Last night I revealed that Mel Kiper, Jr. was unintentionally outed by his colleagues at ESPN after Joe Schad’s Outside the Lines hit piece on 7 on 7 summer football ensnared Kiper’s active involvement in the practice.
(New entry posted today on Kiper 7 on 7 official Facebook page)
Following Schad’s ‘gotcha’ report last Sunday, ESPN noted on-air and on ESPN.com: “ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. has had involvement with a national 7-on-7 tournament, but he is no longer involved.”
But six days after Kiper’s employer claimed on-air and online that he had disassociated himself with a 7 on 7 football enterprise bearing his name and active participation - if we are to believe a new message on the official Facebook page for the “Mel Kiper, Jr. 7on7u National Championship Series” - that apparently is untrue.
As I noted last night, Kiper has not removed himself from the website promoting, as ESPN called it, his “involvement with a national 7-on-7 tournament.” And this morning, the official Facebook page for Kiper’s 7 on 7-based venture stated in an entry posted at 5am PT (6/3/2011): “Mel is very involved.”
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9:58 am on June 3rd, 2011
Does this go against ESPN’s own embargo on endorsements?
11:00 am on June 3rd, 2011
Jesus, please take this monkey down, then take down McShay and his transparent OCD superiority complex.
I want to see the word ‘hubris’ as many times as possible–great word.
12:08 pm on June 3rd, 2011
Who cares? Invent controversy much?
12:22 pm on June 3rd, 2011
What difference does this make? What’s wrong with 7 on 7 camps and leagues. And why wouldn’t Mel Kiper be involved? Basketball, baseball, soccer and girls softball have played travel ball for years! Why doesn’t the NCAA investigate that? These travel squads are crawling with recruiters, coaches and various hangers-on trying to get kids noticed and recruited. Finally young football players have something to do in the off-season. Something that might increase their exposure.
Mel Kiper should be involved. What’s the difference between Mel Kiper and Tom Lemmings? Or Biggens? Or Barton Camps? Or Scout or Rivals? Or Under Armor for that matter? They all provide recruitng services, evaluations or information, or services to recruits. Kiper is primarily an evaluator of collegiate football players. But why should anyone care?
12:44 pm on June 3rd, 2011
exactly how is kiper supposed to maintain his unbiased opinion of players? oh nevermind, we all know he gets money to plug players- how silly of me.