<http://schema.org/articleBody>
"&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Maura Mandt has been associated with the &lt;em&gt;The&lt;/em&gt; &lt;em&gt;ESPYs&lt;/em&gt; nearly as long as the show itself. She started with the program as a production assistant in 1996\u2014Year 4 of the annual sports accolades show\u2014and is now the program\u2019s co-executive producer. While Mandt is not a full- time employee of ESPN, her production company, MaggieVision Productions, has produced the show since 2006. When decisions are made about &lt;em&gt;The ESPYs&lt;/em&gt;, including the special awards handed out during the presentation, Mandt is the person at the center of those decisions.\r\n\r\n&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;For those who haven\u2019t watched &lt;em&gt;The ESPYs&lt;/em&gt; over the years, the program combines athletic achievement, self-congratulations for ESPN, star-bleeping, and of notable importance, the presentation of three awards (Arthur Ashe Courage Award, the Pat Tillman Award For Service and the Jimmy V Perseverance Award) that traditionally produce the night\u2019s best moments. On Wednesday night at 8 p.m. on ABC, as many people reading this already know, Caitlyn Jenner will be presented with the Arthur Ashe Courage Award during the ceremony at the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles. (Prior to the show, ESPN will air a special &lt;em&gt;SportsCenter&lt;/em&gt; at 6 p.m. and a red carpet preshow at 7 p.m.)\r\n\r\n&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;The selection of Jenner for the award, and the unknown about the Ashe selection process, has not surprisingly set off debates throughout social media and opinion pages, a barrage of positive and negative press for ESPN, the latter reaching its apex when NBC Sports commentator Bob Costas told &lt;em&gt;The Dan Patrick Show&lt;/em&gt; last month that&amp;nbsp; \u201Cit strikes me that awarding the Arthur Ashe &amp;nbsp;to Caitlyn Jenner is just a crass exploitation play, a tabloid play. In the broad world of sports\u2014and this is not anything against Caitlyn Jenner\u2014I am pretty sure they could have found someone who was much closer to actively [being] involved in sports who would have been deserving of what that award represents.\u201D\r\n\r\n&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;It should be noted Costas wished Jenner \u201Call the happiness and peace of mind in the world\u201D but reiterated the selection was a \u201Cplay to pump up audience, the way lots of things are on television.\u201D\r\n\r\n&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;This column first requested Mandt and Connor Schell, a senior vice president at ESPN and the show\u2019s co-executive producer, five weeks ago to talk about the process of the Ashe selection. ESPN PR said then both executives wanted the selection to speak for itself. Last week they agreed to talk about the process for the first time via phone. On a conference call with them was an ESPN PR representative and Ken Sunshine, a well-known celebrity public relations specialist who is a friend of Mandt\u2019s. Both PR people listened in; they were not active during the interview. One bit of context: Mandt and Schell have always answered questions for this column before and with what I viewed as honesty.\r\n\r\n&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;On the subject of why Jenner was selected for the Ashe Award, Mandt said, \u201CI think Caitlyn\u2019s decision to publicly come out as a transgender woman and live as Caitlyn Jenner displayed enormous courage and self-acceptance. Bruce Jenner could have easily gone off into the sunset as this American hero and never have dealt with this publicly. Doing so took enormous courage. He was one of the greatest athletes of our time. That is what the Arthur Ashe Courage Award is about, somebody from the athletic community who has done something that transcends sport. One of the biggest platforms the Arthur Ashe Foundation has is educational, and I think in this choice we have the opportunity to educate people about this issue and hopefully change and possibly save some lives.&amp;nbsp; I think that is why it was the right choice.\u201D\r\n\r\n&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;MORE:&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;strong&gt;Caitlyn Jenner to receive Arthur Ashe Courage Award&lt;/strong&gt;\r\n\r\n&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Mandt said the process of Jenner being selected was the same as it had been in previous years. She and Schell said there are no finalists or runner-ups for Ashe Award. The final decision on the award was made shortly after Mandt met Jenner, which she said did not happen until early May. Mandt said that the process for vetting the Ashe winner includes meeting with the potential recipient and those close to him or her, as well as consulting with people within the community of the winner, and people from the Ashe Foundation.\r\n\r\n&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;\u201CThere are no finalists or people that vote on it. That has never been the case.\u201D Mandt said. \u201CThat was something that was completely not true, which I know was out in the media.\u201D\r\n\r\n&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Mandt said usually around December or January of each year, she and her staff start narrowing the stories that have stood above the rest for &lt;em&gt;The ESPYs'&lt;/em&gt; special awards. She said there are usually a handful of subjects that dictate further exploration at that stage. \u201CAs it goes for the Ashe or Tillman or Jimmy V awards, anyone can submit ideas within and outside the company,\u201D Mandt said. \u201CWe get a lot of suggestions and a lot of stories and there are so many stories of courage and inspiration.\u201D\r\n\r\n&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Mandt said that while Jenner was kept around as a possible candidate if there was some sort of announcement, the research continued on other stories last winter. She said that the ESPY staff found about Jenner\u2019s decision when everyone else did \u2013 the Diane Sawyer interview in April. Mandt said that\u2019s when additional vetting started for a potential award to Jenner.\r\n\r\n&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;\u201CMy company is small and everyone in it has worked on this show for years,\u201D Mandt said. &amp;nbsp;\u201CWhile it is not their decision, their input and opinions are all valuable. It was important to me that we all felt as strongly about this selection as we have in past, and my group was unanimous. But this decision to present this as our choice to ESPN was mine.\u201D\r\n\r\n&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;The key ESPN figures in the process are Schell, ESPN president John Skipper and Marie Donoghue, the ESPN executive vice president, global strategy and original content and the lead executive for Grantland and FiveThirtyEight.com. Skipper, as ESPN\u2019s top exec, ultimately has to sign off on all.\r\n\r\n&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;\r\n\r\n&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;\u201CIt\u2019s something that we take very seriously and put a lot of thought into,\u201D Schell said.\r\n\r\n&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Asked specifically if there were other candidates meriting serious consideration for the Ashe Award prior to Jenner\u2019s announcement, Mandt said, \u201CI think that once Caitlin\u2019s decision became public it really was something very unique,\u201D she said. \u201CI don\u2019t think it is fair to mention [other names] names.\u201D\r\n\r\n&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Added Schell: \u201CIt is fair to say that at all times there are many, many worthy candidates for this award. I don\u2019t think there were a specific number we were considering at any moment.\u201D\r\n\r\n&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Asked directly, as suggested by Costas, if the show being on ABC for the first time played a role in choosing someone as high-profile Jenner for the Ashe honor,&amp;nbsp;Mandt and Schell said \u201Czero.\u201D Mandt said the decision to move the show to ABC was a separate conversation that was in motion prior to any decision about the Ashe winner. Mandt repeatedly denied that the selection was some sort of publicity stunt for the show.\r\n\r\n&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;\u201CI have spent 20 years working on this show and I take it very seriously,\u201D Mandt said. \u201CIt is very rare you get to tell a story that hopefully affects people and moves people and has meaning and makes a difference. At the same time if it attracts people from seeing it? We are not going to run away from that. Every person who has a cause needs a platform.\u201D\r\n\r\n&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Mandt said that ESPN expected criticism and backlash with the selection, though she was surprised by how aggressive the online vitriol was her way. But the criticism that personally affected her most, she said, was from Costas, someone she has long admired.\r\n\r\n&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;\u201CI have watched Bob Costas my whole life, have great respect for Bob Costas,\u201D Mandt said. \u201CHe has brought to us as fans and viewers some of the most memorable moments. He is a gifted broadcaster and writer, and perhaps of all of the things that have been said negatively, that disappointed me so greatly. Not because of his opinion. This whole story is all about that we get to choose who we are, what we say. That was what Arthur Ashe was about. So for Bob Costas who is greatly respected to make that statement with authority about this being a crass publicity play, people take that with authority, and that is dangerous.\r\n\r\n&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;\u201CThis is a subject matter where there are kids in the middle of the country killing themselves [over gender identity questions] and the whole courage of Caitlyn coming out is we all know now someone who is transgender. I would have expected Bob to not go to that place.. That interview (Costas) to me came off as exploitation because it got repeated and it got headlines. The [Jenner] piece is going to speak for itself. We are not going to change people who are set in their ways but I fear that Bob saying that may have taken some of those people who would have been a little bit open to the story and pushed them in a direction that it didn\u2019t need to be pushed. I have great respect for him but it was disappointing.\u201D\r\n\r\n&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Last year\u2019s &lt;em&gt;ESPY Awards&lt;/em&gt; drew 2.2 million on ESPN and this year\u2019s show will top that given the move to ABC. After speaking with the executives last week, I believe Mandt and Schell selected Jenner on what they believe are her journey\u2019s merits. Personally, I think Jenner made a brave decision and the publicity of &lt;em&gt;The ESPYs&lt;/em&gt; honor will help trans kids who will watch the feature on her. Hers is an important American story. But I also think there\u2019s no doubt that even subconsciously, the ESPY producers knew that having Caitlyn Jenner\u2019s story on the show would draw significant attention as for &lt;em&gt;The ESPYs&lt;/em&gt; ABC debut. There\u2019s also the synergy of ABC having done the interview with Jenner last April.\r\n\r\n&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;The ESPYs&lt;/em&gt; was designed many years ago by ESPN execs as a way to pucker up to athletes, Hollywood (e.g. a $25,000 gift bag for presenters and nominees), and, most of all, to market ESPN. It\u2019s a bloated enterprise, a show John Koblin (now of &lt;em&gt;The&lt;/em&gt; &lt;em&gt;New York Times&lt;/em&gt;) once noted highlights \u201CESPN's ability to celebrate celebrities.\u201D My favorite moment came in 2011 when Colin Cowherd sized up Justin Bieber as \"centered\" and \"so real\" after a five-minute red carpet interview. The show\u2019s saving grace is that every year it produces some beautiful television with the Jimmy V, Pat Tillman and Ashe awards and it raises money for the V Foundation. Jenner being on stage Wednesday night will start some important conversations, and that\u2019s ultimately a good thing.&amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp;\r\n\r\n&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;[pagebreak]\r\n\r\n&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;\r\n\r\n&lt;h3&gt;THE NOISE REPORT&lt;/h3&gt;\r\n\r\n&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;SI.com examines some of the week's top media stories.&lt;/em&gt;\r\n\r\n&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;1.&lt;/strong&gt; ESPN NFL reporter Adam Schefter found himself in an unlikely position last week: the subject of controversy.\r\n\r\n&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Last Wednesday Schefter tweeted out medical charts (he said they were obtained by ESPN) that showed Giants defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul having his right index finger amputated. The medical records detailed the exact time of the procedure, the result of a fireworks incident on July 4 in Miami. Did ESPN and Schefter, in revealing medical records, violate the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), a 1996 law that protects medical records? No. As &lt;em&gt;SI&lt;/em&gt;\u2019s Michael McCann explains here, HIPAA doesn't apply to media who obtain medical records of others. Invasion of privacy does, but 1st Amendment offers a good legal defense.\r\n\r\n&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;CNN and the &lt;em&gt;Washington Post&lt;/em&gt; offered solid primers on the topic, and while I saw a torrent of criticism for Schefter from plenty of corners, I hadn\u2019t seen anyone ask the reporter for an accounting of why he did what he did. So over the weekend I emailed him a series of questions. Below, is our Q&amp;A verbatim.\r\n\r\n&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;SI.com:&lt;/strong&gt; Why did you decide to post images of what you reported were Jason Pierre-Paul's medical charts?\r\n\r\n&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Schefter:&lt;/strong&gt; This was a public figure and franchise player involved in a widely speculated accident with potential criminal behavior in which there was a cone of secrecy that surrounded him for five days that not even his own team could crack. This wasn\u2019t as if some player were admitted to the hospital with a secret illness or disease\u2014we\u2019ve seen those cases over the years, as recently as this past year even. This one was different and unique for a variety of reasons. The extent of his injuries were going to come to light, maybe that day or later that week, but soon. They\u2019re horrific injuries, incredibly unfortunate for the player. But in a day and age in which pictures and videos tell stories and confirm facts, in which sources and their motives are routinely questioned, and in which reporters strive to be as accurate as possible, this was the ultimate supporting proof.\r\n\r\n&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Do you wish to make public how you obtained those images?&lt;/strong&gt;\r\n\r\n&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;All I will say is I never once requested a single image from anyone at any time; the images came to me.\r\n\r\n&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Prior to tweeting, how much contact did you have with ESPN editors and lawyers about whether the tweet was a HIPAA violation?&lt;/strong&gt;\r\n\r\n&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;I know news organizations are not governed by HIPAA laws, but in hindsight I could and should have done even more here due to the sensitivity of the situation. We\u2019ve got a great group of editors and production staff, and I could have leaned on them even more. ESPN has trusted me on any number of stories over the years, and granted me great latitude, fortunately. Sometimes in the fast-paced news world we live in, it\u2019s easy to forget you should lean on the knowledge and experience of the people surrounding you. They\u2019re always there for everything, but especially stories like this. On this one, there should have been even more discussion than there was due to the sensitivity of the story; that\u2019s on me.\r\n\r\n&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Kelly McBride of the Poynter Institute and a former ESPN ombudsman, told CNN.com it wasn\u2019t a problem that ESPN reported on Pierre-Paul\u2019s amputation, which was newsworthy. She said issue was that ESPN published the photo of his medical record. \u201CThe harm of transmitting or broadcasting someone\u2019s medical documents is you really don\u2019t know what medical information is in there that\u2019s coded in some way,\u201D McBride said. What is your response to this?&lt;/strong&gt;\r\n\r\n&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;All I saw in that record was the name, the age, the gender, and the patient\u2019s finger amputated. It didn\u2019t look to me as if there was anything else in there that could be considered sensitive. NFL reporters report on all kinds of medical information on a daily basis. That\u2019s part of the job. The only difference here was that there was a photo. It came to me unexpectedly, and it was used as part of the reporting, same as &lt;em&gt;OTL&lt;/em&gt;, &lt;em&gt;20/20, Dateline NBC&lt;/em&gt; or &lt;em&gt;48 Hours&lt;/em&gt; would do.\r\n\r\n&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;MORE: Report: Giants withdraw long-term offer to Pierre-Paul&lt;/strong&gt;\r\n\r\n&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;There were many people on social media who even if they understood this was not a HIPAA violation, they were upset with what they consider a breach of ethics by publishing the medical chart. Why was it not a breach of journalism ethics for you?&lt;/strong&gt;\r\n\r\n&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;This is the part that I\u2019ve struggled with because I\u2019ve heard that questions raised and I\u2019ve heard the criticisms. There\u2019s no way not to consider the other point of view. But what I will say is this: My ethics, integrity and reputation are something I\u2019ve worked as hard as possible to build and guard. In my 25-plus years of covering the league, I\u2019ve consistently tried to act as responsibly and carefully as I can, and to not have anyone question my ethics. My job is to be as thorough and accurate as possible. In this case, as tough as the injury is for the player, I didn\u2019t believe conveying the information about the unfortunate injury in words or a report caused additional harm. The information was going to come out soon. This was a very unique case, unlike many others. In trying to be thorough and accurate, we delivered that news as soon as possible with the supporting proof if it happened. To me, that\u2019s just doing my job. But I am aware of the thoughtful discussion it generated. You think about it, you learn from it, and it becomes a part of your experience and thought process for if and when a similar difficult situation and decision should happen to arise again.\r\n\r\n&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;1a.&lt;/strong&gt; To me, these were well-thought and expansive answers from a reporter who I believe cares about journalism ethics. Like Schefter, I would have encouraged &lt;em&gt;SI&lt;/em&gt; to run the information if we procured it. One after-the-fact thought is ESPN would have been aided by an editor\u2019s note on the ESPN.com piece on Pierre-Paul to explain its thought process in running the piece and the image of the records. There\u2019s also a fair argument to make that had Schefter kicked around the implications of tweeting out the medical report with more ESPN editors, they might have made a consensus decision to merely run the information without the image. But this is all Monday morning quarterbacking. Reporters report, and that\u2019s what Schefter did.\r\n\r\n&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;2.&lt;/strong&gt; The marriage of ESPN and Keith Olbermann\u2014the couple\u2019s second\u2014has once again ended in divorce. My SI.com piece on what went wrong.\r\n\r\n&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;2a.&lt;/strong&gt; Chris Broussard vs. Mark Cuban.\r\n\r\n&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;2b&lt;/strong&gt;. Cuban, to the Dallas-based &lt;em&gt;The Ben and Skin Show&lt;/em&gt; on 105.3 The Fan [KRLD-FM] on Broussard\u2019s apology of sorts: \u201CI\u2019m talking with Chris directly and I\u2019ll deal with him directly. I Cyber Dust blasted out exactly what happened. I gave everybody the facts so anybody who wanted them that was interested, I told the story. When the time is right I\u2019ll continue on, chronologically past where I left things off. I was in a hotel right by his house all day long. I\u2019m not stupid. I\u2019m not going to drive around all day and etcetera, etcetera, etcetera. Obviously he was wrong, obviously we\u2019re talking about it and we\u2019ll go from there. I\u2019ll give him the benefit of the doubt and figure it out from there.\u201D\r\n\r\n&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;2c. &lt;/strong&gt;Fox Sports has suspended &lt;em&gt;Fox Sports Live&lt;/em&gt; and NFL analyst Donovan McNabb following his arrest for DUI in Gilbert, Ariz., on June 28. \u201CDonovan McNabb has been suspended indefinitely,\" a Fox Sports spokesperson told SI.com. \"It is important that Donovan use this time as best he can to resolve his personal situation.\u201D\r\n\r\n&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;3.&lt;/strong&gt; The 10th episode of the SI Media Podcast features Fox Sports host and reporter Charissa Thompson (Thompson is also a co-host for the syndicated entertainment news show &lt;em&gt;Extra&lt;/em&gt;.) In the podcast, Thompson discusses the cultural differences between working for ESPN and Fox Sports, how she prepares for her jobs, the social media vitriol she experienced while she was dating ESPN\u2019s Jay Williams, the success of Katie Nolan, why she felt compelled to find d\u00E9tente with ESPN\u2019s Michelle Beadle, and her decision to be open with her Instagram account. You can subscribe or listen to the podcast on iTunes here.\r\n\r\n&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;\r\n\r\n&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;[pagebreak]\r\n\r\n&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;4.&lt;em&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;Non-sports pieces of note:&lt;/em&gt;\r\n\r\n&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;\u2022 After a hospital error, two pairs of Colombian identical twins were raised as two pairs of fraternal twins. This Susan Dominus piece explains how they found one another \u2014 and of what happened next.\r\n\r\n&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;\u2022 Race and the death penalty in a Louisiana parish. I urge you to read this &lt;em&gt;New Yorker&lt;/em&gt; piece, which is about an absolute miscarriage of justice.\r\n\r\n&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;\u2022 &lt;em&gt;The New Yorker&lt;/em&gt;\u2019s David Remnick on the unapologetic vulgarity of Donald Trump.\r\n\r\n&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;\u2022 Remarkable story on the 1970 band \u201CThe Runaways\u201D by Jason Cherkis.\r\n\r\n&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;\u2022 Via &lt;em&gt;The Guardian&lt;/em&gt; and for photo lovers everywhere: New York City from the air.\r\n\r\n&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;\u2022 Sam Dean on why the internal web metrics for fivethirtyeight.com and other sites do not match the external numbers.\r\n\r\n&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;\u2022 Via Inc.\u2019s Jeff Bercovici: Trying to find the lesson in an entrepreneur's suicide.\r\n\r\n&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;\u2022 Life in Cuba today, as told through Michael Hennniger images and Brady McCollugh\u2019s words.\r\n\r\n&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Sports pieces of note:&lt;/em&gt;\r\n\r\n&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;\u2022 Via The Huffington Post\u2019s Duncan Murrell: Amaris Tyynismaa is a 14-year-old runner with Tourette Syndrome a potential Olympian whose brain is at war with her body.\r\n\r\n&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;\u2022 From Flinder Boyd: The chaotic life of Lennox Lewis' former manager who returned to boxing as a transgender woman in May.\r\n\r\n&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;\u2022 What It\u2019s Like to Face a 150 MPH Tennis Serve\r\n\r\n&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;\u2022This is great work by SI\u2019s Mark Beech: Catching up with the stray dogs of the Sochi Olympics.\r\n\r\n&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;\u2022 Yahoo\u2019s Eoin O'Callaghan on whether women's domestic soccer leagues will get a WWC bump.\r\n\r\n&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;\u2022 Via Fusion: A gallery of girls losing their minds at the Women\u2019s World Cup ticker tape parade.\r\n\r\n&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;\u2022 A crazy story from Bob Padecky involving the late Ken Stabler.\r\n\r\n&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;5.&lt;/strong&gt; On the latest episode of the \u201CIt's Sports Stupid\u201D podcast with Maggie Gray and me, we talk all things Women's World Cup, including Carli Lloyd's historic performance and England\u2019s Laura Bassett\u2019s own goal against Japan. Maggie talks to former WWE star Chris Jericho, who is the host of the new TV show 'Tough Enough.' We (including producer Bette Marston) share our experiences at summer camp.\r\n\r\n&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;5a&lt;/strong&gt;. ESPN NFL analyst Tom Jackson will be honored by the Pro Football Hall of Fame with the Pete Rozelle Radio-Television Award. Established in 1989, the award recognizes \u201Clongtime exceptional contributions to radio and television in professional football.\u201D\r\n\r\n&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;5b.&lt;/strong&gt; A telling tweet from the &lt;em&gt;Associated Press\u2019s&lt;/em&gt; Tim Reynolds: \u201CTwo perspectives, one network, 11 seconds apart.\u201D\r\n\r\n&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;5c.&lt;/strong&gt; In an article focusing on the challenging climate for ESPN due to rising costs in programming, &lt;em&gt;The Wall Street Journal&lt;/em&gt;\u2019s Shalini Ramachandran and Joe Flint reported that ESPN had suffered declines in subscribers, with cord-cutting significantly impacting the network. &lt;em&gt;The WSJ&lt;/em&gt; reported since July '11, ESPN\u2019s reach into American homes \"has dropped 7.2%, from more than 100 million households\u2014roughly the size of the total U.S. pay-TV market\u2014to 92.9 million households.\" Said ESPN Executive Vice President of Administration Ed Durso to &lt;em&gt;The WSJ&lt;/em&gt;: \u201CWe are constantly looking at the cost side of our business and calibrating that against our expectations for the future. Regardless of what the future holds, we\u2019re incredibly well-positioned to adapt.\u201D\r\n\r\n&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;5d.&lt;/strong&gt; Longtime national host Tony Bruno \u200Fon his decision to leave WIP and radio.\r\n\r\n&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;5e. &lt;/strong&gt;Though ESPN\u2019s Outside the Lines will move from ESPN to ESPN2 starting July 13 (airing at 5:30 p.m.), the show did receive some long-deserved and very good news. The network\u2019s programming department has decided to keep the show on ESPN for much of the fall. Starting Oct.6, OTL will air daily on ESPN at 1:30 p.m. Here\u2019s hoping this finally ends the ESPN-to-ESPN2-to-ESPN merry-go-around for a brand that represents the best of ESPN.\r\n&lt;/p&gt;"^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.si.com/more-sports/2015/07/12/caitlin-jenner-espnys-espn-adam-schefter-jason-pierre-paul?page=2&devicetype=default>