Category: media
ESPN-The Making of a Sports Media Empire
I am sitting here on the northern edge of a monumental blizzard that is wreaking havoc on the eastern seaboard. While I am not lucky enough to be getting the awesome amounts of snow that the big cities are getting, at least we saw something out of this storm. In sports and baseball in particular through the last several decades, the media outlets have exploded. Much like this winter storm they have made an indelible mark on our society that may never be forgotten. ESPN especially has made their mark and on sports other than just baseball. Their self proclaimed moniker of the Worldwide Leader in Sports, holds true and may never be seriously challenged. Now there is a book that takes an in depth look at how ESPN became the king of sports media.
By:Travis Vogan-2015
Travis Vogan has taken an inside look at how ESPN has come from their roots of showing Australian Rules Football as their main programming and using ramshackle sets to becoming the go to source for all sports information. They found a niche that obviously America wanted to fill and took advantage of that.
This book shows that through their rise in power in the sports media industry they have been able to push agendas, create superstars both on and off the field and also create a rapport with their viewers like no other sports media outlet ever has been able to or probably ever will. They have created a success that will be tough to ever repeat because of how much of a stronghold they have been able to place over the industry.
Travis Vogan has written a very interesting book that gives you the ins and outs of a media empire. I realize they do more than baseball but did include them on here, because they have been able to do some innovative things through the years where the game was concerned. They also have dedicated some serious air time to the sport, in so many different ways that other networks were not interested in doing. They have been a great partner in helping Major League Baseball grow.
Baseball fans should check this out because it is very informative and helps you understand what they have truly given to each and every fan of the game.
You can get this book from the nice folks at University of Illinois Press
ESPN-The Making of a Sports Media Empire
Happy Reading
Gregg
Two Giants of Their Industry – Before the Internet Ruled the World.
There was a time not too long ago in this great land, that the entire world was not at your fingertips. You could not hop on your computer, or pick up your cell phone and see almost instantaneously what was going on in the world. Hard core sports fans had to wait until the local or national scribes pieced together stories for the newspapers. With that delay in place fans had come to rely on their writers for accurate details and vivid pictures painted through the use of words. It helped form a bond between writer and fan that could last a lifetime. The saying goes, the cream always rises to the top, and the sports reporting field is not exempt from that wise saying. Now there are two books that celebrate and give their just due to two of the giants of their field.
Edited By Bill Littlefield-2015
Edited By Daniel Okrent-2013
Red Smith and W.C. Heinz are easily two of the most recognizable names in the sports reporting world. They both made writing look easy. Each was able to relay countless stories to hundreds of thousands of fans in a way that endeared them to almost every reader. Their knowledge of multiple sports and of people in general, allowed them to cover various sports and appeal to different generations.
Library of America has produced two great books that compile some of the best writing of each. W.C. Heinz’s writings cover everything from Horse Racing, to Football, to Rodeo and of course Baseball. His knowledge and insight give the reader a great account of events and allow for you to get a great picture in your mind’s eye as to how the games unfolded. The same can easily be said for Red Smith. His ability to cover multiple sports allows the reader to have a plethora of choices in topics to read, learn, relive and enjoy.
Books that are compilation books of a reporters articles usually scare me off. I always feel like they are grasping for content to fill an entire book and sometimes you don’t get the greatest of articles in the book. Happily that can not be said about these books, the articles chosen are all of great quality, and each book gives you over 500 pages of great writings.
Writers like this are a great link to the history of our favorite sports. They can take us back to a simpler time and allow the fans to gain some insight on events that the history books may have missed. If you ask most people who their favorite author is, you will get an answer of at least some person. If you ask a sports fan, they may not answer with an author, but more than likely a sports writer. These two men are credits to the writing industry, the sports that they covered, and both will be remembered for generations to come for their contributions to recording the history of each one’s chosen game.
Normally I say that Baseball fans would enjoy these, but honestly, all sports fans will enjoy these books. The sports covered in the writings are so varied, that if you are not well versed in certain sports as you would like, you may learn some new things.
You can get these books from the nice folks at The Library of America
Happy Reading
Gregg
Gregg's Baseball Bookcase 