The Blue Board

this is from a FSU Scout post

post by uptownjazznole - http://mbd.scout.com/mb.aspx?s=16&f=2947&t=9017724

Why Swofford sold [ACC] out. ESPN-Raycom story explained
We've nibbled around the edges about this, a couple blogs and broken links have been posted. But I thought a thread to discuss this story on it's own merits was called for. Links at end of post seem to tell the story. I think this gets to the essence of the betrayal of the ACC schools by their commissioner, but others may disagree.

In 2010 as I recall the ACC contract was first negotiated in more or less it's current form, Swofford insisted that ESPN partner with Raycom. While other conferences put the Tier 2 rights up for bids the ACC bundled and gave away the store. Without this no bid award, Raycom goes under. Shortly thereafter Swofford's son gets promoted to Marketing Director at Raycom. Nothing technically illegal seems to have happened here but certainly there is a stench of corruption about all this.

So where does Chad Swofford work?

http://www.linkedin.com/pub/ch...fford/a/578/8b4

ESPN executive in link below explains how they got the ACC deal: by appeasing Swofford and bringing in Tier three broadcaster Raycom, a company with an outmoded business model and in general a company widely considered to be an inferior quality broadcaster of sports events.......that was on-the-brink-of-financial-extinction!

Here's one insider interview of how this happened. In his own words ESPN's negotiator John Skipper asks Swofford what it will take for ESPN to get the deal. Swofford says unequivocally "bring in Raycom". So ESPN gets a cut rate deal and the ACC football schools are dealt a killshot. All in order to save Swofford's son's job...? Read...decide...discuss.

http://www.bizjournals.com/washington/stories/2010/10/04/daily3.html?page=all