Why did ESPN2 preempt Australian Open coverage with info on coach Palermo's death instead of football show?

Question

If we were football fans we'd be very interested! But we are TENNIS fans and I feel Palermo's passing is very sad and certainly newsworthy but the Australian Open should not have been preempted. They should have preempted football talk show instead.

Answer 1

Agreed. In the USA, American football is a major sport, and tennis is a minor sport. I don't like it, but that's the way it is, as Howard Cosell used to say. How much time was diverted away from the AO? I didn't see it, obviously.



Tennis frequently gets shafted in American media. At least we have Tennis Channel, and web pages dedicated to tennis with ESPN, SI, etc. Thank heavens for small blessings :-)



Wait until spring & summer, and the men's semi's of Rolland Garros and Wimbledon are either shown or NOT shown on live TV, and you'll see what I'm talking about. I'm hoping things will be different this year.

Answer 2

When did this happen? As much Respect as I have for Paterno and how much I love football, there was no reason why they should have cut off the tourney. Anyone with ESPN2 also has ESPN. That breaking news story was most likely on ESPN News AND ESPN U (college).

They could've just scrolled the breaking news across the bottom of the screen on ESPN2. I am glad I was not watching.

I am already pissed how they have been cutting off the closing credit EVERY morning to quickly get to Mike and Mike in the morning.However, there was a college basketball (I love BB too) that went into OT yesterday on ESPN2 past 9pm but they didn't cut off the closing credits.

It's straight BS here in America

Answer 3

A lot of tennis fans are also football fans. Like me, for example.

Answer 4

You could argue that these matches that would have been on were not important b/c they were already over. I know it sucks for people in the U.S. b/c the live matches are so late, but at least it's only one slam that the time's kinda suck.