ESPN Suspends Scott Van Pelt

[cosmo_kramer]

Watch Van Pelt get pranked. This happened the other day..... I love the look on his face!!

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[iceturkee]

That may be true if Van Pelt's show was syndicated. ESPN and more importantly in this issue ESPNRadio are still paying him.....

so you are saying if the radio program is syndicated, then the host can say whatever he or she wants? but the rules are different if it isn't? see, i have a major problem with that. talk radio isn't designed to be sugar coated. if you want to kiss everyone's backside, you need to find a different profession.

as i said, i may not agree with the point of view but i support freedom of the press as much as the next person, even more so as a retired reporter.

 

[lifeofriley]

Speaking of pimps. ESPN seems to have become a pimp for the NFL over the past few years. The amount of coverage they give to professional football is ridiculous.

 

[cosmo_kramer]

so you are saying if the radio program is syndicated, then the host can say whatever he or she wants? but the rules are different if it isn't? see, i have a major problem with that. talk radio isn't designed to be sugar coated. if you want to kiss everyone's backside, you need to find a different profession.

as i said, i may not agree with the point of view but i support freedom of the press as much as the next person, even more so as a retired reporter.

No, even syndicated shows are obviously at risk (see: Imus, Don). What I'm saying is that it's easier to get reprimanded in a direct network setting like this, when that network is concerned about their business relationships with the parties in question. Syndicated radio networks, not as much.....

 

[anders5189]

so you are saying if the radio program is syndicated, then the host can say whatever he or she wants? but the rules are different if it isn't? see, i have a major problem with that. talk radio isn't designed to be sugar coated. if you want to kiss everyone's backside, you need to find a different profession.

as i said, i may not agree with the point of view but i support freedom of the press as much as the next person, even more so as a retired reporter.

I agree. ESPN is being hypocritical here. When you host a radio show you're supposed to talk, dead air is generally not good. These guys have a lot of time to fill, and they're told to be entertaining too. This is what you get. ESPN has SVP host the show because he is popular and they need him to attract listeners. Nobody told ESPN to get into the radio business. They made that choice themselves. Apparantly they want their shows to be more like NPR. Good luck with that.

I would agree with ESPN if they told their anchors not to rip Bud Selig during a baseball telecast or in an interview with him. But on a radio show where they talk about random sports topics? Please. If I were SVP when I got back from suspension I'd do the next show and not say anything. Be silent for 4 hours. See how much your producers like that.

 

[BobMurdoch]

ESPN wanted them to be edgy to pull in male viewers, and now they are shifting gears and trying to embrace the "Disney" mindthink.....

Much ado about nothing. The world is too PC already.... If white males are supposed to laugh off the barbs aimed at them by everyone (Chris Rock, Sarah Silverman, etc.), then they should do the same.

 

[AntAltMike]

There's a thin line between being colorful and being an a$$hole. I hope I'm still just colorful.

– Ted Turner

 

[iceturkee]

I agree. ESPN is being hypocritical here. When you host a radio show you're supposed to talk, dead air is generally not good. These guys have a lot of time to fill, and they're told to be entertaining too. This is what you get. ESPN has SVP host the show because he is popular and they need him to attract listeners. Nobody told ESPN to get into the radio business. They made that choice themselves. Apparantly they want their shows to be more like NPR. Good luck with that.

I would agree with ESPN if they told their anchors not to rip Bud Selig during a baseball telecast or in an interview with him. But on a radio show where they talk about random sports topics? Please. If I were SVP when I got back from suspension I'd do the next show and not say anything. Be silent for 4 hours. See how much your producers like that.

i gotta agree here. i don't syndication should be an issue. i repeat if you are worried about what your jocks or talking heads are going to say, get out of talk radio. it becomes very bland and uninteresting.

 

[salsadancer7]

I think this has MORE to do with that big huge contract that ESPN has with MLB than anything else.

 

[iceturkee]

I think this has MORE to do with that big huge contract that ESPN has with MLB than anything else.

i understand that. but quite frankly if you are afraid of biting the hand that feeds you, then remove yourself from talk radio.

 

[cosmo_kramer]

i understand that. but quite frankly if you are afraid of biting the hand that feeds you, then remove yourself from talk radio.

I'm no Bud Selig fan, and I actually thought what Van Pelt said was kind of amusing, but I sort of agree with management's concerns. It is possible to criticize someone, the job they do, etc. without resorting to these types of personal comments that are obviously geared to offend. Others manage to do it all the time. To me, it just shows a lack of creativity.

Think of it as posting in threads here. Debates and discussions go on here over various topics and a big consideration are the "forum rules"; no personal attacks, no flaming, etc. When someone is caught violating this policy, what happens?? They get a timeout.

 

[ThunderICS]

I believe the original artticle that said he was suspended had a bad source. He's on ESPN radio live right now doing his radio show. He did make a comment at the beginning of the show regarding the fake stories of him getting suspended going around.

 

[HD MM]

I believe the original artticle that said he was suspended had a bad source. He's on ESPN radio live right now doing his radio show. He did make a comment at the beginning of the show regarding the fake stories of him getting suspended going around.

If the original source doesn't meet your fancy, how about USA Today....

ESPN's Van Pelt slams Bud Selig about his salary - USATODAY.com

 

[HD MM]

Deadspin's still sticking by their sources. Sounds like this may have already happened though. This happened earlier in the month, so it's quite possible he's already served his suspension, although it has resurfaced in the light of the Hannah Story/ Kornheiser debacle....

ESPN Is Giving Scott Van Pelt Some Quiet Time (UPDATE) - Scott Van Pelt suspended from radio show - Deadspin

 

[HD MM]

I believe the original artticle that said he was suspended had a bad source. He's on ESPN radio live right now doing his radio show. He did make a comment at the beginning of the show regarding the fake stories of him getting suspended going around.

I think the "prank" you heard SVP talk about was related to a Howard Stern/ Captain Jenks on-air prank in which Jenks pretended to be Brian Westbrook. This is the 2nd time Van Pelt has been duped by Stern...

Scott Van Pelt comments on Howard Stern prank call: Hot Clicks - SI.com - Extra Mustard

 

[cosmo_kramer]

I think the "prank" you heard SVP talk about was related to a Howard Stern/ Captain Jenks on-air prank in which Jenks pretended to be Brian Westbrook. This is the 2nd time Van Pelt has been duped by Stern...

Scott Van Pelt comments on Howard Stern prank call: Hot Clicks - SI.com - Extra Mustard

I posted it a page ago....

 

[Paul Wozniak]

$18.5M???? Why? I can't think of a better example of the Peter Principle. Selig is a horse's ass. My apologies to horses.

 

[cosmo_kramer]

$18.5M???? Why? I can't think of a better example of the Peter Principle. Selig is a horse's ass. My apologies to horses.

Again, not that I like Selig either, but this is probably why: $$ talks.

The economy has taken a bite out of every sports league this past year, but for Major League Baseball, they were able to actually see revenues increase in 2009.

The league reports that gross revenues were $6.6 billion for 2009, a record figure for the league. The figure is a 1.5 percent increase the $6.5 billion pulled in for 2008.

MLB Sees a Record $6.6 Billion in Revenues for 2009

 

[Paul Wozniak]

I seriously doubt that Selig had anything to do with increasing revenues. Unless you think turning a blind eye to the steroid issue helped the league. On second thought....maybe it did. Some days I think the only people who care about the steroid issue are all here, at Sat Guys.

 

[iceturkee]

toss-up, who is the bigger arse....selig or the nhl's gary betteman. that man seriously needs to be replaced.

anyhow, i stick by my van pelt, kornheiser and talk radio comments. if anyone at espn needs intervention, it is upper management because they have no clue what they are doing and haven't for years.