So yesterday, I talked to a few people at ESPN about the whole "Blog Buzz" post and they mentioned that the segment is a work in progress, and that I should watch this morning. Well I did, and to my surprise, AA's post was featured at the beginning of the segment as part of a clarification on the "Buzz". Take a look....

Like I told those I talked to yesterday, I do think there is an opportunity there, but it's all in how they put it together. If they go with the approach that they used today, most blogs will appreciate the gesture and it will begin to mend some fences. If they use the segment as just another cross-promotional tool, then it will get blasted. It's really that easy. The fact that they commented on their own employee being in the Top Five, is already a step in the right direction.

I've always said that more information and opinions is a good thing, and this could certainly be an example of that. Thanks for the mention, and for starting to listen to some of the constructive criticism out there as well.

ESPN debuted a new feature on Sports Center this morning called "Blog Buzz", and after looking at some of the screenshots at The Sporting Blog....I just don't get it. "Blog Buzz" is a simple concept. You take the Top Five stories on blogs, make a fancy graph, and then add in some quotes. In fact, it's really just using the Sports Media Challenge's Buzz Manager .

While I understand that ESPN is embracing the medium that they once shunned, there is one problem with the new feature....it has nothing to do with blogs. Let's take a look, shall we?


So let me get this straight. ESPN takes the top five stories as provided by the SMC, and then adds quotes from the Sun Sentinel, and one from their own blogger. Ummm, that's not exactly taking into account what "Blogs" are saying, but good try.

ESPN's 'Blog Buzz' Segment Fails Miserably (The Sporting Blog)