by Travis Normand

Take a look at this article on Deadspin.com titled:

• “ESPN Reprimands SportsCenter for accurately sourcing a story: “IMPORTANT: DO NOT CREDIT SPORTS BY BROOKS”

It is clear that in the first video, the 11 p.m. SportsCenter credited SportsByBrooks.com with the information.  However, the next video showing the 1 a.m. SportsCenter (airing two hours later), had removed such credit.

ESPN could have simply cited the report that appeared in The Times-Picayun, which also got its information from SportsByBrooks.com.  Instead, however, SportsCenter anchor Jonathan Coachman said the information was something that “we’ll have to see to really believe.”

It appears that ESPN doesn’t want to give any credit for the information and instead wants to degrade the original source without naming names.

Fascinating stuff, but then again, its what we have come to expect from ESPN.

There are so many controversies surrounding ESPN that the subject has its own Wikipedia page.

Other ESPN media controversies:

• Sports Illustrated senior writer Grant Wahl (1)
• Sports Illustrated senior writer Grant Wahl (2)
• Did ESPN make up and interview?
• ESPN Plagiarized story (1)
• ESPN Plagiarized story (2)
• ESPN Practices Piggybacking
• ESPN doesn’t like giving credit 
• Shoddy inattentive reporting

One of ESPN’s biggest and most recent controversies was the “Free Bruce” debacle.

• Feldman leaves ESPN for CBS 
• Feldman suspended by ESPN (This was posted at SportsByBrooks.com; could this be the reason ESPN refuses to cite SBB?  Nah, as according to these links they are pretty much not giving anyone credit for their work.)
• The Definitive Oral and Written History of Free Bruce
• Did Feldman need Freeing?
• Feldman explains situation with ESPN on Dan Patrick show (1)
• Feldman explains situation with ESPN on Dan Patrick show (2)
• Feldman explains situation with ESPN on Dan Patrick show (3) (w/ transcript)
• Dan Patrick: Why isn’t Craig James suspended?

Then there is also the Longhorn Network and the conflict of interest that it represents for ESPN.  The sheer volume of ethical questions surrounding ESPN and the LHN are too many to list here, however, I will gladly list a few that were easier to find.

• Jesse Palmer apologizes for “horns down” sign (1)
• Jesse Palmer apologizes for “horns down” sign (2)

I can just see the ESPN execs scrambling for the telephone when they saw Palmer flash the downward horns on television.  I mean, here you are trying to sell the LHN to your viewers during a nationally televised (on ESPN) Longhorn game, and your announcer is giving a “horns down.”  I bet they were pretty upset.

Did ESPN make Desmond Howard (former Michigan football player, Heisman winner, and ESPN College Gameday host) apologize to Ohio State for saying “they don’t forget those who kick their ass . . .” in this 2007 documentary about the Michigan-Ohio State game?  Apparently not, as there is no such thing as the MWN (or Michigan Wolverine Network).

Michigan vs. Ohio State: The Rivalry, 2007

More controversy on the LHN and ESPN

• Run a search for “Longhorn Network” on OutKickTheCoverage.com
• ESPN and LHN Contract
• ESPN is complicating Texas A&M’s deal with SEC
• Texas is scared of the SEC

An old one that I almost forgot:

• March 23, 2006: Michiganzone.blogspot.com – ESPN’s Colin Cowherd “borrows” M Zone material 

Yesterday, March 22nd, ESPN Radio hack, uh, host, Colin Cowherd, did one of our most popular bits on the air verbatim, the M Zone Wonderlic Test, without giving the M Zone any credit whatsoever.