It's pretty well documented that we don't like EsPN when it pretends to be a journalistic entity. Sure, they study up on the SEC for football and ACC for basketball, because they have vested interest in those conferences. But, outside of Urban Meyer being aOSU's head man, there aren't too many storylines that interest the folks in Bristol about the nation's oldest conference. Furthermore, when a football team from that conference is a middling to lower-third team, they don't care at all.
Purdue's not sexy...we get that. BUT, if a network is going to spend four minutes on a preview on a BCS conference team...and that network claims to be a sports-related outlet, there should be some show prep that took longer to research than the final piece itself. Clearly, on EsPN's "College Football Today" show prep is asking around the office and glancing at a Google search.
Adam Rittenberg is pretty good at his job...and he works for the crappiest sports network in all the land- he's what people inside of the EsPN family should call an expert. Rittenberg knows quite a bit about what's going on inside Purdue football...because he reads up, interviews and prepares for the articles he writes. Someone at EsPN's TV studios should give Rittenberg's card to David Pollack; the braintrust behind yesterday's Purdue season preview.
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| Reportering is hard. |
Here are some things that the Entertainment Network told me about Purdue yesterday that I never knew.
-First, Robert Marve transferred from the University of Michigan to West Lafayette. Sweet. The poor guy probably has to pay his own tuition. B1G fans know that intra-conference transfers are strongly discouraged by the league...so much that you don't get a schollie when you decide to make such a move (unless it's '12 and you're leaving PSU). Sure it happens- UM's Boren transferred to aOSU after he found out that Rodriguez was an asshat...but it's not normal. And while UM does stand for University of Michigan, Marve's former school was the University of Miami, Einstein.
-Second, Purdue never beats aOSU.
Actually, they've done so twice in the past three seasons...and thrice in the last six times they've played...but who's counting (not David Pollack).
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| Why not post a photo of Steele? |
One of our favorites, Erin Andrews' replacement at the network, Samantha Steele, told me that it took two overtimes for the Boilers to beat the nuts in '11...And while I'm known to blackout from time to time in stressful situations, I'm pretty sure I only saw one OT last season at RA...but her error is much less egregious than Pollack's multiple boners on the air.
-Lastly, and most-glaringly, Purdue has secretly added MSU and Nebraska to the '12 schedule...all to be played in the last three games of the season.
This is big news to me...and I'm surprised that the B1G, any Purdue outlet and the Purdue Athletic Department itself has decided to keep this so hush. Hell, even guys who are really in the know like J Money and TMill haven't let me in on this news...Jerks.
Regardless, I hope Purdue gets another homegame out of the deal...it'd be tough to play two more surprise road games...Dammit, I hope the coaches and players know.
Thanks to David Pollack, and his employer for never letting us down. While our expectations are low, you guys always find a way outdo yourselves. Schleps.