A8 | Monday, September 30, 2002 The Bristol Press TTHHEE TTAATTTTOOOO BRISTOL PRESS MAKING A PERMANENT IMPRESSION SINCE 1994 VOLUME 9 No. 4 ESPN’s favorite viewers are teens By T.J. O’CONNOR ESPN The Magazine took Illustrated. dwelling on a game that is Bulgrin cited an ESPN poll cool, slick package,” said Eisen. The Tattoo this into account in terms of Skipper credited the suc- already history. showing that teenagers are the Skipper said the ESPN.com clothing, the style “Kids care biggest sports fans. website is changed constantly, ESPN and teenagers have a of graphics used about that Of those questioned, 46 per- sometimes several times dur- lot in common – fun, technolo- and subject mat- more,” said cent consider themselves ing the course of an important gy, change, and most impor- ter, according to Viewers 12-to-24 years old are the Skipper. “Serious-to-Super Fans,” game. tantly, sports. John Skipper, an First-per- according to Bulgrin, com- While adults might find But as much as teens might executive vice- toughest to attract and “the most son features by pared to 30 percent for the flashing icons and moving mes- think they need ESPN, the president at athletes are general population. sages on their computer screen sports media giant needs them ESPN who is in important and the most valuable” popular with According to the latest annoying, Skipper said, even more. charge of to advertisers, said ESPN teenage read- research conducted by Teenage teenagers find them a cool, “Teens are the biggest fans, ESPN.com and ers, Skipper Research Unlimited, an organi- quick and convenient source of absolutely,” said Artie Bulgrin, the magazine. marketing executive Mark Shapiro. said, because zation that specializes in information. a senior vice-president and rat- In launching younger read- research on teens, more male According to Eisen, teenage ings analyst at ESPN. “We skew ESPN The ers are skepti- ages 12 to 19 ranked ESPN or boys have two passions: girls to a younger audience.” Magazine, the company aimed cess of the popular magazine cal about the press and like to ESPN2 as their favorite than and sports. SportsCenter anchor Rich at younger readers, Skipper to having a younger staff. The see articles entirely in the any other television network. “When I was a teenager, Eisen said ESPN’s style – not said, avoiding the audience magazine takes a look inside words of the subject rather “It’s the fun that we have that’s all I cared about,” Eisen taking sports too seriously and already locked up by Sports the sports, he said, rather than than filtered by a writer. and kids like to have, in one said. using comedy to attract view- ers – appeals to young people. ESPN lures teen viewers with star athletes, the popular, self-promoting “This is SportsCenter” ad campaign, cutting edge technology and even the new, “futuristic” SportsCenter set. A firsthand look inside ESPN Executive Editor John (He’s actually a lot taller than he Walsh said the network uses By T.J. O’CONNOR appears to be on television.) many tactics to capture The Tattoo In the office room NFL2Night’s teenage viewers. After years of watching ESPN Mark Malone was preparing for that “It’s an important demo- every day from the confines of my night’s show. I also saw SportsCenter graphic,” said Walsh. living room, I got the chance recent- anchors Chris McKendry talking on ESPN airs exciting and ly to go behind the scenes and see the phone and Trey Wingo working interesting plays over and over, what really on his computer. It was neat to see added Walsh, which he said is goes on in so many people at the same time up something teens like. there. close that I see almost every day on “We try to inject as much From the TV. humor as possible,” said Walsh, Notebook outside, the On the “21st century” Sports and uses plenty of cultural ref- ESPN com- Center set, I spoke one-on-one with erences. He said ESPN also plex looked like a high security gov- SportsCenter stars Rich Eisen and tries to feature players or stars ernment building. Stuart Scott. Eisen was funnier in who are popular among teens. Not just anyone can enter the person than on television and Scott ESPN knows that much of premises. Security guards check your was as passionate in his opinions as its success lies in the hands of ID at the gate. As a reporter, I was he is when he is doing the show. I its teenage audience, and is allowed inside and had access to was talking to Scott about how constantly trying to increase areas normally closed to the public. overblown the incident in the Little its teenage audience. All of the buildings are locked up League World Series was, when the Mark Shapiro, ESPN execu- and there are guards behind every player from the Bronx waved good- tive vice-president, said the door. It’s pretty extreme for a sports bye to a homerun he hit as he round- company is doing “significantly broadcasting organization. ed the bases. Eisen gave me his opin- better” in the 12 to 24-year-old Inside the ions on demographic, attributing the buildings are the improvement to airing more rooms and Pacific 10 Little League games, the rise of rooms of old I spoke one-on-one confer- extreme sports and the X Photo courtesy of ESPN footage that ence and Games. T.J. O’Connor behind the desk on the SportsCenter set aired on ESPN, with SportsCenter told me Most viewers watching the from the first how he X Games are in the 12 to 24- SportsCenter stars Rich Eisen and started they were working on the entrance of As I sat at dinner talking college year-old group, Shapiro said, show ever histhe Sport Center logo at the begin- football with the man who had all adding that it is the toughest Stuart Scott. aired in 1979 career as ning of the show. the answers to my questions regard- group to attract and “the most to last week’s a sports That wasn’t the end of my time ing the sport, I thought about my important and the most valu- college football reporter. spent at this humungous sports experience at ESPN and realized able” to advertisers. games. When I walked into the Sports world. how far-reaching this place is. Teenagers can depend on I walked through hallways that Center set I was amazed at how large I was lucky enough to have dinner Not just company’s sprawling ESPN to provide all the infor- served as branches to little rooms it was because on TV you only see a with College Gameday’s Lee Corso, Bristol campus, but the sheer num- mation they need about sport- that looked like cockpits, with tons small portion of it. I got a chance to Kirk Herbstreit and Chris Fowler. ber of people who watch the network ing events that they didn’t have of monitors, hundreds of buttons try out the anchor’s chair behind the This was the best part of my time and the sports fans who depend on time to watch, Bulgrin said, and controller sticks. desk, too. at ESPN because for me, Gameday ESPN to provide them with the infor- and news on upcoming events As I headed towards the office I went into the production rooms and Corso are my favorites. mation they crave. as well. rooms where most of the ESPN tal- where they prepare for the shows Corso told me stories of how his My two days inside ESPN gave me According to Bulgrin, social ent write their columns and prepare hours before they air. The producers car was struck by lightning while he a much greater appreciation for the currency matters most to to go on air I passed Bob Ley, the want to get everything perfect for was doing commentary for a Virginia work that goes on inside “The young people. host of “Outside The Lines.” SportsCenter. When I was in there Tech game. Worldwide Leader in Sports.” “Sports and music, they go hand in hand,” said Bulgrin. A coffee junkie confesses By LYNN RENEE RICHTER spending your entire senior year together, don’t you The Tattoo want to be good friends already? I think I hear Starbucks calling my name now. Okay, I admit I have been sucked in by Starbucks’ One of the benefits of being a senior at my school marketing ploy that it is, in fact, the sole provider of is — drum roll, please – off-campus lunch. Starbucks, coffee to a caffeine-starved populace. anyone? What, you can actually get coffee elsewhere? No Or perhaps the fine culinary treats of Fazolis or way! (Cha-ching! Rake in the dough for Starbucks!) Applebees? They have a word to describe We have the power to people like me: coffee-addict. choose! Finally, we can eat Some people wonder if my cof- Senior jjournal 2002--03 without the teachers watch- fee cup is super-glued to my ing us like we were first- hand or if it actually comes graders. loose. Finally, we don’t have to As a senior, I have discovered eat the same thing week in there are two main uses for and week out. Starbucks. But there’s one more One is to fuel the ever-popu- benefit to off-campus lunch- lar all-nighter so I can frantically es. write my next term paper. It is the one we’ve been The combination of senioritis anxiously awaiting: waving and an insanely busy schedule our non-cafeteria food in provide excellent conditions for front of the underclassmen.