If ESPN hates LSU

The only reason they're picking this game up is because they are pushing for an upset. (Michigan is still on people's minds) Please tell me you can read through this. It is not to help our recruiting or popularity. It's just the opposite. And hear me now, we better win and WIN BIG or I can tell you right now ESPN will ride our arse with a hard smile.

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One guy makes a mistake

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One guy made a mistake? You honestly think the perception of bias by ESPN on this board is based upon one mistaken report by one personality?

ESPN has been biased against LSU for many years and for obvious reasons. We are a team from a small market that has not historic national appeal to audiences. We do not represent a top major metropolitan area, we are not in a high-market interest demographic zone, and we have not historically had a strong nationwide following. And when our program began to rise to match or exceed the level of other programs that had those advantages (SC, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Bama, etc.), ESPN (like basically all major media sources) gave more attention and coverage to the teams that had more national audience appeal. That wasn't us, so the bias was against us (among others). To add to that natural bias was the other natural bias of ESPN being owned by a company whose networks did not have the major contracts with our conference but did have the major networks with some of our most notable competitors for national attention (namely, of course, Southern Cal).

So given the combination of these obvious motivations, it would be absurd to think that a major sports media company would be self-destructive enough to accord us the same degree of favor they accorded other programs whose popularity directly increased the companies revenues.

When the sustained success of our football program generated enough exposure, and the national sympathy had accumulated from the Katrina disaster, and we made a statement as a powerful contender last year (in the Va. Tech game), the national appeal for our program reached a new height and we became a national buzz team. Accordingly, predictably and totally understandably, ESPN (and pretty much all the other major national sports media companies) began treating LSU much more like they had been treating other national interest programs all along.

So, yes, ESPN was biased against LSU in the same way they have been (and continue to be) biased against every other program lacking national audience interest or the affinity of a top major metropolitan market. And as soon as we cease to be a team of national audience interest, they will go right back to treating us that way.

To pretend this has not and/or will not be the case is to be exceedingly naive.

I think there is a prejudice that people don't think about. Look at the perspective of us Southerners regarding, lets say, Oregon. What is its state capital? Who cares! Its governor? Someone. Its state motto? However since Oregon State had a great football year (BCS if their QB stayed healthy??) people will recognize them... that is for a while. The second they have two bad seasons, some will question whether Oregon is a state in the USA. The same with LOUISIANA. A dumb southern state full of smelly Cajuns who yell like someone shot them at a stadium called.. "Death Valley" for a rinky-dick team that wears whites at its home games with yellow. See my point. Lack of national tradition? yea. Big population area? No. Who cares. It pisses me off. So what can you do?? What really gets my dander (and my Dad has nurtured this hate.. he graduated from Purdue in the late 40's!!) is crappy Notre Dame. Goodness gracious!! Not were they the crappiest team ever on TV last season.. they did it with all these great athletes and "great NFL" coach. And everyone still talks about them and a great comeback!! Give me a break!! Look at the number of games that the national TV stations will show of their's. Grin and bear it.

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One guy made a mistake? You honestly think the perception of bias by ESPN on this board is based upon one mistaken report by one personality?

ESPN has been biased against LSU for many years and for obvious reasons. We are a team from a small market that has not historic national appeal to audiences. We do not represent a top major metropolitan area, we are not in a high-market interest demographic zone, and we have not historically had a strong nationwide following. And when our program began to rise to match or exceed the level of other programs that had those advantages (SC, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Bama, etc.), ESPN (like basically all major media sources) gave more attention and coverage to the teams that had more national audience appeal. That wasn't us, so the bias was against us (among others). To add to that natural bias was the other natural bias of ESPN being owned by a company whose networks did not have the major contracts with our conference but did have the major networks with some of our most notable competitors for national attention (namely, of course, Southern Cal).

So given the combination of these obvious motivations, it would be absurd to think that a major sports media company would be self-destructive enough to accord us the same degree of favor they accorded other programs whose popularity directly increased the companies revenues.

When the sustained success of our football program generated enough exposure, and the national sympathy had accumulated from the Katrina disaster, and we made a statement as a powerful contender last year (in the Va. Tech game), the national appeal for our program reached a new height and we became a national buzz team. Accordingly, predictably and totally understandably, ESPN (and pretty much all the other major national sports media companies) began treating LSU much more like they had been treating other national interest programs all along.

So, yes, ESPN was biased against LSU in the same way they have been (and continue to be) biased against every other program lacking national audience interest or the affinity of a top major metropolitan market. And as soon as we cease to be a team of national audience interest, they will go right back to treating us that way.

To pretend this has not and/or will not be the case is to be exceedingly naive.

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I agree with this. (Picture of the goofy Kentucky fan)

But, everything you have said, I too have voiced here on TD.

It's all about ratings... And ratings = $$$$$$$$$$.

Ratings & Dollars are the life's blood of ESPN...

The only thing LSU can do to "make" ESPN cover them is keep winning 10-11 games per year, consistently make it to the SEC Champ game, and BCS games...

Otherwise, like you said, LSU will be back to small beans and spotty coverage on ESPN if any at all.

Here is one of the things I hate about ESPN... when they debate and argue over different players or teams etc it is all BS. Half the time they are arguing a point that they don't even agree with. It is all about a script and nothing about the truth.

LSU is the down to Earth, homely looking and smart girl that snatched the Homecoming Queen spot among the dumb, snobby, rich, and pretty ones. They did it in 2007 and in 2003.

So the media's answer to that is to just pretend it never happened. Or, it did happen, but with excuses and faulty logic thrown in every direction on top of it.

This kind of activity and behavior happens all the time, in every facet of life - everyday. For example, how many people in here work for a company that has a person constantly praised, held to much lower standards than a much more qualified and able person? But the qualified person doesn't play golf with the boss every weekend and doesn't have something of interest with the boss so therefore, he doesn't stand a chance. The qualified person is not in the "in crowd" so to speak with the boss. We see this all the time - some of us are even in that predicament. You just learn to do the best you can do at your job and keep succeeding. That's pretty much how I view LSU. Roll your eyes at the media, keep winning and proving them wrong, and laugh while watching their response to it.

And because it is this way, if LSU farts the wrong way they're all over it like a pack of starving wolves. Case in point: the latest Les Miles "incident" - that is, if you want to call what he said about Bama an incident.

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fail for your avatar, lsutiger in texas

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x 2

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Please tell me you can read through this.

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Not many on here can read through much of anything...everything's black and white to them. Just like they are stuck on the "ESPN hates us" bullcrap. The argument is not that they hate us, it's that they suck as a sports network with poor reporting, poor commentary, and the hiring of laughable buffoons as sports anchors to try to get their ratings up.