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Athens, GA (Sept 27, 2008) - Once in a while, one would like to keep the illusion of the purity of collegiate sports. Yes, we all know that corporate sponsorships prevail. But what about when you have crowd background shots on a show like ESPN College GameDay. You know, the shots with people bringing home made signs, hoping they will be seen on air.

This is where you ask the question whether shows like ESPN GameDay should be considered news or entertainment. It clearly moves further away from news, when corporate sponsors start handing out signs for fans to hold for the cameras, signs that carry the corporate logos:


Photograph Copyright 2008 by Eye on Sports Media/The Cayuga Group.
All Rights Reserved.


Photograph Copyright 2008 by Eye on Sports Media/The Cayuga Group.
All Rights Reserved.

But it gets worse for the talent after the show. Kirk Herbstriet, needing to get to Athens Ben-Epps Airport for his charter flight to Happy Valley for tonight's Penn State game, has to remain afterwards for photos with the sponsors guests, and to sig autographs in the sponsors tents:


Photograph Copyright 2008 by Eye on Sports Media/The Cayuga Group.
All Rights Reserved.


Photograph Copyright 2008 by Eye on Sports Media/The Cayuga Group.
All Rights Reserved.

So the next time you here about a show being sponsored by so and so, keep in mind that the talen may have obligations after the cameras have stopped rolling. Thankfully, the men from GameDay are very gracious and friendly, so it may not have been so hard on them