What is wrong with ESPN??

[sportscurmudgeon]

Let me say something in defense of ESPN here.

They have a story on their hands today that they are not accustomed to covering. Star athletes in the prime of their careers and in the middle of their seasons just don't get killed [maybe murdered with pre-meditation?] very often. In fact, I'm trying to think of a previous case with all of those factors in it. I can't come up with one that has all of the factors. ESPN is "feeling its way" in its coverage here...

There was more "info" to report in the T.O suicide nonsense and the Ben Roethlisberger accident stories because there were more "publicity folks" involved and fewer "police folks". When the police are investigating a homicide - particularly one that has all the earmarks of being a "really high profile case" - they tend to play their cards very close to their vest. So, ESPN - and the rest of the media - cannot come up with new info on any regular basis. And ESPN does have lots of time to fill on the air...

So, what does ESPN have at its disposal to talk about. It can show Sean Taylor playing football at Miami and in Washington. They can show his highlight plays. They can show his teammates/coaches saying what a wonderful person/player he was. [They even have to be careful there lest someone criticize them for "intruding on the grief" suffered by those players/coaches.] Then what? Remember, ESPN has lots of time to fill on the air...

What else is "background info" here? That's the sordid stuff that seems to get folks riled up here. But there isn't all that much more that ESPN has at the moment.

And if they just mentioned his killing and then ignored the story, people here would be angry at ESPN for snubbing Sean Taylor and/or the Redskins and/or ...

No one is really to blame for the coverage of this tragedy so far because there just isn't enough factual info yet to make it into anything meaningful.

And for those of you who are angry at ESPN's coverage, just wait until Nancy Grace and Larry King get on the story.