Blogging, the NCAA, and the Media
Posted by stevedittmore on June 20, 2007
Ok, I did not write about this for a week, but I feel the need to now.
By now, we all know that The (Louisville) Courier-Journal staff writer Brian Bennett was ejected from the press box during the NCAA baseball Super Regionals between Louisville and Oklahoma State. Much has been written that is entertaining and enlightening on this topic (see: Deadspin.com, Poynter Institute, On Sports for a few).
Last summer, I authored an op-ed SportsBusiness Journal championing the cause for bloggers to be credentialed as media, with certain qualifications. My theory is people who blog are core consumers of an organization’s product. They are highly identified and loyal customers. Why not integrate them if possible? I was asked by SBJ to write a similar column in response to the NCAA issue. It is scheduled to run June 25 (although I lawyered up on this one and co-wrote it with a sport admin professor who is also a lawyer so I would not screw up the legal issues involved).
Anyway, Chris Ballard of SI.com has stole my thunder. He wrote the same basic points in his column this week. Ballard wrote a lengthy feature on sports blogs in the March 27, 2006 issue of SI.
This story will continue to unfold. I will weigh in later this week with my thoughts on the New York Islanders “Blog Box“. But for now, consider what Deadspin.com wrote: the NCAA’s decision “denies coverage of a signature event to a fan base that might want to read it.”
