It has "become obvious -- never more so than during his shameful performance" on “Sunday NFL Countdown” yesterday -- that no matter what you think of ESPN analyst Ray Lewis' "self-aggrandizement and cloudy past, he lacks every rudimentary quality expected of an analyst," according to Chad Finn of the BOSTON GLOBE. Lewis "clumsily tap-dances around his conflicts of interest and contradictory statements." When asked by host Chris Berman what he made of Friday’s revelations that Ravens Dir of Security Darren Sanders knew of the second Ray Rice assault video, Lewis "essentially went on a winding four-minute, 361-word speech/filibuster that established only what we already knew" -- that he is "indebted to the Ravens." At one point, Lewis said, "There’s some things you can cover up. And there’s some things you can’t.“ Finn: "I’d suggest ESPN should dump him, but he’s famous and entertaining and I know that’s not going to happen" (BOSTON GLOBE, 9/22). In DC, Cindy Boren wrote Lewis' producers "had to be cringing" (WASHINGTONPOST.com, 9/21). In Baltimore, Jeff Zrebiec reported the coverup comments "drew immediate derision," as Lewis "pled guilty to obstruction of justice after initially being accused of double murder following an altercation outside of an Atlanta nightclub after Super Bowl XXXIV" (Baltimore SUN, 9/22). In N.Y., Bob Raissman writes ESPN should probably keep Lewis "away from discussing his former team and teammate, especially with his troubled past." ESPN "can’t trumpet their investigative reports, then expect viewers to take the work seriously when they roll out Lewis, a defacto member of the Ravens front office, to spew his biased opinions" (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 9/22).
A NEW PERSPECTIVE: SI.com's Richard Deitsch writes of ESPN's Cris Carter, "Over the past few years I found myself gravitating to Carter and (as always) Tom Jackson when I watched Sunday NFL Countdown. I dropped some of my viewer cynicism toward him and started hearing his content more than I had previously." Carter’s "emotional commentary" last week on allegations of child abuse against Vikings RB Adrian Peterson "resonated through the clutter." He "connected with the audience through the prism of his own experiences with corporal punishment." ESPN Senior Coordinating Producer Seth Markman said, "I thought last week was Cris' finest hour.” Carter said that he "believes he has been a different broadcaster" since being inducted into the Pro Football HOF in '13. He said that the "honor offered him the chance to take stock of where he was in his life and where he wanted to be professionally" (SI.com, 9/22). In Austin, Kirk Bohls writes Carter "scores points consistently with his tough commentary." Bohls: "I’m thoroughly impressed with Carter’s ability to articulate his concerns about the league and the lack of leadership at the top" (AUSTIN AMERICAN-STATESMAN, 9/22).
WOMEN DRIVING THE STORY: In N.Y., Jonathan Mahler in a sports section front-page piece writes ESPN's Hannah Storm is "one of a handful that have risen above the saturation coverage" of the recent NFL controversies. Notably, "many of the others also belong to women." CNN's Rachel Nichols "grilled NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell" at his news conference Friday. Fox Sports' Katie Nolan in a widely circulated video said that the news media "deserved some of the blame for failing to hold the NFL accountable for its treatment of women." Women have been "driving the story, providing a perspective that their male counterparts simply cannot." Female sports broadcasters "see this as a potentially watershed moment for their profession, a turning point that could bring them more fully into the conversation." The question now is if this really is a "watershed moment or just the temporary effect of a news cycle." Storm: "This might have been the catalyst for new voices. But if we are going to provide a really rich and intelligent dialogue about sports, all of those different voices need to stay front and center" (N.Y. TIMES, 9/22).
