By now I’m sure you’ve heard of Jay Glazer’s report on Fox-TV about Brett Favre providing tips on the Packers to the Lions early this season. Since the report came out, there’s been lotsa discussion about it’s veracity. (Favre has denied it.)
And now Mike Florio at PRO FOOTBALL TALK is reporting that ESPN is not allowing on-air staffers to report the story - claiming that the tip by Glazer isn’t true. (Bristol also recently released a statement on why the net isn’t covering it.)
Well that, as you might expect, didn’t sit well with Glazer. So he went on ESPNer Dan Le Batard’s radio show in Miami (on 790 The Ticket) to address the situation.
Glazer during the interview was passionate in defending the story and his credibility. He also noted that Detroit Coach Rod Marinelli refuses to deny the report. More interesting though was the reaction to the story - and ESPN’s subsequent embargo - by PTI fill-in host Le Batard.
Before Glazer came on the show, Le Batard weighed why ESPN wasn’t reporting the story, saying, “ESPN is ignoring the story entirely. It’s not their story. Their guy didn’t make that story. Or they haven’t been able to confirm it. Or maybe the story is wrong. ”
While talking to Glazer, Le Batard said, “I would think what ESPN is doing there is prideful. You know how this stuff works, you get beat on a story and then you don’t want to acknowledge that the story exists.
And after the interview, Le Batard remarked, “I’m siding with Jay on this one.”
Clearly, Le Batard believes the story and surprised ESPN is not reporting it.
That’s what makes Le Batard the #1 sports radio listen in the land. Yeah, like everyone, he has agendas, but he’s one of the few in the main media willing to face up to the Dragon, sword in hand. As I’ve said before, how he’s able to maintain the good graces of Bristol in these sorts of situations is beyond me. And I’m glad for it, since it gives me something to listen to every day.
What does this also tell us about being a sports fan? That if you aren’t on the internet, you aren’t getting the full story on anything. Not to mention the latest breaking news.
Nothing against TV and radio, but doesn’t it seem like juicier stories are breaking on the web much more frequently? If that wasn’t the case, why does every sports media member I know sit on sites like PFT, SbB, DSpin, etc., refreshing all damn day?
10:16 pm on October 21st, 2008
Lebatard has somehow positioned himself as the anti-Marriotti. They look eerily similar, but Dan the Bam seems to come off as genuine journalist with integrity rather than a self-promoting douchebag like Marriotti
10:23 pm on October 21st, 2008
Dan the Bam! Sure beats Hogfat.
10:25 pm on October 21st, 2008
Lebatard is a contrarian. No more.
10:27 pm on October 21st, 2008
Right, Jay Glazer is a bastion of journalistic integrity.
1:16 am on October 22nd, 2008
The hissy fit between Jay and ESPN is absurd. No one cares who breaks it first, we just wasnt the story. Very petty.
1:52 am on October 22nd, 2008
you all realize this is over a game, not a battle in a war. there were no lives lost here. it's a game. it doesn't even exist unless at least two people get together and agree to make believe that what is going on is important. get a grip people. you got bigger problems in your life. look in your bank accounts. look at your paychecks. hell, look at what you are qualified to do for a living. that's something to get upset about.
8:19 am on October 22nd, 2008
With the NFL folks' badges of honesty,courage and integrity coming to the forefront and highlighted by Favre's denial and the Lions coaching staff diving for the foxholes; Glazer's assertions of this report's basis in fact shall never be known.
10:13 am on October 22nd, 2008
These are the same reasons why "Playmakers" was cancelled.
10:18 am on October 22nd, 2008
le batard can be long winded at times, but he's still the best sports radio guy in miami.
10:32 am on October 22nd, 2008
If ESPN doesn't want to admit being beat on a story, they should do what they always do by beginning the story with "Sources report….".
10:49 am on October 22nd, 2008
There goes Le Batard's "PTI" paycheck.
11:05 am on October 22nd, 2008
ManU:
Le Batard has called out the network before, and still maintains his substitute PTI gig. If ESPN hasn't cut him from their rotation now, they're not going to anytime in the near future.
11:08 am on October 22nd, 2008
I was actually starting to get into 'Playmakers' before the NFL made ESPN pull the plug. I don't see what the big deal was. It's not as if everybody didn't already know what was going on behind the scenes in the real league.
11:14 am on October 22nd, 2008
Playmakers was one of the few ESPN "original programming" shows I could actually sit through. But, nooooo - they had to get rid of it and 'entertain' us instead with such fare as "Who's Now?" and "Titletown USA".
11:18 am on October 22nd, 2008
Can a sports news network actually be so petty as to ignore a story just because they didn't find out about it first?
11:21 am on October 22nd, 2008
Explain to me again how Valdosta, Georgia, could be chosen as the one and only "Titletown USA".
11:24 am on October 22nd, 2008
Just shows how incompetent the Lions are that they could get all this inside information about the Packers, and still lose 48-25.
11:35 am on October 22nd, 2008
isn't favre becoming a tired subject anyway? i wish he would have stayed retired.
11:37 am on October 22nd, 2008
Yesterday Glazer was on ESPN 850 here in Cleveland on the Munch show. Pretty much the same thing
11:56 am on October 22nd, 2008
GLAZER IS THE BEST. AND THE BEST RADIO GUY IS DOGGIE.
1:52 pm on October 22nd, 2008
Every time I see Le Batard's name, I keep thinking it's "Le Bastard". Bet he's never heard that before.
1:56 pm on October 22nd, 2008
I just hope this doesn't go to Jay's head. It appears to be big enough already.