You will be shocked, shocked to learn that the Big Ten Network has filed a friend-of-the-court brief in the O’Bannon case supporting the NCAA’s assertion that if players are paid, the news is doomed.
Tremble as you read this:
“The right of a television network or newspaper to televise or report on matters of public interest — whether a basketball game, a parade, a natural disaster, a march on Washington, or a government shutdown — are fundamental to the existence of a free press,” the broadcasters wrote. “If Plaintiffs are allowed to proceed with their claims in this case, the news media will be substantially constrained from televising and reporting newsworthy events, and the public will be deprived of vital, necessary, constitutionally-protected news reporting.”
Okay, I might be willing to admit that the Big Ten title game was close to a natural disaster… ah, hell, I can’t even work up the energy to do a proper snark here. The Big Ten Network isn’t the news media; it’s an entertainment arm of a large college conference generating significant amounts of revenue that Jim Delany, its programming director, doesn’t want to share with student-athletes.
The attempt to wrap that with a First Amendment bow is nothing more than him pissing down your leg and telling you it’s raining buckets.
you were right. If we wait, the NCAA will somehow get even more absurd in their defense. Yes yes, if these networks have to pay someone to broadcast games, it’ll be disaster. And those giant piles of cash they currently give schools I guess are just charitable donations.
Do they think that CF fans are stupid? We need to speak out against these greedy bastards!
And yet these people (whoever dictated the brief) are in control of a game we all spend a great deal of time with, and some of us relatively large sums of money…if we laugh at their ineptitude who gets the last laugh?
They do of course. What are we going to do?
Substantially constrained=They have to pay more. Give these lawyers their due; they get paid to make ‘straight face’ arguments. If those are their first line arguments though, it’s long past time to settle.
Opening statements must of been a hoot to listen to though.
Between this and the “Duck Dynasty” brouhaha, it’s been a blockbuster week for not having the first f%$#ing clue what the First Amendment actually says/means.
Wait a minute… Sarah Palin and Ted Cruz don’t know what the 1st Amendment means? Quelle surprise.
The first amendment means nothing in the media. ” When you own the information you can spin it any way you want. ” John Mayer
What does either situation have to do with the first amendment? To clarify, where is a government affecting speech in all this?
Bingo. (Which is Doug’s point.)
There’s another saying Senator…
Totally agree with you Senator. What did Josey have to say after spitting on the guys forehead,and about buring them…”even worms have to eat”. That would be Delaney.
Who is sometimes confused with The Outlaw Jersey Whale
http://tbogg.firedoglake.com/2012/08/28/the-outlaw-jersey-whale/
Fla, you pick the classiest things. ;-)
What can I say? My one friend told me that I’ve been blessed with being all about class
Or as mine tell me: you’ve got a lot of class, but it’s all low.
Will, the line was ‘Buzzards gotta eat, same as worms.’
I bet Jackie Chiles would tell Delany and the B1G 10 Network to be real and spectacular and “stop your bitching and moaning and quit acting like a pussy and get back out there!” by filing a motion to intervene rather than some candy-ass guilty bystander friend-of-the-court brief at trial court level.
Damn… You are good…..