By David Scott
Boston Sports Media Watch

Despite a Friday item in the widely read USA Today “Sports Television” page (Scroll to Fran Fraschilla item), ESPN tried to pull a fast one on late night viewers of Team USA’s opening round win over Puerto Rico at the FIBA World Championships.

With Fraschilla and play-by-play man Jim Durham sitting off Route 84 in a Bristol control room, the duo “made pretend” they were actually in Sapporo, Japan for the ESPN2 programming.

Not once in the broadcast did we hear a mention of the fact that the announcers were nowhere near the court. No graphic to indicate the fact, and no disclaimer to allow viewers to better understand why a first-half technical foul confused Durham and Fraschilla. They were confused because they were half a world away on American soil and couldn’t ask anyone courtside! Because they weren’t courtside and weren’t able to give you a true sense of what the arena felt like or how the teams had been acting leading up to the game.

With some technical expertise, ESPN also used on-court microphone audio from the site to give the impression that the game-callers were actually in the building. The broadcast sounded like every other NBA or NCAA game the network does.

And Durham was always ambiguous enough as to leave open the possibility that he and his partner were actually in the arena. Use of words like “here” and “in Sapporo” only further confused the issue.

However, close observers would notice that no pre-game, on-camera, sideline able introduction was included and the halftime show did not go to a studio, instead opting for a wide shot with graphics and voice over by Durham. There was also a featurette and other half-time filler elements, none of which included on-screen appearances by the talent.

The practice is, at the very least a disingenuous act from the Worldwide Leader. It also could be considered consumer fraud at some level. There’s no reason ESPN couldn’t have alerted viewers to the fact that “Jim and Fran were watching monitors in Bristol” and the lack of said disclosure raises questions and red flags at every corner of ESPN’s enterprises.

Now, we’re wondering – was Tony Kornheiser actually in Minnesota, or was he at the “PTI,” D.C. studios in front of a green screen?

Somebody, we’d like to think, has some explaining to do on this one.

David Scott writes from a seaside shanty on the shores of Hull, Mass. And can be reached at shotsATbostonsportsmedDOTcom