ESPN's Response on Chad Ford Provides Interesting Contrast to ESPN Commentary about Deflated Balls Explanations

In the last week, we’ve seen an iconic sports franchise have to address issues related to inflating and deflating a core product in their business. While deflation did, in fact, occur, there is some dispute as to whether it was intentional and who exactly was involved. Sure, who else but the star benefits – even in imperceptible ways – by looking a little better statistically? Still, the franchise wants you to know that they don’t know what happened, and they are standing by their man.

That didn’t stop those that are the gatekeepers – the media – from challenging statements, facial expressions, and logic.

I’m speaking, of course, about Chad Ford’s draft rankings in past years on ESPN being altered after publication to inflate some players who turned out to be good, and deflate players who did not pan out. ESPN provided this statement:

"After reviewing the post on Reddit today, we have found that changes were made manually to Chad Ford’s NBA Draft prospects rankings. We have not been able to determine who made the changes, or when. We have talked to Chad Ford, who strongly denies any involvement, and based on his past work and professionalism, we believe him. Our review will continue but it is unclear at this time if we will be able to ascertain who was responsible."

Okay, let’s start with this. I know we run a much bigger operation here at The Big Lead, so it’s probably not a fair comparison. But we can tell you who – or at least whose assigned account ID – made an updated edit within any post, both before and after publication. For example, there have been eight saved revisions to this piece at the time I am re-writing this paragraph, most by myself, and Ty Duffy checked it for me and added a saved note at 9:18 a.m. Then, Jason McIntyre jumped in to give it a read and make a tweak or two at 11:21 am. I’m sure, though, ESPN has no way of tracking who posts or edits the things on their website, and most items appear magically without anyone understanding why.

But don’t take my word for it.

One particular website has taken to this controversy with such fervor that they have produced an entire page with 50+ pieces of content about this rankings deflation nonsense.

One prominent draft show explained what is behind all this rankings deflation stuff with ESPN’s draft expert Chad Ford so you, the layman, could understand. For example, most properly prepared and unedited draft rankings are accurate between 12.5 to 13.5% of the time. Did you know that not all websites use the same draft rankings? Yahoo prepares theirs, ESPN prepares theirs, and they are supplied to the consumer right before the draft.

Watch what happens when former draft rankings veteran Shark Grunell, who worked at the Green Bay Press Gazette, Florida Times-Union, Washington Post, Times-Picayune, and Mad Magazine, is asked to touch, squeeze, and feel two different sets of rankings. “Wow!”

Grunell also later said, after hearing of Ford’s denial: “I did not believe what ESPN had to say. Those rankings were changed. Somebody had to do it. And I don’t believe there’s a low-level editor at ESPN that would on his own initiative re-rank a draft without his draft expert’s approval. I just didn’t believe what ESPN had to say.”

Pike Dilbon, prominent sports columnist who also works on NBA draft coverage, said “[i]f you’re a cheater, and you’re a multiple time cheater, I would say to Chad Ford, ‘You know what we’re going to do? If this is found to be true, like today, tomorrow, the next 72 hours, the next 3 days, you know what? You’re forfeiting your spot at the next draft. We’re vacating it. Get out! You’re a cheater, you’re a lying franchise.’”

Another writer went after the ESPN culture hardcore with a piece entitled “Sadly, Cheating is Nothing New,” with the subheading “when successful sportswriting figures break the rules, it leaves us all feeling deflated.”

"This week, according to league sources, some individuals found that 6 of the last 6 draft rankings used by Ford were significantly altered. A move, I suppose, that was meant to give Ford an advantage in a ratings and popularity game that ESPN probably could have won while spotting their competition 100,000 pageviews. Still, if it’s true, this latest accusation of cheating (and make no doubt, that’s exactly what it is) is the epitome of paranoia, insecurity and arrogance — and while the crime seems silly, the punishment should not be. There have been so many bizarre scandals with this franchise, moving forward we should just start referring to them as the ESPN-diots."

Finally, the guys on First Cut, a debate show related to the exciting world of editing and writing, had this to say.

"SKEVIN A SWIFT: If indeed it has happened, I believe it is something that has been going on for a long period of time. I don’t believe it happened for just one draft ranking. If it is one draft ranking I’m absolving Chad Ford from that. You can’t understand that? RIP PAYLESS: Here’s what you can’t understand. The context here is that the Redditors were suspicious of the draft ranking changes made to the 2013 draft initially. SWIFT: I heard that. PAYLESS: That’s where that came from. So obviously, if he would do it for 2013, he might have done it for 2012, then 2011. You would think that he would be a serial re-ranker because if it worked once, why wouldn’t it work again? SWIFT: Then my question to you Rip Payless would be this — how does Chad Ford get absolved? Because if someone else at ESPN did it, who would he be doing it for and how would Chad Ford not know? How would he not know? PAYLESS: He definitely would know. I’ll go this far — if you want to use the word lying, Chad Ford was lying. I used dodging the truth. He was lying yesterday. He was so uncomfortable."

What’s left to say? I couldn’t have said any of that better myself. Good job, talking heads.

[photos of Shark Grunell and Rip Payless by Michael Shamburger]