jaenosjelantru, Tulsa (12/13/2008 9:27:44 AM)

Agreed. Fine article.

TulsanBornTulsanBred, (12/13/2008 10:44:17 AM)

Dave, couldn't agree with you more. Tebow is a fine player, but the level of praise by the national media is blatantly slanted. Before I read your article today, I read an article by Allen Barra in the Wall Street Journal that made the exact same arguments that you railed against here. The most egregious of which was that Tebow's stats actually "meant something" more than Bradford's or McCoy's. What does that even mean? I guess the lesson learned is here don't get your sports information from a financial paper.

SBH, OKC (12/13/2008 10:56:20 AM)

Dave,

I watched have watched college football all year and Bradford is amazing and should win the trophy hands down. Even against Texas, the sooners only loss, his numbers were pretty awesome--Five scores, 387 yards and 71.79 percent completion percentage.

Your article raises issues that are more important than any heisman trophy is. The media has become a bunch of suckers, ruined the evaluation of real ability and driven the discussion of all sports to childish levels. Your picker a.k.a Jay Cronley realizes this. I am glad you are getting on board too, dave. Seriously, can any sane people actually believe Tebow will be any better than Eric Crouch in the NFL?
ESPN in its quest to drive Disney's earnings is becoming its own worst enemy. They have lost their ability to become critical of themselves and sports, which was one of the biggest appeals originally in my opinion. Their best writers walk a very fine line of having to towing politiburo's agenda and actually giving their opinion. Even friggin, Simmons is becoming guilty of this. Sooner or later, Gus Johnson will become the worst announcer on earth because he works for CBS. Buy the NFL, fire playmakers. In Espn's world Boise would never win a BCS, BYU could never be #1 and Villanova would never beat Houston. They are becoming a bunch of cheerleaders, much like the Republican party under Bush. Abandon everything you stood for and if you disagree, well, you are a communist, work for CNN or even worse might be a liberal. Jason Whitlock of FoxSport should be knighted, given sainthood or made a mullah or whatever it is religious people do. He actually has the ablity to critize Mecca--Bristol, CT. Unforunately, the people at ESPN, College Dameday and even deuces like Luppica gave that up a long time ago.

FYI...your website needs the ablity to embed links, videos and pictures...it could be pretty sweet, strain.

Buck Anon, (12/13/2008 12:29:38 PM)

Mr. Sittler, I had to speak up -- again -- about the egregious tilting of the "news" that comes from the ESPN toadies these days. I'd love to see Sam Bradford win the Heisman. He deserves it. But my outrage extends beyond the Heisman. ESPN began as a cable network that delivered reasonably unbiased sports reports, as well as tree-felling, tree-rolling, Chinese checker tournaments, etc. It has evolved into an advertising department for whomever its bosses lust after. A few years ago, you'll remember, it was Southern Cal. The so-called experts rated the Trojans against every great football team that had ever taken the field, even teams that played before World War I. How ludicrous. Kirk Herbstreit, Lee Corso and that other guy, who began at ESPN covering junior high school "athletics," have become the most transparent of biased sports announcers, no doubt marching under an overseer's orders. Herbstreit particularly has become a mouthpiece for certain teams and individuals, pretending in his "I am a former jock" style to be objective while bending every sentence so that it ends with the name of whoever's behind he is kissing this week. I won't even go into the smarmy pro football pregame team. Chris Berman and Tom Jackson need to get a room together -- and never come out. Berman has long outlived his "humor." Unfortunately, its only competition these days is Fox, and Fox doesn't even have a regular sports report program. "The Best ... "? Egad! Thus ESPN dictates sports coverage and can -- and does -- sway public opinion. By now every casual viewer must think Tim Tebow is the Second Coming. I can't criticize the players or their families. This is a diatribe against that most biased of "news" networks (worse than Fox? Yes!), the Egotistical, Scrofulous, Pathological Network. I confess to occasionally watching Sports Center on the off-chance that it wanders into the arena of sports and forgets for a few minutes that it is now the most-watched PR network on television.

Lance-a-lot, Tulsa (12/13/2008 1:08:35 PM)

Already preparing to play the bias card as an excuse?

TMS, (12/13/2008 1:49:47 PM)

Dave, you sound like sour grapes. Tebow is popular nation wide, not just Okie land. Maybe ESPN is biased not like media in OU land, right?

Dusty, (12/13/2008 3:58:33 PM)

Dave, do a bit of rewind to last year. McFadden was clearly the best and most exciting player in college football.

ESPN is headquartered on the EAST coast. OU is not a favorite of any media outlet on the east coast. Arkansas fans found out the same thing last year. It was Tebow all the time, the same as this year. I am not downplaying how good Tebow is, but there is no doubt Bradford had the better season as did McFadden last year.

KC-from-OK, Deer Park (12/13/2008 5:13:09 PM)

Mr. Sittler,
Thank you for your artical. This is what I have been saying for a couple of years now, but I don't work for the media, so I don't have a platform in which to speak from. ESPN gets even worse during baseball season, unless you are a fan of the Red Sox, Yankees, or Mets.
Young Mr. Bradford WILL win the Heisman tonight and I will tell you beforehand that the same ESPN Tebow love will not be extended to Sam. They will smile and congradulate him, but it will come with a smirk. I can almost guarantee it.
Thanks again for standing up and saying what many of us already were thinking.

JRB, (12/13/2008 7:52:00 PM)

Thank you very much. I've been sick of ESPN's biased promotions for a couple years.

As a Missourian (living in Louisville, KY) I am happy that a young man from my grandmother's home town (Tyler Hansbrough - Poplar Bluff, MO) has performed to a high caliber - but PLEASE, Michael Beasley was the NCAA POY last year. Tyler's main attribute is being able to run the floor like a smaller man. He is 6'9" and had/has less than 1 block per game average ALONG with less than 1 assist per game. He is NOT a team player.

ESPN gets behind one player or subject and rides it until what they have pushed for comes as no surprise to the rest of the "Worldwide" community.

Tebow is a fine football player, but McCoy or Bradford should win it this year or there should be a recount.

KC-from-OK, Deer Park (12/13/2008 10:37:59 PM)

Mr. Stittler,
I love it when I can say without revocation, as stated with my prior post, that I saw it coming just like everyone else who is a true fan of Oklahoma football. I loved it when Mr. Sims hollered Boomer!!!! Sam's "Sooner!!!" could have been a little louder, but nonetheless Sam Bradford will forever be remembered in Sooner's lore from here on out. He is only one out of 22 that play on both sides. Sam was gracious in giving credit to his fellow players that deserve their accolades as well, maybe even more. The Oklahoma Football program is all about traditions, winning, and bringing pride to the State of Oklahoma. We, as fans, can share in that same pride. Congradulations to his family, his faith in God, the Cherokee and Sooner Nation, as well as college football fans everywhere. We can all breath a big sigh of relief that the voters got this one right. I will admit that I was a little apprehensive if they would or not. The Sooners and Bob Stoops earned the right to be in the National Championship game vs. Florida, and they "WILL" be victorious! Count on it.

KJL, Sallisaw (12/13/2008 11:09:36 PM)

Now that Bradford has won it and deservedly so could the OU fans and media quit whining about ESPN and others having bias against OU, that take is tired. You conveniently like to hear what you want I don't care what school you back.

seymore1965, Tulsa (12/14/2008 7:38:21 AM)

Now ESPN can promote Sam Bradford.

jaenosjelantru, Tulsa (12/14/2008 7:56:35 AM)

Vindicated.

CAGator, (12/14/2008 4:04:30 PM)

So there you are.

I didn't think there was someone who would have something negative to say about the Heisman race or Tebow, but I guess all of the voters who left Tebow off of their ballots so he wouldn't win back to back Heismans must live in your part of the country.

Perhaps Tebow is the more interesting story off the field, something you probably should consider, although I would bet you'd gladly give up your press box dinner to feed a child in need. (or complain about how you're probably being charged for it now)

Florida's Steve Spurrier upon accepting the Heisman, proceeded to give it back to the school. Danny Wuerffel and Tim Tebow spend spring breaks and summers using their influence to help others.

Meanwhile, we have to listen to Billy Sims bay like an ass when Bradford wins the award.

It's nice that ESPN highlighted someone for the good they are doing in the community, and hopefully during the holiday season, some will use it as an example to be a little more philanthropic.

Either that, or they could have shown a feature on someone yelling Boomer Sooner! over and over.

computerfan, (12/14/2008 8:24:33 PM)

Okay as an OU fan I don't think ESPN is against OU, I just think they have an agenda. Therein lies the problem. It is perfectly normal for a team, coach, university, conference, and yes even local media to push their guy. ESPN is a national network. They should have only one agenda, give us the sports. These guys at ESPN have turned into a bunch of hacks. If they were pushing Bradford the way they've pushed Tebow it would be wrong, not because he is undeserving anymore than Tebow is undeserving but because that is not what we watch ESPN for.

Native, (12/15/2008 7:56:54 AM)

Dave, if the shoe were reversed and ESPN had been promoting Sam Bradford, I think you and those whose who have posted condemning comments would have loved it! Would you then have written such a column? I honestly doubt it!

View from the Balcony, (12/16/2008 12:00:13 AM)

I agree with Dave and the other bloggers - I am sick and tired of reading and listening to those east coast carnival barkers and braying ESPN & CNN/SI Donkeys bray about how Tim Tebow carried Florida all by himself to the title game and faulting the Sooners & Coach Stoops for surrounding Bradford with better talent than Tebow had. Seems like when the Bear was in charge in Alabama thats the way the game was played...surround your best player with the best talent you can find... On a side note... Billy Sims is a University of Oklahoma Heisman Trophy WINNER - he can say what ever he wants to those city slickers anytime OU is at that level and I will be the first of many to tell all of you that those of you that think that you have to be prim and proper as an old lady at church on Christmas morning to kiss my OU SOONER Backside - I AM AM AN OU ALUM WHO PAID MY DUES AND ONCE A SOONER, ALWAYS A SOONER!!! - BOOMER!! SOONER!!
I,like Billy love our university but understand that if all you can do is write about OU experience and not have experienced it first hand in Norman, then you don't know what passion Billy Sims, Billy Vessels, Steve Owens, Jason White, Sam Bradford, Coach Switzer, Coach Stoops,and all the assistants like Coach Heupul, ALONG WITH THE SOONER NATION ACROSS THE U.S. have for our team..... you just don't get it....

TheFoundOgle, Mid-town (12/16/2008 9:27:33 AM)

CAGator, you must think that Tebow is the only person out there doing good things in the community. Bradford is coached by Josh Heupel, who should have won the Heisman in 2000, and went on to form "The 14 Foundation", a community project that helps needy families. All Sooner players, coaches, and fans are encouraged to participate in helping the 14 Foundation, especially during the holidays.

By the way, I didn't know that the Heisman was a community service award...?!?

Get off your "holier-than-thou" high horse, and get ready to get rolled by the Sooners in January.