From ESPN.com
Analysis by Michael Creighton in SRM 334 (section 1)
The Grambling State football team did not play in their game scheduled for Saturday October 19 against Jackson State. According to an article on espn.go.com, the players were protesting poor facility conditions, management, and the administration. During the week leading up to the game the players boycotted practice and walked out of meetings. The administration fired the head coach, Doug Williams, in September and replaced him with an interim head coach that the players did not approve of even though they had submitted a list of other possible coaches they would have been much happier with. Facility conditions and management of the team have been deteriorating since the beginning of the season and the players had finally had enough of it and refused to get on the buses to travel to Saturday’s game. If the players had not refused to play in their game on Saturday I don’t think the media would have gotten involved.
Grambling State is a small school and does not receive much media attention as it is. Refusing to play in their game Saturday was the breaking point and now multiple media outlets are covering the story. It appears that the players were attempting to deal with the matter internally because there was no formal outcry or attempt to gain media attention. The original perception of the players boycotting the program was taken as a bunch of stuck up college athletes looking to corner the administration into getting what they wanted. As the media began to pick up on the story however, what they unveiled was a more serious matter that involved player safety and unsafe training conditions.
The letter that the players wrote to the administration detailing their concern and frustration with the program has been leaked through media outlets and provides the public with a much bettering understanding on why the players chose to forfeit their game. Additionally the media has given the public the opportunity to actually see the conditions that the players are complaining about by uploading pictures to the Internet. The situation at Grambling State highlights the power of the college athlete and their ability to gain media attention so quickly. On Saturday, the twitter account for the school’s newspaper, The Gramblinite, had hour-by-hour updates of whether or not the players were going to get on the buses to travel. Last week The Gramblinite also tweeted every time the players skipped a meeting or practice in protest. In today’s world, a tweet about a local situation or controversy can spread so quickly that the national media does not even have to try to locate a story; it simply falls into their lap. When I first saw the tweets about Grambling State, the most popular ones that appeared on my news feed stated that the football team would not be traveling to their game. To understand why they were not traveling I had to do some investigating. I think the media’s take had an interesting spin to it because the bigger concern is the player safety, not the fact that they forfeited their game. Luckily for the Grambling State football team their situation is being brought into the national spotlight. However, it is a shame they had to go through such drastic measures to get there.
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Analysis by James Naylor in SRM 334 (section 1)
On Tuesday October 15th, the Grambling State football team held a meeting with administration. A team decision was made by the players to not attend practice the following day. Administration realized that it was time to make a change so they fired interim head coach Greg Ragsdale. The players decided to not play in Saturday’s game at Jackson State. Buses were in the parking lot waiting for players to board at 2:30 but no one showed. The buses waited over an hour for the student athletes, but they made their message to administration clear that they were not coming.
What is getting so much media attention however, is the letter the players collectively made regarding all the problems they want changed within the program. They noted complaints of mold and mildew in the locker room, grass growing excessively too high on the field, jersey’s that aren’t properly washed and are giving the players staff infections and a number of other things. What is most important here is all the coverage Grambling State is receiving over this. ESPN, Bleacher Report, and various social media have brought the public’s attention to this issue. If this story had not been brought to the public, these players could have been stuck accepting these poor conditions or potentially lose their scholarships. The media has made this a major news story and now Grambling State is responding to these players’ concerns by renovating the weight room and looking at the other problems like the jerseys being properly cleaned. What is very surprising about the media coverage of Grambling State is that this team is a very poor FCS college team. This national media attention is mostly due to the fact that the team simply forfeited. USA Today tweeted about the whole situation on Saturday stating, “The most interesting story in college football is the team that won’t be playing Saturday”.
This story relates specifically to our class because it is the perfect example of the new model and how information is being spread across the nation. Various media such as print, electronic and social media are disseminating this information about Grambling State, many with the main goal of helping this team reach their goals. The fact that this team forfeited and the condition in the program are horrible is already newsworthy, but since the media is covering this story so in depth, administration at Grambling State will now have to respond to these players’ concerns and not just sweep it under the rug. This just shows the power and importance of media in sports.
Monday, October 21, 2013
MLB post-season coverage on TBS
From MLB.com and AwfulAnnouncing.com
Analysis by Steve Dombrowski in SRM 334 (section 1)
America is always intrigued by an underdog story. This year that story is the rise and sudden success of the Pittsburgh Pirates, a team who has not made the playoffs in 21 years. Every year for the past seven, TBS has had the rights to broadcast all of Major League Baseball’s Divisional Series along with one of the Championship Series. This year, while watching the Pirates take on the Reds at PNC Park along the Allegheny River in Pittsburgh I was absolutely shocked by the lack of coverage of the pregame ceremony. The Buccos have been waiting over two decades for this and the emotions were extremely high. As a baseball fan, I was extremely intrigued by what they would do to celebrate and all TBS did was talk in the studio about how emotional it actually was. So we did a little research on the subject and we discovered that I was not the only one let down by TBS’s coverage as a whole.
With the popular demand in our society for coverage of sporting events, it is now essential to have top of the line analysis of the game. Especially now that it is playoff time, every pitch is critical. During October, baseball is competing with the NFL, college football, NHL, and the NBA preseason. All four major sports are playing at some part of their season so it is crucial that TBS gets the game perfectly. However, they have not. Fans and other analysts within the profession have been complaining about the ridiculous camera shots and at times lack to a quality audio. Another issue TBS is having is lack of experience in the booth. Cal Ripken, former Orioles great, was taken out of the studio and put in the booth for the first time in these playoffs. He replaced former Braves pitcher John Smoltz, who was demoted to the “B game” announcer. Smoltz had a generally good reputation for his commentary and it was a bit curious why he was replaced. Luckily Ripken has not been doing anything too bad to get noticed. However, when an announcer is poor or biased to a part in the game, many fans will change to some other game or at best mute their television. This is not what you want if you are paying millions, possibly billions of dollars for the rights to air the game.
This topic is relevant from a media standpoint because these issues are all about the production and success and blunders that go in to trying to make a game as pleasurable as possible. For example, the Truss Cam that was implemented at a couple of stadiums for these games is a cool new way to see different angles and get you up close and personal from a outfielders perspective. An example was Carl Crawford falling in to the stands to make a catch. The Truss Cam followed his whole route to the ball and showed us what it took to make such a spectacular play. However, an important lesson I have learned from our class is that you need to listen to your audience. Learn what they want to see from a game and give it to them. Announcers and analysts are trying to steal the spotlight and it takes away from the pleasure of simply viewing the game. Personally, with all of the technology, there is sometimes nothing better than curling up to watch a great game in the comforts of your home. However, if TBS wants to compete on Sundays with the NFL and get majority ratings, they need to adjust to the wants of their audience. There is nothing better than October baseball. From the first pitch to the last, there is constant focus and intensity from every single player on that field. The game itself is great. That alone can draw viewers in to see what is going in a game out in Los Angeles, or Boston, or even Pittsburgh. However, the analysis makes or breaks the ratings and unfortunately TBS just cannot catch up.
Analysis by Steve Dombrowski in SRM 334 (section 1)
America is always intrigued by an underdog story. This year that story is the rise and sudden success of the Pittsburgh Pirates, a team who has not made the playoffs in 21 years. Every year for the past seven, TBS has had the rights to broadcast all of Major League Baseball’s Divisional Series along with one of the Championship Series. This year, while watching the Pirates take on the Reds at PNC Park along the Allegheny River in Pittsburgh I was absolutely shocked by the lack of coverage of the pregame ceremony. The Buccos have been waiting over two decades for this and the emotions were extremely high. As a baseball fan, I was extremely intrigued by what they would do to celebrate and all TBS did was talk in the studio about how emotional it actually was. So we did a little research on the subject and we discovered that I was not the only one let down by TBS’s coverage as a whole.
With the popular demand in our society for coverage of sporting events, it is now essential to have top of the line analysis of the game. Especially now that it is playoff time, every pitch is critical. During October, baseball is competing with the NFL, college football, NHL, and the NBA preseason. All four major sports are playing at some part of their season so it is crucial that TBS gets the game perfectly. However, they have not. Fans and other analysts within the profession have been complaining about the ridiculous camera shots and at times lack to a quality audio. Another issue TBS is having is lack of experience in the booth. Cal Ripken, former Orioles great, was taken out of the studio and put in the booth for the first time in these playoffs. He replaced former Braves pitcher John Smoltz, who was demoted to the “B game” announcer. Smoltz had a generally good reputation for his commentary and it was a bit curious why he was replaced. Luckily Ripken has not been doing anything too bad to get noticed. However, when an announcer is poor or biased to a part in the game, many fans will change to some other game or at best mute their television. This is not what you want if you are paying millions, possibly billions of dollars for the rights to air the game.
This topic is relevant from a media standpoint because these issues are all about the production and success and blunders that go in to trying to make a game as pleasurable as possible. For example, the Truss Cam that was implemented at a couple of stadiums for these games is a cool new way to see different angles and get you up close and personal from a outfielders perspective. An example was Carl Crawford falling in to the stands to make a catch. The Truss Cam followed his whole route to the ball and showed us what it took to make such a spectacular play. However, an important lesson I have learned from our class is that you need to listen to your audience. Learn what they want to see from a game and give it to them. Announcers and analysts are trying to steal the spotlight and it takes away from the pleasure of simply viewing the game. Personally, with all of the technology, there is sometimes nothing better than curling up to watch a great game in the comforts of your home. However, if TBS wants to compete on Sundays with the NFL and get majority ratings, they need to adjust to the wants of their audience. There is nothing better than October baseball. From the first pitch to the last, there is constant focus and intensity from every single player on that field. The game itself is great. That alone can draw viewers in to see what is going in a game out in Los Angeles, or Boston, or even Pittsburgh. However, the analysis makes or breaks the ratings and unfortunately TBS just cannot catch up.
Analysis of why athletes with injuries continue to sit out
From ESPN.com and Fox Sports
Analysis by Nick Toombs in SRM 334 (section 2)
The article that I chose is about Patriots Tight End Rob Gronkowski sitting out. The article is an ESPN piece highlighting player comments saying that they believe Gronkowski has been ready to return for a while. His team feels that he is ready to play but Gronkowski is waiting on clearance from his own independent physician, Dr. James Andrews. Several players are quoted within the article suggesting that Gronkowski appears to be ready to go based upon his performance in practice. There has also been tension between the organization and the player stemming from media coverage of Gronkowski partying with his injured arm during the offseason.
This article was retrieved from ESPN and was written by senior NFL writer Ed Werder. ESPN has had extensive coverage of Rob Gronkowski since he has entered the NFL. ESPN specifically plays a huge role in the types of sports stories that get major attention in sport media and they can influence the public’s perceptions of certain situations. By continually posting stories that suggest a rift between the Patriots organization and Rob Gronkowski, the media can create conflict whether real or perceived. ESPN ‘s reporting on this particular situation has been biased. Since they control most of the sport media market, they can sway public perception based upon their reporting. The article is titled “’Resentment’ toward Rob Gronkowski” which suggests negatively about the Patriots tight end. ESPN largely dictates what will become big news and what will not with every other sport media outlet available because ESPN is the leader in the industry.
This article is an opinion piece written by ESPN. Rob Gronkowski is a polarizing figure in sports, which makes this story necessary to be reported on in ESPN’s eyes. This article relates to this course because it shows how the media affects public perception. ESPN is a major news outlet so when they publish negative stories about a particular individual, the consumer of the information is subconsciously influenced. It is also in the best interest to publish as many stories about Gronkowski as they can because they can determine what becomes “newsworthy.
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Analysis by Ayrton Glasper in SRM 334 (section 2)
Recently, the media has brought into the public eye, the questionable injury status of two top football players. Jadeveon Clowney, defensive end for the South Carolina Gamecocks and Rob Gronkowski, tight end for the New England Patriots, have been scrutinized by the media because of their lack of appearance on the playing field. Steven A. Smith, NFL Game Day, ESPN’s Sports Center, and sports magazines across the nation, to name a few, are dissecting under the microscope why these two very talented football players are either sitting on the bench with “injuries” or playing “hard” during practice yet nowhere to be seen on their respective game days.
Firstly, Jadeveon Clowney a junior at South Carolina University gained instant fame, thanks to the media, with his “perfect hit” in the January, 2013, Outback Bowl. Due to much off-season hype, Clowney was soon reported to be the frontrunner for the Heisman Trophy. However, with a slow start to his season, multiple minor injuries, and making the decision to sit himself out of a game, media controversy on this talented footballer snowballed. Many football analysts question whether Clowney does not want to play this year in fear of risking a serious injury as did his teammate last year, Marcus Lattimore. It has been reported that such an injury could not only ruin his chances of getting drafted as a first-round pick but also derail him from a prospective NFL career with a huge contract. We as fans can only wonder how much of what is being reported by the media is true. Is Clowney being selfish by falsifying or exaggerating his injuries and only thinking of his future with the NFL, or are his injuries legitimate?
Secondly, the controversy surrounding Clowney and his “injuries” has been compared of late, to similar questionable behavior from Rob Gronkowski of the New England Patriots. The “Gronk” as he is known in the sports world, has also been plagued with injuries. Earlier this year, he underwent back and arm surgery causing the media to closely follow and constantly report on his possible return to the football field with the Patriots. To the media’s bafflement, even after hard weekly practices, the Gronk is still absent from the field on game days. Analysts are scrutinizing the reasons behind him not playing. Is this another case of not playing in order to avoid any risk of getting hurt and losing millions? It has been reported that under the Gronk’s $54 million dollar contract extension of 2012 with the Patriots, he could lose a huge chunk of it because of an injury. So could the media be right? Is the Gronk being selfish and delaying his return to playing football because of the contract the millions at stake?The media has brought a significant amount of attention, many would say too much, to both of these talented players by constantly reporting and debating on the reasons behind their lack of playing time on the football field. We the public can only speculate how much of these reports are true. We can only judge from what we read and see from the various videos, interviews, and articles however, at the same time we must also take into account that the media can be bias and have a subjective opinion on the topic/discussion. As far as these two players are concerned, the media appears to portray them as being selfish with underlying monetary reasons behind their so called “injuries.” Fact or fiction? Today, the media is highly advanced and with modern technology and the introduction of “twitter” and mobile “apps” for example, sports media coverage is intensive, fast, and easily accessible. The public now has access within minutes, even seconds, of any breaking news, scores, and all kinds of updates. Through the new communication model the media and fans can relay and respond respectively to all of the latest sports news.
Analysis by Nick Toombs in SRM 334 (section 2)
The article that I chose is about Patriots Tight End Rob Gronkowski sitting out. The article is an ESPN piece highlighting player comments saying that they believe Gronkowski has been ready to return for a while. His team feels that he is ready to play but Gronkowski is waiting on clearance from his own independent physician, Dr. James Andrews. Several players are quoted within the article suggesting that Gronkowski appears to be ready to go based upon his performance in practice. There has also been tension between the organization and the player stemming from media coverage of Gronkowski partying with his injured arm during the offseason.
This article was retrieved from ESPN and was written by senior NFL writer Ed Werder. ESPN has had extensive coverage of Rob Gronkowski since he has entered the NFL. ESPN specifically plays a huge role in the types of sports stories that get major attention in sport media and they can influence the public’s perceptions of certain situations. By continually posting stories that suggest a rift between the Patriots organization and Rob Gronkowski, the media can create conflict whether real or perceived. ESPN ‘s reporting on this particular situation has been biased. Since they control most of the sport media market, they can sway public perception based upon their reporting. The article is titled “’Resentment’ toward Rob Gronkowski” which suggests negatively about the Patriots tight end. ESPN largely dictates what will become big news and what will not with every other sport media outlet available because ESPN is the leader in the industry.
This article is an opinion piece written by ESPN. Rob Gronkowski is a polarizing figure in sports, which makes this story necessary to be reported on in ESPN’s eyes. This article relates to this course because it shows how the media affects public perception. ESPN is a major news outlet so when they publish negative stories about a particular individual, the consumer of the information is subconsciously influenced. It is also in the best interest to publish as many stories about Gronkowski as they can because they can determine what becomes “newsworthy.
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Analysis by Ayrton Glasper in SRM 334 (section 2)
Recently, the media has brought into the public eye, the questionable injury status of two top football players. Jadeveon Clowney, defensive end for the South Carolina Gamecocks and Rob Gronkowski, tight end for the New England Patriots, have been scrutinized by the media because of their lack of appearance on the playing field. Steven A. Smith, NFL Game Day, ESPN’s Sports Center, and sports magazines across the nation, to name a few, are dissecting under the microscope why these two very talented football players are either sitting on the bench with “injuries” or playing “hard” during practice yet nowhere to be seen on their respective game days.
Firstly, Jadeveon Clowney a junior at South Carolina University gained instant fame, thanks to the media, with his “perfect hit” in the January, 2013, Outback Bowl. Due to much off-season hype, Clowney was soon reported to be the frontrunner for the Heisman Trophy. However, with a slow start to his season, multiple minor injuries, and making the decision to sit himself out of a game, media controversy on this talented footballer snowballed. Many football analysts question whether Clowney does not want to play this year in fear of risking a serious injury as did his teammate last year, Marcus Lattimore. It has been reported that such an injury could not only ruin his chances of getting drafted as a first-round pick but also derail him from a prospective NFL career with a huge contract. We as fans can only wonder how much of what is being reported by the media is true. Is Clowney being selfish by falsifying or exaggerating his injuries and only thinking of his future with the NFL, or are his injuries legitimate?
Secondly, the controversy surrounding Clowney and his “injuries” has been compared of late, to similar questionable behavior from Rob Gronkowski of the New England Patriots. The “Gronk” as he is known in the sports world, has also been plagued with injuries. Earlier this year, he underwent back and arm surgery causing the media to closely follow and constantly report on his possible return to the football field with the Patriots. To the media’s bafflement, even after hard weekly practices, the Gronk is still absent from the field on game days. Analysts are scrutinizing the reasons behind him not playing. Is this another case of not playing in order to avoid any risk of getting hurt and losing millions? It has been reported that under the Gronk’s $54 million dollar contract extension of 2012 with the Patriots, he could lose a huge chunk of it because of an injury. So could the media be right? Is the Gronk being selfish and delaying his return to playing football because of the contract the millions at stake?The media has brought a significant amount of attention, many would say too much, to both of these talented players by constantly reporting and debating on the reasons behind their lack of playing time on the football field. We the public can only speculate how much of these reports are true. We can only judge from what we read and see from the various videos, interviews, and articles however, at the same time we must also take into account that the media can be bias and have a subjective opinion on the topic/discussion. As far as these two players are concerned, the media appears to portray them as being selfish with underlying monetary reasons behind their so called “injuries.” Fact or fiction? Today, the media is highly advanced and with modern technology and the introduction of “twitter” and mobile “apps” for example, sports media coverage is intensive, fast, and easily accessible. The public now has access within minutes, even seconds, of any breaking news, scores, and all kinds of updates. Through the new communication model the media and fans can relay and respond respectively to all of the latest sports news.
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