So here's Dana O'Neil's piece on how Syracuse and Pitt, but mostly Syracuse, are greedy and hypocritical for leaving the Big East and the blame for the conference's demise should be laid at their feet.
First of all, I refuse to believe, after everything we've seen in college athletics over the last two years, that anyone can categorize our decision as anything but "business." There isn't a shred of "personal" involved.
Second of all, Dana actually has the balls to include Dave Gavitt's actual, human-being death in all of this.
Now, on the same weekend Gavitt died of congestive heart failure at the age of 73, Syracuse has helped bury the league he so adored.
Third of all, AN ESPN EMPLOYEE IS GOING TO ACCUSE SOMEONE ELSE OF BEING GREEDY AND HYPOCRITICAL???
Here now is a list of things that ESPN has done that are greedy and hypocritical. (Please feel free to add on in the comments as I can't possibly think of them all). Oh and if karma really does work, then I can't imagine what Bristol's got in store for them...
- The Longhorn Network.
- Continuing to employ Craig James after he blatantly lied in order to get a college coach fired, even going as far as to hire a PR agency that fed ESPN information which it did no due diligence on and reported as fact.
- Suspending Bruce Feldman for helping Mike Leach to write a book about the Craig James incident even though he told them all about up months earlier and they okay'd it.
- Entering into TV contracts with sports leagues and sports entities and then tailoring the journalistic coverage of those leagues as to not upset them.
- Disregarding pro and college sports that ESPN doesn't have TV contracts or vested interest with (NHL, MMA, Arena FB, etc.)
- ESPN3.com, which exists solely as a way to bilk fans who would otherwise like to watch sporting events on a television like normal human beings in the year 2011.
- Bonds on Bonds
- Lack of fair coverage for sporting news that conflicts with their corporate partnerships, business arrangements and contracts (i.e. Ben Rotheliesberger rape accusation)
- Clear conflicts of interest, like reporting on the BCS, which ESPN owns the TV rights to.
- "The Decision"
- Hiring Rush Limbaugh.
- Dick Vitale and his blatant homerism for Duke and North Carolina.
- Referring to Steve Phillips an expert when he is anything but.
- The ESPYs, which have zero intrinsic value and exist solely to sell advertising.
- Joe Schad stealing stories from other journalists and claiming he first reported them.