ESPN Finalizes Football Blogging Network
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
I honestly thought that ESPN was out of the blogging business, but apparently they were just getting started. ESPN.com has finished its roster of ex-newspaper reporters and has officially what it's calling the "ESPN Football Blog Network". There are eight NFL bloggers, one for each conference, and seven (soon to be eight) College writers for specific conferences. Here are the details....
With the launch of the Football Blog Network, ESPN has hired 14 leading reporters and columnists from news organizations across the country to author the individual blogs (one position, blogging about the Big East, remains to be filled). Collectively, the group boasts more than 125 years of writing and reporting experience, though each brings a distinct style and voice to their blog and specific region of focus. Each blogger will provide fans both with a filter for significant developments regarding their favorite teams and expert journalistic insight and access.This is definitely an interesting move considering the network's long stand against the blogging format, but seemingly a good idea. Every reporter has covered their specific conference before, and as long as they don't try to turn them into TV stars, this might actually work. More information is always a good thing.
Professional Football
NFC East – Matt Mosley – formerly of Dallas Morning News (previously authored Hashmarks blog on ESPN.com);
NFC West – Mike Sando – formerly of Tacoma News Tribune;
NFC North – Kevin Seifert – formerly of Minneapolis Star-Tribune;
NFC South – Pat Yasinkas – formerly of Charlotte Observer;
AFC West – Bill Williamson – formerly of Denver Post;
AFC North – James Walker – formerly of Columbus Dispatch;
AFC South – Paul Kuharsky – formerly of The Tennessean;
AFC East – Tim Graham – formerly of Palm Beach Post.
College Football
ACC – Heather Dinich – formerly of Baltimore Sun;
PAC 10 – Ted Miller – formerly of Seattle Post-Intelligencer;
Big 12 – Tim Griffin – formerly of San Antonio Express-News;
Big Ten – Adam Rittenberg – formerly of Chicago Daily Herald;
SEC – Chris Low – formerly of The Tennessean and Rivals.com;
Big East – TBD;
Independents/additional conferences - Graham Watson – formerly of St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
On a side note, I would have rather them tried (and I think they would have had more success) trying this in the almost barren College Basketball scene, but you can't fault them for the attempt.
(Via ESPN PR)
13 Comments:
I would not be surprised if the College Football writers double-up and do college basketball as well (particularly the ACC and Big East writers). NFL coverage is year-round (which DOES get tiring), while there's only so much you can talk about with College Football between Jan.8 and July 1 (besides a month of spring football). Also, I've seen most of these guys follow College Basketball for ESPN so its not like its an entirely new concept for them.
I think you're right bigern. Chris Low has done a great job covering SEC football and basketball in the past so I'd imagine he will continue to do both.
I've been reading Low's SEC blog for the past week and found absolutely no problems with it. Definitely a step in the right direction for ESPN.
Looks like six, soon to be seven, college bloggers to me.
First you didn't catch the week hiatus announcement at the end of ATH and start of PTI on Friday, then "Seattleans", now this? You've lost your touch, AA!
WTF! Graham Watson leaving the Post Dispatch? She did a damn good job covering Mizzou, I hope she does well for ESPN
Wouldn't that conflict with the whole "know the conference you blog" point.
ESPN cares more about college football than basketball obviously.
Heather Dinich will be on ESPN, in less than 2 years mark my words.
this sounds like a pretty good idea, id read them.
prediction as to how the fuck it up? they will make it insider only.
Anybody think it would be a good idea for them to add real bloggers to their network? These aren't really like blogs, it's like a weekly newspaper column and the format is almost the same thing as an ESPN.com article.
I give Ted Miller props for actually recognizing the existence of everyday bloggers.
They're stealing the entire "kind of worth the paper it's printed on" section of The Tennessean! Grrr.
Tim Graham left the Buffalo News for the Palm Beach Post not all that long ago either.
Graham Watson is also a chick. Thought I should clarify that :)
Anybody else wonder why a guy from Columbus with 0 NFL teams is writing about the AFC North?
Bill Williamson from the Denver Post for the AFC West? Fucking kill me now. Every article will be required to suck off Mike Shanahan and use "their lord and savior's" name, John Elway at least once.
Maybe if we're lucky Shannon Sharpe can come over and run his fucking mouth on it too.
We'd be better off letting a retarded Oakland fan write blog. It'd be so illegible we couldn't tell what it is about!
This actually sounds like a positive step for ESPN...I'm sure that they will screw it up.