ESPN Ombudsman Would Have Liked Gammons To Press A-Rod Harder

ESPN Ombudsman Writes Gammons (l) Did Not Press A-Rod (r) Hard Enough

In her latest contribution as ESPN Ombudsman, Le Anne Schreiber wrote about the coverage surrounding the SI report that Yankees 3B Alex Rodriguez tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs in '03 and ESPN's Peter Gammons subsequent interview in which Rodriguez admitted using PEDs. While Gammons has been criticized for his handling of the interview with Rodriguez, Schreiber wrote Gammons "asked the hard questions." However, after getting Rodriguez' opening admission of guilt, Gammons "did not press hard enough when Rodriguez gave evasive or self-serving answers to the what/where/when/why questions." Going into the interview, Gammons was "prepared, with input from several ESPN producers and reporters, to do a more prosecutorial interview than the one that transpired." But Rodriguez "offered his unexpected admission of guilt after the first question." Gammons: "Obviously, there was a shift in direction. ... I tried to push him on specifics of what he took, where he got it, and he wouldn't go there, and I thought to keep badgering him would have broken up the interview and I don't think we would have been able to get to the number of different questions we got to. In hindsight, I wish I had gone one more time on the question, 'How could you not know what you were putting in your body?'" Gammons added that he "regrets not challenging Rodriguez when he mounted an attack" on SI's Selena Roberts, who co-authored the report that he tested positive for steroids in '03. Schreiber wrote, "I wish I knew how that interview might have gone down with a less sympathetic interviewer." ESPN should "seriously consider taking more risks with sports stars who ask for sit-downs." Schreiber: "Why not say to the agent who calls, 'OK, you can name your interviewer for the televised sit-down, but only if you let us name the reporter for an accompanying off-camera interview that we will post on ESPN.com.'" But ESPN Senior VP & Dir of News Vince Doria said that concept "would never happen."

DIFFERENCE IN COVERAGE TONE: Schreiber wrote the notable difference in ESPN's coverage surrounding the Rodriguez story as compared to past coverage of major breaking stories was an "absence of the multi-hour SportsCenter Specials that in the past left many viewers feeling more force-fed than informed." ESPN "certainly didn't stint on coverage," but each new element of news, analysis or opinion this time was "allowed to find its proportionate place in the mix of other sports stories on the cycle of live SportsCenters that ESPN launched last August" (ESPN.com, 2/16).

NEARING THE END OF THE LINE: Schreiber noted her "term as ombudsman ends soon, by mutual prearrangement." Schreiber: "But there will be a column next month, and if it is my last, I will say a proper goodbye" (ESPN.com, 2/16). In Dallas, Barry Horn wrote, "Good stuff as usual from her. She'll be missed when her term is up shortly" (DALLASNEWS.com, 2/16). FANGSBITES.com's Kenny Fang wrote, "She has been quite enjoyable to read and I'm glad she took the title of Ombudsman very seriously" (FANGSBITES.com, 2/16).