Brendan O'Reilly Is Not Happy With Sports Center's Producers

Tuesday, March 04, 2008


A reader sent me this link and it took me a few seconds to figure out what it was, but this is a post from Brendan O'Reilly (left) who is part of a two-man Sports team on WBNG-TV in Binghamton, New York. Brendan had a copy of Cornell winning the Ivy League and apparently ESPN was relentless in it's pursuit of the clip for Sports Center. Brendan isn't exactly happy with ESPN the day after.....

Yes, we are happy to share the video from Cornell clinching their Ivy League title. Hope you don't mind if we go ahead and worry about our show first though.

I know everyone loves the Sportscenter, with the zany commercials and all, but we're going to go ahead and edit our stuff first.
We're selfish that way.

Second, after I send you the video roughly 15 minutes after we get the tape back from Ithaca, feel free to call again and ask me to resend it because "the video quality isn't the best." No sweat. It's not like I mentioned we're a staff of 2 putting together a 30 minute show.

I'll keep your number for when I want a different angle on all the stuff you send to WBNG.

Third, when you run our video on all your shows, please find a font size roughly one pixel in height to show that it was shot by WBNG. We want people that have 60 inch monitors to have to squint to read it. That's the goal.
For the rest of the post click the link below...it's very entertaining. Trust me.

Dear ESPN, (WBNG Sports)

Posted by Awful Announcing- at 2:40 PM

22 Comments:

someone's still holding a grudge for not getting that coveted 1a-4a shift on ESPNews.

but i like it

-dan

Anonymous said...
Mar 4, 2008, 2:57:00 PM  

That's golden stuff AA

Anonymous said...
Mar 4, 2008, 3:03:00 PM  

Waaaaaah I work in Ithica waaaaaaah!

Anonymous said...
Mar 4, 2008, 3:10:00 PM  

Mmmm...that's good bitchy snark.

Signal to Noise said...
Mar 4, 2008, 3:13:00 PM  

Where is Ithica? Definitely not in Binghamton.

twoeightnine said...
Mar 4, 2008, 3:23:00 PM  

"everyone loves THE sportscenter" that's priceless

Doug the Punter said...
Mar 4, 2008, 3:25:00 PM  

@-dan:

That job went to that new chick ESPNews hired in the last week (btw, from one of the NYC area weekend sports jobs); I can't remember her name. "Something" Canidate? (No, not Trung)

Anonymous said...
Mar 4, 2008, 3:29:00 PM  

As a media relations guy myself, I can tell you people at the WWL are relentless.

During a D-III football game, we had one of their people call our press box literally every three minutes requesting a score update. After the final whistle blew, the guy must have called nearly 10 times asking for a fax with the final stats and play-by-play. What these idiots fail to realize is not only do most schools run live stats during the game on their athletics websites, but most offer a free webcast or radio call of the game.

Anonymous said...
Mar 4, 2008, 3:45:00 PM  

Binghamton is the new Bristol.

GMoney said...
Mar 4, 2008, 3:50:00 PM  

Anyone thats worked in television (especially a small market) understands how annoying, persistent and ruthless ESPN can be when trying to get these highlights. The people calling have no idea how difficult it is to put a show together in a small market, and all the WWL wants is to take, take, take, but never gives anything in return.

I don't know if Brendan used the right method of getting the message out, but everything he said is dead on.

ink jet said...
Mar 4, 2008, 4:02:00 PM  

I personally am from Binghamton and watch WBNG-TV. And I must say, this guy is such a twerp. His Sports Overtime show on Saturday nights are like a weekly audition for SportsCenter with all his one-liners and quips. He stinks.

Anonymous said...
Mar 4, 2008, 4:05:00 PM  

Brendan O'Reilly is awesome. He actually cares about the fans unlike "THE Sportscenter". Every game he finds someone to put on fancam so they can get their 15 seconds of fame. Rock on O-Dawg

Anonymous said...
Mar 4, 2008, 4:14:00 PM  

i dont know if this guys talent level has anything to do with the issue. i think it's great hes calling it how he sees it, most people in his position would never think of doing something like this for frear of pissing off 'the man'.

this kind of stuff makes my day.

TheFolkist said...
Mar 4, 2008, 5:02:00 PM  

it's about time someone recognized ESPN as their competition...even on local sports.
the dude should NEVER have given them the video to look good when the game wasn't on their radar to begin with.

Anonymous said...
Mar 4, 2008, 6:56:00 PM  

Reisha Candidate got a job with ESPNews? I guess other than the fact that she can't pronounce names or read properly, she'll probably do well.

Anonymous said...
Mar 4, 2008, 7:54:00 PM  

Karl Ravech and Bill Pidto both used to work at WBNG

Anonymous said...
Mar 4, 2008, 8:25:00 PM  

@anon 3:45

CSTV also runs a service called gametracker on their website with live score update and stats it is mainly for D-1 games.

WBNG - I wonder where the BNG in the letters come from. Tv station call letters are ridiculous.

Anonymous said...
Mar 4, 2008, 8:56:00 PM  

I think Bill Pidto was so excited Saturday night after he interviewed the Cornell coach on ESPNews he guzzled Grey Goose like Dana Jacobsen and crashed his car into a tree for old times sake.

hank:
ESPN only hires people from or who've worked in NYC, Boston, Binghamton (Tony Kornhole went to college there) or Oklahoma.

Anonymous said...
Mar 4, 2008, 9:54:00 PM  

And guess what?
Someone who claims to be him is now posting on sportsjournalists.com saying, it was a goof.
Yeah, sure, uh huh.
Wonder if flop sweat started when he realized that people will actually see what he wrote?

Anonymous said...
Mar 4, 2008, 10:17:00 PM  

It is him on SportsJournalists (confirmed by email) and he seems like a really good guy...

Mar 5, 2008, 12:35:00 PM  

"I'll keep your number for when I want a different angle on all the stuff you send to WBNG."

Yes indeed.

Anonymous said...
Mar 12, 2008, 2:01:00 AM  

SPortscenter all the way baby yeaaaa!!! .. Reisha Canidate rocks baby yeaaaa!! ...

Anonymous said...
Nov 3, 2009, 6:52:00 AM  

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