I've tried to stay quiet about the raging bonfire of hate, and the casual, sarcastic counteroffensive, to the whole ESPN omission of Knowshon's leap on their highlight reel. My reasons were that I thought it was a minor thing that would be discussed for a day and forgotten. Instead, it has reached all corners of Bulldog Nation and seems at critical mass in the national media. At the risk of being skewered and roasted over a fiery pit in the comments, I think it's time to let this thing go. In fact, I think it's time to let the whole "ESPN hates us" thing go, too. It's just not worth the effort and it adds to our nacent, national reputation as whiners instead of winners. Every school thinks ESPN is out to get them. This is because ESPN can only have one lead highlight. It can only go one place per weekend. No matter what it does, it's going to make people angry. ESPN isn't out to get us or anyone else. They are interested in only one thing: making money by showing the games and debating the sports topics people find compelling. Georgia and Central Michigan is not compelling to anyone outside of Georgia and Michigan. If Knowshon does that against Florida or LSU, it will be the lead highlight on Sportcenter for a week.
If an analyst doesn't like Georgia or thinks they will lose, it doesn't mean he's out to get us. ESPN's analysts are there to give strong opinions and state a case. Gameday wants reasonable debate and they want to hear both sides. That's why those analysts disagree. Everybody wants to hear about their teams on Gameday and hear bad things about their rivals. Those debates between Kirk and Coach allow every fan to get both.
Plus, who says they are right? They have an opinion and so do you. Why would anything an analyst says dissuade you from your belief in the Dawgs? If they say Georgia will lose, this does not make it so. The players are the only people that matter. If they keep winning, it will be difficult for anyone to say negative things about them. Everybody loves a winner. ESPN loves Florida, LSU and Southern Cal because they win conference titles and are always contending for national titles. That leads to huge fanbases and bandwagons. If the Dawgs did that, they would get as much pub as those programs, but we haven't gotten there just yet.
Lastly, if you don't like ESPN, then turn it off. There are a thousand different outlets to get your Bulldog fix, including us here at the Georgia Sports Blog.
Quinton
55 comments:
This whole thing has reached embarrassing proportions. As Scott Van Pelt pointed out on the DawgVent yesterday, ESPN included the 52-yard TD run in its highlight package, and that was a more impressive and more important run anyway.
Man, I can't wait for the real season to start. Glad this silly season is finally over.
Quinton just became my favorite dog.
It shouldnt of taken an outcry for knowshons jump to be in the top 10 plays of the weekend. Its that simple.
AMEN, BROTHER! I've been thinking this for two days. Some folks need to just calm the f down.
I have dropped the daily College Gameday from my season pass on my DVR. Not so much because they can't bring themselves to find a story on the number 2 team in the country, but because it is just bad, lately. Who thinks having that girl on to read questions off her laptop is compelling TV? The fan videos are awful, and is it just me, or are the player interviews really boring? They've turned 20 minutes of college football into a promotion of their weekly ESPN Saturday Night game and filler the rest of the show. I'm enjoying the blog world more than ever.
A voice of reason.
I like that College Football Live directly addressed the issue even acknowledging that Richt had called out ESPN for not showing the play. I think they showed it a couple of times. Maybe not the same as showing it on Sat night, but then how many people were up that late anyway?
Kinda reminds me of the 1991 World Series. I had been living in Wisconsin for the three years prior to 1991 and got to know a fellow who was a Twins fan. We commiserated as fans of perennial losers (although the Twins had a fairly recent WS).
So one day after one of the games we are talking and he starts going on and on about how the announcers (the awful Tim McGraw specifically) hates the Twins. I remarked that ATL fans think the announcers hate the Braves.
In short, unless an announcer or commentator says "School X is the greatest in the world; there is nothing at all wrong at that school" then people are going to interpret that the person hates "your school".
I'm with you Q. Should Moreno's jump have been in the Top 10? Probably. But let's not become known as the whiniest school in the nation... the Pac-10 will get jealous.
when did you start working for ESPN ? if not why do you take it upon yourself to correct georgia fans. dallas dawg
Preach.
Once ESPN put up Big Boy money to show SEC games, the outcry of “ESPN hates the South, UGA, my grandma… etc” should have ceased.
Yes, Knowshon’s leap was a spectacular feat of athleticism. However, UGA was playing a team we were expected to crush. When you win 56-17, you are only getting a highlight or two during your portion of the program because the nation expected it. On the flip side, ESPN would definitely have shown a lot more highlights from the game if CMU made it close (ie- OSU v. Ohio). Anyone want that?
I actually embrace the dissenting and sometimes crazy opinions of Herbstreit, Corso, May, and Grandpa Holtz. Besides, it’s doubtful any BCS voter listens to Holtz and says, “By God, Lou is on to something here. I'm changing my vote!!!”
I’ll tune in for personality and a little debate every Saturday morning. If I want someone to impartially rattle off facts, I’ll read my Phil Steele magazine. If I want to watch someone have the same opinion as me every time, I’ll just talk to myself in the mirror.
Want respect? Just win baby!
Go Dawgs
-EJ
I totally agree but I'd also like to offer up a question.
What is your opinion when it comes to last season and ESPN. In the 2nd to last week of the season, Herbie and is singing the praises of Georgia and how UGA should be in the title game.
The next week he's done a complete 180 and says UGA has no place in the game.
What's your opinion/reasoning of ESPN at that point?
Just curious.
Thank you Quinton.
It was a great play. I'm like everyone else. I want to see the Dawgs get some respect.
But we don't need to be whiners.
We need to be winners.
Every week that Georgia wins, they will creep their way up the ESPN/CGD rundown.
But, I'm counting the days until Mark May climbs on the Bulldogs Bandwagon. Seriously.
GATA!
Good post.
On the other hand, I will be a very happy fan if on sunday, and the next sunday, etc, the main thing uga fans are complaining about are which highlights of our victory did or didnt get air time on espn.
The reason people care so much about this is because of the retarded BCS system. General opinions and "mood" count right now, and that's outrageous.
But seriously... more Notre Dame highlights than UGA? Seriously? There are legitimate gripes. The problems arise when people take them too far.
-Cambios
Blogging about Online Gaming and Virtual Worlds:
http://www.muckbeast.com
+1 Quinton.
It is mind-numbing sometimes to hear the muted roar from some of our fans about ESPN.
If we keep winning, I assure you we'll get plenty of coverage.
As well, I thought it was good luck to have Corso, Granny or MMay not pick us.
Go Dawgs!!
Thank You. This whining BS makes us look like a bunch of bush league, new money amateurs.
I agree. Well said.
The best way to get media attention is to have a picture taken of yourself holding up the crystal football in January. Accomplish that, and nobody's even going to remember what was said or unsaid about us August through December.
(Of course, whupping South Carolina's asses up and down the field might attract a little notice, I think.)
Thank you...As a former high school coach of a team who got little respect during our glory years from the AJC and other media outlets, I have come to the conclusion that they can't ignore you if you keep winning. We just have to be patient.
No doubt...let it go, people, just let it go...
I agree with most of your post, but come on...
"ESPN loves Florida, LSU and Southern Cal because they win conference titles and are always contending for national titles"
It's not like we haven't been in the mix with conference titles and possible national title implications over the Richt era. Plus, like Buck Belue said maybe the lunatic fanbase wouldn't feel this way if espn weren't force feeding the Florida stuff down their throats all of the time.
Sounds like that force feeding might be working on some people.
Like I said in a recent post, your stuff is usually spot on and great reads for all of us dawg fans, but lately some of your opinions seem a little off.
Mitch,
It's a more logical assumption to assume that a low level production assistant simply blew it on the highlight than to assume a conspiracy.
Also -- We did what we were supposed to do. We beat a bad team. Oklahoma is in the same boat as us. They are taking care of business against bad teams.
Do you REALLY want the coverage that Ohio State got last week? They were beaten over the head for barely beating Ohio U and they fell from #3 to #5.
Starting on Sunday, we become THE prime time game on ESPN for the next 2 weeks.
We'll get our coverage that everyone is dying for in a big way soon enough.
Russell,
LSU deserved to be in that game. They won the SEC. We did not. Any reasonable non-biased person would see that.
HOWEVER, I agree that Herbie's campaigning was ridiculous.
But doesn't that reflect more on him being an illogical person than an anti-UGA person?
My 2 cents. I agree we need to let it go. The one thing that can be said is we got all kinds of crazy Reggie Bush highlights when they played games that NO ONE cared about outside of Southern California and Highlights that he did that didnt matter at all to the game when they were up by21 already and he was padding his stats.
Geogia fans have a chip on our shoulders about ESPN when they pick Floorda to show their spring game when they went 9-4 last year.
Paul,
I did not say that we should have been in the BCS Championship game, nor did I say that ESPN was biased against UGA.
In fact I started my comment with; "I totally agree."
I was simply looking for Quinton's opinion on one particular moment of broadcasting.
Thanks,
Russ
I think Richt was just trying to get one of his players the press that he deserves in his bid to win the Heisman.
If it was just because we were playing Central Michigan, then somebody explain to me why I got to see shot after shot of Beanie Wells signing autographs on the sideline last week?
Quinton - great to see you have sold out. Do you work for TotalUGA.com on the side. We have been disprected and overlooked for years and now we have the spotlight and Espn still disrespects us! You suck Quinton, total sell out. There is not question that there is a conspiracy against UGA. As I already knew, UGA fans are the softest in the world. I'm embarrassed to be a Dawg and read this website! F ESPN!
Agreed. We're starting to sound like WVU. I think the only ESPN personality with an agenda is Mark May (Pitt > UGA in 1980).
Let it go. Knowshon will get plenty of chances to show the country what he's got, beginning on Saturday. Going out to ASU will put him in front of the West Coasters, so a great highlight against a MAC team should be the least of our concerns.
Russ,
Herbie has the right to change his mind. He might look foolish, but he can. Then we can all point out the fact that he did. As I said, those guys have an opinion, just like we do. If they change their mind and reverse course, or if they turn out to be wrong, we should point it out.
A wrong or misguided analyst still doesn't make ESPN the devil of Dawg Nation.
I hope if Quinton sells out, he provides me a commission. LOL!
I'd sell out now if one of you jokers would stroke me a big enough check.
There isn't a conspiracy. It is all business. ESPN promotes teams that play on their networks. Why would they promote UGA when we are playing on FOX sports, or CBS when they can promote the games they are broadcasting. As Quinton said, it all comes down to money.
The problem is that ESPN appears as an unbiased sports news network, but they can't really be unbiased and make the big money (and pay the SEC big contracts).
A good friend of mine said this reminded him of the days when CNN was the only news network out there. Then FOX news came along and made things interesting in the 24-hour news business.
I want to know what is going on with my Dawgs, and ESPN isn't providing it. That means I lurk much more on Georgia Spots Blog than I ever did in seasons past. Thanks guys!
Nothing wrong with being pissed that ESPN worships USC, OSU and Tebow, and dismisses UGA.
It's a fact, not an opinion. It's not "bush league," or low class, or anything else to point out that reality.
UGA deserves more respect. Richt deserves more respect. Their respective records since Richt's arrival are among the best in that time period.
Rece Davis' retort the other day was silly. ESPN should stick to COVERING and ANALYZING football, and retreat from the politiking. Yes, this goes to Lou Holtz, Mark May, Herbstreit, and any others. Unfortunately, voters minds ARE swayed by the nonsense. Look no further than the last week of 2007, and the first week of 2008.
If I want to hear campaigning, I'll flip on C-SPAN.
"Herbie has the right to change his mind. He might look foolish, but he can."
I think the rub isn't that he changed his mind but why. It doesn't take a grand conspiracy to see that Herbie screwed up on the Les Miles story last year and made up for it by becoming LSU's personal advocate for a national title shot in the middle of another conference's championship game.
The one reason I like this crapstorm about Moreno is that we could potentially get ESPN to become our personal advocate as we don't overplay our hand. ESPN does seem to be genuinely sorry they missed it and as long as we don't whine too much will make up for it by over-hyping us a bit for the next few weeks. It was well-played by Richt. I hope it's as equally well-played by the fans.
I think someone said this earlier this week, but I think ESPN had already edited the UGA highlight package prior to Knowshon's run. Dobbs' INT return was at the end of the 1st half and put us up 28-0. Even Easterbook would have written "Game over" in his notebook at that point. DeMarcus' TD was the defining point of the game.
Even though the highlight was spectacular, the run did not result in a TD and the game had already been decided. It is likely an ESPN producer decided it was not worth re-editing the highlight package just to include something from "garbage" time.
kevin, I couldn't agree more about how bad College Gameday has become. Mascots on the set, videos of some guy trying to rap about how awesome WVU is and Mollly trying to stumble her way through reading read her lines from a teleprompter. Boring.
CSS's "Talkin' Football" offers 10x the content and it doesn't annoy the hell out of me. Bob Neal, Mark Schlabach, Tony Barnhart and Tee Martin have a hell of a lot more football knowledge than Molly "all things interactive" Querin.
This was a tempest in a tea-pot from the get go. The run was great when I saw it "in the moment". Then I realized it only gained five more yards. Richt was clearly joking around when he talked about it: "I redshirted him anyway" and the whole "throwing them under the bus" comments. Knowshon wasn't even aware there was a controversy. But the whole thing got blown out of proportion. I personally don't know a single fan that was upset by this.
I'll fight the ESPN fight another day, but I'll leave you with this: UGA is not in the top 10 teams that have appeared on Game Day.
Herbstreit is a back stabbing bitch. They all love the Big Ten. Mark May hates every SEC team except for Florida. You can really tell he hates Georgia. Lou Holtz and this new Dr. Lou shit is absolutely pathetic. Holtz hardly ever gives Georgia or Auburn any respect.
It's clearly obvious that Florida gets more attention even after a 9-4 season, 5-3 SEC (Coaches #16 AP #13) and a loss in the Capital One Bowl.
The voters minds ARE VERY swayed. Look at who the leading Heisman candidates are on nearly every major sports web site. Tebow and Wells and they haven't put up better numbers than the others yet they are either #1 or #2 in the top 3.
I hate ESPN
Karma's a b%#tch. UGA will get all those highlights it asked for by the end of the season...just hope it's the kind you asked for.
Three months ago, I was in ICU with doctor's unable to tell my wife with any certainty whether my life would return to normal, or instead I would be stuck partially brain dead for the rest of my life. Sitting at this computer 98% recovered today and typing this comment without anyone's help just makes me glad I get to watch my Bulldogs on tv or in person every Saturday. And guess what...I don't give a damn which channel they're on, highlights included, as long as I get to watch them. It's time for everyone to quit they're bitching and love this season because it's already some of the best UGA football you may ever get to be around to see.
Paul, the only problem i have is Knowshon is supposed to be a heisman candidate and he made a heisman type of play with that hurdle. You dont see someone do that too often. It doesnt matter if we were playing the citadel, when you are a heisman candidate and make a play like that, it should be aired on ESPN.
I don't really care if the Dawgs get great coverage on ESPN...I watch the games and get to see the plays...
But Knowshon is in the midst of Heisman candidacy...numbers are numbers, and other players may put up gaudyier numbers...a signature play is what voters and fans remember...
Not showing "The Hurdle" diminishes the strength of Knowhson's Heisman bid...
Remember Woddson doing the Heisman pose?
Q - well said. I live on the West Coast and these fringe lunatic conspiracy theorists reflect on us uninsulated Dawg fans poorly. People: There is no conspiracy against our Dawgs, chill out. If we win the SEC with one loss, we are in. If it comes between us and any other team in the country, we win the opportunity to play for it all. Just relax mad Dawg fans and let's let the boys play the season out. Give your bretheren around the world some relief. . .and nothing but reason to crow in the faces of USC, OU, OSU, etc. . .Sic Em.
While I agree and disagree on some points, the most striking thing is that it is not conspiracy. Conspiracy has to do with breaking the law or overthrowing the government.
I agree that we need to stop whining. It really gets us no where. ESPN will look really stupid when we win the National Championship and they have dogged us all year.
Then and only then should we rise up and put a stop to all their crap. So save all your complaints. Write them down or whatever you want to do and when we are #1 then flood ESPN with comments about how they totally disrespected the National Champs all year.
I disagree with what has been said about letting ESPN off the hook for two reasons. One can't make an argument about money or conference because of ESPN's man-love for UF. They show BAMA, LSU, UF and SC more than UGA. The evidence shows it is not a hatred of the conference. Additionally, they have signed a huge deal with the SEC. For all those who say that ESPN disrespects us because we are not on their network. Malarkey.
Second, in 2006 Herbie said that Michigan should play in the National Championship game even though they did not win their conference. He went on for two weeks with this banter. In 2007, Herbie says that UGA shouldn't play for the National Championship because they did not win their conference. This is the only argument put forth by the tOSU grad. This is disparity no matter how you put it. It is still disparity even if you believe that UGA did not deserve to be in the National Championship game.
Despite all the agreements and disagreements on the coverage or lack thereof, we, as the Bulldog Nation, have a responsibility to stand up for what we believe. We believe that we are the best team in the nation. We believe that we will the 2008 National Championship. We believe that if we yell loud enough and cheer with a fervent spirit then our Dawgs will be on top.
Lets put our actions where our mouths are and support our Dawgs. They are going to feel the pressure all year long. They don't need to be distracted by our whining about ESPN coverage. They need to stay focused. We need to keep our focus on winning and what it takes to win. Let's keep our eyes on that prize.
Go Dawgs.
Yea but what will you think when a 1 loss UGA gets passed over for a 1 loss tOSU for the big game???
westerdawg's blog gets tons of comments and fresh content .. every time quittin posts something silly like espn is our good buddy.
I don't mind this blog getting more popular because it's a dang good dawg blawg (possibly the best), but I'd rather it be recognized for the good posts and not quittin's take on the soap opera that is espn.
Who cares if they are or aren't the devil, let's get back to focusing on the Dawgs.
It's a great time to be a Dawg!
Don't bother with the spell check. I think I got it right.
A 1-loss SEC champion will never be passed over for a 1-loss Ohio State.
LSU and florida fixed that.
Like most issues, most people tend to be on one extreme or the other, when the truth is squarely in the middle.
Is there an ESPN conspiracy against UGA? Of course not. However there is a distinct pattern of strange happening on the WWL that have been to the detriment of Georgia.
Taken as an isolated event, the missing Moreno highlight is really not a big deal. It was late in a blowout game vs. an uninteresting opponent.
Herbstreit's hypocritical politicking last year, Gameday going to the class Williams/Amherst game instead of UGA/Auburn, Knowshon's missing highlight, Jim Rome's thinly veiled contempt for Mark Richt.. these are are not evidence of a conspiracy, but taken as a whole they are a frustrating pattern for most Georgia fans.
Some of y'all need to lighten up on the conspiracy talk, but some of you also need to at least recognize that there is an understandable base for Georgia frustration with the most powerful entity in sports.
I don't think there is a conspiracy against us but instead a love for USC, Ohio st., and Florida. Hobnail, I agree with all of that. I am not saying that all of ESPN should show us love no matter one, but it seems that almost everything that comes from ESPN speaks negatively of Georgia. It's a lot of little things that combine to make people think ESPN truly does hate us. Jim Rome's hatred for CMR, missing highlight, Mark May's love for anyone who plays Georgia, reporting every crime committed by a UGA player in detail while other players from certain other teams are suspended for " undisclosed reasons"....just to name a few
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pFUbejgGdsw
check for Jim Rome hating us
ESPN may hate us and try to ignore our existence, but CBS loves us. Verne had a mancrush on the Davids and now he has one for Knowshon. Now David Pollack is at CBS as a commentator. CBS will call most of our games this year... and I'm fine with it.
Erin Andrews has been facing heat about her "Gator Love" and objectivity... ESPN should not have her doing SEC games if they want to avoid this type of a controversy.
You are right but, Dr. Lou sucks no matter what team he picks!
I understand what you are saying. It sounds good, but I disagree. ESPN HATES GEORGIA. Period. I haven't figured out why yet, but I will...
Also, I would like to make a correction. Why do we in the sports world continue to call Southern California Pac 10 Champions? THERE IS NO CHAMPIONSHIP GAME! There are only two legit conferences in this country - 1. The SEC 2. The Big XII
Also... If Know would have taken that leap to the house, despite playing against Central Michigan, it would have made #1 on the top 10. You gotta take it to paydirt to make the highlight reel!!
Jim Rome's "thinly veiled comments"? At the time of those postings and on Thursday's show, Rome called Mark Richt a "pimp".
If fans don't "whine" then a special athlete gets diminished on the national scene by a national sports network. Why? Some of you had better be a little paranoid or you get taunting by broadcasters when they have zeroed in on your coach, your players(more than one has been shunned,ie.,Stafford) and your school. The smears on Richt have been going on for years starting with his succeeding Donnan as coach(who was picked up by ESPN) and allowing comments by Donnan and ESPN "analysts" to the end that every time Richt won, they didn't give Richt credit, but instead commented that UGA won with Donnan's players like they didn't need coaching. They excoriated the fans and alums by saying we were spoiled to have fired a winning coach. They neglected to mention he won once in three yrs playing Auburn, Tenn and FU. If you ain't winning in the SEC then you ain't winning!
The fuss was about ESPN not including great Dawg plays DURING PRIME TIME WHEN EVERYONE IS WATCHING. Instead they ran it briefly on Monday when most people are at work. That essentially deprived a player of his earned time in the limelight because you don't like Richt or the "spoiled fans". Who the Hell are they to make such a decision to shun a player because the player they were pimping was hurt and they didn't want Knowshon's highlight to outfavor him. Beanie and Knowshon are both innocents in this matter and I hate to mention their names in this context. If you think I would not blog on this subject if it was Tebow, you would be wrong! NO NETWORK SHOULD EVER HAVE THE POWER TO PLACE POLITICS IN COLLEGE FOOTBALL!!
You bet it hit embarrassing proportions, but instigated by ESPN who came off like little children at school forming a clique. Most of you were posting here at the time Rome accused Richt of pimping his players while placing Richt's calm statement that ESPN "missed the boat" beside Richt's photo and at the same time denigrating the play by running it twice as he made disparaging remarks.
Why am I giving you this info? Because you appear by your blogs to be in an appeasement mode. Be quiet and don't say anything and maybe it will go away. I hope many of you are not alums because I would not believe you are true BULLDOGS if you don't challenge these jerks that would disparage your players, coach and schools. If that is "silly" to you, then I doubt you are a Georgia BULLDOG.
ESPN owes Knowshon, Richt and my University an apology, no matter what they do in the future. Why don't all you appeasement suckers stay on the sideline and let the Dawg fans with cojones blog here.
If anyone is interested,Rome's e-mail is: jimrome@espn.com Anonymous is the quickest method to get on this post. My ajc blog name is Oledawg because I'll be 68yrs this week.
SIC THE OLE' SC BALL, DAWGS!
Seriously, you don't think ESPN has an enormous amount of influence when it come to the rankings of college football. That being said OSU, USC, Missouri, Oklahoma and such get far too much coverage far too much "brown nosen" and in turn get better ranking in the polls. Case in point OSU got to the NCG two years in a row with the weakest schedule and then loses to an SEC team, well really humiliated. Second case in point #3Georgia loses to #8 Alabama drops to 11 in the poles while USC loses a conference game to an unranked opponent and drops to 9. Really, and ESPN with it's senile commetators ( yes Lou I'm talking to you, The University of Navy, really. Any you Mark May who doesn't know the difference between his ass and a hole in the ground. Corso who is the biggest bandwanner of them all(which by the way as a college football fan those are the only people I refuse to let in my parties). Chirs Fowler said in '98 after gameday showed up and we lost to UT that he would never return to Athens for gameday. Cause we heckled the piss out of him. I wish he was a man of his word. We don't need ESPN nor do we want them. If you win the SEC championship game you deserve to be in the NCG. I'm sorry it's that simple. I'm sorry that doesn't include other conference champions. I'm sorry we get the best players and coaches in the country. I'm sorry the SEC is the shite. It is what it is and ESPN needs to recognize. Gentlemen you could make so much more money supporting us than defying us. Simple business.
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