25 Weekly Discussion Prep Sheet #5

BMST 4404 WEEKLY READING/PODCAST/VIDEO DISCUSSION PREP SHEET Winter 2025 Date: January 14th, 2024 PART I KEY POINTS: (Each student chooses what they consider the three main points/observations arising from the readings) 1. ESPN worked with PBS’s Frontline for over a year to find the connection between football and brain injuries which is a serious topic that truly impacts the health and safety of many of the players. But then suddenly, ESPN dropped out, saying it was because of "trademark issues.” Many people believed that the real reason was pressure from the NFL, which was one of ESPN’s biggest business partners. ESPN pays the NFL $1.9 billion every year for the rights to air Monday Night Football, making their partnership very important. This makes me think if ESPN even prioritized protecting its financial interests overexposing the truth. If a major sports media network like ESPN avoids difficult stories, it might show that money and partnerships are more important than the players safety and even reporting honestly and ethically. 2. T NFL made a very controversial choice by putting Dr. Elliot Pellman who is a rheumatologist not a brain expert, in charge of managing concussions. This makes people wonder if the league even truly cares about player safety or if it’s just trying to downplay the issue. Thousands of retired players are suing the NFL for not protecting them from serious brain injuries, so a lot is at stake. The league’s decisions could end up damaging the trust of the players, fans, and also the public. If the NFL is seen as being more focused on protecting its own image and profits rather than focusing on the players who make the game possible in the first place, it could seriously harm its reputation in the long run. 3. Investigative reporting in sports is hard to come by and also rare because its expensive, takes a lot of time and doesn’t always make money. Even though ESPN has the resources and ability to do more deeper stories, their decision to back out of the Frontline project just goes to show how business relationships like their partnership with the NFL can get in the way of covering serious and tough topics. When big media companies avoid these kinds of stories, important issues like player safety can often be ignored and overlooked. PART II Each student will complete the second half of their sheet with the following: DISCUSSION QUESTIONS: provide two questions related to the reading/media for the group to stimulate discussion. 1. Do you think ESPN should have stood by the "Frontline" investigation, even if it meant risking their partnership with the NFL? 2. What kind of message is the NFL sending to players and fans when they are making questionable decisions about player safety and how can sports media companies, like ESPN, balance telling the truth with protecting their business relationships?