More ESPN Bevo fallout landing in Norman
Published: 1/21/2011 10:08 AM
Last Modified: 1/21/2011 10:21 AM
Yesterday I blogged about the recruiting fruits that ESPN Bevo should bear for the Longhorns, and how Oklahoma is likely working 23 hours a day on its own deal with its own TV partner for that reason and others.
Here's another pain in OU's backside that Texas TV has created, courtesy of Jerome Solomon of the Houston Chronicle:
"ESPN will do its best to pretend to cover UT objectively, but is that possible now that the mega-sports network has a huge financial stake in the university's success?"
OU rooters have been paranoid about ESPN bias since Mike Lupica's infamous "Sports Reporters" blasting of Bob Stoops the morning after OU's 2003 blasting of Texas A&M.
Both GameDay analysts tabbed Sooners to win the 2010 Heisman Trophy last August. Still, try convincing OU Fan that the Sooners don't take a back seat to anyone from the SEC (ESPN's Saturday night partner), the Big Ten (ESPN's Saturday morning/afternoon partner) or Texas (now ESPN's $300 million partner).
You'd have better luck convincing OU Fan that Mack Brown can coach mummy wrap around Bob Stoops.
To the conspiracy theorists around Norman, ESPN Bevo means the Sooners aren't in the back seat anymore.
They're not even in the car.
To these folks, Solomon's words read like a doomsday prophecy:
"With conference television packages, you expect networks to be kind to the leagues with which they are affiliated, but this takes it to another level. ESPN will now own an on-campus studio. The network's success is directly related to UT's success on the football field (and, to a lesser extent, on the basketball court).
"If UT does well, ESPN does well. If UT looks good, ESPN looks good."
-- Guerin Emig
Written by
Guerin Emig
Sports Writer
