eSECpn Bias

[StPaulHusker]

ESPN is biased against the SEC!!!111!!!11!!

Main article on the ESPN CFB page - Flipping the Field: Ohio State-Michigan State has Big Ten looking like dominant SEC of BCS era

Top headline on the sidebar of the ESPN CFB page - Auburn falls 12 sports; SEC loses 3 from Top 25

Look at the headline though, why does Ohio St. and Michigan St. look like dominant SEC teams instead of dominant B1G teams of the past? Still pumping the bias, even while pretending they aren't.

I agree.

They are saying that they look dominant. Like the SEC did during the BCS era. Which 4 teams in the SEC were in that time

 

[Guy Chamberlin]

If you are determined to see ESPN-SEC bias, you'll find it somewhere.

Some posters seem convinced that ESPN ranks the teams, rather than merely reporting on the ranked teams.

Or that they don't report SEC teams getting beat. Or SEC players involved in scandals.

It's just not true. And whining about it is a bad look.

(for the record, the Big 10 had a pretty bad Week 1. The SEC had a pretty bad Week 2. They were equally reported)

 

[QMany]

Guy, do you think ESPN has a more vested interest in SEC success?

 

[Landlord]

Look at the headline though, why does Ohio St. and Michigan St. look like dominant SEC teams instead of dominant B1G teams of the past? Still pumping the bias, even while pretending they aren't.

Hey I know what you mean! Last week my girlfriend got a makeover and she looked so amazing and I said, "Wow you look like a model!"

She got really mad at me and said, "Whoa. Why did you say I look like a model? Why not just a really good looking normal person? Are you biased against non-models?" Live and learn I guess!

 

[Redux]

There is another thread that showcases the bias pretty clearly. It is a real thing, it concerns me. Does it determine on the field results? Not really. But it is the sports reporting juggernaut selling a brand they are invested in to future recruits.

 

[Guy Chamberlin]

Guy, do you think ESPN has a more vested interest in SEC success?

Sure. Sort of. Just not as obviously as some think.

Mostly they want people to watch ESPN. They want good stories. America still likes underdog stories. If that means teams upsetting SEC powerhouses, they will run with the underdog story. If it involves scandals, they will run with the scandal regardless of conference affiliation. If people are watching ESPN looking for evidence of SEC bias, it means more people watching ESPN.

Also, ESPN does sh#tloads of reporting because they're on the air 24/7. Someone here freaks out because the ESPN home page didn't trumpet a near upset of an SEC team. A fresher home page shows ESPN clearly reporting the SEC's entire bad weekend. But if you're addicted to ESPN bias, you remember one and forget the other. So the bias works both ways.

And some want to think of ESPN as a single entity, exerting a singular agenda. The network is actually full of reporters and analysts from different colleges and conferences who constantly disagree with each other. Technically that's the formula. Report the facts and then debate the crap out of them. They have millions of viewers across the country. They can literally not afford to be SEC cheerleaders. But they can certainly profit from airing their games. If people tune in rooting for the overrated SEC to be upset, in only works in ESPN's favor.

As reported a few months ago, Alabama fans are convinced ESPN has it in for them.

Just for the record, here are some of the opinions ESPN has logged in recent years:

• Rated '95 Nebraska and '71 Nebraska the #1 and #3 all-time college football teams respectively.

• Ranked Jack Hoffman's Nebraska Spring Game Run the single best moment in all of sports at the ESPY's

• Ranked Jordan Westerkamp's otherwise meaningless behind the back catch the College Play of the Year at the ESPY's

• Allowed Lee Corso and Chris Fowler to appear on the Nebraska Legacy Video, calling Nebraska the best fans and Lincoln the best gameday experience in all of college football.

• Supported the Suh for Heisman bandwagon over Tim Tebow in 2009. Even Skip Bayless got on board.

But we don't talk about ESPN's Nebraska bias because that just sounds too weird.

We're in a terrible position to be objective.

 

[Savage Husker]

It's a backhanded compliment to the B1G. Everyone obviously knows of the SECs previous run, but referring to top teams in another conference to SEC worthy is another example of their love fest.

It's not the writers or analysts, it's the dum dums updating the site with the headlines. It's also not the first questionable headline and it won't be their last.

Heck, they have posted downright offensive headlines before that prompted apologies. Nothing wrong with calling them out on this one too.

 

[DomiNUs]

If you are determined to see ESPN-SEC bias, you'll find it somewhere.

Some posters seem convinced that ESPN ranks the teams, rather than merely reporting on the ranked teams.

Or that they don't report SEC teams getting beat. Or SEC players involved in scandals.

It's just not true. And whining about it is a bad look.

(for the record, the Big 10 had a pretty bad Week 1. The SEC had a pretty bad Week 2. They were equally reported)

ESPN does rank the teams. They created their very own FPI, which they use and reference more than the AP and Coaches poll. And, take a look at the pre-season ESPN FPI if you still don't believe the bias.

 

[DomiNUs]

Guy, do you think ESPN has a more vested interest in SEC success?

Sure. Sort of. Just not as obviously as some think.

Mostly they want people to watch ESPN. They want good stories. America still likes underdog stories. If that means teams upsetting SEC powerhouses, they will run with the underdog story. If it involves scandals, they will run with the scandal regardless of conference affiliation. If people are watching ESPN looking for evidence of SEC bias, it means more people watching ESPN.

Also, ESPN does sh#tloads of reporting because they're on the air 24/7. Someone here freaks out because the ESPN home page didn't trumpet a near upset of an SEC team. A fresher home page shows ESPN clearly reporting the SEC's entire bad weekend. But if you're addicted to ESPN bias, you remember one and forget the other. So the bias works both ways.

And some want to think of ESPN as a single entity, exerting a singular agenda. The network is actually full of reporters and analysts from different colleges and conferences who constantly disagree with each other. Technically that's the formula. Report the facts and then debate the crap out of them. They have millions of viewers across the country. They can literally not afford to be SEC cheerleaders. But they can certainly profit from airing their games. If people tune in rooting for the overrated SEC to be upset, in only works in ESPN's favor.

As reported a few months ago, Alabama fans are convinced ESPN has it in for them.

Just for the record, here are some of the opinions ESPN has logged in recent years:

• Rated '95 Nebraska and '71 Nebraska the #1 and #3 all-time college football teams respectively.

• Ranked Jack Hoffman's Nebraska Spring Game Run the single best moment in all of sports at the ESPY's

• Ranked Jordan Westerkamp's otherwise meaningless behind the back catch the College Play of the Year at the ESPY's

• Allowed Lee Corso and Chris Fowler to appear on the Nebraska Legacy Video, calling Nebraska the best fans and Lincoln the best gameday experience in all of college football.

• Supported the Suh for Heisman bandwagon over Tim Tebow in 2009. Even Skip Bayless got on board.

But we don't talk about ESPN's Nebraska bias because that just sounds too weird.

We're in a terrible position to be objective.

I will admit this, since fans and coaches started calling them out on it over the last 18 months, ESPN has actually toned it down a bit. But the fact is, they still have a long way to go. BTW, half the stuff you mentioned ESPN doing for Nebraska, was voted on by fans, and had nothing to do with ESPN allowing anything.

 

[Red Five]

ESPN does rank the teams. They created their very own FPI, which they use and reference more than the AP and Coaches poll. And, take a look at the pre-season ESPN FPI if you still don't believe the bias.

The bolded is a flat out lie.

In all the games they show, the graphics show the AP rank by the team.

On sportscenter/cfb scoreboard/espn.com, the ranking they show with the highlight packages are the AP.

Go to ESPN.com and click on rankings. The results are the AP and Coaches. Hell, I can't even find the FPI on the website without doing a search for it.

 

[DomiNUs]

ESPN does rank the teams. They created their very own FPI, which they use and reference more than the AP and Coaches poll. And, take a look at the pre-season ESPN FPI if you still don't believe the bias.

The bolded is a flat out lie.

In all the games they show, the graphics show the AP rank by the team.

On sportscenter/cfb scoreboard/espn.com, the ranking they show with the highlight packages are the AP.

Go to ESPN.com and click on rankings. The results are the AP and Coaches. Hell, I can't even find the FPI on the website without doing a search for it.

Scroll down. It's there below the AP poll.

 

[NUinID]

Guy, do you think ESPN has a more vested interest in SEC success?

Sure. Sort of. Just not as obviously as some think.

Mostly they want people to watch ESPN. They want good stories. America still likes underdog stories. If that means teams upsetting SEC powerhouses, they will run with the underdog story. If it involves scandals, they will run with the scandal regardless of conference affiliation. If people are watching ESPN looking for evidence of SEC bias, it means more people watching ESPN.

Also, ESPN does sh#tloads of reporting because they're on the air 24/7. Someone here freaks out because the ESPN home page didn't trumpet a near upset of an SEC team. A fresher home page shows ESPN clearly reporting the SEC's entire bad weekend. But if you're addicted to ESPN bias, you remember one and forget the other. So the bias works both ways.

And some want to think of ESPN as a single entity, exerting a singular agenda. The network is actually full of reporters and analysts from different colleges and conferences who constantly disagree with each other. Technically that's the formula. Report the facts and then debate the crap out of them. They have millions of viewers across the country. They can literally not afford to be SEC cheerleaders. But they can certainly profit from airing their games. If people tune in rooting for the overrated SEC to be upset, in only works in ESPN's favor.

As reported a few months ago, Alabama fans are convinced ESPN has it in for them.

Just for the record, here are some of the opinions ESPN has logged in recent years:

• Rated '95 Nebraska and '71 Nebraska the #1 and #3 all-time college football teams respectively.

• Ranked Jack Hoffman's Nebraska Spring Game Run the single best moment in all of sports at the ESPY's

• Ranked Jordan Westerkamp's otherwise meaningless behind the back catch the College Play of the Year at the ESPY's

• Allowed Lee Corso and Chris Fowler to appear on the Nebraska Legacy Video, calling Nebraska the best fans and Lincoln the best gameday experience in all of college football.

• Supported the Suh for Heisman bandwagon over Tim Tebow in 2009. Even Skip Bayless got on board.

But we don't talk about ESPN's Nebraska bias because that just sounds too weird.

We're in a terrible position to be objective.

I will admit this, since fans and coaches started calling them out on it over the last 18 months, ESPN has actually toned it down a bit. But the fact is, they still have a long way to go. BTW, half the stuff you mentioned ESPN doing for Nebraska, was voted on by fans, and had nothing to do with ESPN allowing anything.

I would agree with this, I think they are toning it down some, partly because they have gotten egg on their face with SEC teams not performing up to the level that they were suppose to perform.

 

[Red Five]

ESPN does rank the teams. They created their very own FPI, which they use and reference more than the AP and Coaches poll. And, take a look at the pre-season ESPN FPI if you still don't believe the bias.

The bolded is a flat out lie.

In all the games they show, the graphics show the AP rank by the team.

On sportscenter/cfb scoreboard/espn.com, the ranking they show with the highlight packages are the AP.

Go to ESPN.com and click on rankings. The results are the AP and Coaches. Hell, I can't even find the FPI on the website without doing a search for it.

Scroll down. It's there below the AP poll.

That's not the FPI. That's how all their analysts rank the teams.

And even is that was the FPI, they still don't use it on 95% of all their graphics.

 

[Guy Chamberlin]

Guy, do you think ESPN has a more vested interest in SEC success?

Sure. Sort of. Just not as obviously as some think.

Mostly they want people to watch ESPN. They want good stories. America still likes underdog stories. If that means teams upsetting SEC powerhouses, they will run with the underdog story. If it involves scandals, they will run with the scandal regardless of conference affiliation. If people are watching ESPN looking for evidence of SEC bias, it means more people watching ESPN.

Also, ESPN does sh#tloads of reporting because they're on the air 24/7. Someone here freaks out because the ESPN home page didn't trumpet a near upset of an SEC team. A fresher home page shows ESPN clearly reporting the SEC's entire bad weekend. But if you're addicted to ESPN bias, you remember one and forget the other. So the bias works both ways.

And some want to think of ESPN as a single entity, exerting a singular agenda. The network is actually full of reporters and analysts from different colleges and conferences who constantly disagree with each other. Technically that's the formula. Report the facts and then debate the crap out of them. They have millions of viewers across the country. They can literally not afford to be SEC cheerleaders. But they can certainly profit from airing their games. If people tune in rooting for the overrated SEC to be upset, in only works in ESPN's favor.

As reported a few months ago, Alabama fans are convinced ESPN has it in for them.

Just for the record, here are some of the opinions ESPN has logged in recent years:

• Rated '95 Nebraska and '71 Nebraska the #1 and #3 all-time college football teams respectively.

• Ranked Jack Hoffman's Nebraska Spring Game Run the single best moment in all of sports at the ESPY's

• Ranked Jordan Westerkamp's otherwise meaningless behind the back catch the College Play of the Year at the ESPY's

• Allowed Lee Corso and Chris Fowler to appear on the Nebraska Legacy Video, calling Nebraska the best fans and Lincoln the best gameday experience in all of college football.

• Supported the Suh for Heisman bandwagon over Tim Tebow in 2009. Even Skip Bayless got on board.

But we don't talk about ESPN's Nebraska bias because that just sounds too weird.

We're in a terrible position to be objective.

I will admit this, since fans and coaches started calling them out on it over the last 18 months, ESPN has actually toned it down a bit. But the fact is, they still have a long way to go. BTW, half the stuff you mentioned ESPN doing for Nebraska, was voted on by fans, and had nothing to do with ESPN allowing anything.

This is also a flat-out lie.

ESPN did have a separate fan vote for the top college teams of all-time, but Nebraska's #1 and #3 ranking came from ESPN's select college football panel. (The fans gave us pretty much the same love, but flipped '71 for '95)

ESPN nominates all the candidates for ESPY Awards before submitting to a vote of fans, sportswriters, broadcasters and ESPN personalities.

Lee Corso and Chris Fowler's endorsement of Nebraska is actually fairly stunning when you watch it. We would absolutely sh#t bricks if they came out that overtly for any other school.

They also pumped Suh for Heisman. We liked it at the time, then forgot about it when we wanted to get all paranoid.

 

[HuskerExpat]

Guy, do you think ESPN has a more vested interest in SEC success?

Sure. Sort of. Just not as obviously as some think.

Mostly they want people to watch ESPN. They want good stories. America still likes underdog stories. If that means teams upsetting SEC powerhouses, they will run with the underdog story. If it involves scandals, they will run with the scandal regardless of conference affiliation. If people are watching ESPN looking for evidence of SEC bias, it means more people watching ESPN.

Also, ESPN does sh#tloads of reporting because they're on the air 24/7. Someone here freaks out because the ESPN home page didn't trumpet a near upset of an SEC team. A fresher home page shows ESPN clearly reporting the SEC's entire bad weekend. But if you're addicted to ESPN bias, you remember one and forget the other. So the bias works both ways.

And some want to think of ESPN as a single entity, exerting a singular agenda. The network is actually full of reporters and analysts from different colleges and conferences who constantly disagree with each other. Technically that's the formula. Report the facts and then debate the crap out of them. They have millions of viewers across the country. They can literally not afford to be SEC cheerleaders. But they can certainly profit from airing their games. If people tune in rooting for the overrated SEC to be upset, in only works in ESPN's favor.

As reported a few months ago, Alabama fans are convinced ESPN has it in for them.

Just for the record, here are some of the opinions ESPN has logged in recent years:

• Rated '95 Nebraska and '71 Nebraska the #1 and #3 all-time college football teams respectively.

• Ranked Jack Hoffman's Nebraska Spring Game Run the single best moment in all of sports at the ESPY's

• Ranked Jordan Westerkamp's otherwise meaningless behind the back catch the College Play of the Year at the ESPY's

• Allowed Lee Corso and Chris Fowler to appear on the Nebraska Legacy Video, calling Nebraska the best fans and Lincoln the best gameday experience in all of college football.

• Supported the Suh for Heisman bandwagon over Tim Tebow in 2009. Even Skip Bayless got on board.

But we don't talk about ESPN's Nebraska bias because that just sounds too weird.

We're in a terrible position to be objective.

ESPN absolutely has more of a vested interest in SEC success. ESPN is partners with the SEC in the SEC network and they have contract with the SEC to play other games on ESPN channels. Then think about the fact that the B1G might not renew its contract with ESPN at the end of this year and instead go with Fox (their current partners in the B1G Network).

ESPN wants people to watch their network(s). The best way to do that is to have highly ranked teams playing on their network(s). So there is no doubt ESPN has a motivation to pump up the SEC. Does that mean they are doing that unfairly? That's a different question and people have different opinions. But they definitely have the motivation.