I know this isn't anything new, but it kills me. Today is another example. Both ESPN and CNN/SI have the story about the racism charge in the Brazilian league on their main pages. They rarely show anything about soccer on the main page. I once wrote an email to the webmasters for both sites, and the responses were the usual "soccer is not a main point of interest for the average U.S. fan" and "there is no bias against soccer in our coverage" blah, blah, blah. If there is no bias, then why are the majority of stories that make the front page of either site generally negative? I remember Aresenal's unbeaten run getting some coverage, but it seems like every story of a bad nature gets more coverage.
It's the same all over. Most "news" stories out there are "negative". If you follow the soccer wires, most of the soccer "news" stories are sensational or "negative". It's the same with local newspapers and TV News. Murder and mayhem sell better than puppies and apple pie.
LOL Negative side stories of the Brazilian soccer league on front pages?! This is just so comical! ... let's see what the ESPN Apologists will say about this one.
Internet soccer fans are the whiniest bitches on the planet? Internet soccer fans are a bully's wet dream come true.
And the last ten mentions you saw on anyone's front web page about lacrosse had to do with....... Lawlessness, controversy and boorish behavior grabs headlines. Hey, I only click on the NASCAR headlines when they mention that somebody had a shoving match after the race.
As a former media guy as well as a lifelong soccer fanatic, this frustrates me to no end, too. But as the former media guy, I have to side with Andy here -- it's not always the perceived "bad" news, but rather, the news with the dark, seething, gloomy underbelly that is considered "sexy". And that's what sells papers, gets website hits, garners ratings, what have you. I'm not sure if I'm making a statement about us as a society, but that's just the way things are, and the power-brokers of the media industry know this. Love it or hate it, we do live in a tabloid society.
You know, this board was set on fire when it was suggested Nowak uttered a racist remark in public during a game. If ESPN were actually responsive to the soccer community, they would STILL publish the dirty laundry since that's a lot of what's being discussed among fans anyways.
In the past 6 weeks or so, I've seen stories about the Red Bull purchse, the USA's FIFA rankings, Champions League results, the Ronaldo to MLS rumor, Becks and Del Peiro (?) mentioning playing the US, and stories all US friendlies on the front page of ESPN.com. (I only look at the NFL section of CNN/SI.com). In the "voices" section, there have links to stories about ODP, MLS team previews, Galacrep and Lewis' columns and other Euro stories I ignore. I need to start taking screenshots of every time an soccer story appears on the front page of ESPN.com. Sachin
And not just to lead the newscasts and current affairs shows (which sadly, a lot of people confuse with "real news", anyway), but all of what you mention is in the middle and the end of the newscasts, too. Hooking, pulling and keeping viewers/readers, that's what it's all about.
Exactly. The problem is, the whiners only see the ngative stories because that's all they want to see. Then they call the realists "apologists" because they can't deal with the reality that soccer oke sinto the mainstream far more than they could ever imagine. Like the "Soccer" link on the front page of Yahoo's news box three to five days every week.
I admit I don't have any "statistical" data, and I do remember seeing some of the stories you mention. I'm almost positive the Beckham story made soccernet.com front but not ESPN.com front page. However, I follow 4 major sports (football, baseball, hockey, and soccer) pretty closely. I check the main page of ESPN and CNN/SI several times daily. I know we are more likely to see something like this "racism" story, rather than who has progressed in the MLS playoffs or the Champions League. I'm not a whiner or an apologist, because I honestly don't look to ESPN or CNN/SI for soccer news. It's just a little ironic to see what "the worldwide leader in sports" chooses to publish on the main page regarding the worlds most popular sport.
There's a little hypocrisy in nearly every slogan. Every network news program closes saying they've got the most viewers. If you were ever convinced of anything because of its catchwords, then the Brooklyn Bridge is for sale.
That reminds me of one of my old avatars here on BigSoccer: If they had had rep in those days, I would've been negrepped back to the Stone Age.
Once again: ESPN hates soccer: http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story?id=365087&cc=5901 On the front page. Sachin
It might be a good idea to try to track this, to see if there is a slant to the coverage. Of course you would have all kinds of disagreement on "good" and "bad" stories. I don't believe that ESPN "hates" soccer. I think they would show almost anything that brought in ratings!
Hmm.. Just checking ESPN's headlines yesterday and no coverage of Chelsea winning the EPL title. Kind of an important worlwide event, huh? Perhaps I missed it. Or of Rooney's (yeah, you guys heard of him? that popular player known worldwide that got injured) injury status. Yet, when some idiot throws a flare at Dida it makes the front page with a write up. Negative isolated incidents they slap on their front page. Who am I kidding? Who cares about it when you can obsess, on an hourly basis, over Barry Bonds breakfast habits like a lab rat slapping a cocaine dispenser... But after all, they are the self named "worldwide leader in sports..." If they want to play that roll act accordingly. Just dont claim to be something you arent.
I do not se any blood in the Poker games....Unless a chick is on the rag and the kotex is not holding.....
Dang...Ya all right....There were how many loser watching a "WOMEN" world cup ? right here in the USA..... And none look foreign to me....
Once again, nothing about Rooney's injury, Ballack's contract, any of the final league tables in major nations make the ESPN.com front page. But this does..... If they had linked to the pictures available on Badjocks, then I would have to support ESPN.com on basic principle! But the story without the pics: worthless.
--And if you scroll down a bit, there are links to 3 soccer colums plus their US, World Cup and scores pages. Plus a rss link if you're into that sort of thing.