FanHouse Ric Bucher

ESPN recently issued a new stance for its employees regarding social media (the full policy is after the jump). Presumably, Twitter and Facebook are the primary causes of the edicts coming from on high; and ESPN immediately received a substantial amount of backlash regarding the new policies.

That's logical of course -- anytime that ESPN sends a company-wide memo around, the standard course of action is to freak the mess out and blame them for being a corporate monolith that just doesn't get it (if I recall correctly, there was a similar dismissal of blogs, which means Twitter has yet to fully jump ye old dorsal fin). But the policy -- which was ironically "broken" by ESPN employee Ric Bucher -- isn't all just ridiculously inane corporate behavior. There's some thought process behind it. I think.

Most of ESPN's NBA media contingent has a great reputation. Marc Stein is a stone-cold killer; Chris Sheridan has had strong moments (particularly in FIBA/Olympic coverage). John Hollinger and Chad Ford have their haters, but hold good records in total. The analysis and style of Chris Broussard and J.A. Adande are typically fantastic, in my opinion. David Thorpe, Henry Abbott, Kevin Arnovitz -- swell guys I'm happy to call friends.

But Ric Bucher ... he's not a paragon of credibility.

Update: Actually, no this isn't going to happen at all. According to Sports Media Watch, ESPN has changed their schedule so that Bucher will work in Atlanta, instead. Coincidence?

When trying to explain the Utah Jazz's home court advantage, ESPN's Ric Bucher opened wide and practically swallowed his foot: "Let's be honest. They're Mormon. And they're in Salt Lake. And there's nothing else there. You've got to smile and be happy all the time. This might be one opportunity for fans to get vicious."

He since apologized, saying he regretted it as soon as he said it and tried to clarify but recognizes he didn't do it well enough, adding, "I hope that this apology will do that and that all citizens of Salt Lake City will find it in their hearts to welcome me as hospitably as they have in the past."

Bucher will test that hospitality on Saturday as he's working ESPN's broadcast of Game 4 between the Jazz and Rockets. Will he receive a harsh reaction from the EnergySolutions crowd? Almost certainly. (From the picture above, I'm guessing Bucher needs to be most wary of Kris Kross inspired teenagers and deceptively ruthless elderly couples.)

Does that say something about those who follow the Mormon faith? Absolutely not. Fans are nuts everywhere these days, whether it's the Lakers home crowd chanting "DUI" to Carmelo Anthony, baseball fans in Philly celebrating a player getting hurt or rival fans in any city trying to kill each other. Residents of Salt Lake City, whether they're Mormon or not, don't have a monopoly on being rowdy.