MLB's dispute with ESPN over three Sunday night
September telecasts "won't be settled easily," according to
USA TODAY's Rudy Martzke. MLB COO Paul Beeston said, "You
would like to think there can be a reasonable solution. We
can't forget ESPN has been a good partner of ours." But
then adds, "If it's so good for us to be on ESPN2, why not
put the NFL on ESPN2? Fat chance." MLB Commissioner Bud
Selig said giving the games back to the six teams involved
"is the only viable option to us." But ESPN spokesperson
Mike Soltys said, "It's not an acceptable resolution."
Martzke: "The dispute stands a good chance of winding up as
a breach of contract suit. If the last four years of ESPN's
$88 million-a-year deal are voided, Fox Sports Net and
Turner stand ready to pick up the ball" (USA TODAY, 8/21).
WAITED TOO LONG? In N.Y., Phil Mushnick criticizes
MLB's decision to take the games off ESPN, as fans will see
"less baseball on national TV than originally scheduled."
Mushnick: "These guys had a half-a-year to figure this out.
Everyone could see it coming. Now, there's last-minute
chaos. And it's baseball fans, one way or another, who will
pay" (N.Y. POST, 8/21). In Philadelphia, Bill Fleischman
echoes the sentiment: "One problem with baseball's position
is, by rejecting ESPN2 as a carrier and turning the games
back to the teams involved, the viewing audiences will be
smaller" (PHILADELPHIA DAILY NEWS, 8/21).
