SI.com's Richard Deitsch wrote it was "sensational work" by ESPN's TV crew for "how they handled the live airing" of Pacers F Paul George’s injury during the Team USA scrimmage on Friday night in Las Vegas. ESPN play-by-play announcer Mark Jones and analyst Fran Fraschilla were "measured with their commentary, stayed away from speculation and guided viewers through a tough moment with thoughtfulness and news judgment." Playback Producer Brett Wilensky and Dir of Event Productions Mike Roig let the pictures "tell the story without being sensationalistic (Wilensky told Jones there would be no multiple replays of the play, and Roig used his camera people wisely to get a sense of player and fan reaction)" (SI.com, 8/3).
CRYSTAL BALL: Big Ten Network President Mark Silverman said of future conference realignment, "The success, or lack of success, of conference networks, depending how you look at things, may lead to future expansion." He added, "I think we're in this period now where there is so much activity relating to the NCAA and the college football playoff where that it almost feels like things need to kind of get through this next period of change, and then we'll see. Or maybe it does happen in the midst of this. ... The others that have networks, the Pac-12 and the SEC, do they want to add schools to help grow their networks? We'll see. I don't know. At this point, you're not really surprised one way or the other" (CBSSPORTS.com, 8/2).
INSIDER'S VIEW: In N.Y., William Rhoden writes recent remarks by ESPN's Stephen A. Smith regarding domestic violence are the "latest example of how the line between being thought-provoking and merely provoking has become blurred and how thoughtful discourse has been compromised." At its best, commentary, inside and outside the world of sports, "provides insight, makes sense out of confusion and finds balance in the midst of controversy." But in the last 25 years, with the "rise of sports journalists as news media stars, those who have traditionally been charged with providing perspective have often been the ones lobbing verbal hand grenades" (N.Y. TIMES, 8/4).
