Does ESPN's Favre Special Offer Any Value, New Information?
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ESPN's Live "SportsCenter" Special On
Favre Offers Little New Information |
ESPN yesterday beginning at 12:30pm ET aired a special "SportsCenter" surrounding Packers QB Brett Favre, and for 2 hours and 37 minutes of the show, ESPN "promised little, except a 'developing story' that stayed in vitro," according to Richard Sandomir of the N.Y. TIMES. ESPN did not air live footage of Favre's arrival at Packers training camp, but did offer "plenty of the same clip of his arrival by jet Sunday night with his wife." Sandomir: "Seemed like a nice private jet, but I didn't want to see it touch down 43 times." ESPN "fed us a diet of repetitive taped shots of Favre," and "nearly the only people talking live from Green Bay were ESPN's own reporters, Ed Werder and Wendi Nix, who answered the same few questions, over and over during multiple segments." Though the special "was not nourishing," ESPN Senior VP & Dir of News Vince Doria "sees such efforts pragmatically." Doria would "rather be live, without breaking news, than in a 'SportsCenter' replay." Sandomir writes "more balance was needed; after an unedifying half-hour, it was time to return to the studio until news broke" (N.Y. TIMES, 8/5). In Milwaukee, Bob Wolfley writes of ESPN's special, "Absent any new information or facts about Favre's return, the hour was an amalgam of impressions, opinions and speculations" (MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL, 8/5). In Akron, George Thomas writes of the special, "At this point the only thing missing is a title sponsor." But Thomas added the show "could run the risk of overkill if it weren't for how ESPN treats the subjects." Host Robert Flores and analysts Mike Golic and Marcellus Wiley offered "insightful commentary" (AKRON BEACON JOURNAL, 8/5).
MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING: Syndicated radio host Dan Patrick said, "We will look back on this Brett Favre story and we will say the story was more about the media, text messaging, how Favre went about it, the Packers went about it, sources went about it. … It’s more about the media than it is about Brett Favre." Patrick added, "I’m finding so many people are saying the same thing. Enough, enough, enough" ("The Dan Patrick Show," 8/5). Sirius Satellite Radio's Scott Ferrall said, "This is the greatest non-story in the history of sports. It’s been going on for a month. ... In 25 years of broadcasting, I’ve never seen a story with less bulk to it than this stupidity" ("The Wheelhouse," SNY, 8/4).
LAUGH TRACK: In the beginning of last night’s edition of CBS’ “Late Show,” CBS cut to a “CBS News Special Report,” saying, “This is a CBS News Special Report. Packers QB Brett Favre has canceled his comeback bid and announced his retirement. This has been a CBS News Special Report.” The report went unacknowledged by host David Letterman. Approximately five minutes later in the broadcast, CBS again cut to a special report. Announcer: “This is a CBS News Special Report. Brett Favre has announced he is unretired and has rejoined the Green Bay Packers. This has been a CBS News Special Report.” Ten seconds later, CBS again went to a special report. Announcer: “This is a CBS News Special Report. Brett Favre has retired, and while retiring, unretired. But then, he retired again. This has been a CBS News Special Report” (“Late Show,” CBS, 8/4).
GREEN WITH ENVY: The Packers Family Night Scrimmage telecast Sunday on WITI-Fox earned a 15.0 rating (133,650 HHs), making it the "top television attraction of any" sports event in the Milwaukee area last weekend (MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL, 8/5).
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