Author Archives: The Richard A. Maxwell Sport Media Project

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About The Richard A. Maxwell Sport Media Project

The Richard A. Maxwell Sport Media Project is a hub for teaching, research, and service related to sport media. The Project benefits students and faculty at Bowling Green State University, and offers outreach and media consulting to area and regional groups that work with student-athletes. Through collaborative efforts of the Sport Management program and the School of Media and Communication, BGSU students have the opportunity to learn such skills as sports writing, reporting, broadcasting, announcing, public relations, media relations, communication management and production. Faculty and other scholars have access to resources about the commercial and sociological aspects of sport.

Embrace debate helping or hurting ESPN

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 BY ANTHONY ALFORD

Is it more important for a show to be defined by creditability and integrity, or by ratings and attention? That is the issue for ESPN2’s two-hour morning show, First Take, starring Skip Bayless and Stephen A. Smith. Initially, this program was designed to be a lighter, general interest counterpart to ESPN’s Sportscenter. But the ratings never supported the format and First Take was in danger of being canceled. But then came Tim Tebow and the show went from respectable, but irreverent to a joke with high ratings.

The show’s tagline “embrace debate” has caused conflict among the ESPN networks. This show should be a flop considering the personalities of it stars. Stephen A. Smith is a loudmouth who wins arguments by talking louder than everyone else in the room. Skip Bayless is considered by many to be a joke. He takes the unpopular opinion just to get attention, not because his opinion is actually logical and correct. He uses his daily two-hour platform to openly cheer for Tebow, call LeBron James overrated and challenge athletes to “debate” him.

Last week, Seattle Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman took the bait and debated Bayless. Sherman’s main adjective was ripping Bayless during their entire debate. And while Bayless-haters believe this was a win for Sherman, this was really a win for Bayless and First Take. In fact, as ESPN Radio’s Colin Cowherd explains, this was a “walk-off grand slam” for Bayless because Sherman gave Bayless an endless amount of free promotion and attention.

According to ESPN, First Take has increased its total viewership by 21 percent between 2011 and 2012. The big number is their target audience of males, ages 18-34, which is very attractive to advertisers. Between 2011 and 2012, First Take gained 32 percent in viewership in the male 18-34 demographic.

Given the show’s success, it has impacted viewership for SportsCenter. According to Nielsen data, Sportscenter (10-11 a.m.) led First Take in ratings by 636,000 viewers in September 2011. However, the difference between the two shows decreased dramatically as First Take offered more time to Tim Tebow when he was quarterback for the Denver Broncos. By March 2012, when Tim Tebow was traded to the New York Jets, Sportscenter only led by 182,000 viewers according to Nielson data. First Take is no longer a secondary option; it became Sportscenter’s competition.

Since that time, the morning Sportscenter has taken on a debate flair of its own. Most recently, ESPN analysts debated which win streaks between the NBA’s Miami Heat and the NHL’s Chicago Blackhawks is better.

First Take has certainly put a dark cloud over ESPN and its flagship program. This is ill-timed considering it will have competition later this year from Fox Sports 1, Fox’s new 24-hour sports network. The ratings are certainly increasing, however the ESPN and Sportscenter brands are losing creditability by the day. The answer is not eliminating First Take as many media writers have suggested. Instead, the morning Sportscenter must improve the quality of its show so it’s not competing with its ESPN2 counterpart. Limit the worthless debate segments and present an intelligent program that Sportscenter is capable of producing.

NFL Teams Question players’ sexual orientation

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BY LORI RAUDIO

The NFL Combine typically brings the excitement of scouting new players entering the draft. This year, however, multiple players who participated in the combine came forward with allegations that teams asked them questions about their sexual orientation. The stories quickly captured media attention and have led to an NFL investigation.

After the Manti Te’o scandal involving his fake girlfriend, he received a majority of the media’s attention at the NFL combine. It was widely reported teams wanted to know if he was gay, and it’s believed his scandal will affect his draft position. It is unknown if Te’o’s case is the cause, but reportedly teams have been asking players questions such as “do you like girls?” and “do you have a girlfriend?”

Colorado tight-end Nick Kasa, Michigan quarterback Denard Robinson, and Michigan State running back Le’veon Bell all came forward with similar stories about being asked questions about their relationship status and sexual orientation.

Multiple sport analysts have weighed in saying, if true, these NFL teams went too far. They also may have violated federal employment laws.

On  Sportscenter, analyst and former NFL coach Herm Edwards said teams “absolutely crossed a line.” He felt teams who asked these questions should be fined or lose their draft picks. ESPN Senior Writer John Clayton agreed lines were crossed. He said if Kasa and the others reveal what teams asked these questions, there could be penalties. Regardless, he expects NFL Commissioner Roger Goddell to issue a mandate saying teams need to comply with federal laws.

The NFL will be investigating the issue, and it will be interesting to see if punishments are handed out or what new procedures will be put into place.

As Edwards put it, it brings up the question: is the NFL ready for an openly gay player? Edwards thinks it is, but given their questions, it seems NFL teams are not. It’s bound to happen, and most likely sooner rather than later. Given this situation, the NFL still has a way to go before it embraces an openly gay player.

Danica Patrick: Not just a pretty face

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BY KYLE MCQUILLEN

The Daytona 500 kicks off the NASCAR Sprint Cup season every year and, unlike most sports, it has the biggest event of the year as its first.

Every year there are good storylines coming into the race, such as drivers changing teams and new rule changes. However, this year was like no other as, for the first time, a woman sat on the pole for the historic race.

Danica Patrick has often been criticized for receiving a ride based on things other than her driving ability and her results to date have been shaky at best. That criticism, however, has slowed down some after Patrick not only won the pole, but also had a strong showing in the “Great American Race”.

Patrick finished eighth, but ran in the top five for much of the race. She became the highest finishing female in the Daytona 500 history with her eight place run.

Prior to the race I, for one, thought too much attention was being paid to Patrick. I understand the historical implications of the situation, but she had not proven herself to deserve as much attention as she was getting.

Watching the race, some may have thought, “OK, she has run well, but when is she going to crash? She always crashes.” That has been her downfall.

But on Sunday, she proved her critics wrong by not crashing and finishing well.

She also proved she’s not just a pretty face and she can run with the men.

Media overanalyzes 40-Yard Dash times at NFL Combine

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BY STEVE KUBITZA

The NFL Combine is an annual event that brings with it a great amount of media attention.

One of the most talked about events of the Combine is the 40-yard dash. Each player has two attempts to get timed running 40 yards, and the times usually fall into the 4.3-5+ second range. The times are scrutinized heavily, as the difference between a time of 4.6 and 4.7 can be the difference between being a second-or third-round draft pick.

The infamous Manti Te’o was heavily criticized for his time. His “Catfish” story is beginning to die down, but as the draft approaches, it seems like there are still those who do not want to see him succeed.

Te’o ran his 40-yard dash in 4.82 seconds. This seems like a great time on paper, but he is surprisingly drawing criticism for this performance from the media. Chicago Tribune writer Dan Pompei wrote an article titled, “Te’o disappoints with 40-yard dash times.”

Speed is important, but it cannot determine the heart of a player, or the will to win. It does not account for the intelligence of a player, or how he will handle certain game situations.

It is time to stop overanalyzing small, trivial aspects of these men and focus on what matters, which is their performance on the field. Unfortunately, some members of the media forget about this, and nothing will change until these players are on the field for their NFL teams.

ESPN celebrates ‘Danica 500’ and ignores Rousey

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BY ANTHONY ALFORD

This past weekend was a historic weekend for women’s sports as NASCAR driver Danica Patrick and UFC fighter Ronda Rousey both took center stage. It was a weekend in which sports media latched on to the historic female storyline.

ESPN began its NASCAR coverage in a “Sunday Conversation” interview with Patrick within 24 hours of her Daytona 500 pole win. Patrick continued to dominate ESPN coverage throughout the week. It felt like ESPN was covering the “Danica 500” rather than the Daytona 500.

Meanwhile, ESPN seemed to ignore fighter Ronda Rousey. Rousey and Liz Carmouche became the first female fighters to compete in UFC history. For years, women’s MMA has been reduced to sideshows on local and regional promotions. But Rousey had the “it” factor to allow women’s MMA to be taken seriously. However, because ESPN does not have TV rights for the UFC (Fox has a 7-year deal with UFC), ESPN felt little need to cover Rousey’s fight.

Rousey and Patrick are both mainstream stars, but if ESPN had it their way, Rousey would have never even existed. ESPN offered only 30 seconds of Rousey’s fight coverage. That’s right, 30 seconds.

ESPN’s coverage selection draws on an even bigger issue in sport. Does ESPN really care about the rise of women’s sports, or is it just a marketing ploy to benefit their outlets? ESPN covered Patrick’s race, but not Rousey’s fight because it was on another network. Sports fans should hope for competition from other networks to end ESPN’s monopoly on sports.

There are rumors of a Fox Sports 1, but those rumors say the network won’t be launched until August. Until then, Americans are stuck with ESPN and its interpretation of which athletes should make history.

On a weekend where women’s sports should be celebrated, instead we must focus on the agenda of mainstream media. Both of these ladies have earned the spotlight this weekend, however only one of the athletes got the fair treatment she deserved.

Media handles Buss death with respect

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BY LOREN BRANCH

In the midst of the Lakers’ disappointing season, the team took a loss off the court with the passing of long-time owner, Dr. Jerry Buss. Dr. Buss was an innovator and game-changer for not only the Lakers but the NBA and the city of Los Angeles as well. If it was not for his vision and great business mind, the Lakers franchise would not have the prestige it does today.

With Dr. Buss’ passing, there are a lot of general questions about the team. Obviously, it is the media’s job to seek the answers to these questions and report them to the public. With that in mind, the media has been very polite and understanding while trying to get a feel for what’s next for the Lakers and the Buss family.

On the emotional day of Dr. Buss’ death, a press conference was held with the Buss family speaker where he was asked questions about the future of the team and their ownership. In situations like these, there is always a possibility a reporter will ask an unnecessary or disrespectful question, but no one did. None of the reporters heckled the speaker in any way; when he ended a sentence with: “That is all I am going to say at this time,” reporters moved on to the next question. In addition, there were a couple of questions asked about Dr. Buss’ personality and great memories, which created a positive feel to the press conference.

Since the day of his death, there has been nothing but positive media coverage on Dr. Buss’ accomplishments. The best moment came during the pregame show for the Lakers v. Celtics game, two days after the passing. There was a short speech given by Kobe Bryant at Staples Center, followed by a moment of silence with a spotlight on the seat where he used to sit and watch every game. After the moment of silence, ESPN went back to the studio and there was an emotional and brief statement made by Magic Johnson where he expressed his love and appreciation for Dr. Buss.

The level of respect this situation has been shown is tremendous and the media’s coverage has been nothing but positive. ESPN and all the other media outlets that have covered this tragedy have done a great job giving Buss and his family the respect they deserve.

North Dakota Announcer Suspended

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BY LORI RAUDIO

The University of North Dakota’s overtime loss to Northern Arizona was no doubt upsetting to players and fans alike. Play-by-play radio announcer Paul Ralston, however, was apparently very upset by the game.

In an interview with North Dakota’s coach, Brian Jones, after the game, Ralston referred to the loss as a “choke job.” This phrase clearly upset North Dakota’s Athletic Department, which suspended Ralston for two games. The incident was featured on almost every major news outlet including ESPN, CBS, and Yahoo Sports.

To many people, it may not seem like a big deal. After all, we have heard much worse. I think one of the main factors in the decision to suspend Ralston was because his comment was made directly to the coach. Jones, however, did not seem fazed by it. He talked about how his team let the game slip away.

Many bloggers and Twitter users have commented that the suspension seems a bit excessive. While I tend to agree, I also respect North Dakota’s decision. Ralston blatantly disrespected Jones, a fellow employee of the school, to his face. While it is Ralston’s job to report honestly about the game, he definitely crossed a line.

In the wake of the Brent Musburger incident, it is evident announcers are being watched closer than ever. It raises the question of how much freedom of speech announcers have. There seems to be a struggle for some announcers to report the game fairly and keep the audience entertained without offending someone. All the media incidents as of late will only increase scrutiny on announcers’ commentaries.

Lousy NBA Slam Dunk Contest given life by commentators

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BY ANTHONY ALFORD

The NBA’s Slam Dunk Contest went from Jordan/Wilkins in the 80s, to Vinsanity (Vince Carter) in 2000, to Ross/Evans in 2013. I doubt many even knew of Terrence Ross or Jeremy Evans prior to this year’s Slam Dunk Contest.

The contest, by many standards was a snoozer. But the TNT crew of Charles Barkley, Kenny Smith, Shaq, and Kevin Harlan managed to make it entertaining.

The broadcast team took a “tell it like it is” approach to their telecast. Barkley and Shaq routinely noted the lack of playing time the players involved get on their respective teams. Some may argue it took away from these players’ moment of glory, but the comedy used in their commentary kept viewers watching. Barkley mocked comedian Kevin Hart, the attire worn by high-ups, and asked his TNT bosses to pay LeBron James to be in next year’s contest. The commentators understood their viewers did not want serious basketball talk all the time and let their personalities shine.

The TNT crew did their best to entertain their audience and tried to treat the event like a big deal. But, no matter how well an event is covered, if the event itself is crap, then it’s still crap.

Behind the Scenes at Super Bowl XLVII: Direct TV Celebrity Beach Bowl Orleans

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BY ADAM SEHLMEYER

The Super Bowl comes around once a year and showcases two of the best teams in the NFL. Most of America watches the game, but many don’t realize there are many ancillary events that happen before the actual game takes place. One of those events is the Direct TV Celebrity Beach Bowl. This event involves a flag football game in the sand between former NFL players, celebrities, actors, musicians and other athletes.

Being able to experience this event first hand is something I won’t forget. With celebrities all around like Desmond Howard, Eddie George and Shawn Johnson, it would have been easy to get overwhelmed. But for us, eight Sport Management students from BGSU, it was just another day helping out in New Orleans. It was our duty to make sure the celebrities stayed on time.

This event started off with a red carpet walk where the celebrities would talk to various people from different media stations. After the red carpet, the celebrities moved to a gifting tent where many businesses were offering up their products. The celebrities were then told to wait around in a lounging area where they talked and ate food provided for them.

The game itself consisted of four quarters of fun flag football, where the celebrities showed off their skills. Warren Moon and Deion Sanders shined in the game, while the other players were more concerned with having a good time. This event is a fan favorite for people who witness it live and more than 10,000 people showed up to watch this event. After the game was over there was a Pitbull concert and a Justin Timberlake party at night.

With so many events going on in one day we got to see what it was like to manage an event of this magnitude. We also saw how quickly an area can be transformed from a flag football game in the sand to a pop concert.

Braves Ban “Screaming Indian” Hat

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BY LORI RAUDIO

In December, the batting practice caps for  MLB teams were unveiled on the website Uni Watch. Most teams did simple variations on their logos and colors, but the Atlanta Braves’ new logo caused some controversy. The team chose to feature a “screaming Indian,” which many people felt was offensive to Native Americans.

This logo was retired in 1989, along with mascot “Chief Noc-a-Homa,” who wore traditional Native American tribal dress and paint. It is unclear what made the Braves want to bring back the logo, but they have since changed their position. After two months of controversy, the Braves announced they will use the traditional Atlanta “A,” rather than the Native American caricature.

Many members of the media spoke out in support of the Brave’s decision including national baseball writer, Craig Calcaterra. He wrote, “We’ll never know if public pressure and the negative reaction following the leak of the other design had anything to do with the choice, but it’s good to see that the Braves made the right choice.”

While this may be a step in the right direction, there are still many issues surrounding the use of Native American names and caricatures in sports. The Cleveland Indians are a team frequently in hot water for their mascot. They recently released new merchandise with an old logo of Chief Wahoo featuring a stereotypical Native American image with a large hooked noise and feathers.

The Washington Redskins, Kansas City Chiefs, and Chicago Blackhawks are just a few more examples of schools that use Native American mascots and logos. There has been debate over renaming these teams for many years, but so far no action has been taken. The one exception is the Florida State Seminoles, who were given permission by the Seminole Tribe to use their name.

The Atlanta Braves made the right decision, and it will be interesting to see if their decision will start a trend. There is no reason to disrespect a group of people by using offensive logos and mocking their traditions.