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Started By
Message
We all know this, but it's good the Deadspin put it in writing
Posted on 11/12/12 at 2:48 pm
Posted on 11/12/12 at 2:48 pm
LINK
quote:
The story of how ESPN fell in love with Tim Tebow is really the story of a breakup, between ESPN and the business of reporting the news.
7
Posted on 11/12/12 at 2:49 pm to Sophandros
that was a great interview by DP
This post was edited on 11/12/12 at 2:50 pm
Posted on 11/12/12 at 2:51 pm to bigt41
quote:
The story of ESPN's Tebow obsession really begins last year. In September 2011, ESPN2's First Take, having gone through several different lives (a faint imitation of a morning TV show, a debate-cum-variety show), went to an all-debate format starring former newspaper columnist Skip Bayless. This new iteration wasn't all that popular with other producers in Bristol, a source said, but the decision was made after ESPN consulted a focus group. "We focus-grouped it to people and realized pretty quickly that viewers wanted debate," hot-shot First Take producer Jamie Horowitz told Men's Journal. "In particular, they wanted to see Skip debate." Producers around the network saw it the same way a lot of us do: as willful crap. Staged disagreement. On the show, Bayless would be pitted against another panelist—often a black counterpart, including Stephen A. Smith, who is now the full-time co-host—and "debate" him or her, Crossfire-style, on the sports topic of the moment. Around the time that Bayless become the country's most visible and outspoken Tebow supporter—which ultimately spawned this abomination and the 4 million clicks that went with it—ratings for the show began to climb.
Yep.
Posted on 11/12/12 at 2:53 pm to Sophandros
And then there's this nugget:
quote:
And what dawned on a segment of the newsroom was something that would've seemed absurd even five years ago: Skip Bayless and Stephen A. Smith were indirectly setting the editorial agenda for the biggest platform in the sports world. As our source put it to me, First Take's ratings surge late last year "completely changed" the look of ESPN.
Posted on 11/12/12 at 2:58 pm to Sophandros
i think they took it down because it isn't working for me
Posted on 11/12/12 at 2:59 pm to quail man
quote:
i think they took it down because it isn't working for me
Posted on 11/12/12 at 3:02 pm to Sophandros
I can't wait to read this when I get home. It's probably just going to feed into my confirmation bias, but I'm ok with that. 
Posted on 11/12/12 at 3:08 pm to RunningHeel
It's up. At least on my computer.
Posted on 11/12/12 at 3:17 pm to Sophandros
Deadspin telling it like it is 
Posted on 11/12/12 at 3:17 pm to Sophandros
Great article. Thanks for posting.
Posted on 11/12/12 at 3:20 pm to ProjectP2294
finally worked. great read.
Posted on 11/12/12 at 3:33 pm to quail man
Fox News was the first corporate cable news network to cover "fake" news. ESPN saw how much money they were making and followed their model.
BTW, they still have great journalists it's not seen on TV but online.
BTW, they still have great journalists it's not seen on TV but online.
Posted on 11/12/12 at 3:34 pm to Sophandros
Ninja please! (said very quickly as to conceal the true word spoken)
Posted on 11/12/12 at 3:36 pm to jembeurt
Who are these focus groups anyway? I always hear about them and it's always anonymous.
Posted on 11/12/12 at 3:37 pm to quail man
Got it to work; awesome read 
Love the tidbit about the interview with the soccer player that never happened. Lazy journalism
Love the tidbit about the interview with the soccer player that never happened. Lazy journalism
Posted on 11/12/12 at 4:31 pm to Sophandros
I think I probably have at least 10 posts in First Take-related threads discussing how the entire broadcast, including debate topics, positions, and the twitter/facebook push, were all Horowitz's doing.
And, as far as producing a show for profit goes, he's been excellent.
And, as far as producing a show for profit goes, he's been excellent.
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