04/19/24
July 21, 2010
SportsFilter: The Wednesday Huddle:
A place to discuss the sports stories that aren't making news, share links that aren't quite front-page material, and diagram plays on your hand. Remember to count to five Mississippi before commenting in anger.
Many Eyes has an upload of the World Cup Final data to play with if you're into that sort of thing.
posted by Mr Bismarck at 09:30 AM on July 21, 2010
Aren't Ombudsman largely in a reactionary position anyway? They don't have any official power to actually change things, just make suggestions and hold feet to the fire where appropriate.
posted by apoch at 09:38 AM on July 21, 2010
Yeah, I know that's the point of an ombudsman, I've just never seen one used as an integrity shield quite as openly as ESPN does. "Well, we do whatever we feel like, but we have an ombudsman. PDQ, we're journalists."
posted by yerfatma at 11:10 AM on July 21, 2010
So when Corporation X takes out a half-page ad in the ____ Times to announce it has appointed a new CFO, does the paper get shredded because they gave ad space to said corporation?
No.
Does anyone who confuses "news" with "promotion" need a bit of a head-check?
Yes.
So the next time you see your local morning news anchor endorsing, let's just say, a fundraiser for the Boys & Girls Club, be sure to scold them properly.
I think the point was made clearly that reputations were tarnished by this "decision" all around. But I'd say we need to keep some perspective after the fact and keep it in context.
BTW, does anyone know the list of sponsors for this spectacle? Why aren't they mentioned?
posted by Spitztengle at 11:37 AM on July 21, 2010
So the next time you see your local morning news anchor endorsing, let's just say, a fundraiser for the Boys & Girls Club, be sure to scold them properly.
Yes, that is exactly analogous.
posted by yerfatma at 12:16 PM on July 21, 2010
The local news doesn't have anything significant to gain by jumping in bed with the local Boys & Girls Club. LeBron and ESPN both had a lot to gain from their sleazy deal.
I blame ESPN more than LeBron, though. If a media outlet offers to abandon its news coverage to a pro athlete for a free infomercial, how many athletes would say no?
As for ombudsmen, I worked at a paper where we added one. He was a well-respected longtime editor being pushed out to pasture. I never got the impression he had any real power at all within the organization.
posted by rcade at 12:30 PM on July 21, 2010
Best soccer goal celebration ever.
posted by rcade at 01:02 PM on July 21, 2010
Ombudsmen are an alibi for "journalism" incompetence. Not that the decision had anything to do with journalism.
posted by graymatters at 01:37 PM on July 21, 2010
About 2 weeks after it could make a difference.
It looks like it took about 3 weeks to write.
posted by tron7 at 02:21 PM on July 21, 2010
No video tech but Champions League to have two extra assistant referees to help judge goals. Not just CL, any competition can add them and other regional CLs plus Brazilian domestic league and French Cup are. It's a start.
posted by billsaysthis at 03:43 PM on July 21, 2010
The ombudsman is a hairpiece to cover up bald incompetence and bias in media organizations. Whenever the ombudsman finds a breach of journalistic integrity or honesty, his employer usually clucks its tongue, promises to be more careful, and goes on with business as usual. If ESPN and its ilk could ever learn from the criticism of ombudsmen, and indeed the general audience, there would be no need for ombudsmen.
posted by Howard_T at 05:48 PM on July 21, 2010
Ralph Houk, Former Tigers, Red Sox, Yankees Manager, Dies at 90
posted by tommybiden at 11:22 PM on July 21, 2010
ESPN ombudsman weighs in on "The Decision". Amazing to me no matter who it is, the ombudsman always comes down hard on ESPN in these situations. About 2 weeks after it could make a difference.