ESPN Running Scared ~

[Carl Spackler]

Dammit - it's news if the "world wide leader" sez it's news!!! Get in line!

Baa.

 

[sportsart]

Think about it. ESPN is talking about a scoop they almost had. They are telling us about their moral victories.

Way to go team ESPN. Knute would be so proud.

 

[UCFBfan]

Wait didn't McMurphy write for CBS?!? When the heck did he switch to ESPN? Or am I thinking of someone else?

 

[IMind]

The fact that ESPN would ask for this information isn't crazy. That's just their job to report on possible candidates for an important college sports position.

What is garbage is that they would feel the need to write some sort of half-assed article to try to paint the search process and the eventual selection in a negative light.

 

[Santini35]

Wait didn't McMurphy write for CBS?!? When the heck did he switch to ESPN? Or am I thinking of someone else?

Within the last month

 

[TRest]

http://espn.go.com/blog/bigeast/post/_/id/35621/insight-into-big-east-commissioner-search

Good old AA on the Big East Blog is saying this as "an excellent piece of reporting" Now, Im not a reporter, but I would think to qualify as excellent reporting, you would first have to write about a subject that people actually care about.

The only news here is that somebody at ESPN was attempting to do some research and reporting, rather than taking credit for breaking a story someone else did all the work on.

 

[junglehusky]

Everyone seems to be thinking this is about ESPN trashing the BE... if I may put on the tinfoil hat for a second, it seems to be about ESPN trying to improve their negotiating position / strategy with the BE by gleaning some information from the BE's list of candidates. Or is that so simple, it's crazy?

 

[ShakyTheMohel]

Everyone seems to be thinking this is about ESPN trashing the BE... if I may put on the tinfoil hat for a second, it seems to be about ESPN trying to improve their negotiating position / strategy with the BE by gleaning some information from the BE's list of candidates. Or is that so simple, it's crazy?

I have the same hat on. I actually was thinking they could use the information to influence the candidates to not take the position. If they knew Aresco was a possibility...might they place a call and try to influence his decision? Or if they truly were concerned about him....maybe offer him a position with them?

Interesting to think about...but I don't think the BE means that much to ESPN.

 

[huskymedic]

Everyone seems to be thinking this is about ESPN trashing the BE... if I may put on the tinfoil hat for a second, it seems to be about ESPN trying to improve their negotiating position / strategy with the BE by gleaning some information from the BE's list of candidates. Or is that so simple, it's crazy?

I don't think you are way off-base... This is the cross-over between sports journalism/reproting and business self interest people that is a farce.
Shakey - Aresco started w/ ESPN and left for CBS, not sure he would go back (well check that - for the right salary who knows).

 

[Rondogg]

Why would any news organization care about the search for a new commissioner? Unless we had Sandusky on the short list, why would this be of relevance, or interest, to anyone?

There are only two reasons I think they would do this, and both take advantage of the fact that they are a news organization:

1. They thought someone at ESPN was on the list.
2. They wanted to manipulate the list.

Either way, it's shady. Some news organization should use the FIO on ESPN to get the emails discussing how this story originated and what the goals were.

 

[Carl Spackler]

Seriously? (warning - long) I know you guys love when I do that. I warned you all about these unnamed sources before, now ESPN has a professional writer doing it. Pathetic.

The article starts out very solid, reporting. So, and so were candidates, so and so didn't show up in any documents at all until days before the official hiring. Threats of legal action to maintain confidentiality of sensitive information in the hiring process, information requested by ESPN directly from university leadership, through free press regulations. Good reporting, all referenced with solid sources.....

Then this....

"Last month, league officials said the Big East planned to name a new commissioner at the end of August. However, industry sources told ESPN that the Big East -- once notified of ESPN's public records request on Aug. 6 -- quickly decided to name a commissioner before the records request could be fulfilled."

League officials did say that. That’s a set up. This is a professional writer we’re talking about. It immediately gives credibility to……
...there's those industry sources again. The same ones that said Boise was going back to the MWC. The same ones that have been wrong about everything, that hasn't come directly from a league president or from the league office officially since January. So, we're supposed to believe that the ESPN information request - is what motivated the hire?

Really McMurphy? that's what motivated a quick hire? an ESPN information request? BS

So let's continue. Next line.

"The Big East felt the search would be compromised if the names got out beforehand," a league source said. "That's exactly why they moved up the timetable to name the commissioner."

See? The league source this time – credibility set up, but now….WOW! an unnamed industry source has credibility? Well the league did say that they'd have somebody hired by the end of August. They said it in May. But the timetable got changed? When? BS. Strawman.
Let's move on next paragraph.

"It's unknown if any candidates withdrew from consideration for fear their names would be exposed in the emails Russell Reynolds Associates sent to several Big East public and private universities."

Huh? Talk about setting up a strawman. Who withdrew? Did anybody really withdraw? Says who? But yeah, let's go ahead and jump to those emails that would expose something and creative something negative. BS
Next paragraph. These are professional writers, they know what they're doing. Here's your explanation for that unfounded statement, coming after, to emphasize the BS - false strawman conclusion.

"In three separate emails to the Big East's search committee between July 15 and July 31, Russell Reynolds' managing director Alan Reene and executive search consultant Liz Boardman warned the committee "if any of the (candidate) names were made public, we would certainly lose candidates" and if it wasn't confidential it "would likely result in the withdrawal of the relevant candidate(s)."

All that paragraph does is re-inforce what was stated immediately, and that is reasonably to be expected to be known, that privacy in the interview and hiring process was very important to the success of finding the highest qualified individual - that was specified on day 1, in that both potential interviews, and those already interviewed, would no longer have interest. THis isn't news, and is part of any hiring process, at any level. If you've got a job, it's not a good idea to go out and interview for another job without a clear plan in mind, and your communication issues and profiles with your existing employer and your potential future employer are all lined up properly. Look at what Flipper did to Jagodznski. Of all the executives mentioned, I'm sure that they will have repercussions of some sort, for interviewing for the BIg East job. This isn't mickey mouse business we're dealing with - these are long term professional sports executives in very high profile jobs.

Let's move on.

"Industry sources said the Big East believed once it named a commissioner, ESPN would withdraw its request for the public documents."

What? What the hell is that? We hired Aresco in the specified time frame because ESPN we thought ESPN would withdraw the public document request? There's that industry source again. But wasn't it the league source that said that the public document request is what speeded up the process? Let's look back...

Yup - it was the unnamed league source that said that ESPN request supposedly sped up the process (all of which happened in the time frame specified in May, by Joe Bailey). So McMurphy - another unnamed industry source confirmed what your unnamed league source said? Or is it the same unnamed industry source that you started this mess with, that said that the league decided to name it's commissioner quickly before information could be sent out – or was it because they wanted the ESPN request withdrawn?

So – in conclusion, the league did a shotgun hire on Aresco, because they didn't want to send out records, and then were hoping the records wouldn't go out, once the hire was made b/c ESPN would withdraw?

BS. Next line:


"League sources with knowledge of the search confirmed to ESPN that Aresco didn't emerge as a candidate until just days before his hiring."

League source(s) this time? Yes, that’s exactly what the information says, so he closes his argument with a statement that validates that unnamed BS league source.
I'm supposed to believe those multiple league sources now? BS.


Here's what McMurphy did with his article.
He publicly notified the entire corporations of every one of the candidates he named, that their leader was interviewing for another job, and then he tried to blame the Big East for it all, and not his own company, for doing that.

I really don't know how some of these ESPN people can sleep soundly at night.

Baa.

 

[CL82]

Everyone seems to be thinking this is about ESPN trashing the BE... if I may put on the tinfoil hat for a second...

Conspiracy Kitty says:
Feels good doesn't it?

 

[Rondogg]

There is some fun comments on the story: http://espn.go.com/ncaa/conversatio...ommissioner-mike-aresco-came-job-late-process

 

[weyuo]

It sounds like ESPN initially wanted to get any info it could on who was going to be the next BE Commish because they will be going into negotiations soon with the Big East. But.....once they couldn't get said info they decided to try and stir up some dirt/controversy(outing 2 Big East schools) in an attempt to get turmoil going in the league, weakening it's opponent in any way possible before negotiations start. It's a tactic but outing 2 Big East schools is just cheap and makes them look foolish. "Add another $500K per school for trying to go behind our backs." would be one of my final demands(after demanding that we get above what the ACC gets) if I were Aresco.

 

[jdb50]

Just another reason to be pissed our Tax money is going to ESPN courtesy of Malloy. Trying to get the names of a search for Conference commish to put them in the public domain, has this ever been done before by them? It's an invasion of the privacy of the individuals who wanted their name in the process, especially if it harmed their employment status with their present employers.

 

[Rondogg]

Some of my favorite responses to the article on ESPN:

"I know one thing, ESPN will definitely miss having those Big East basketball games to fill up space from November to March. NBC will have that luxury. Good luck trying to pimp Alabama basketball. LMAO Screw ESPN and their SEC loving aes. NBC will be the nail driven into their coffin."

"But I'd love to see the FOIA requests ESPN filed for the recent Big XII Commish search.
But... there probably aren't any."

"How about a lengthy in dept article on what exactly ESPN told the ACC to do."

"U want a new Contract w the Big East yet you put us down For the Longest time.. well FORGET IT.... like im gonna pick on a cute girl over and over and over and make her feel Ugly and useless, just to ask her out.. Noise..."

 

[Husky68]

Sign with NBC, then sue ESPN over their using inside information to suggest ACC take sPitt and Fruit. In the suit get discovery on what ESPN said amongst themselves and to ACC.

 

[whaler11]

The best part of the story is the stance that putting 'confidential' in the subject matters.

I'm not quite sure what the big deal is - looks like a good hire, whole world seems to agree it's a good hire - nothing in the story is different than any other hiring process.

 

[uconnbill]

Just another reason to hate ESPN

 

[UCFBfan]

The comments are very interesting....I wonder how long until this story "mysteriously" disappears from the website.....I give it another day based on all the negative comments on their own site.

 

[jbdphi]

I have to say, this seems like nothing more than spite and nastiness. The true "victims" in this are the people who were named as being potentially interested in the position. How do those people talk to their respective organizations where they are showing up to work at on Monday? As a private individual interviewing for a position at a private organization, why the hell does this become public?

 

[formerlurker]

When I went to sleep last night I told myself the first thing I would do when I woke up was either work out or catch up on paper work. Those were my only options.

Something totally unexpected happened overnight. When I woke up I'd completely forgotten about exercise and paperwork and decided to jerko*f instead.

Yes, I went against what I had said I'd do and chose an option I did not disclose to the public. But, it was the best choice and one that would be widely praised by the masses.

Think I'll make Sportscenter tomorrow?

 

[huskymedic]

When I went to sleep last night I told myself the first thing I would do when I woke up was either work out or catch up on paper work. Those were my only options.

Something totally unexpected happened overnight. When I woke up I'd completely forgotten about exercise and paperwork and decided to jerko*f instead.

Yes, I went against what I had said I'd do and chose an option I did not disclose to the public. But, it was the best choice and one that would be widely praised by the masses.

Think I'll make Sportscenter tomorrow?

Maybe for the "Not So Top 10" posts...

 

[formerlurker]

Top 10" posts"?

I'm cool if I make the top 5 3/4" posts.

 

[sportsart]

There's an old saying that goes like this: "If you give someone enough rope, eventually they'll hang themselves"

ESPN's arrogance knows no bounderies. They have taken so much rope.

Someday, hopefully in my lifetime, a tree in Bristol........