You thought we wouldn’t notice didn’t you ESPN. Tennessee has a major sexual mis-conduct case going on, but head to ESPN’s front page, and there isn’t a link to it.
There is a link to Florida State adding a new social responsibility course.
So where was the report on Tennessee?
It was finally found on ESPN’s college football page, where Florida State social responsibility class was again linked, and getting the same coverage as Georgia Tech’s minor infraction.
The Tennessee story gets the same coverage as Paul Johnson publicly talking about a graduate transfer 30 minutes t0o early. Several others have noted this odd imbalance in coverage as well.
The UT stuff is why I bang on @espn so much. If this federal investigation was happening at FSU or wherever, it’d be round the clock cov.
— The Student Section (@TheStudentSect) July 18, 2015
That’s why people front an @espn SEC bias. Over-covering certain things when turning a blind eye to similar events based on school name — The Student Section (@TheStudentSect) July 18, 2015
I wonder if @finebaum will spend the amount of time on the allegations at Tennessee as he did on FSU??? — Danny Kanell (@dannykanell) July 17, 2015
Well then… so what’s going here? Consirpacy Theorists will say ESPN is only protecting their SEC investment, and exercising their perceived SEC Bias, or maybe the answer is simpler.
Not an “SEC Bias OMG” thing. Simply no media hook. Unsuccessful program, no star, no QB position involved. https://t.co/J9uGMio4WL
— Bud Elliott (@TomahawkNation) July 17, 2015
Well there is certainly some truth there. Tennessee, frankly is an afterthought of a program these days. They haven’t won more than 7 games since 2007, and have arguably been one of the poorer SEC programs in recent years.
That’s just fact. Florida State is light years ahead of Tennessee in terms of public recognition these days. That said Tennessee is still a brand program likely to enter 2015 on the fringe of the top 25.
So which is it? SECBias, Higher Click rate, or something completely different? Honestly I don’t know, but when it is that obvious the coverage is so slanted in a particular direction that’s not good for ESPN. We don’t have to tell you again ESPN is getting a backlash in their college football coverage these days.
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