On Long Island, Neil Best reports ESPN President John Skipper yesterday at the company's annual Upfront denied Curt Schilling's claim that the company is "more tolerant of political views when they are liberal rather than conservative." Skipper said, "We have no tolerance for points of view that aren't inclusive. We have a diverse culture. We are very focused on making sure everybody can exist comfortably and succeed in that culture. That's what we have no tolerance for and I don't care of what the politics of a person who has such an attitude are." Skipper also chimed in on negative reviews of MLB analyst Jessica Mendoza, saying, "I am overwhelmingly happy and comfortable with the job Jessica is doing and support her fully and I'm very proud that we had the opportunity to put her in the booth and her performance has been fabulous" (NEWSDAY, 5/18).
BOUNCE BACK: ESPN Dir of Communications David Scott yesterday confirmed that Univ. of Kentucky men's basketball coach John Calipari is "getting ESPN's '30 for 30' documentary treatment." Scott, co-author of Calipari's '09 book "Bounce Back" noted the documentary will be directed by Jonathan Hock and is coming in the fall. The documentary "is still in production -- with no official title or release date -- but shooting began at Calipari's Naismith Hall of Fame induction ceremony last September in Springfield, Mass." (Louisville COURIER-JOURNAL, 5/18). Meanwhile, ESPN also announced the next "30 for 30" project focuses on the lives and careers of former MLBers Dwight Gooden and Darryl Strawberry. "Doc & Darryl," which is directed by Judd Apatow and Michael Bonfiglio, will air on July 14 (ESPN).
GOOD PARTNER: In Hartford, Jeff Jacobs wrote the ESPN brand "is important to the state" of Connecticut. The state also has "been generous to ESPN; critics have argued too generous." At any rate, state government and ESPN are "partners in Connecticut, and few things are more important to people in this state than UConn." The school "obviously needs power and influence right about NOW" in its quest for conference realignment. One "could argue with some merit that ESPN could help UConn best behind closed doors, away from the media, and the less said the better." Yet the school "is also 0-for-realignment, so another person could argue ESPN hasn't done nearly enough" (HARTFORD COURANT, 5/16).
