Ending two years as the public editor at ESPN, Jim Brady closed out his association with the Worldwide Leader in (Liberal) Sports with a review of the network's recent highs and lows. Brady bragged up the network, but did not spare it from criticism and declared its future has never been so uncertain.
Brady wrote ESPN still "maintains massive audiences on air and online, and still brings home annual profits that would make shareholders giddy if they hadn’t been used to larger profits before." Brady admitted ESPN experienced a litany of struggles (all self-induced, by the way).
Former President John Skipper was at the center of controversy before quitting ESPN Dec. 18, 2017. He had recently signed a new contract, then resigned unexpectedly because, as he told his superiors at Disney, he has a cocaine addiction and one of his suppliers threatened to extort him. It's a questionable claim, but Brady calls it "seismic" for ESPN to continue without the man "many credit with turning it into a strong journalistic entity." (Stop laughing!)
The Brady recap focuses heavily on politics and how ESPN plays it. "Yes, ESPN has struggled with the increasing collision of sports and politics," Brady acknowledged. He disputed the bias had a significant impact of ESPN's business -- 13 million lost subscribers from 2011 to 2017. "That doesn’t mean ESPN shouldn’t take seriously the thoughtful criticism of its perceived political move leftward." Did someone use the word "perceived" in place of "obvious"?
Brady says ESPN won't stick to sports, even though sports fans are looking for escapism more than ever "in these troubled political times." And adds: "I see no need for it to force its way into politics when the connection is not direct. Additionally, ESPN needs to do better at reflecting points of view from across the political spectrum." He also conceded "there are surely people who have canceled ESPN because they think it has chosen a political side."
No kidding! Because when ESPN goes political, it always bats left-handed. I wonder if he wrote it with a straight face. New President Jimmy Pitaro also addressed politics recently when he said, “Of course, there is going to continue to be an intersection between sports and politics and we’re going to continue to cover that. We’re going to cover it fairly and honestly.” Hillary Clinton would surely approve of how that plays out!
Public trust in journalism is at an all-time low, but it couldn't be the fault of left-stream media, could it? Brady said "maybe the most recent plummet has more to do with Trump’s incessant carping about the media ... ."
Former SportsCenter host Jemele Hill's Twitter attack on Trump as a "white supremacist" is the most highly charged subject Brady wrote about at ESPN, yet he backs Hill's outrageous outburst.
Additional observations from the exiting Brady are that ESPN is still one of cable television’s main draws, and he's been surprised by the rising level of animus directed at the network. Brady further identifies ESPN's brand of "journalism" as guided by its "lineup" of on-air talent. Multitudes of viewers would definite it differently.
Among Brady's other criticisms are that ESPN can do much to improve its journalism and its products, many have complained about too many boring talk shows and its coverage of Tim Tebow. ESPN is risking its credibility by not opening up about its claim of having knowledge of an FBI wiretap of Arizona basketball coach Sean Miller speaking about bribing a recruit.
No one expect ESPN to play politics down the center under Pitaro's leadership. He previously headed up the liberally slanted Yahoo Sports!
