More detail on the mutinous ESPNer's meeting last week--NY Post

Phil Mushnick elaborates on his NY Post story last week about an ESPN staff meeting that revealed some out of touch managers. Part of the meeting included words from Mike Wallace, which he clarifies, using a transcript of some of the meeting. (The meeting was not mainly about Bonds as some have chosen to mischaracterize it--the problem is systemic, the handling of the Bonds show & coverage is only 1 example). MUSHNICK'S REPORT ON THE PART INVOLVING MIKE WALLACE AT THE ESPN MEETING: "After much thought (and debate) I did Mike Wallace and Ed Bradley wrong, Friday, when I wrote that Wallace, before a gathering of ESPN personnel, acknowledged that Bradley's "60 Minutes" piece on Tiger Woods, the previous day, was a "tank job." While I didn't quote Wallace using the phrase, my use of "tank job," was excessive. I apologize. However, Wallace and Bradley insist that Wallace said nothing to even suggest that "60 Minutes" was in any way compromised. As proof, Wallace provided a transcript. But you decide: WALLACE, LAST MONDAY, WAS ESPN's GUEST SPEAKER WHEN TALK MOVED TO THE ETHICS OF ALLOWING BONDS CONTENT CONTROL OVER AN ESPN series about Bonds. Wallace criticized ESPN's decision to do such business with a news figure. According to the transcript, Wallace was then asked, "How many tough questions were asked in the Tiger Woods piece, last night?" Wallace replied, "There was an understanding going in." The audience responded with, "Ahhhh." After noting that Woods is a very private person, Wallace further explained: "And I think probably some concessions were made. You didn't see a heck of a lot of his wife, last night. The concession was, look, 'I'm going to be more candid with you, Ed Bradley, than I've ever been in public before. Why? Because I'm going to get an opportunity to tell about my [charity] foundation.' I think that's fine." Regardless, the "60 Minutes" two-parter, promoted for two weeks (just in time for The Masters, on CBS) as "Tiger, as you've never seen him," was nonsense. It was the long version of Woods as we always see him - in the company of a gushing reporter." This part is more about Wallace than ESPN, but you see that the focus of the meeting was more than 1 baseball player.

Tweet Stumbleupon StumbleUpon