Jarrett-Carter.com

For all of its bluster, ESPN will be but a blip on the media radar of this summer’s Olympic Games in Beijing. Because the World Wide Leader is not a paid up broadcaster of the games, reporters and anchors that will be dispatched to Beijing will not be permitted to interview athletes inside the Games, or show highlights prior to the conclusion of NBC’s coverage.

From the USA Today report:

Like ESPN, which will deploy just eight staffers in Beijing — including Jeremy Schaap and George Smith as its only on-air types — trying to see what it can rustle up. It won’t be easy. Non-rights holders, even if they can get into official venues such as competition sites — where “mixed zones” allow athletes and media members to mingle — cannot bring in any recording devices — including cameras. The exception is the Games’ main press, but their footage or audio cannot be aired live. (And each day, ESPN can only air event highlights after NBC’s prime-time coverage ends — and then no more than six minutes on a news show.)

Talk about a slap in the face. The network that saturates our highlights, opinions and sports viewing habits can’t get into the world’s largest sports competition?

Oh well, guess there’s more time for the network to find ‘Titletown.‘

First of all, why was Rick Reilly on the Home Run Derby panel? Is ESPN that desperate for us to think that he’s as funny on TV as in his in print? Anyway, dude blew it big time in his incomprehensible stance on the lack of Blacks and Latinos in the 2008 Home Run Derby.

Poor Karl Ravech. He actually was forced to dignify the garbage by explaining the simple fact that certain minority players were extended the opportunity, but declined for various reasons. Ravech could’ve easily come off like Black and Latino players didn’t deserve the invite, but masterfully navigated Reilly’s foolishness; even getting a dig in at Reilly’s ego towards the end of the video.

Kiwanis meeting? A train ride from Yankee Stadium?

Is he, and ESPN for that matter, for real?