If everyone else is reporting on a story, does that mean you ought to report on it, too? You'd think so, but an interesting case is developing within the Worldwide Leader in Sports.
It all began this past Sunday when Jay Glazer of FoxSports.com reported that legendary quarterback Brett Favre, now with the New York Jets, had contacted the Detroit Lions before their game with Favre's old team, the Green Bay Packers, on September 14.
Favre is alleged to have given the Lions inside information on how to stop the Packers. It didn't really matter, since the Packers still won 48-25.
Favre has denied the report, texting Sports Illustrated's Peter King, saying it was "total BS". Lions coach Rod Marinelli has officially not commented on the situation. Those who have commented on it include every major sports outlet nationwide.
Except ESPN.
It would seem odd that the self-proclaimed "Worldwide Leader in Sports" wouldn't jump all over this story. It was odd enough that Mike Florio openly questioned ESPN on his blog at profootballtalk.com. Just hours after that initial posting, Florio received an internal ESPN memo from an anonymous source.
Under the heading **DO NOT REPORT**, the memo said the following:
“Yesterday, FoxSports reported that Brett Favre spent 60 to 90 minutes before the Week Two game between the Lions and the Packers educating the Detroit coaching staff regarding the Packers’ offensive strategies. WE HAVE BEEN TOLD BY RELIABLE SOURCES THIS REPORT IS NOT TRUE. We did NOT report it yesterday.
"Today, the NFL responded to the report, saying even if Favre did this he did not break any league rules. We are NOT reporting it today, because that would mean airing the erroneous report. DO NOT REPORT IT.” (Emphasis included in original)
Florio went on to denounce this explanation, saying that, if anything, ESPN should have made itself look good compared to a competitor by reporting the inaccuracy of the story.
And then came today, in which Favre met with the media for his weekly press conference.
Favre told reporters that he was called by his friend and former Lions president Matt Millen for an invitation to go hunting. Besides general talk about football nothing else was discussed.
"I didn't give him any game-planning," Favre said. "I haven't been in that offense in over a year. I don't know what else to tell you. It was pretty simple."
Now that Favre has talked, ESPN has lifted its ban on the story.
Why the sudden change? Florio received another internal communication from ESPN today saying that the story was "hot". Florio remains skeptical about ESPN, stating that if they still believe it's false, why did they wait to report it.
So, in relation to our class, some interesting questions are raised:
*Does ESPN's prominence in the sporting world obligate them to report on a story such as this? Do they owe that to their viewers?
*Was ESPN taking the moral high road by not reporting the story?
*Shouldn't ESPN be lauded for waiting to verify the story through their own sources? Why is Florio so skeptical?
When ESPN's ombudsman writes on this, it will be interesting to see what happens.
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