ESPN is victim of its own errant decision-making

On the Tuesday of the Zurich Classic of New Orleans, it was an interesting sight. Golfers, caddies and well-wishers were flocking to the practice range to welcome one of the contestants in the celebrity shootout.
 
The contestant was gracious, as always. He was taking pictures with all, with a kind word for all.
 
My thought? It says something about ESPN that Chris Berman was in New Orleans and not at the NFL draft. Berman looked like a man who knew he should be somewhere else.
 
As Saints head coach Sean Payton’s interview with local media continued, Berman tapped Payton on the shoulder and walked away.
 
For years, Chris Berman was the NFL draft. It wasn’t the same without him. But, then, neither is his network.
 
The New York Times said ESPN has lost “10 million subscribers over the last several years.” Cord-cutting – those no longer subscribing to cable or satellite TV – has certainly been a huge problem for ESPN.
 
But many of its wounds are self-inflicted. My take? For one, ESPN got away from its core business. The network built its brand on its Sportscenter highlight shows and on college sports.
 
ESPN’s foray into pro sports has been costly. The network paid $1.9 billion for the NFL, $1.4 billion for the NBA, and $700 million for major league baseball. ESPN paid $606.3 million for the college football playoff.
 
And, that at a time when many bowls, especially those not involved in the college football playoff, struggle mightily to sell tickets and sustain TV ratings.
 
And, ESPN has gotten far too political. It used to be about sports. But, when transgender athlete Caitlyn Jenner was selected for the Arthur Ashe Courage Award, many loyal ESPN viewers were turned off.
 
Arthur Ashe was a true giant in American sports. He was a Wimbledon champion who faced racism daily during his career. In 1973, Ashe traveled to South Africa to become the first African American to play in a national tournament in that apartheid nation.
 
In America, we must respect all, and all deserve a chance to pursue their dreams. But, whether you agree or disagree, many viewed the award to Jenner more as a political statement than as a sports one.
 
In late April, the layoffs at ESPN began, with many of those axed taking to Twitter to announce their departures. Some were stunners. They included college basketball reporter Andy Katz, NBA reporter Marc Stein and NFL reporter Ed Werder. All three are truly accomplished. They report accurately and fairly.
 
Interviewed by si.com, Werder was quoted as saying the following: “I am mad at the people who don’t value real reporting.”
 
Ed Werder, on target, as per usual.
 
Ed Daniels is sports director of ABC26 WGNO. He can be reached at edaniels@clarionherald.org.