ESPN Ombudsman Robert Lipsyte in his most recent column examined the way the network has covered the ongoing NFL scandals, writing never has an incident involving the league elicited "such strong coverage and commentary from ESPN." The network’s "heavyweights -- Keith Olbermann, Jason Whitlock and Bill Simmons, among others -- delivered their own verbal punches; investigative reporter Don Van Natta Jr. has been driving the national media’s newsgathering; Bob Ley anchored smart and thoughtful discussions; and a roster of stars, including Jane McManus, Dan Le Batard, Hannah Storm, Andrew Brandt, Adam Schefter and Chris Mortensen, offered information and insight." Lipsyte wrote this "was ESPN’s finest hour during my tenure as Ombudsman, in contrast to its darkest -- the withdrawal of the network’s imprimatur from the 2013 PBS broadcast 'League of Denial.'" Early reporting by McManus and Mortensen, "noting that the elevator video" of Ray Rice’s punch was "more widely accessible than [NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell] had declared, was far ahead of the newspack." Mortensen’s work "was particularly important." It is "easy to forget his background as an accomplished investigative reporter." A highlight of "this sad" Rice case "is seeing that Mortensen still has his chops, and that ESPN knows how to use them." There "was also, coincidentally, strong coverage of the child abuse case involving" Vikings RB Adrian Peterson. Whether Goodell "ultimately resigns or is fired ... there are at least two best-case outcomes: (1) expanded education on domestic violence, in the NFL and in society at large; (2) the continuation of ESPN’s current energy in pursuing the ramifications of the story" (ESPN.com, 9/23).
SIMMONS CALLS OUT GOODELL: The HOLLYWOOD REPORTER's Soo Youn wrote Simmons "obliquely taunts his employer, daring someone from the network to take him to task for slamming the NFL commissioner on his podcast, The B.S. Report, one of ESPN's most popular podcasts." Simmons during the podcast said, "I really hope somebody calls me or emails me and says I'm in trouble for anything I say about Roger Goodell. Because if one person says that to me, I'm going public. You leave me alone. The commissioner's a liar and I get to talk about that on my podcast. … Please, call me and say I'm in trouble. I dare you." At the outset, Simmons "ripped into Goodell, saying: 'I just think not enough is being made out of the fact that they knew about the tape and they knew what was on it. Goodell, if he didn't know what was on that tape, he's a liar. ... For all these people to pretend they didn't know is such f-ing bullshit. It really is -- it's such f-ing bullshit. And for him to go in that press conference and pretend otherwise, I was so insulted. … When you're the leader, you're in charge, that's it" (HOLLYWOODREPORTER.com, 9/23).
