So here’s why sports are not simply about wins and losses when you involve big-time broadcast contracts: Commercials.
The networks need to get a return on the money they spent to secure the rights to broadcast the game — which can run into billions of dollars at the pro level.
Yes, corporate money, which seems to bring a tainted feel to most anything from the banking scandal to stadium seat licenses.
Think the games you watch on TV are all about the game?
Think again.
In a busy early sports week, the comments Tennessee Titans coach Jeff Fisher made following his team’s 30-3 win on “Monday Night Football” somewhat got lost:
“My understanding is they needed network timeouts, and that’s why [Jacksonville Jaguars coach] Jack [Del Rio] used his timeouts. They came over and asked me to do it, but I said, ‘I was hoping to get a first down and kneel on it.'”
Fisher’s comments were so shocking that they required clarification Tuesday.
“There’s conversations that take place at the two-minute warning before the first half,” Fisher told Titans Insider. “But there’s conversations that take place, and it’s the official’s responsibility to give the head coach a status of commercials and TV timeouts.”
Unbelievable?
Believe it, says The Examiner‘s sports media insider Jim Williams.
ESPN’s response sums up the comments accurately, albeit on what we consider a technicality: “ESPN did not directly or indirectly ask the coaches to take a timeout during the game.”
It’s true. The network doesn’t have to imply to the coaches to take timeouts.
“All sports TV productions ask the game officials for a TV timeout,” Williams said. “They are the point of contact — at no time are coaches asked to call timeouts by those producing the game.”
There are so-called “TV timeouts” that are really official timeouts. The officials on the field can call a timeout if they need to — for whatever reason necessary.
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