ESPN interfers with actual game on MNF

[aoxo1]

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/20 ... k-del-rio/

Titans coach Jeff Fisher indicated that it was largely ESPN's fault. The network still needed more television timeouts and apparently asked both coaching staffs to take timeouts late.

"Jack used his timeouts," Fisher said after the game via Terry McCormick of Titans Insider. "My understanding is they needed network timeouts, and that's why Jack used his timeouts. They came over and asked me to do it, but I said, 'I was hoping to get a first down and kneel on it.'"

This is pretty harmless, but ESPN ought to be absolutely hammered for this. Just opens up a huge, huge can of worms. It's not hard to see how they could go from this towards trying to influence other parts of the game in pursuit of ratings.

Likely was happening before, but IMO this should be a big scandal... even though it won't be, partially due to people ignoring the implications, partially due to the fact that ESPN isn't going to cover its own blunder.

[Love child of shawn kemp]

This total BS on ESPN's part but I can't believe the coaches wouldn't just tell them to shove it.

[Loo]

This absolutely reeks of foul play. Once a medium is changing the course of a game--no matter how innocent--it opens a floodgates.

As a huge, real sports fan this really makes you sick to your stomach. It doesn't matter how small of an incident it is--what happens when Peyton Manning has 499 TD's on MNF, and ESPN wants him to reach 500 to boost their ratings over other CBS, where he would be on next week...this is just bad in every way.

[yogi]

Its hard to belive you guys dont know this but here is your answer....


$

[bac5665]

It's despicable. End of story.

That said, as a viewer of games, the thing with A-Rod's 600 HR and needing special balls was way, waaaaay more annoying.

[Loo]

Its hard to belive you guys dont know this but here is your answer....


$

Why do you think I was talking about ratings?

Ratings=advertising=money

[GodHatesClevelandSport]

Seems like Fisher is being a bit sarcastic. I don't know if we can take him seriously.

I did affect a HS football game once. I was covering a game for the Lorain newspaper and tracking the stats and realized Elyria had two guys with 100+ rushing yards and another guy close. It was late in the fourth and Elyria was driving out the clock. I was sitting next to the coaches sending down the play calls and mentioned to them that one guy needed like 20 yards for three to have 100.

Guess who got the ball the next three plays?

[jfiling]

Seems like Fisher is being a bit sarcastic. I don't know if we can take him seriously.

That was my impression from reading the actual article. I think he's been a smart-ass like this in the past as well, but I can't remember specific examples.

[aoxo1]

Its hard to belive you guys dont know this but here is your answer....


$

Um duh.

Read the post next time:

in pursuit of ratings

[yogi]

Its hard to belive you guys dont know this but here is your answer....


$

Um duh.

Read the post next time:

in pursuit of ratings

The way I read it was that ESPN sold some commercial time that was in danger of not being aired, therefore they wanted the timeouts so they could air the spots. If the spots werent run, they would have to issue refunds.

Please let me know where I'm off here.

[aoxo1]

No, you are not off in your interpretation of this specific incident. You are off in thinking none of us realized it is about money, even if it was not explicitly spelled out and only mentioned wrt future issues.

It's as bad an assumption as the inevitable posts in any CFB playoff thread that "you guys don't realize it's about money!"

[jfiling]

More evidence that Fisher is just a smart-ass:

ESPN did not ask coaches to take timeouts. Fisher said that in jest, according to our reporter who was in production trucks.

http://twitter.com/GeneFrenette/statuses/27853921484

No reason to take this too seriously.