The power of ESPN and replacement refs

[CAHUSKY]

ESPN has clearly decided the NFL needs to come to an agreement with the referees. Mike Tarico has been banging the drum all week and after tonight's game they have clearly decided its the only thing they want to discuss. Who wants to bet $100 that an agreement is reached in the next 24 hours. If anyone ever wondered how much power they wielded over sports you will have your answer shortly.

 

[Dann]

i'm not sure espn has enough $$ in the nfl where they are the moving touch like they are in ncaa sports. it will be interesting tho.

 

[UCHuskies08]

It's not just ESPN, it's anyone with a pair of eyes attached to a brain.

Collinsworth was trashing them last night on NBC. Sirius NFL Radio hosts have been saying the same thing.

It's common sense. It should have never come to this.

I would ask this question to Goodell and those who are directly making the decision on the negotiating terms: Are you prepared to let these people ref the playoffs and Super Bowl? I can't imagine they are.

 

[jbdphi]

ESPN has clearly decided the NFL needs to come to an agreement with the referees. Mike Tarico has been banging the drum all week and after tonight's ugame they have clearly decided its the onlynthing they want to discuss. Who wants to bet $100 that an agreement is reached in the next 24 hours. If anyone ever wondered how much powere wielded over sports you will have your answer shortly.

I think if there was an organization that wields more power than ESPN, it would be the NFL. Once again, I would highly recommend reading the ESPN "biography" that is out there called These Guys Have All the Fun. It makes it very clear that while the relationship between the NFL and ESPN is a partnership, ESPN is definitely not the one calling the shots between the two. In the most recent TV negotiations for the NFL, ESPN got majorly screwed at least in comparison to what happened to NBC. The reason ESPN spends so much time talking about the NFL is not because the NFL pays them or asks them to do so. It's because there are so many NFL fans out there who just can't get enough of the coverage.

Obviously the NFL does not the "mainstream sports media" to focus exclusively on the replacement referees but I don't see them caving on the entire negotiation just because ESPN says that they need to.

 

[CAHUSKY]

i'm not sure espn has enough $$ in the nfl where they are the moving touch like they are in ncaa sports. it will be interesting tho.

ESPN paid $15B for the rights to MNF over 8 years. They pay $155m per year for ncaafb. I think they have a large enough investment to move the needle.

 

[HuskyFan16]

ESPN paid $15B for the rights to MNF over 8 years. They pay $155m per year for ncaafb. I think they have a large enough investment to move the needle.

Seems like they over paid. Since MNF went to Monday, and Al Michaels went to NBC, the quality/production of Sunday Night Football has felt a lot more "must watch" for me.

 

[CAHUSKY]

Seems like they over paid. Since MNF went to Monday.

Since MNF went to Monday ??? I'm pretty sure Monday night football has always been on Monday.

 

[jbdphi]

Seems like they over paid. Since MNF went to Monday, and Al Michaels went to NBC, the quality/production of Sunday Night Football has felt a lot more "must watch" for me.

That was an intentional switch. Once ESPN took the Monday night slot, they basically received the previously Sunday night slate of games. Once Michaels made the switch, they basically paid double for what they previously had on Sundays.

That being said, the significant part of the value that ESPN gets from its NFL deal is the ability to show incessant NFL highlights whenever they want to which is basically all the time. It fills up a lot of their non-live sport programming and theoretically zero cost (if you aren't a cost accountant).

 

[Waquoit]

ESPN coverage pretty much sucks across the board. Their programming is all about selling the next show, not about showing the one you tuned into see.

 

[ZooCougar]

The NFL ref situation is actually really, really entertaining. I hope that this keeps up for a long time.

 

[HuskyFan16]

Since MNF went to Monday ??? I'm pretty sure Monday night football has always been on Monday.

haha I meant ESPN

 

[mattp]

Seems like they over paid. Since MNF went to Monday, and Al Michaels went to NBC, the quality/production of Sunday Night Football has felt a lot more "must watch" for me.

over the last few years I've also found that the Sunday night games are a lot more compelling than they used to be. Ten years ago it seemed like they always matched up two lousy teams like the Cardinals and Browns for Sunday night match ups. I don't think it has anything to do with ESPN vs NBC vs Al Michaels, I think the NFL just realized they can get a lot more viewers, and therefore a lot more money, by scheduling great games in all their prime time slots, which now includes Thursdays.

These first few weeks have really turned out great for the refs. It's clear the NFL needs them back. Goodell needs to just suck it up, take his medicine, and negotiate a contract. He's not used to losing standoffs, but the sooner he realizes he lost this one the better off the NFL will be.

 

[ZooCougar]

haha I meant ESPN

I am almost certain that everybody assumed that. All but one really.

 

[BlueMAB]

How much did CBS/Fox pay to broadcast games every week?

Was it ESPN that faked the lunar landing?

 

[ZooCougar]

ESPN rigged the ref strike to help the ACC and The Big 12.

 

[Jimmy Serrano]

If anything puts the lid on the scab ref issue it's gonna be last night's debacle. Just so happened that it was on ESPN.

 

[BlueMAB]

Tired of the replacements being called scabs.

They want to work. That doesn't make them bad people. The other refs have the power to end the lockout too. Come to an agreement with the people who run the league, or find something else to do on Sundays.

 

[Johnny Mac]

It's not just ESPN, it's anyone with a pair of eyes attached to a brain.

Collinsworth was trashing them last night on NBC. Sirius NFL Radio hosts have been saying the same thing.

It's common sense. It should have never come to this.

I would ask this question to Goodell and those who are directly making the decision on the negotiating terms: Are you prepared to let these people ref the playoffs and Super Bowl? I can't imagine they are.

I assumed that the OP meant that once ESPN latches on to an issue, others like Collinsworth or Sirius NFL Radio either consciencely or subconsciencely follow suit. ESPN's sets the agenda.

I too, expect a resolution to the contract dispute within 24 hrs. It's a good thing too. It will be nice to never have an officiating controversy ever again.

 

[ZooCougar]

Tired of the replacements being called scabs.

They want to work. That doesn't make them bad people. The other refs have the power to end the lockout too. Come to an agreement with the people who run the league, or find something else to do on Sundays.

I agree. I always hated that term. It's your typical pro-Union Stop.

 

[CAHUSKY]

I am almost certain that everybody assumed that. All but one really.

and everyone realized i was joking, except one. Relax.

 

[CAHUSKY]

I assumed that the OP meant that once ESPN latches on to an issue, others like Collinsworth or Sirius NFL Radio either consciencely or subconsciencely follow suit. ESPN's sets the agenda.
.

Thats exactly what i meant. The other networks that broadcast the NFL don't have 24 hour sports platforms they can use to set an agenda like ESPN does. The topic of replacement refs is the lead on every single ESPN show.

 

[HuskyFan16]

and everyone realized i was joking, except one. Relax.

well, admittedly two.

 

[traitor71]

The NFL ref situation is actually really, really entertaining. I hope that this keeps up for a long time.

I am with this. I went into the season knowing that my team wouldn't be in the playoffs so I am finding a perverse sort of enjoyment from this.

 

[ZooCougar]

I am with this. I went into the season knowing that my team wouldn't be in the playoffs so I am finding a perverse sort of enjoyment from this.

Of course, I hope nobody gets hurt. But I laughed my ass off the other day when I heard that one of the Refs was banned when they found pictures on Facebook of him wearing Saints gear.

 

[TouchdownHusky]

Can't wait til one of the "regular" refs srews up on a call. Then what? There have been plenty over the years. ESPN and the media needed to stay out of the labor dispute.

Once again fans everywhere will pay exorbitant prices to see needlessly overpaid athletes and now referees take the field. Why the NFL overpays the "help" is hard to understand on a rational basis. The supply of talent in uniform every Saturday, would dictate that there are plenty of quality football players out there who would love to get paid for playing. Plenty of talented referees too (probably found in the BCS conferences as opposed to D3).

Funny thing is, the NFL could probably have exactly what it has today with exactly the same players and costing itself a whole lot less. "Wanna get paid for playing football, here's what we can offer. . . take it or leave it".