POL: Politics and Sports Intersect - ESPN playing political favorites?

[John Galt]

Normally, I wouldn't believe such a bizarre conspiracy theory, but I found it so funny, that I thought it just might be true. I know lots of people here were watching the Saints game. Did anyone hear what this blogger is talking about? Even better, if someone has the game TIVOed, they could check it out. This is a blogpost from DailyKos. I am not a big Kos fan and think most of the content there is junk. Still, this is a pretty interesting allegation that I would think someone would be able to attest to its veracity. Anyways, even if it isn't true, it is at least worth a chuckle:

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2006/9/26/8550/57285

As a person who dabbled with sportscasting in college, I operated under the impression that my job was sports not politics. Sports were sports and you leave your politics off the air It's a very simple standard. If I want to watch football for three hours, give me football. Unfortunately, ESPN has continuously violated this concept. If ESPN is going to play phony tapes for politicians, then they need to be pressured off the air.

For several years, ESPN has been manufacturing fake cheers and fake boos for politicians. It's a very simple rule. If you are a Democrat not named Joe Lieberman, ESPN will play a tape of boos previously recorded and insert them into the audio after the Democrat is announced. If you are a Republican and ESPN is expecting boos, ESPN will play a pre-recorded tape of cheers unrelated to the Republican.

I've witnessed for years former ESPN commentator like Chris Myers call home runs to right field "a Rush Limbaugh shot, right and fair." I've seen in studio college football analysts gush over Ann Coulter. I've listened to ESPN constantly hype individuals who are well known figures in the Religious Right. I've heard a basketball commentator call Jerry Falwell a good man during a basketball game.

I have no problem with these political views being uttered during a political broadcast. I do have a problem with hearing it during a sports show from the host. (They did hire Rush Limbaugh for goodness sakes!)

When John Kerry was shown on screen at a Red Sox game in 2004, ESPN played a tape of boos. It was NOT the crowd reaction. I knew the tape was fake by that quick click that transitions from live to pre-recorded. ESPN has done this stunt of playing fake cheers and fake boos time and time again. Last night, during Monday Night Football, ESPN did it again. I heard that same click.

It started with right winger Mike Tirico announcing George Bush Sr. to the crowd. Instantaneously you could hear an echo of cheers and not a single boo from the audio. But if you listen carefully to the audio, that audio was not live. ESPN shut off the sound of the Superdome crowd for a few seconds and played this audio of fake cheers. About ten seconds later ESPN had to shut their fake tape off and go to the NFL official on the field for the coin toss. That's when you could hear the REAL crowd noise. The audio on the field was a couple of hundred feet away so ESPN was probably thinking that crowd noise could not be picked up. ESPN was wrong.
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As George Bush Sr. was flipping the coin, you could hear a chorus of boos so loud that ESPN had its proverbial hand caught in the cookie jar. And remember, this was ten seconds after the announcements so imagine what the initial boos sounded like. New Orleans residents know better than anyone else how Bush 43 responded to Katrina and they know better than anyone else about Barbara Bush's comments about poor people and how sleeping in the Astrodome was "working out quite well for them."

ESPN needs to be called on the carpet for these shenanigans.

[albionmoonlight]

I've got it TiVoed.

I can try to remember to check it out tonight.

Sounds like a lot of trouble for ESPN to go through.

[Kodos]

As he reads John Galt's post, Kodos hears a chorus of boos.

[John Galt]

Originally Posted by Kodos on ESPN

As he reads John Galt's post, Kodos hears a chorus of cheers from the roaring crowd.

[ISiddiqui]

IIRC, the boos during the coin flip started when the ref announced that Atlanta, as road team would get to call heads or tails on the flip. It sounded like it was boos for the Falcons.

If this was true, far, far, far more people would have said something. After all, it isn't like the Superdome was filled with Republican backers.

[John Galt]

I was reading some of the Kos comments (which is a painful exercise) and I noticed one observation that ensures the truth will come out: if there is anything to this story, Keith Olbermann will be all over it. And I would also expect a Youtube link to be up by now if it were true. Either way, I'm curious because I just find it too funny.

[JonInMiddleGA]

I blame Digamma

[Maple Leafs]

Originally Posted by Kodos

As he reads John Galt's post, Kodos hears a chorus of boos.

Actually, that was me. Sorry, didn't know you could hear me.

[Toddzilla]

FWIW, my step sister was at the game (as a guest of the Falcons), and she said that Bush was booed mercilessly from the second he was announced until he was escorted from the field. One of the suits in the suite said it was as hostile as he remembers in the Superdome - for a football game that is

[ice4277]

Originally Posted by John Galt

It was NOT the crowd reaction. I knew the tape was fake by that quick click that transitions from live to pre-recorded. ESPN has done this stunt of playing fake cheers and fake boos time and time again. Last night, during Monday Night Football, ESPN did it again. I heard that same click.

I don't have a ton of experience with the production side, but I have a hard time believing that you would hear a 'click' any time ESPN put a recorded bit on the air. What the hell is going to click? Its all digital. Any sound would be an effect that they would insert for a transition. There is no reason they would do that in a situation like this.

[ice4277]

dola

The only reasonable explanation to me is that ESPN uses the same production team that faked the videos of planes crashing into the World Trade Center.

[John Galt]

Originally Posted by JonInMiddleGA

I blame Digamma

Nice to see you too, Jon.

[Ksyrup]

I don't know about this, but I'm pretty sure ESPN is responsible for gas prices dipping below $2 here.

[Honolulu_Blue]

Originally Posted by JonInMiddleGA

I blame Digamma

[albionmoonlight]

I'm sure the people in the Dome remembered this:

[Ryche]

Pretty stupid to be booing Bush Sr. considering the work he and Clinton have been doing getting money raised for the area.

[stevew]

I thought it was a bit crazy how they kept saying that Drew Brees found open holes in the defense, but Mike Vick stole room to work with.

[Pumpy Tudors]

Originally Posted by stevew

I thought it was a bit crazy how they kept saying that Drew Brees found open holes in the defense, but Mike Vick stole room to work with.

Oh God, this made me laugh hard.

[Maple Leafs]

The crowd was clearly republican. Jesus, half of them were holding up "We Love Bush" signs.

[VPI97]

Originally Posted by Maple Leafs

half of them were holding up "We Love Bush" signs.

Those were just the signs left over from Mardi Gras

[Northwood_DK]

Originally Posted by Maple Leafs

The crowd was clearly republican. Jesus, half of them were holding up "We Love Bush" signs.

Gold...

[digamma]

Originally Posted by JonInMiddleGA

I blame Digamma

[albionmoonlight]

http://www.saintsreport.com/forums/s...hreadid=222622

According to people who were at the game, Pres. Bush was mostly cheered.

I'm now wondering if the "chorus of boos" started around when Atlanta won the toss--and not when Karl Rove pulled the secret switch deep in ESPN Headquarters.

[Wolfpack]

It's Kos. I would treat such things anywhere from that site with a heckuva a lot of skepticism. I will admit, however, to being mildly surprised at the "warm reception" Papa Bush got considering how unpopular W is in that part of the state.

Of course, ESPN is politically biased to conservatives. That's why John Saunders took a shot at George W Bush because Reggie Bush was the Bush who had done something for the state (or something similarly derogatory) on the Sports Reporters a couple of weeks ago.

[Noble_Platypus]

I dont buy it, and if it did I would think ESPN, like most media, would lean left, not right. What does ESPN get out of it?

[digamma]

From a friend of mine who went to the game:

If I had to estimate, I would say it was 25-30% boo-hiss and 70-75% cheers. It was a fairly apolitical moment. I think anyone flipping the coin would have been cheered.. the crowd was just ready for the game to start… ready to hunt some dirty birds.

[Raiders Army]

I could see it happening, but how would ESPN be able to cover it up when there were thousands of people at the game?

[Logan]

And just when you think you've heard all the stupid arguments...

[saldana]

Originally Posted by Raiders Army

I could see it happening, but how would ESPN be able to cover it up when there were thousands of people at the game?

because most of the people that would be able to contradict what actually happened would have no idea that anything was done....they would never have heard what ESPN played unless they recorded the same game they were actually at.

[Warhammer]

Geez, if anything most of the people at ESPN swing left, not right.