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Deadspin Posts ESPN's Standards and Practices Manual

Cam Martin — Thu, 21 Jul 2011 07:41:46 +0000

Deadspin obtained a copy of ESPN’s Editorial Guidelines for Standards and Practices and has re-printed it in full on their website. The manual outlines editorial and advertising guidelines for the World Wide Leader, including restrictions on when condom commercials should be aired (Condom advertisements may not air in any programming ESPN reasonably believes to have significant audience concentrations or appeals to persons under age 17.)

Deadspin takes ESPN to task for what it describes as situational ethics.

In the section on “Civil suits,” which addresses ESPN’s cockeyed treatment of the Ben Roethlisberger story, the entry makes some sensible points about the tricky nature of civil cases and rightly urges “extreme caution” in deciding whether to cover these stories. And then, a few paragraphs later:

“Perhaps, most significantly, is the Associated Press reporting it?”

In other words, let’s let a couple of guys in the AP’s Reno bureau or wherever determine corporate policy for the largest sports media outfit in the world. That’s fine. A little craven, but fine. I’m all for situational ethics. ESPN is a great big monument to situational ethics. Everyone knows that, except maybe the yammering Poynter lady. That’s why a formalized guide to standards looks so silly in a company whose only inviolable standard, that I can tell, is that the folks in charge get to make shit up as they go along.

Yeah, that’s really no different from any other huge company. The bottom line is don’t mess with the brand. If you think the brand is a nest of hypocrisy, well then, mess away. Just be prepared to deal with the consequences.

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Fox Sports Chief Named to Board of Stats LLC

Cam Martin — Thu, 14 Jul 2011 10:22:23 +0000

Eric Shanks, chief operating officer of Fox Sports Media Group and overseer of Fox Soccer, SPEED, Fuel TV and FoxSports.com, has been named as the fourth board member of Stats LLC, a leading provider of sports statistics and content.

Shanks joins Tom Curley and Ken Dale of the Associated Press and Gary Ehrlich of Fox Sports Enterprises to complete the board of STATS, which is co-owned by the Associated Press and News Corp.

“STATS is one of the most innovative companies in sports today,” said Shanks. “I feel privileged to join this exciting and dynamic team, and look forward to providing my expertise wherever possible.”

STATS chief executive officer Gary Walrath said, “We are fortunate to have the leadership, vision and tremendous expertise of Eric Shanks as we continue to advance STATS’s mission to revolutionise the way sports contests are viewed, understood and enjoyed.”

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First Glance: McEnroe/Borg: Fire & Ice

Marcus Vanderberg — Sat, 11 Jun 2011 10:30:57 +0000

Before Roger Federer vs. Rafael Nadal, there was Bjorn Borg vs. John McEnroe.

The two tennis stars had an intense rivalry during the ’70s and ’80′s are the subject of HBO’s latest documentary, McEnroe/Borg: Fire & Ice.

The 60-minute special documents the back story of both tennis stars – - from Borg’s youth of growing up in Sweeden to McEnroe and how he developed into the pretentious phenom that fans loved to hate.

At the end of the day, despite their intense rivalry, the two not only shared a deep respect for each other but would eventually form a close friendship.

“The least I could do was to try a little harder when I was playing him,” McEnroe says in the documentary. “I had to be on my best behavior, plus I respected him.”

In order to fully appreciate this documentary, you need to be of a certain age and lived through the McEnroe-Borg rivalry. For the 20-somethings like myself, it might be hard to grasp why this rivalry trumps Federer-Nadal or Andre Agassi-Pete Sampras.

McEnroe/Borg: Fire & Ice airs Saturday night at 10 p.m. ET on HBO.

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Sunday Night Football producer joins Derby coverage

Cam Martin — Tue, 03 May 2011 20:48:53 +0000

This Saturday’s Kentucky Derby is often referred to as the Super Bowl of horse racing, so it stands to reason that a producer of football’s biggest game feels comfortable tackling the biggest equine race on the planet. Fred Gaudelli, who produces Sunday Night Football on NBC — and who has produced the Super Bowl in the past and will in 2012, as well – will lead Derby coverage for the first time this week.

“It’s very close to producing a Super Bowl because it’s a huge sporting spectacle with all the elements that surround it, and then the game starts,” Gaudelli told the Thoroughbred Times. “The Derby is the same thing with all the spectacle; just like the Super Bowl we have all these elements and story to tell that make it the event it is.”

The most exciting two minutes in sports? You betcha.

http://www.thoroughbredtimes.com/national-news/2011/05/03/sunday-night-football-producer-guardi-joins-nbcs-derby-team.aspx

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Phil Griffin to be Honored by National Action Network at The Keepers of the Dream Awards

Molly Stark Dean — Mon, 07 Feb 2011 16:25:48 +0000

MSNBC president Phil Griffin will be honored by the National Action Network (NAN) at the 13th annual Keepers of the Dream Awards on April 6.

The awards are given in April each year to mark the anniversary of Martin Luther King‘s death and to “honor those who have continued to advocate for the principles for which Dr. King gave his life.”

Host Reverend Al Sharpton and the NAN will host the awards, which will also honor Muhammad Ali, Universal Motown president Sylvia Rhone, Magic Johnson, NFL Hall of Famer Jim Brown and others.

The keynote address will be by Dr. William Cosby.

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NBC Sports to Air Kentucky Derby Through 2015

Alex Weprin — Thu, 07 Oct 2010 14:38:16 +0000

NBC Sports and Churchill Downs have reached an agreement in principle to keep the Kentucky Derby on the broadcast network through 2015. The deal also includes rights to the Kentucky Oaks, which is held the Friday before the Derby.

Terms of the agreement, including the price paid, were not disclosed, but sports Business Daily reports that the deal is worth around $5 million a year.

“I don’t think America truly moves to springtime until the first Saturday in May and I am delighted that we will be bringing this iconic American event to homes across America for five more years,” said Dick Ebersol, chairman of NBC Sports & Olympics in a statement. “We’re excited to extend our relationship with the Derby and our business partnership with Churchill Downs, a partnership that is one of the finest examples of two organizations coming together to build an event.

More information in the press release after the jump.

continued…

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