Regular readers know that there are times when Anthony Stalter and I get hammered for our opinions here at The Scores Report. And that’s fine. It’s the nature of the sports blog and online writing in general. But over at ESPN, there are two writers that are held above the fray — Bill Simmons and Rick Reilly. Want to comment on something Bill or Rick said? Tough luck.
This (justifiably) irks CBS SPiN columnist Cameron Martin, so he asked an ESPN spokesperson, Paul Melvin, why ESPN treats these two differently than any of its other writers.
At CBSSports.com and FoxSports.com, readers can comment directly on every article without exception. Consequently, writers like Gregg Doyel and Jason Whitlock cannot present a false image of universal public adoration.
At ESPN.com, readers can comment on every columnist except two — Bill Simmons and Rick Reilly, two front-page columnists. So, what makes these humps so special? I couldn’t think of a good reason, so I decided to ask Paul Melvin, ESPN spokesman. Here’s our e-mail exchange:
Me: “Paul, I had a question about ESPN columnists that I was going to address in my CBS column on Monday: Why can’t readers comment on Rick Reilly and Bill Simmons columns? And why is it only them? Is it to protect the idea that these two columnists are universally loved? Jemele Hill and DJ Gallo and Scoop Jackson and Gene W get hammered by some readers. Why isn’t that same courtesy extended to Bill and Rick? Seems disingenuous. Thanks, Cameron Martin.”
ESPN: “Cameron, Bill and Rick’s accessibility to fans has always been part of their style, and they both have developed long-standing practices of engaging their fans. Bill has a history of using his interaction with his readers as part of his voice and has, through the years, developed a regular, robust ‘mailbag’ style column that is a favorite of readers. Rick’s connection to the personal stories of people in all walks of life has helped give him his signature voice. With respect to those traditions, we’ve chosen to continue to present their interaction with readers through those avenues.”
(As non-answers go, that’s pretty good. Unfortunately I wasn’t looking for a non-answer.)
Me: “Paul, thanks for the reply. Quick follow-up: In this new era of change, transparency and accountability, isn’t it a bit antiquated and un-American to try to control feedback from the public? What if President Obama wanted to comment directly on one of Rick Reilly’s stories? Shouldn’t he be able to announce to the world, ‘Rick, you’re an inspiration to millions everywhere’?”
ESPN: “Hi Cameron. Appreciate the follow up, but I think our earlier comment is all we’re going to have to offer here. Paul Melvin.”
Got that, sports fans? If you want to tell me I suck, you can go to the bottom of this article. If you want to tell Rick Reilly he sucks, you can go to hell.
So there you have it, folks. ESPN has said all that it will on this matter, at least for now.
