that. So I didn’t pay a lot of attention to it, very honestly.

What will be your approach? Will you be critiquing picks?

Polian: Tony Dungy mentioned it to me in a conversation very recently, and I think it’s right on. We, meaning he and I who have had great experience in this business, can bring to viewers a great perspective. This is the way things happen in the draft room. This is the way things happen in the lockerroom. This is how you build a team, etc. I’m less concerned about opinion than I am about explaining what I know actually goes on. I look at it from a educational standpoint rather than from an opinion standpoint.

Does it feel strange not preparing for a draft?

Polian: I must admit that it does. There are things that I’m doing now that I never would have dreamed of doing during draft preparation (laughing). It’s different, but that’s good, because I’m learning new things and learning to appreciate how people deliver information here, and how it get packaged and programmed. So it’s new and interesting and exciting. But it is very different than what I’m used to.

 

Classic: ‘Who the hell is Mel Kiper?’

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The NFL draft is tomorrow, and much like the tradition of telling “The Christmas Carol” every year, we must recall the most memorable moment in ESPN’s draft history.

Bill Tobin’s rant of “Who the hell is Mel Kiper” is a classic from the 1994 draft. Unfortunately, I couldn’t find the original video from the former Colts’ GM going off the one with big hair.

But I did find a couple of other interesting videos.

For starters, here’s the segment that started it all. At around the two-minute mark, Chris Berman throws it over to Kiper to get his assessment of the Colts selecting Nebraska linebacker Trev Alberts.

Kiper comes out firing, saying “Give me a break.” Then he buries Tobin with his immortal line: “This is why the Colts are drafting second every year and not battling for the Super Bowl.”

However, what’s forgotten in this segment is that Joe Theismann completely supports Kiper.

“This is one time I have to agree with Mel,” Theismann said. “It doesn’t make sense to me. I can’t understand the pick.”

Theismann, though, was a former player. So Tobin didn’t aim his barbs at him. Instead, he went after Tobin.

Tobin, meanwhile, continued to rant about Kiper when he later met with reporters. SportsCenter ran a full two minutes of Tobin’s press conference (an eternity), which begins around the 40-second mark.

“What do you want to talk about first,” Tobin said. “Our players or that jerk in Baltimore?”

It went downhill from there.

 

 

 

Grantland’s Simmons right to complain about denied Blues credential

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Bill Simmons is right. For a league striving to grow its profile, it doesn’t make sense for an NHL team to deny a credential to a reporter from a national site.

In this case, the site is Grantland.com, and the reporter is Katie Baker. According to a tweet posted by Simmons, Grantland’s editor, the St. Louis Blues refused to give Baker a seat in the press box last week.

He tweets:

Still laughing that the Blues denied @katiebakes for a media credential last week. The NHL is the best. DON’T COVER US!!! STAY AWAY!

Baker writes about hockey for Grantland. On Monday, she did a post about her trip to Nashville to cover the Predators and a wrap-up of the playoffs over the weekend. I dare say it was about as long a piece as you’ll find anywhere on hockey.

I’m not sure why the Blues wouldn’t credential Baker. Rule No. 1: If a national site wants to attend one of your games, especially one under the ESPN umbrella, you get that person in the arena. Even if the press box is full, you find a way. My goodness, this was St. Louis-San Jose in the first round, not the Stanley Cup finals.

Joe Lucia at Awful Announcing said this was another case of Simmons being “petulant.” Previously, Simmons complained about Duke not giving a credential to Grantland.

Lucia writes:

I’m just wondering which league or team Simmons is going to start whining about not credentialing next. Maybe it will be the Olympics, since Grantland has spent so much time talking about Olympic sports in recent months. Maybe the PGA won’t credential Grantland for the US Open, and Simmons will start a crusade against golf. All I really know at the end of the day is that Simmons is managing to come off really, really bad by sniping at various teams for not giving credentials to his writers that barely cover the teams on his site.

Sorry to disagree, Joe, but the NHL can’t afford to be ticking off a site like Grantland, and especially its editor, who has a fairly powerful voice in the sports media world. You want Grantland to writing more about hockey, not less.

Think of it this way: Simmons’ tweet went out to his 1.685 million followers. It’s probably the most attention the Blues have received on a national level all year.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yankees bashing: Mushnick pounds Sterling; Kruk rips Swisher

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A couple members of the Yankees family came under fire in the New York dailies today.

Actually, it hardly registers as a news flash that Phil Mushnick of the New York Post tore into Yankees announcer John Sterling. Sterling is one of his favorite targets.

Mushnick, though, goes after it with particular venom today. He jumps all over Sterling for botching the call of the final out of a game last week. And then Mushnick goes to town.

Twenty-two years of this garbage, 22 years of tuning to Yankees games forced to  rely on a guy who doesn’t know what’s going on and hardly cares. He’d rather  holler his asinine nicknames and so-often-wrong “signature” calls so the fools  at “SportsCenter” can reward him with a sound bite and a credit.

Don’t hold back, Phil. He concludes:

It’s not even a matter of enough is enough. Enough was enough 20 years ago.

Oh, and for an added bonus, here is what Mushnick had to say about Chris Berman:

Geez, Chris Berman is anchoring another NFL Draft for ESPN.  Isn’t there a kid’s birthday party he can work that day?

Meanwhile, at the New York Daily News, Bob Raissman notes that ESPN’s John Kruk took issue with Nick Swisher’s excessive celebration during Saturday’s game in Boston. Considering he was a complete dog during his season with the White Sox, I welcome any Swisher bashing.

From Raissman’s column:

Kruk said Swisher’s display was more about rubbing it in than anything else.  He said he’s not a “big fan” of look-at-me celebrations primarily designed to  salt the wound.

“Yeah, Nick, you did your job. That’s what you were expected to do so just  accept it and be a little more humble,” said Kruk, in a disgusted tone. “I hear  Yankee fans say, ‘Well, that’s Nick. That’s the way he is.’ ”

The more Kruk spoke, the more agitated he became.

“But when does a pitcher start saying, ‘This is the way I am and this is the  way I play.’ If you beat us you beat us,” Kruk said. “If you show us up and try  to embarrass us by laughing and joking and pumping your chest and everything,  perhaps I’ll dot you one right between the numbers and see how that feels.”

 

 

 

ESPN Jordan ad, Buzz Bovshow goes viral

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I’m fairly certain Buzz Bovshow never thought he ever would be cast as Michael Jordan. Bovshow is a 55-year old TV, movie and theater actor with the requisite middle-aged paunch. Oh, he also is white.

Of course, if you saw the latest ESPN ad, you know the rest of the story. Bovshow didn’t play the Michael Jordan. Rather, his character, saddled with the burden of carrying the same name as the basketball legend, is an amazingly bland lump of a man, who couldn’t light up a room if you gave him a blow torch. (Judging by Bovshow’s picture and bio, I bet he’s a fun guy in real life, and what a great name.)

Bovshow also is an unlikely candidate to be an ESPN sensation, but he has gone viral in one of the network’s most celebrated ads in years. More than two million people have checked it out on YouTube since the 30-second commercial debuted on April 16. The spot depicts people disappointed at not meeting the Michael Jordan.

The ad, conceived by Wieden + Kennedy, also is hot on Twitter. It prompted this tweet from Michael B. Jordan, the actor who played Vince on Friday Night Lights:

Do u know how hard it was to grow up with the Greatest Basketball Player in the world’s name?

Naturally, ESPN is overjoyed with the response.

“To get that many (YouTube views) in such a short time is remarkable.” said Chris Brush, who now is ESPN’s Sr VP of Affiliate Marketing, but was VP of Consumer Marketing while working on the Jordan commercial.

It speaks to the power of the ad, which runs as part of ESPN’s “It’s not crazy, It’s sports” campaign. Unlike those Super Bowl ads that try way, way too hard, the Jordan commercial is wonderfully understated and subtle. This is about split-second reactions from people who suddenly realize they aren’t going to have their once-in-a-lifetime encounter with MJ.

“I liked the first (scene) when he goes to the doctor’s office,” Brush said. “Those women are buried in their work when they hear, ‘Michael Jordan.’ They look up quickly, and for an instant, you can see they thought he was the real thing.”

We also can feel for the poor shlub. Bozshow’s Jordan acknowledges people’s reactions perfectly with a resigned shrug or nod. Nothing more needs to be said.

Brush said the point of the campaign is to show the intersection of sports and real life.

“Cities are defined by their sports legends,” Brush said. “In San Francisco, there’s only one Joe Montana. In Boston, there’s only one Ted Williams. And in Chicago, there’s definitely only one Michael Jordan. There isn’t room for another Michael Jordan. People can relate to this guy’s situation. They recognize the fun and irony of this idea.”

Brush said Jordan’s representatives knew of the ad in advance and they liked the finished product. Interestingly, Jordan never has appeared in an ESPN commercial.

Hey, how about a sequel? Perhaps showing a meeting between the two Jordans?

“We have no plans right now for a sequel,” Brush said. “But we love the reaction. We’re going to evaluate where the campaign goes and what the next idea is.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ESPN uses unnammed sources in Saints eavesdrop story

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This just in: NFL season to be played with only 31 teams next year.

As if there wasn’t enough bad stuff flying around New Orleans, John Barr on ESPN’s Outside the Lines reported today that Saints general manager Mickey Loomis had the ability to eavesdrop on opponents from 2002-2004.

There’s a story and video on ESPN.com. From the story:

Sources familiar with Saints game-day operations told “Outside the Lines” that Loomis, who faces an eight-game suspension from the NFL for his role in the recent bounty scandal, had the ability to secretly listen for most of the 2002 season, his first as general manager of the Saints, and all of the 2003 and 2004 seasons. The sources spoke with “Outside the Lines” under the condition of anonymity because of fear of reprisals from members of the Saints organization.

The story could spark more debate about using unnamed sources. However, here’s the key point in my mind: Knowing how ESPN operates–or any elite news organization for the matter–they have to be excellent sources for ESPN to go forward with this kind of a blockbuster story. And note the plural here.

Barr’s story isn’t being attributed to one source. There are multiple sources who confirmed the allegation. That’s important.

Naturally, New Orleans has issued a vigorous denial. Barr and ESPN could find themselves under fire about the sources of their information.

Should be interesting to see where the story goes from here.

 

Norman Chad on possible new assignment for Jim Gray; Van Gundy, Phelps, Bayless

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I’m not sure why, but I lost track of Norman Chad’s work of late. Thankfully, I found his latest column Monday and it made me realize what I had been missing.

For those of you who don’t know, Chad is a very entertaining sports media critic. Well, you probably won’t think he’s very entertaining if you are one of his targets. Such as Jim Gray (see below).

Here are some excerpts from Chad discussing his 23 facts “about the widening world of sports television”:

Is it possible for Subway’s Jared and the Progressive Insurance woman to elope and move abroad?

Jack Whitaker will be honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Sports Emmys this month; I guess they were waiting for him to establish some serious credentials. (Note: I was thinking the same thing. Whitaker is 87)

I’m thinking it’s a missed opportunity for everyone that Jim Gray never has worked the sidelines at a bullfight.

Had an apocalyptic nightmare last week that I was standing in front of Skip Bayless and behind Stephen A. Smith in a DMV line.

OK, you can read the rest. Well worth it.

 

 

Atlanta turns down HBO’s Hard Knocks

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HBO and the NFL have a problem. They can’t find a team to sign on for Hard Knocks. At least not their first choices.

The latest report is that the Atlanta Falcons said no to the all-access show. Albert Breer of NFL.com reports:

The decision was made by, among others, owner Arthur Blank, general manager Thomas Dimitroff and head coach Mike Smith. They were in agreement that the focus should be on football over the summer, and they didn’t want anything to distract from that.

Can’t argue with that. Previously, the Denver Broncos declined, and the publicity hounds at New York Jets headquarters also said no to an encore performance. The Jets already will have enough of a zoo-like feel with Tim Tebow in camp.

So who’s next? Awful Announcing suggests a Harbaugh-Harbaugh show.

The idea of Harbaugh 2 Harbaugh has been floated out with the Ravens & 49ers taking on dual starring roles, so perhaps HBO goes in that direction for the show.  The Ravens were the first team to partake in Hard Knocks in 2001 so the franchise has experience.  And let’s face it, Jim Harbaugh has never met a camera he didn’t like.

Of course, if everyone says no, Awlful Announcing says, “There’s always the Jaguars.”

 

 

 

NBC Sports Network exec: Patience required; viewers want alternative to ESPN

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To hear all the initial reports, you would think they would be in panic mode at 30 Rock. The reports detail how the newly branded NBC Sports Network is off to a slow, slower, slowest start. It seems viewers would rather watch people shooting at innocent deer than one of its studio shows.

Oh, for the good old days of Versus.

There were several stories bemoaning the dismal ratings during the first quarter. How about this headline in the New York Post:

NBC Sports Network’s ratings take biggest drop in eight years after overhaul

The story reports ratings were off 22 percent with an average audience of 64,000 daily viewers during the first quarter.

And if that wasn’t enough, now there’s word the Fox might enter the fray and launch a new cable sports channel. That only will increase the competition and jack up the rights for properties NBC Sports Network wants to obtain.

All in all, instead of hitting the ground running, it feels more like hitting the ground face first.

Not so fast, says Jon Miller, the president of programming for NBC Sports and the NBC Sports Network. He believes the initial reports aren’t capturing the full picture. He said this isn’t about a three-month snapshot. It’s about setting up the network for the long haul.

Indeed, the network gained some momentum with increased ratings for the NHL playoffs. Through last Thursday, ratings were up 26 percent for the network’s quarterfinal coverage, averaging 676,000 viewers per game. That’s a strong number, considering the NBC Sports Network was competing somewhat against itself in the form of games also airing on CNBC and the NHL Network.

“I’ve been with NBC for 34 years and I’ve been through bad times and good times,” Miller said. “It’s cyclical. The fact of the matter, slow and steady wins this race. You’ve got to be patient. You need to have a mission and not be distracted. It’s very easy to go for the quick hit and quick fix. The long and short of it is that it won’t work. The motto here is: First be best, then be first. Let’s do it the right way.”

In an interview, Miller laid out NBC’s plans for the rebranded network. He addresses whether it is imperative for NBC Sports Network to land Major League Baseball; the need to develop its own personalities or go after others like ESPN’s Scott Van Pelt; and his feeling that sports viewers want an alternative to ESPN, among other items.

There have been several doom and gloom stories about the network. What’s been your reaction?

Miller: We’re still very young. Only 3 months old. We made some good progress. We inherited a channel that was a lot of things to a lot of different people. We weren’t a sticky channel, That’s a big thing in TV. We need to give people a reason to come every day.

The network we took over had a lot of programming, but not a lot of connected programming. It had everything from bullriding to mixed martial arts, sports jobs, NHL, Tour De France, hunting and fishing. While each of those might have had their own dedicated followers, there was no string to that popcorn.

A lot of those programs were empty ratings points. While they might deliver a number, they weren’t really salable.

Really? You can’t sell hunting and fishing shows?

Miller: If we had kept the programming we had. Mixed martial art, the TO show, and 6,000 hours of hunting and fishing, our ratings would be fine. Our sales guys are telling us we can’t get brands, clients, sponsors to embrace this network until you change the look and feel of it.

So what’s the plan?

Miller: The three things we most focused on are live events, news,talk and information, and original programming. We landed the MLS. We think it is undervalued and has tremendous upside.

The Stanley Cup playoffs (are bringing in) viewers. There will be hundreds of hours of the Olympics (and Olympic trials) on the NBC Sports Network. When people want to see the U.S. teams play and see they’re going to be on the NBC Sports Network, that’s going to be great for us.

Original programming is one thing we can control. We’re hitting that at 500 miles per hour. It’s one area where we can make a difference and get awareness. We created Turning Point. It was nominated for an Emmy in its first year. NHL36, MLS 36: Shows that profiles the athlete. We have Costas Tonight. Ross Greenburg is doing documentaries. He’s working on a show with Jack Nicklaus on the 1962 U.S. Open.

We’ve been very busy.

That’s all well and good, but isn’t imperative for NBC Sports Network to land some portion of the new MLB deal (which expires after the 2013 season)?

Miller: We have a healthy appetite to add more programming. It’s all a question of when it becomes available. Quite honestly, our competition (ESPN), which has been around for 33 years, has done a great job at locking up stuff long-term. So you have to sit and wait patiently for the opportunity.

We’re going to be aggressive bidders for whatever quality live content comes out there. Baseball is a property that’s still in the walls at NBC. We did baseball longer, and quite honestly, as well as it ever has been done.  If the opportunity comes along, and it makes sense, we’re going to be players.

We work for a company that’s not afraid to spend money, as evidenced by the fact they just spent $16 billion on (Olympics, NFL, PGA Tour, NHL, etc). They’ve shown for the right properties, they’ll step up.

What if you don’t get baseball? Won’t that be a major blow?

Miller:  There are other properties that are going to be coming up. Baseball is the one right in front of us. But there’s going to be some college football and basketball available in a few years. The BCS is going to be in play. NASCAR, the NBA is going to be up. There’s a lot of product out there. As the NHL guys say: ‘We want you to get us some brothers and sisters,’ and that’s what we’re going to do.

Don’t you need to go out and get somebody like Scott Van Pelt to broaden your base from a personality perspective?

Miller: Everything is on the table. You’re going to talk to everybody. If you have a role for them, they’re going to listen. Scott Van Pelt does a good job. There are a lot of people over at ESPN who are good quality. Not just people there. There are guys at local stations.

How do you view the comparisons to ESPN?

Miller: We’re flattered and somewhat amused. ESPN is 33 years old. And they get $7 per month (per subscriber) and they are in 100 million households. We’re only 3-months old. To compare us with them is really kind of funny. You’ve got to give us a chance to develop and grow.

We do think fans out there really want to see an alternative. There are multiple news outlets like CNN, MSNBC, Fox News. We think people want alternatives for sports. They don’t want it all brought to them in one way.

So how should people digest stories about your early ratings?

Miller: The fact of the matter is the ratings aren’t there. Yeah, it’s frustrating. We know there are people out there who would love to see us fail. There’s a lot of incentive from people to see us not be successful. That’s OK. That’s the challenge.

Our feeling is we want to leave this place a lot better than we found it. We want the people who follow in our footsteps to say we set them up long term. NBC Sports Network can live forever. It can be a successful, viable network for this company.

 

 

Three games, one network: Busy sports night in Chicago

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If you’re a regional sports network, this is a busy time of year with baseball, basketball and hockey going at full speed. It’s even busier if you air games for two baseball teams.

Comcast Sports Net in Chicago has one of those logistics problems Monday. Thanks to the Blackhawks forcing a game 6, it now has three games on its schedule.

CSN knows the drill. The Blackhawks-Phoenix game gets top priority and will be shown on the main network.

The Cubs-St. Louis game shifts to CSN+. Most local viewers know where to find that channel on their cable system.

Here’s where it gets tricky. The White Sox-Oakland moves to CSN+2. Now that’s not CSN-squared.

To my all Chicago readers, here’s the best advice. Check out CSNChicago.com.