FOWLER ADMITS MANAGEMENT "RETHOUGHT" GAMEDAY DECISION
WE WERE RIGHT! Sort of. Chris Fowler on ESPN Insider admits what we suspected (HT: Mike):
For 13 seasons, the locations of the GameDay road shows have been editorial decisions based on the college football landscape. The basic principle was to (almost) always come from the site of the "biggest game," or occasionally, "the best story..."
Now, the philosophy has been rethought by upper management. For the first time, the competitive landscape of football programming is a frequent consideration. Serving the needs of ABC's new prime-time package of games is often a priority. The decision on GameDay's site is less a clear-cut "best game" philosophy now and is more complicated, made on a landscape where terms like "synergy" and "branding" live.
Branding--it's not just for cattle and fraternity hazing anymore. What ABC/ESPN/Disney/Cthulu management don't understand about the "branding" of the game is the divide it puts between Gameday's fiercely loyal fanbase and the games they deem most important. Rather than providing the best story, they're following network dictates like every other schlubby pregame show, and by doing so cheapen the cachet Gameday once had.

Cthulu's taken what Gameday once was. If you haven't seen the Cthulu/Family Circus mashups, click here...if you dare, dear reader.
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Well Orson, to paraphrase Barry Goldwater – you would rather be right than be President.
by Crabapple Buck on Sep 15, 2006 4:16 PM EDT reply actions
The basic principle was to (almost) always come from the site of the "biggest game," or occasionally, "the best story…"
They’re Covered by the “occasionally”.
Best story?
Maybe they can tailgate outside an agent’s summer employment office.
by canuck on Sep 15, 2006 4:19 PM EDT reply actions
Herbie said as much in his chat yesterday, too.
Pretty disappointing, but that’s the Worldwide Leader these days.
by NYCGatorOX on Sep 15, 2006 4:22 PM EDT reply actions
Don’t forget to email the entirely ineffective ESPN Ombudsman to register the complaint.
by tbmd96 on Sep 15, 2006 4:32 PM EDT reply actions
Ok, you choose.
Cow tipper or Straight from the pole stripper?
I’d be in Cali too!
by Cool Hand Mike on Sep 15, 2006 4:33 PM EDT reply actions
Dope!
Another thing that bugs me about GameDay: The Home Depot signs everywhere. I always, at first glimpse, think they’re broadcasting from my native Knoxville.
by T. Owens on Sep 15, 2006 4:34 PM EDT reply actions
Dammit Orson! You KNOW those Cthulu/Family Circus give me nightmares, yet you post them anyway.
That shit freaks me the fuck out. Yet I read them…
by The Conscience of a Nation on Sep 15, 2006 4:39 PM EDT reply actions
Game Day has sucked ever since they changed the musical introduction to something simple to that Black Eyed Pea shit, or whatever it is now. I don’t even watch it anymore. It was much better when it was a novelty and Lee Corso didn’t try to feed off the crowd, and when there was only the three of them, and no Nick Lachey or Rocket Ismael. They just got too cute for their own good and got too big for their own good.
R.E.M, post 1985 = ESPN College Game Day, post 1999
by PaulC on Sep 15, 2006 5:22 PM EDT reply actions
Hm. Methinks Mr. Fowler’s got a little shade of brown on his nose in that one. Heaven forbid that the rest of the country get any attention from the WWL. How come they get blasted for jamming Yankees-Red Sox down the whole country’s throats all year every year, but when they decide not to do the same with the SEC it’s somehow a national crisis that needs to be corrected immediately?
by Mark on Sep 15, 2006 6:14 PM EDT reply actions
Corso, Herbstreit, and Fowler are now officially corporate shills. No credibility anymore. Can’t blame them, it’s about the bread baby.
Good thing I’ve about quit watching.
Except THIS week. I’m watching the white-wash. If USC can’t influence ABC to color the coverage of Reggie Bush’s professional status the past 2 years, why is that school located in EL-Aay?
I’m watching you Herbstreit. I’m watching real close.
by Boclive on Sep 15, 2006 6:24 PM EDT reply actions
I REALLY hope at least Herbstreit holds strong against the inevitable pressure to whitewash the Reggie Bush situation. Corso probably hasn’t heard the news yet and Fowler seems like he would be bribed with a Snoop Dogg autograph, a bottle of scotch, and a couple song girls.
by JohnWA on Sep 15, 2006 7:00 PM EDT reply actions
damn. sluts.
this means gameday’s coming to south bend… oh… never.
it’s probably not fowler, corso, or herbstreit’s fault. it’s tFWWL. it almost seems like what fox news is doing, playing to the agenda rather than the stories. grumble.
by tedwick on Sep 15, 2006 7:06 PM EDT reply actions
Mark, if you’ve ever read this blog before, you’d be very familiar with the way USC hangs out in the back of the room for the mouse to suck them off after they get through with Steinbrenner and that punk kid in Boston.
If they’d gone to ND/MICH, nobody would be saying anything. But they chose the ABC primetime game YET AGAIN, when it’s clearly the 7th best game of the day, at best.
by RedTide on Sep 15, 2006 8:23 PM EDT reply actions
Gameday is weak, granted, but for some reason those “NFL Today”, Baseball Tonight" type shows where they paint a replica field on the floor and assholes in Bruno Magli loafers and Armani slacks do slow-motion demonstrations make me want to go on a killing spree.
by jaybuzz on Sep 15, 2006 9:40 PM EDT reply actions
Well, now it looks like The Network is stealing from blogs. On the below link, they suggest that “every day should be saturday.” I hope ya’ll copyrighted the phrase, ala Donald Trump or Paris Hilton.
by James on Sep 16, 2006 12:20 AM EDT reply actions
Anyone else catch it during the WV-Maryland game last night when Fowler mentioned that “John Holmes gets great…penetration”
by Bigeazy313 on Sep 16, 2006 1:20 AM EDT reply actions
ESPN should just show Jaworski breaking down game film 24/7. That’s the only thing worth a shit on that network nowdays. Even Merrill Hodge can’t ruin it. And it’s not from a lack of trying.
by Marijuana Simpson on Sep 16, 2006 2:28 AM EDT reply actions
PaulC, nice REM analogy. Clash after London Calling…Elvis after Get Happy. You grow up and you suck.
by Ohiodawg on Sep 16, 2006 6:20 AM EDT reply actions
Hey, James I have copyrighted the words well, you owe me 500.00 dollars. Time to pay up big boy
by POS on Sep 16, 2006 10:16 AM EDT reply actions
Stealing because they have used words. So I guess that can’t use the words hot and that, also they can’t use fired, you, and are. They not only copyrighted the phrase they also copyrighted the words. Guess I owe in and out and fake hair boy thier money. Right smart boy? Have you check your writing that you do not owe the some money.
by Aztec Warrior on Sep 16, 2006 10:26 AM EDT reply actions

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