Changing Face Of Sports Coverage

Last Updated:07/15/06 CHANGING FACE OF SPORTS COVERAGE WILL BLACK PLAYERS GET THE MESSAGE ??

REDSKINS OWNER DANIEL SNYDER

A rather obscure publication

The New York Sun

buried in its back pages

Thursday may have printed one of the most important sports articles in a long time – outside of what ‘s in the Box most days. One of their journalists Evan Weiner penned an article “The End of Sports Reporting As We Know It ?”

What is so Profound

From the well established fact that often the most important – you name it – is right there in clear view simply unnoticed because it is so obvious its true meaning is not given the deeper attention it deserves.

While we are all aware of

the revolutionary implications

of the Internet

In this article using Redskins’ owner Daniel Snyder, Sun’s journalist Warner tells everyone what a few of us already realized the very nature and the control of sports journalism is going to be Transformed. Sooner not later.

Along with all the other problems print media has, but effecting on line and broadcast as well as is commonly known, teams and leagues are going to take more and more control of what the consider their “product.”

Specifically Dan Snyder

leading the Way

Is planning to try to have Redskins fans get more and more of their Redskins news and player details and all the entertainment related to the Redskins directly from the Redskins which means on line at www.redskins.com.

It has already started

Right now the Redskins break important team announcements and interviews on their Website rather than calling it into the Washington Post and other media, not letting fans get the news from the Post either in the paper or the Post Website.

This format may well be leading to such other developments as “private” press conferences where only internal “reporters” and cameras get to cover what has so long been the mother’s milk of sports journalism.

The NFL itself is an enthusiastic partner for moves such as Snyder’s. They are doing their part right now by severely restricting the number of reporters allowed on the sidelines at NFL games and on the field afterwards referencing a bogus safety issue as the reason for the new rule.

The fact is teams, and leagues and owners in all sports are becoming ever more sophisticated in mining existing and new profit centers. It began long ago when the live gate gave way to the broadcast rights as the prime income source. That is now giving way to added profits cutting and slicing every last bit of entertainment out of the team and players and repackaging it in all kinds of formats.

All the Leagues

Most profoundly of all are clearly headed in the directions of broadcasting their own games directly in the age of the Internet and Broadband NOT by selling the rights to Dinosaur Broadcast Networks but by not selling it at all and rather keeping ALL those ad dollars for themselves. And control.

A secondary but powerful

result will be

Increasing then complete ability to present all aspects of that sport directly to fans and the public. Since print media is a Goner they won’t bother with it except to add to its demise by ignoring it as Daniel Snyder is already doing.

NOW HERE IS THE ELEMENT

no one is realizing except us

WHAT ABOUT THE PLAYERS

Although the players are the teams and they are the leagues and they are the action and they are the focus of fan interest, leagues and team owners patronize them as very well paid EMPLOYEES who are expected to play while keeping their mouths shut. Therefore the ONLY part the players have in this new world of media is to supply even more content for the owners. Their view is that their large salaries are not just for playing but the rights to their “image.”

Except that unless

the players are Truly

as Dumb as they are

often Characterized

They are going to start balking at giving up to the teams and the leagues what they now could do just as well for themselves as the teams are doing to traditional media. Players on their own ( maybe with some help ) can just as well have fans and the public coming to their own Websites and their Podcasts, etc. to get it all STRAIGHT from their favorite players rather than previously through the media “filter” and increasingly as with Snyder through the owner’s “filter.”

Whether or not

we will see a

Players’ Revolt

demanding Control

of their own Message

especially African Americans

remains to be Seen but

it sure makes

Dollars & Sense

Whenever you want to reach us with comments or better yet an idea for a topic for the Box ……. blackbox@blackathlete.net