ESPN to blitz James' first Heat camp

[Ashy Larry]

You knew ESPN (http://content.usatoday.com/topics/topic/Organizations/Companies/Publishers,+Media,+Music/ESPN)'s hour-long LeBron James (http://content.usatoday.com/topics/topic/People/Athletes/NBA/LeBron+James) infomercial in July wasn't the end of its spotlight on the new Floridian.



LUNCHTIME LIVE: Chat with Brent Murburger at 12:30 p.m. ET Wednesday (http://content.usatoday.com/communities/gameon/post/2010/09/lunchtime-live-chat-with-brent-musburger-at-1230-pm-et/1)
ESPN will formally announce Wednesday that it's going to training camp with James' Miami Heat (http://content.usatoday.com/topics/topic/Organizations/Sports+Leagues/NBA/Miami+Heat), with its coverage likely to outdo anything it did on Brett Favre (http://content.usatoday.com/topics/topic/People/Athletes/NFL/Brett+Favre)'s annual summer soul-searching. Starting at the team's media day Monday and continuing when its training camp starts Tuesday at Eglin Air Force Base (http://content.usatoday.com/topics/topic/Eglin+Air+Force+Base) in Fort Walton Beach (http://content.usatoday.com/topics/topic/Fort+Walton+Beach), Fla., ESPN will erect a set and parachute in analysts Jalen Rose (http://content.usatoday.com/topics/topic/Jalen+Rose), Josh Elliott (http://content.usatoday.com/topics/topic/Josh+Elliott) and Jon Barry (http://content.usatoday.com/topics/topic/Jon+Barry) and reporters including Rachel Nichols (http://content.usatoday.com/topics/topic/Rachel+Nichols) for continuous surveillance across ESPN platforms.
While senior coordinating producer Mark Summer isn't sure ESPN will get practice video, the mission is clear with a team he says has unbelievable story lines.



"Obviously, with all the buzz, it's a bigger deal (than) past NBA training camps," he says. "Fans want to hear about the Heat, so we'll want to rampup the coverage." And presumably get air support against any threatening sorties from Cleveland.





http://www.usatoday.com/sports/columnist/hiestand-tv/2010-09-21-espn-james_N.htm


Are they going overboard with this? They being ESPN?

[Red Hawk #21]

:downspin:

[Ashy Larry]

:downspin:

Basically. Glad you guys have to worry about this with the Heat being in the South East Division.

[HarlemHeat37]

I can't wait..

This is going to be historic, TBH..the beginning of the end for the NBA..

[Koolaid_Man]

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/columnist/hiestand-tv/2010-09-21-espn-james_N.htm


Are they going overboard with this? They being ESPN?

This is par for the course for ESPN...the jizz is in their mouth ( from the decision) and they are gargling it as we speak about to swallow...

[Ace]

James' Miami Heat
I knew it was a matter of time before the media's lovefest cause stupid comments like this.

[HarlemHeat37]

I don't think they meant it like that, TBH..

[ducks]

they are going to be the most hatred team of all time
watch
and they are going to be the biggest chokers of all time

[Ace]

they are going to be the most hatred team of all time
watch
and they are going to be the biggest chokers of all time
You should kill yourself immediately for the greater good of mankind. :tu

[sefant77]

they are going to be the most hatred team of all time
watch
and they are going to be the biggest chokers of all time

Nah, 100+ FT will fix any other chocking...

[Koolaid_Man]

I knew it was a matter of time before the media's lovefest cause stupid comments like this.


did u tell your mama that u was skurred that Lebron and Wade would start fighting each other...

it's just a matter of time son...

This should help ease your pain::rollin

SG3mhdKLWfw

[Ace]

did u tell your mama that u was skurred that Lebron and Wade would start fighting each other...

it's just a matter of time son...

This should help ease your pain::rollin

SG3mhdKLWfw
Does anything you post even make sense to you? I think its a lack of reading comprehension or maybe its the lack of the ability to develop a coherent thought. Either way the more you post, the more I begin to question your mental stability.

[SenorSpur]

If I didn't know any better, I would wonder whether Jerry Jones just bought the Miami Heat.

[Koolaid_Man]

Does anything you post even make sense to you? I think its a lack of reading comprehension or maybe its the lack of the ability to develop a coherent thought. Either way the more you post, the more I begin to question your mental stability.

once your world evolves to greater places than your local neighborhood Stop-n-Go or 7-11...until then and only then do i expect you to comprehend my other world knowledge. You haven't evolved and clearly not cultured enough...there's such a thing as reading between the lines...let me give you a basic example of how this works...

Example: When I say that you have scrambled eggs between your ears...you should interpret it how?

Rhetorical Interpretation: I'm dumb as fuck...I'm supposed to have a brain between my ears but since eggs slightly resemble a cooked brain they will have to do.

Feel free to add that to your rolling sig collection as well...:lmao
but before you do ask yourself...what does Rhetorical mean...

[Ace]

I'm dumb as fuck
I can see that :toast

[HarlemHeat37]

if only I was a white girl...

[rickross]

yo when da heat opens tha season me khaled flo rida tpain and da gang will be havin a post game concert.

[Basketballgirl25]

I like the fact it said fans want to hear about the Heat, um totally different, how about lets talk about football

[panic giraffe]

I like the fact it said fans want to hear about the Heat, um totally different, how about lets talk about football

then maybe you belong in a football forum instead of one titled "NBmuthafuckin'A Forum"?

[Basketballgirl25]

then maybe you belong in a football forum instead of one titled "NBmuthafuckin'A Forum"?
I don't mean on here:lol, I mean they should talk more football on ESPN, don't talk about the Heat on ESPN

[Ashy Larry]

I don't mean on here:lol, I mean they should talk more football on ESPN, don't talk about the Heat on ESPN


LeBron's got ESPN by the balls ........ Stuart Scott has places 1-55 when it comes to ball juggling LeBron and ESPN will rake in the dough because of this special.



http://static.foxsports.com/content/fscom/img/2010/07/28/072810-NBA-Strings-Attached-JW-PI_20100728231120_660_320.JPG

[MiamiHeat]

fun times

[Basketballgirl25]

LeBron's got ESPN by the balls ........ Stuart Scott has places 1-55 when it comes to ball juggling LeBron and ESPN will rake in the dough because of this special.



http://static.foxsports.com/content/fscom/img/2010/07/28/072810-NBA-Strings-Attached-JW-PI_20100728231120_660_320.JPG

true that, but it's all annoying hearing about him, maybe they shouldn't talk about him. I mean basketball hasn't started yet. Talk about important stuff or show important stuff like Baseball Games or Football games, not a Heat practice, if in practice Lebron is going to punch a teammate out then go ahead show it, because I think we have all seen at least one practice of some time in our lives:toast

[Years]

So I'm assuming Wade and Lebron would have to be on different teams to even it out right?

[duncan228]

NBA TV to televise Heat exhibiton opener (http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news?slug=ap-nbatv-heatdebut)

NBA TV will televise the Miami Heat’s exhibition opener, when LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh play together for the first time on Oct. 5 against Detroit.

Marv Albert will call the game in Miami along with Kevin McHale and Chris Webber. Albert says although it’s only a preseason game, there is “extraordinary curiosity” to see the superstar trio.

Now in more than 53 million U.S. homes, NBA TV is scheduled to show up to 275 live games this season. It will televise 20 live games during the preseason.

[sefant77]

Would be awesome if the normal nba fan would just ignore the game and not watch it...

[Venti Quattro]

Would be awesome if the normal nba would just ignore the game and not watch it...

Does anyone really give a shit about the preseason except those who are making a last-ditch effort to land an NBA contract?

[sefant77]

omg espn


The Heat are ready to roll, and so are we. Coming in October: The Heat Index, a special section tracking all the team's moves in MIA.

http://twitter.com/NBAonESPN

[Venti Quattro]

south beach network

[Spurminator]

ESPN will show every bit of the restraint they've become known for.

[Ashy Larry]

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b1/bartc34316/hella%20funny/gaygaygay.gif





http://static.foxsports.com/content/fscom/img/2010/07/28/072810-NBA-Strings-Attached-JW-PI_20100728231120_660_320.JPG

[duncan228]

Just the LeBron part, hit the link for the rest of the interview.

Can viewers trust ESPN on LeBron? (http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2010/writers/richard_deitsch/09/24/media.circus/index.html)
Richard Deitsch
MEDIA CIRCUS
SI.com

No subject over the last six months, at least based on my in-box, has produced more foaming-at-the-mouth venom than ESPN's broadcast of The Decision. At the time I called it a "self-aggrandizing, selling-out-our-journalistic-soul, narcissistic shamathon," but I've since calmed down.

Part of the fallout from the ill-conceived show is the belief in some quarters -- and this is not a critic's creation -- that ESPN cannot cover LeBron James objectively.

"The perception is that the network plays favorites, even in its news -- whether it's James, Brett Favre, Ben Roethlisberger or Tiger Woods," wrote ESPN ombudsman Don Ohlmeyer in a July 21 column (http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/columns/story?columnist=ohlmeyer_don&id=5397113). "Try as ESPN might to make decisions based on sound criteria, it will always be open to criticism. That is exacerbated when the network is seen to be in business with someone it's covering."

With the Miami Heat holding its Media Day on Monday and ESPN scheduled to send an armada of staffers to cover all the happenings of Miami Thrice during training camp, I contacted Norby Williamson, ESPN's executive vice president of production, to address some viewers' concerns about James and some other ESPN-related topics that have come up of late. His answers are below:

1. There are some viewers who believe that your network cannot objectively cover LeBron James. Why should they believe ESPN can?

Williamson: I challenge that premise. I think sports fans overall journalistically trust ESPN, so I challenge that premise. I'm sure there are some fans or some media critics that believe that, and without rehashing the reasons behind what we did with The Decision, I think our body of work speaks for itself. Whether it's on LeBron James or NFL concussions or steroids in baseball, I would say I think we have demonstrated our journalistic objectivity and balance throughout the years on topics meatier or more complicated than the color of the uniform that a basketball player is playing on. And I don't see that changing.

2. You have erected a set at the Heat (http://www.usatoday.com/sports/columnist/hiestand-tv/2010-09-21-espn-james_N.htm) training camp and have a number of analysts and other ESPN talent covering the team. There's always a charge with your network -- and sometimes an unfair one given the insatiable demand for news -- that you cover things to excess. Why is covering the Heat and James in this manner not excessive coverage?

Williamson: We do things to serve sports fans. And I know you've heard that before, but it's not a cliché. It's been a great guiding principle for us. When George Steinbrenner died or with Brett Favre, critics will say it's excessive coverage. But for whatever it is worth, people respond and people watch us and people want to know. If we did not feel like we're serving fans' interest, we would not be doing the coverage and taking it to the level that we believe we should take it to.

I'm never going to say we don't make mistakes. We make mistakes all the time and you try to learn from those. But to me it's a faulty premise. Why would we commit resources and coverage and a desk at the Media Day when we are not doing that for another team? Because there seems to be an insatiable interest level in LeBron and the Heat. How are they going to mesh? There is an intrigue about them. Ultimately, we are committing resources, reporting, a desk and a truck because we believe fans want to see the coverage. If fans did not speak back at us, either through e-mail or ratings or how we stay in touch with the people who watch our networks, we would not do it. We're not just there doing it on a whim.

3. Do you anticipate a sit-down with LeBron James in the near future and have you asked for a one-on-one with him?

Williamson: Yes, we anticipate that. I would hope before the start of the regular season.

***

My takeaway: Viewers will quickly learn whether ESPN's talents in South Beach are delivering the goods as far as objective coverage. The first one-on-one with James (we'll presume Jim Gray won't get the call here) will be an important interview for ESPN, and the network should opt for a tough interviewer and someone other than Michael Wilbon, who was certainly miles better than Gray but still tossed mostly softballs during The Decision. I agree with Williamson that viewers demand insatiable coverage of stars and the Heat are a huge story. I don't think you can overcover them and I favor ESPN's flooding the zone here.

[sefant77]

bloody liar burn in hell

[picc84]

we stacked!

[Giuseppe]

ESPN/Media needed this in the worse way. They ain't had a ringer since Kobe got his knob polished in Eagle.

I'd almost feel sorry for 'em if it's an unmitigated disaster.

[Ashy Larry]

The only thing that could make this perfect is if they're eliminated in the first round and one of their basketball dudes come out and say "ESPN really overdid it in the pre-season; rest assured whomever would say that would be fired"

I know Chuck would have no problem saying that shit ......

[picc84]

No.

They must fall to the Lakers in the finals, and all 3 be forced to bow at the altar of Kobe.

[Ace]

No.

They must fall to the Lakers in the finals, and all 3 be forced to bow at the altar of Kobe.

Atleast you have a good imagination.

[picc84]

I don't need an imagination, boy.

http://i593.photobucket.com/albums/tt16/princess_liz_01/Kobe_Bryant_and_Lebron_James_in_-1.jpg

[Ace]

I don't need an imagination, boy.

http://i593.photobucket.com/albums/tt16/princess_liz_01/Kobe_Bryant_and_Lebron_James_in_-1.jpg
If you take the image as bowing, then yes you do have an good imagination.

[Darrin]

I've seen no more coverage on ESPN than they did for the 2007-08 Boston Celtics or the 2000-04 Los Angeles Lakers. The summer of 2004 was all about how Kobe killed the dynasty, raped a woman, and got away with it on both counts. Jerry Buss telling ESPN in an interview that he saw Showtime, and wanted Showtime, when he saw Kobe and he saw methodical, 90s, plotting offense when he saw Shaq. Phil Jackson retiring and saying Kobe is uncoachable in a book. They hadn't played a game in two months, and they were in the news every day. They even dusted off the "Where is Michael Jordan?" stories in a retrospective of five years since he retired from the Bulls and the financial state of the league. Of course, Kobe got his own segment.

This is a potentially-historic collection of talent. These guys are in their prime, not really even in their prime yet, and they are playing together. When two of the best in the league at their position are on the same team, they pull out all the stops.

[Ashy Larry]

If you take the image as blowing, then yes you do have an good imagination.


fixed

[duncan228]

Heat ready for 1st full scrimmage at air base (http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news?slug=ap-heat-timetoplay)
By Tim Reynolds

The Miami Heat are hosting 450 guests from the U.S. Air Force for their first full scrimmage of training camp.

A practice unlike perhaps any other in team history, 225 airmen and others will be brought into the relatively small gym at Hurlburt Field for the first half, then replaced by 225 more onlookers for the second 20-minute period. Many of those who received passes to see LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and the rest of the Heat play were lined up long before the scrimmage began.

The national anthem will even play to begin the event, something that doesn’t happen before just any regular workout.

The Heat have trained at the Air Force installation on Florida’s Panhandle since Tuesday morning. They return to Miami on Sunday.

[Ace]

fixed

If that's the kind of imagination you have, but at that point I would call it a fantasy.

[Venti Quattro]

Saw real training camp with the heat earlier. Their practice was more lively with a scrimmage and stuff. The Lakers' real training camp episode was purely fundamentals and skills training and it did kind of bore me out.

[Basketballgirl25]

all the training camps bore me

[Darrin]

all the training camps bore me

Water to a man in the desert.