Monthly Archives: January 2013

CBS’ McManus: ‘NFL just keeps getting bigger and bigger in the television universe’; addresses safety concerns

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A little perspective when it comes to ratings for last weekend’s NFL Championship games. Yes, the ratings fell, but it’s sort of like saying Babe Ruth had an off year in 1928 because he only hit 54 homers, a decline from 60 in 1927.

The NFL’s ratings still are huge even if they are a bit down.

Street and Smith’s Sports Business Daily reports the two games averaged 44.9 million viewers, a drop from 53.7 million in 2012. Some factors are involved here. Namely, Baltimore’s sound victory over New England in the AFC title game, which ran in the late window Sunday, wasn’t nearly as compelling as the Giants’ overtime win at San Francisco (also the late game) the year before. That game attracted 57.6 million viewers.

Also, keep in mind, the ratings for last year’s title games were 30-year highs, dating back to the days when few households had cable. Much like Ruth’s 60, it’s tough to expect the NFL to hit those numbers every year.

Even with the dip, the title games were the most watched shows on television since last year’s Super Bowl. The only other telecasts that even come close are other NFL games.

It’s CBS turn for the Super Bowl this year. Naturally, CBS Sports Chairman Sean McManus is excited.

When it comes to NFL ratings, McManus almost sounds like he is overwhelmed. Here’s why: The season saw 9 games that had in excess of 30 million viewers.

“We all seem to be consumed with hyperbole,” McManus said. “The ratings continue to amaze us all. The NFL just keeps getting bigger and bigger in the television universe. It makes it very satisfying when you’re in the business of covering the NFL.”

However, all is not perfect. A huge potential roadblock is the game itself. Like all other executives in the business, McManus knows the consequences if the danger levels of football can’t be curbed.

“With respect to the perception of the game and the player safety issues – those are very, very important issues that potentially could affect the viewership,” McManus said. “I’m hoping and am confident that the NFL can take the steps to make the game safer.

“There are issues everybody needs to continue to deal with and pay attention to and not go merrily skipping down the road just assuming we are going to be as dominant with the NFL ten years from now as we are today. Those issues do have to be addressed and I think they are important and I think there is some liability out there if they are not paid attention to.”

 

 

 

Comcast SportsNet Sports Awards makes big winner out of March of Dimes

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I want to give special mention to a special event in Chicago. Thursday is the annual Comcast SportsNet Sports Awards.

The event honors the top athletes in Chicago. The big winner, though, is the March of Dimes, which receives the proceeds of this event.

Now celebrating its 25th year, the event has raised more than $11 million for the March of Dimes. This year’s headliners features Ernie Banks, Frank Thomas, Otis Wilson, Bob Love, and many others.

However, the highlight of the evening always is the presentation of the Inspirational Athlete Award.

A shout out to long-time producer Mike Leiderman, Bill Barry and his crew at the March of Dimes, and Jim Corno, Jeff Nuich and the CSN Chicago staff, who work tirelessly on the event. Due to a Blackhawks game, the dinner will air Thursday at 11 p.m., Central. Be sure to set your DVR if you can’t stay up late. The show also will air again Sunday at 11 p.m.Central.

Here are the details from CSN:

WHAT:  An impressive line-up of Chicago’s best-known current and legendary professional athletes will take center stage to receive honors at the 25th Annual Comcast SportsNet Sports Awards presented by BlueCross BlueShield of Illinois.

WHEN:  Thursday, January 24, 2013

Reception (5:00 PM) — Dinner (6:30 PM) — Awards Ceremony (7:30 PM) — CSN air time (11:00 PM)

WHERE:  Hilton Chicago (International Ballroom), 720 S. Michigan Ave., Chicago, IL

HOST:  David Kaplan

HONOREES:  The honorees chosen are top athletes from Chicago’s professional teams who have made considerable contributions to their teams and the Chicago community. This year’s honorees include:

Richard “Rip” Hamilton (Bull of the Year)    Bob Love (Bulls Legend)

Dave Bolland (Blackhawk of the Year)          Eddie Olczyk (Blackhawks Legend)

Darwin Barney (Cub of the Year)                  Ernie Banks (Cubs Legend)

Chris Sale (White Sox of the Year)                Frank Thomas (White Sox Legend)

Roberto Garza (Bear of the Year)                  Otis Wilson (Bears Legend)

Patrick Nyarko (Fire of the Year)                   Frank Klopas (Fire Legend)

Connor McHugh (Inspirational Athlete Award)

PRESENTERS:          Chris Boden                David Kaplan

      Susannah Collins        Stacey King

      Gail Fischer                 John Mullin

      Chuck Garfien             Mark Schanowski                   

 

 

Program alert: HBO Real Sports jumps in on Harbaugh mania

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Tonight’s first show of 2013 (HBO, 10 p.m. ET) will include a flashback and update of Andrea Kremer’s 2011 story on the Harbaugh family.

Said Kremer in an email:

“The inundation of Harbaugh-dom is upon us. The original story was shot on vacation at Gettysburg with the boys and their parents and is a tremendous window into their relationship, with great stories and access.

“With the advantage of time passing, we also went back to the original tapes and added in related material.  There’s a new and funny section on “who’s got it better than us” which Jim embraces but John says is too corny.

“And, there’s a cool story that Jack tells about Jim and the drafting of Kaepernick (video below).”

Posted in HBO

People still think Will Leitch works for Deadspin; and more fallout/analysis from Te’o story

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I might rename this site, Te’omania.com. There’s so much good stuff flying around, it demands our attention. Even if we’ve long since overdosed.

******

Will Leitch writes on Sports on Earth that he is getting hate mail from people who think he still is associated with Deadspin; he isn’t. Not sure if this bothers him more than watching the sinking Illinois basketball team. Beware Nebraska tonight, Will.

From his post:

About 36 hours after Deadspin broke the Manti Te’o story, I started to notice, on my Twitter timeline, a bunch of people calling me an asshole. Now, I haven’t worked at Deadspin for almost five years and had nothing to do with that story — I learned about it the same time the rest of earth did — but I understand: I founded Deadspin and will likely be associated with that place the rest of my life, even after Bleacher Report buys them in 2023 and just turns the joint into a series of penis slideshows. I’m OK with it.

Because people assumed I was still with Deadspin — or just saw Deadspin in my Twitter bio — the Twitter mentions were coming fast and furious. (And Deadspin itself was, of course, inundated with hate mail.) The viewpoint, coming almost entirely from Notre Dame fans, was clear: Deadspin had an anti-Notre Dame agenda, and they were just trying to take down Manti Te’o and their storied university from the get-go.

*******

And here’s a link to those letters that Deadspin received.

An example:

With regard to recent reporting I have it on 80% certainty that the Deadspin site is dropping the spin from it’s name and will now simply be Dead. Thanks.

And that was relatively tame.

********

Michael Bradley of the National Sports Journalism Center at Indiana writes a column off my post on Jeremy Schaap regarding his interview with Te’o. I talked to Schaap about saying he felt Te’o was credible during his reports on ESPN.

Bradley discusses whether Schaap should have injected his opinion

When journalists are trained, they are taught to report on events and work to provide the truth to readers or viewers. The facts are the most important things to consider, and anything less is unacceptable. But what about anything more? Schaap’s assertion that he was expected to share his opinions with people shows how things have blurred. He did a fine job – as usual – with the interview and with getting Te’o to respond to the questions people wanted answered. But was he then really expected to provide a verdict on the credibility of his subject’s account?

In the old world of journalism, no. He was to report and let the people acquire enough information to make their own decisions. But today’s climate is much different. People want to be told what is right and wrong, by people whom they can trust. Some of that is laziness; in order to get a complete story, people have to do more than just refer to one source. They don’t want to do that. But part of it comes from today’s personality-driven media world. The idea of interviewing someone who just conducted an interview is a relatively new concept and tied primarily to the 24/7 cycle that must be filled. Part of it comes from media outlets’ needs to produce stars that will attract and retain news consumers’ eyes and ears.

*******

Richard Deitsch of SI.com talks to Pulitzer Prize winners Ken Armstrong and Amy Nutt on how we all suck as reporters. Yes, I am tired of people using hindsight to say how reporters should have known.

From Armstrong:

As for the post-mortems, kudos to those reporters who have opened their  notebooks, revealing how they got sucked in. That’s got to be painful, but it’s  something we all can learn from. What’s clear from these accounts, especially  Pete Thamel’s in SI, is the danger of deep and early buy-in. Even when details  couldn’t be documented – there was no record of the girlfriend graduating from  Stanford, there was no record of her being hit by a drunk driver – all that  happened was, those details got cut. The story as a whole remained unquestioned.

One more thing: It’s worth noting that this kind of mythologizing – “Win One  for the Gipper,” the Babe’s called shot to center field – is not limited to  sports. When it comes to spinning a story, the U.S. Army is the equal of anyone.  Just remember what the military did with Jessica Lynch. And with Pat Tillman.  The lessons of the Te’o story – the need to be wary of inspirational tales with  details that run light or are contradictory – extend beyond the playing field.

You mean the Babe didn’t call his shot? Well, there goes that book I’m writing.

******

And that’s all for now. More to come, I’m sure.

 

 

 

 

Photographer on being in room with Te’o: “Is he going to be in here the whole time?”

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More inside info on Jeremy Schaap’s interview with Manti Te’o. This time from the photographer.

Ryan Jones, writing a first-person piece on Journo2go.com, details the experience of getting the call and then being in the room when Schaap did the interview. He wasn’t there for long. He writes:

Jeremy led the way back into the conference room, followed by Shawn and myself. After a quick introduction and shaking Te’o’s hand, I had just enough time to adjust my camera’s settings and fire off three shots before the interview began.

“Is the photographer going to be in here the whole time?” Te’o asked.

That was my cue to leave. I was in shock and utterly terrified. I left the room wondering just how badly I ruined the night by only managing to grab three mediocre photos and started praying that I’d have a chance to redeem myself by the time this thing ended.

Jones did get another chance to take more photos as the interview wound down a couple of hours later. Then he writes about a surreal experience: watching the ESPN report with Te’o.

Not long after the final images were turned over to ESPN, I had the chance to relax as Shawn ordered pizza around midnight and I was able to start my attempt at wrapping my mind around what exactly happened over the last 8 hours. With Te’o and his attorney in the conference room down the hall, Jeremy and Shawn left me in the lobby to unwind with a medium pepperoni pizza all to myself as they went outside to get ready for the live post-interview broadcast. Also, I am both proud and ashamed to admit that I ate nearly all of that pizza by myself; I thankfully managed to convince Te’o to take a slice as he walked by and back toward the conference room.

I believe it was around 12:45 a.m. when I heard a voice from the down the hall, inviting me in to watch the live coverage that was happening just outside the building. It was simply uncanny; there I was, eating pizza with Manti Te’o while watching Jeremy on ESPN giving one of the most impressive breaking news story rundowns I’ve ever witnessed.

By the way, Jones is a journalism student at the University of Florida. A friend tweeted:

“didn’t believe it when I saw it but thoroughly impressed man. Can’t pass reporting but can get a photo on ESPN.”

So let’s see: One of the Deadspin reporters of the original story, Jack Dickey, is a student at Columbia, and the photographer for the pictures seen around the U.S. also is a college student.

Yep, the business really is getting younger. Wish I had those opportunities when I was in school.

 

 

 

 

Take-aways from Te’o: Is Deadspin the new go-to for sports news? How it beat ESPN on big story

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While the Manti Te’o story was blowing up last week, somebody asked me what it means for the future of sports journalism? Does Deadspin suddenly become our source for news?

I responded by pointing out a headline on the site that caught my attention just prior to Deadspin breaking the Te’o story last Wednesday. It read:

I want to film myself having sex with my wife without her knowing it.

Now this headline for Drew Magary’s Funbag letters column wasn’t stuck in a corner of the home page. It was front and center until the Te’o story hit.

The future of sports journalism? No, this isn’t your father’s Sporting News.

*****

Deadspin’s profile has gone up considerably thanks to a bunch of idiots who decided to hoax a naive linebacker. The original post generated more than 3 million page views. Deadspin was cited in reports by Anderson Cooper, Brian Williams, Scott Pelley, and everyone else. All in all, not a bad day.

In my mind, one of the bigger stories here is that Deadspin beat ESPN for the story.

Both outlets were tipped around the same time. ESPN has some of the best (and most expensive) reporters, editors, producers in the business.

Yet the WWL watched Deadspin, a site that regularly skewers ESPN, break the stunning tale. And to further underscore the David-Goliath angle, the reporters were Tim Burke, a 34-year-old video and assignment editor for the website, and Jack Dickey, who just happens to be a senior at Columbia University.

Wait a minute, the Bernstein of this piece still is getting college homework assignments? Time to turn pro, kid.

According to a post by Richard Deitsch of SI.com, the tipster picked Deadspin because “Deadspin was better equipped to do the search.”

The tipster couldn’t have known that Burke completed his doctoral studies at the University of South Florida with an expertise in identity, according to Deitsch’s piece. That’s a fairly strong asset in nailing down a story involving identity.

However, the tipster did have a feeling Deadspin, with its younger and yes, edgier, reporters would be able navigate through the computer maze better than anyone else. This story is about mining Google, Twitter, Facebook, and other information that’s out there if you know where to look.

If there’s a lesson to be learned here, it’s that social media can be a powerful tool in reporting in the new age.

As a result, Deadspin got the story; ESPN didn’t.

******

Deadspin’s slogan, if you will, is “Sports News Without Access, Favor, or Discretion.”

Let’s underline the discretion part. If you’re a target of Deadspin, you think the site is the devil incarnate.

I don’t think I’m breaking news when I say Deadspin’s mission seems to be to highlight the stupid and inane aspects of sports, and life in general. If they can embarrass a subject, all the better.

In regards to journalistic values, let’s not forget the site paid a source for the infamous Brett Favre penis photos. That practice puts Deadspin closer to the National Enquirer than the Washington Post.

And regarding the Te’o story, Deadspin went over the line when it quoted an anonymous source who said he was “80 percent sure” the linebacker had played a role in the hoax. As I wrote last week, most outlets wouldn’t have gone with a single source who wasn’t 100 percent certain with such a damning allegation.

Deadspin, though, is what it is. The site already had a big audience prior to last week’s story. All the exposure should result in more people checking it out.

If the Te’o fiasco showed anything, it’s that Deadspin will be a player for these stories in the future. This won’t be the last time the site nails a big one.

However, it also is going to be a site that trumpets headlines asking if it is OK to video yourself having sex with your wife without her knowing it? With those kind of headlines, how seriously can you take a site like that?

You be the judge.

By the way, Magary says your wife has to know.

 

 

 
 

 

 

 

 

What lockout? NHL on NBC returns with huge ratings for opening weekend

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First the big numbers and then some observations:

Saturday: The 2.0 overnight on NBC (regional coverage of Pittsburgh-Philadelphia, Chicago-Los Angeles)  was the best for any regular-season game on any network, excluding Winter Classics, since a 2.3 overnight for three-game regional on ABC (1/12/02), also making it the best on NBC since the network began broadcasting the NHL again in 2006.

The 2.0 overnight was up 67% compared to last year’s 2011-12 NHL on NBC regular-season average (1.2), which includes the 2012 Winter Classic, and up 82% vs. coverage during the comparable weekend last year, which featured Chicago-Detroit (1.1; 1/14/12; overtime).

Sunday: The NHL on NBC (12:30-3:15P; Phil-Buff) earned a 1.4 overnight rating, up 27% from the same Sunday last year (12:30-3:15P; Wash-Pitt/O.T.; 1.1).

Excluding Winter Classics, it tied last year’s Hockey Day in America early game on 02/19/12 (12:30P; 3-gm reg’l) as the best overnight delivery for a Sunday broadcast regular-season NHL game since 03/26/00 on ABC (1P; 3-gm reg’l; 1.5).

*******

So much for any backlash from the lockout. I had a feeling hockey fans, starving for their game, would forgive and forget quickly.

If anything, the high ratings show that the sport leagues can abuse us all they want with their labor disputes. At the end of the day, we’ll come crawling back because they still are the best games in town.

And one more thing: Opening last weekend was the perfect storm for the NHL. They started their season on the first Saturday since August that didn’t feature any college or pro football. As a result, the NHL had an ideal opportunity to lure viewers who wanted to watch sports of any sort.

Now let’s see if the NHL can keep it up.

 

Posted in NHL

Shannon Sharpe, our hero: Rips Belichick for not doing postgame interview with CBS

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Shannon Sharpe has his share of critics on CBS’ NFL Today. But everyone was behind him Sunday after he pounced on poor sport Bill Belichick.

The New England coach reinforced his jerkness by refusing to talk to CBS’ Steve Tasker after the game. Now, it wasn’t as if the Patriots lost a heart-breaker on a controversial call. The Ravens pounded them in the second half. Pull yourself together and give two minutes to a network that is paying billions for the rights to these days.

Kudos to Sharpe for calling out Belichick. Also, watch Bill Cowher’s body language. What did he think of Sharpe’s verbal lashing?

Posted in CBS

Q/A with Eddie Olczyk: With short schedule, ‘It is such a crapshoot’; Pivotal season for Blackhawks

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Eddie Olczyk needs to make up for lost time. So the NBC/Chicago Blackhawks analyst hardly is easing into the new season.

His schedule since last Saturday through Sunday:

Saturday: Los Angeles for Blackhawks-Kings; Sunday: Phoenix for Blackhawks-Coyotes; Tuesday: Chicago for St. Louis-Blackhawks; Wednesday: New York for Boston-Rangers; Thursday: Dallas for Chicago-Stars: Friday: East Lansing to Michigan State-Penn State (his son plays for Penn State); Saturday: Columbus for Chicago-Blue Jackets; Sunday: Chicago for Detroit-Blackhawks.

I get exhausted just typing that. But Olczyk doesn’t seem fazed.

“I just forge ahead,” he said.

Olczyk, one of the best analysts in any sport, knows being busy beats the alternative. With the NHL season finally kicking off Saturday, I asked Olczyk to assess the fallout and look ahead to the factors that will impact the short 48-game season. Also, as a bonus to the Chicago readers, Olczyk weighs in on what will be an important season for the Blackhawks.

How did you handle the time off?

For me, I lived through this before as a coach and a player. I understand the dynamics of what goes in it.

It was a chance to spend time with my family. I have two boys playing college hockey. I saw a lot of their games. I have a son whose team I help coach. I was at the rink five nights a week. So I was around hockey quite a bit.

Were you nervous the entire season would be wiped out?

I was always banking on the common sense part of it. On the inside, I was hoping we would play. But the longer you go, you wonder if common sense would kick in.  But it’s a business. There’s no guarantees. It happens with everything in life. Unfortunately for us, it happens far too often.

Was this all worth it? Will the sport be better off?

It’s too early to get your thumb print on it. Any time you lose games, it’s not a good thing. So many people were affected (on and off the ice).

Where does the league stand now compared to 2004-2005 when the entire season was lost?

Back then, they came back with a lot of gadgets. The shootout. People were really jazzed up about that. There were rules changes (for more offense). You had Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin coming on.

Now I think we’re relying more on the momentum that the sports captured over the last seven years. The playoffs were big last year. People were so happy all those outlets had all the games. We’re going to tell stories, tell people why the game is as great as it is. Not only in person but on television as well. The bottom line is, it’s entertainment. We have to entertain.

If you were coaching this year, how would you feel going into the season without any real training camp?

Certainly, there are going to be challenges. You had only five practices to implement your system.

It’s going to be a 48-game push. For coaches, time management is going to be the key. You’re going to go through tough stretches where you’re not playing well in a certain area. You may lose three in a row and your power play is 0 for 20. You want to practice, but you’re going to have give guys a day off. Maybe rest is the most important thing you can give them.

You’re going to have to watch a guy’s minutes. You’re going to be playing four games in six nights. For a lot of guys, it won’t be physically possible for them practice on that off day and have them ready to go.

What’s the impact of a reduced schedule?

With the short schedule, it is such a crapshoot. The only thing I know for sure, the first 14 games are going to be big. I don’t think you can make the playoffs in the first 14 games, but I think you can knock yourself out. Is that .500? Is that a game over?

Every night somebody is gaining on you. You have to be able to stay out of going 2-5 on a road trip. If you don’t win for two or three games, you’re going to drop off big time.

You can see how close the division races were in past years. You think about all games are within the conference this year. Everyone will need to brush up on the tie-breakers. With the short season, it’s going to be so close. The difference between home ice advantage and missing the playoffs…It’s going to be really, really crazy.

You work as a local TV analyst for the Blackhawks for Comcast SportsNet Chicago. Since winning the Stanley Cup in 2010, the Blackhawks have been eliminated in the first round of the playoffs in two straight years. How big of a season is it for the Hawks?

There’s no doubt that they’ve got to take that next step. Losing in the first round is just not good enough. I know the philosophy of (owner Rocky Wirtz and team president John McDonough). Regardless of changeover or anything else, their expectations are one thing: To win.

The Hawks need the goaltending to go to another level. They need to be able to win those defensive type of games, those tight-checking, neutral zone type of games. There are their special teams. And put that in the blender, and hope you get to the next step.

Can they do it without making any major changes?

That’s a good question. They get Hossa back, they get Daniel Carcillo back, and he’ll give them a physical presence they were lacking for most of the season (Note: Carcillo got injured in the opener Saturday and will miss some significant time.) They have some depth on the back end, which will help. How much time will their best defenseman play (Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook)? And can they improve their power play?

Those things can be the difference, not only during the regular season, but in the playoffs.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Katie Couric lands TV interview with Manti Te’o

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Edges out Oprah?

From the New York Times:

Katie Couric has landed the first television interview with Manti Te’o, the Notre Dame football star who said he was tricked into believing first that he had a girlfriend and then that the girlfriend died of leukemia. The girlfriend never existed.

The oddity of the preceding sentences explain why Mr. Te’o has received so much attention in recent days, and why the first interview of him has been so hotly pursued.

The ESPN reporter Jeremy Schaap interviewed Mr. Te’o for two and a half hours on Friday night, but Mr. Te’o’s representatives insisted that it take place off-camera. Now, it seems, they are ready for him to go on-camera.

Ms. Couric’s interview will be televised on Thursday on “Katie,” the syndicated talk show she began last fall, a spokeswoman for the show said on Sunday. Excerpts from the interview will be broadcast in advance on “Good Morning America” and other ABC News programs.

Mr. Te’o will be joined by his parents, Brian and Ottilia, for the interview. Mr. Te’o apparently misled his father about the girlfriend, claiming at one point that he’d met her in Hawaii.