Why Is ESPN’s Ombudsman So Slow? Steve Phillips Gets Lucky

Even the best part of Ohlmeyer’s column, a playfully devastating look at the blithe babbling of college football announcers, takes on a grim irony when read in the shadow of the week’s more notable ESPN-related news:

A seven-play, 62-yard drive played second fiddle to such scintillating queries as “How was the trip coming down here?” and “How’s retirement?” and “Is Drew Brees on your fantasy team?” It concluded with “Is my room still ready when I want to come fishing?” During a key stretch on the field, the football game became an afterthought — an interruption — to the “fun and frivolity” in the booth.

Sounds familiar!

None of this is Ohlmeyer’s fault, really; no doubt he operates within some preordained set of parameters. But ESPN should know better than to limit the impact of its ombudsman column and the truly impressive man they convinced to write it with a posting schedule that is so few-and-far-between. Ohlmeyer is not a blogger, nor does he need to be. But occasional supplementary observations or even a quick Q&A with a network bigwig would provide an important value add.

“Ohlmeyer is uniquely positioned to ask someimportant questions,” argues media critic Eric Deggens. “Are ESPN executives concerned about so many allegations of improper relationships? Was it a mistake to hire someone who already had a history in that area? Is the company taking action to keep such an incendiary issue from exploding publicly again?”

We’ll have to wait until Ohlmeyer’s November column (look for it around the 20th!) to get the answers to these questions … if we get them at all. For now, the most relevant commentary we’ll find from the ombudsman is this:

Contrast this with what’s seen on “SportsCenter” or any local newscast — the look-at-me egocentrism, bench-clearing brawls, DUI crashes, sexual assaults, paternity suits, drug infractions, union disputes…

There is no question that all these things need to be covered along with the scores and incredible feats that make up today’s world of competition. Sports have always been popular because they encompass the incredible highs and lows of triumph and tragedy. But today’s ever-increasing curse of a dark underbelly that reflects the seamier side of our culture is real, and it’s part of life.

This should be the lead-in to a thoughtful examination of all the recent news around ESPN. But unfortunately, it was written way back in September, in a perky column about the Little League World Series. “Fun and frivolity” isn’t limited to the broadcast booth, I suppose.

This is an opinion piece. The views expressed in this article are those of just the author.