ESPN Takes Over HS Football Game

[eb]

Read this article.
http://www.sacbee.com/2010/08/28/2988867/local-media-coaches-riled-by-espn.html
Sounds like our publically funded - public schools are being more and more taken over by corporations wanting to make a profit.... and control the free public press who live and work in the local communities. I don't like it. Public schools should always remain open to a free press - not corporate media who pay money for access and control.

Here's part of the article


According to some of those involved, the worst part of Friday's prep football showcase on ESPN was that ESPN was there.

Coaches said the sports network barged into Folsom this week, flexed its biceps and took control of seemingly every working detail of the Folsom-Grant encounter, turning a lot of heads and stomachs.

It wasn't the broadcasters or reporters or the grunt crew that laid down yards of cable or put in portable lights that muddled matters.

It was the overall sense of the ESPN superiority that flustered school and district officials who did their best to make this a smooth, memorable event.

ESPN, in conjunction
with Paragon Marketing Group, requested the student bodies of both schools to engage in early morning, on-campus rallies. They pulled players out of class to do interviews.

But ESPN also softened – under a barrage of local media complaints. As of early Friday evening, ESPN insisted that local television outlets were to have no access to the field – meaning no highlights on their newscasts – but it was adjusted to limited access from the end zones.

All told, there were 117 credentialed media, and few had kind words of ESPN.

"I've covered eight Super Bowls and never had as many difficulties as I have with this game," Fox 40 sports director Jim Crandell said.

Said Bryan May of KXTV-10: "I'm from Texas, where football is really big, and worked a game that had 75,000 fans – and it wasn't like this. This is nuts."



Read more: http://www.sacbee.com/2010/08/28/2988867/local-media-coaches-riled-by-espn.html#ixzz0yF5CmUVE

 

[elvez]

They did the same thing here in San Antonio last friday. If the stations had any huevos the would boycott of few of that school districts games.

 

[svp]

Are you kidding me? The home team only received $2000 and the visiting team only got $1000??? I'm sorry but ESPN has no authority to make press box upgrades, order specific logo laiden sports bottles on the sidelines, bar local media, or pull kids from class for interviews. All the coaches and school officials had to do is stand up to ESPN and say "look, you want to put the game on TV, fine. But you're not doing all of this and going to order us around and tell us what we can and can't do." I can tell you, my father being a principal, that this crap would never fly at most school districts where I'm from back in Ohio. My father told me there's no way they'd let someone like ESPN come in and do this without each team being paid at least $10,000 each.

 

[code20photog]

In today's society, I wouldn't be surprised if the notion of being on ESPN itself, meant more to the school, and especially the players, and trumped any sort of monetary compensation.

 

[eb]

So.... everyone has a price? Is that what you're saying?
Price over principle?

Here's another scenerio, just for sht$ and giggles:

Child actor - bigtime child actor - or young pop superstar.... goes to a public school to get a 'normal' education. Think Justin Bieber going to JFK Public School.

There's a musical play. Or a concert. Big time kid star is the star.

HBO pays school $150,000 for "rights" to shoot and broadcast. No home video allowed. No interviews with star allowed. No press allowed. Well... let's let the press shoot the first :30 of the first two songs... then unplug them.

Would you go for that?

Same thing as football. Same difference. I think. BullSh$t.

Its a public school. Taxpayers pay. The press represents the public. No special "deals" for anybody who offers Payola.

Principles over Price.

 

[svp]

eb, I agree with you. I don't care if HBO shoots the concert and I don't care if ESPN broadcast the football game but, in both cases, they should never be allowed exclusive rights that bars local media or parents from filming the game.

 

[mi3ke]

"So.... everyone has a price? Is that what you're saying?
Price over principle?"

No, price over Principal. Big difference.

Cheers, Mi3ke

 

[eb]

I say,

Principle over Principal.