ESPN's Chad Ford Has Been Retroactively Editing Draft Boards For Years

[rondohondo]

http://deadspin.com/espns-chad-ford-has-been-retroactively-editing-draft-bo-1681631642


ESPN at it again, what a reputable network

[fairweatherfan]

I've often wondered if anyone's done an analysis of the various draft predictors and which ones came closest to actual draft spot (pretty easy to check) and actual performance (much harder).  Because they generally seem pretty crappy.  But as soon as the actual draft happens nobody cares about how accurate the predictions were, they just bounce to the next year's predictions.  And Lord knows I'm too lazy to do it myself.

I guess going back and tweaking your rankings to reflect how things look later on is a pretty good way to rig the eventual analysis, and people's apathy about past rankings is a pretty good reason to expect you'll get away with it.  Glad Ford or whoever did it on his behalf got caught.

[Roy H.]

Somebody made a reference to "pulling a Chad Ford" recently, and I had no idea what they meant.

That's...  sleazy.

[Fafnir]

Does anyone believe that Chad Ford didn't do this himself? What is the other theory, that he has an obsessive "fan" working for him that wanted his boss to look better?

[jambr380]

ESPN is falling apart before our eyes. I admit it, I watch a lot of Sportscenter and have for years. They have the best production and, frankly, it is just easy to turn it on and get a broad overview of what is happening in the sports world.

Obviously they can attain the top personnel to help run their network; however, their analysis plainly sucks. With almost everybody claiming the Patriots are undermining the integrity of the game with this deflategate nonsense (and ignoring all of the other NFL problems), the general screaming personalities with no real substance to offer, and now learning of this chicanery that Ford/ESPN are trying to pull with the draft boards (and this can't be the only example of this sort of thing), it's just not worth anybody's time.

It's almost like they got too big for themselves. They are constantly trying to perfect their product, but it's ironically getting worse and worse.

[The One]

Now that's what you call Revisionist History!!   

[rondohondo]

ESPN is falling apart before our eyes. I admit it, I watch a lot of Sportscenter and have for years. They have the best production and, frankly, it is just easy to turn it on and get a broad overview of what is happening in the sports world.

Obviously they can attain the top personnel to help run their network; however, their analysis plainly sucks. With almost everybody claiming the Patriots are undermining the integrity of the game with this deflategate nonsense (and ignoring all of the other NFL problems), the general screaming personalities with no real substance to offer, and now learning of this chicanery that Ford/ESPN are trying to pull with the draft boards (and this can't be the only example of this sort of thing), it's just not worth anybody's time.

It's almost like they got too big for themselves. They are constantly trying to perfect their product, but it's ironically getting worse and worse.

[Beat LA]

It doesn't surprise me.  Chad Ford has always been a moron, anyway, lol.

[PickNRoll]

Does anyone believe that Chad Ford didn't do this himself? What is the other theory, that he has an obsessive "fan" working for him that wanted his boss to look better?

It's almost inconceivable that they would NOT have records of who made the changes.  It's also ludicrous to believe that anyone besides Ford would have the incentive and ability to change them.

[Smokeeye123]

ESPN died for me when they exploded Tebow and literally made him a story. They later tried with similar success to ignite Jeremy Lin which they were equally successful with.

[D.o.s.]

Does anyone believe that Chad Ford didn't do this himself? What is the other theory, that he has an obsessive "fan" working for him that wanted his boss to look better?

It's almost inconceivable that they would have records of who made the changes.  It's also ludicrous to believe that anyone besides Ford would have the incentive and ability to change them.

The bolded is exactly wrong. Any 'real' content management system (including the one ESPN uses) for online publication requires a login in oder to edit, and every edit to the article is tracked along with who made the change. So any editor at ESPN could have made the changes, but ESPN definitely knows who edited it.

[fairweatherfan]

Does anyone believe that Chad Ford didn't do this himself? What is the other theory, that he has an obsessive "fan" working for him that wanted his boss to look better?

He could've, y'know, asked someone to do it for him.  But that's kind of six of one, half a dozen of the other.

[PickNRoll]

Does anyone believe that Chad Ford didn't do this himself? What is the other theory, that he has an obsessive "fan" working for him that wanted his boss to look better?

It's almost inconceivable that they would have records of who made the changes.  It's also ludicrous to believe that anyone besides Ford would have the incentive and ability to change them.

The bolded is exactly wrong. Any 'real' content management system (including the one ESPN uses) for online publication requires a login in oder to edit, and every edit to the article is tracked along with who made the change. So any editor at ESPN could have made the changes, but ESPN definitely knows who edited it.

Ha!  You're right, of course!  Typo in my post.  I meant that it's inconceivable they would NOT have records.

[D.o.s.]

Hahahahaha I thought as much, but yeah, ESPN knows, and probably encouraged it to give Ford some cred among people who cite him around draft time. In 2-3 years he'll probably have never said a single nice word about Dante Exum.

[PickNRoll]

Hahahahaha I thought as much, but yeah, ESPN knows, and probably encouraged it to give Ford some cred among people who cite him around draft time. In 2-3 years he'll probably have never said a single nice word about Dante Exum.

Heh, don't look now but Exum just took the starting job from the putrid Trey Burke and actually played pretty well in 2 wins.  15 points, followed by 13-4-4.  8-15 shooting 3's.     He's back in Ford's good graces.