Dear ESPN

So several of you know that I am a “hard to upset” type of girl and I really let most things in my life roll off my back but I was really upset about ESPN’s coverage of the dog fighting “scandal” going on and I decided to write an email to some folks as ESPN. I also have decided to post it here because that is how upset I was about the whole situation. Now you ask have they contacted me back? HA! Did I ever think they would? No. . I do know better sometimes.

May 29th, 2007

Dear ESPN,


I am writing to express my feelings of the news coverage on the pit bull fighting that you felt so necessary to cover on one of your programs last night. I was sitting at one of my favorite dinner spots enjoying conversation to look up to see the horrid playing video loop of the fighting pit bulls. As an active member animal rights groups as well as a pit bull owner, animal lover and decent human it was extremely heartrending to have those images flash across the screen. I understand that pit bull fighting is still an event that takes place in the shadows of America and although many places have done all they can to rid the states of this type of animal murder it still occurs to this day. My question is did ESPN really feel so strongly to force these images into the homes of America that they had to air this revolting video over and over again? I completely agree that whom ever was responsible should be tried and punished for this crime but was it appropriate for ESPN to air the footage?

I hope that you receive many more emails, letters and calls to the same effect as mine and I truly hope that some where on your staff you have people that questioned the airing of this broadcast. The airing of that video was completely uncalled for and as the anger, resentment and complete distain for your program caused me to lower my eyes and walk quickly to the restaurant manager and inform him of what was being shown in his establishment. As I walked to the manager I noticed the questioning faces of the children that were also watching the images flash across the screen. Do you really think that parents of America wanted to have to explain to their children why these two dogs were destroying each other over dinner? The manager was also extremely upset about the video and quickly changed the channels of his televisions and apologized to me.

I understand that ESPN covers stories of athletes as they should, but did the video really need to be played to the extent that it was? Could you have not waited until the hours where children may not be present with their parents in front of televisions? I know and understand that there are many choices on cable to watch and that if I was offended I should have changed the channel and had I been in my own home I would have done so with out missing a breath. But my point is that ESPN is commonly broadcast in many sports bars, restaurants and common venues. Did you consider any of this prior to airing this program? There are probably a million other ways that you could have shown or implied the severity of this event with out forcing the public to have to endure even a second of that video.

The showing of this video was completely unnecessary. I personally feel that ESPN was out of line and mitigating showing this would almost be as justified as slaughter houses getting web cams so that they can show the households of America how their meat is processed from an animal to a cut of meat. Hopefully most Americans know of the horrors of Pit Bull fighting, cock fighting, animal slaughters, murders, and other such heart wrenching events but knowing about them and coming to face with them in their homes, places of business and favorite venues is completely superfluous.

I truly hope that in the future decisions to air such offensive materials are more thought through.


Thank you for your time,