Awful Announcing reached Travis via e-mail on Wednesday and he had this to say about the process of publishing the controversial Masters article:
“As the site has grown we’ve brought on a full time editor, Lori Kelly, who does a tremendous job for the site, and several talented writers who do great work. One of the cool things we’ve found is that people love all sorts of articles on Outkick, the smart and the absurd. We trust our audience to understand what is and isn’t serious.”
“Sure, that article was criticized, but It was a female reader submission, a non-professional writer, who sent her experience at the Masters to the site, and a female editor published it. That happens all the time at Outkick. How many sports sites our size have female editors publishing the work of female writers every week all year long?”
It’s notable that neither Fox (outside of Nolan) nor Travis has really backed off from that piece despite the controversy, suggesting it’s seen as consistent with OKTC’s ethos. In fact, that may be a larger issue with having OKTC’s content on FoxSports.com. Generally, when networks do something that winds up drawing a firestorm, they’ll apologize, retract and go on from there. So far, there haven’t really been many substantial apologies from Travis or OKTC or Fox Sports about any of the controversies they’ve stirred up. The responses have been closer to Travis’ aforementioned tweet about “haters” letting him swim in gold dubloons. Is there a line where Fox will say “This is unacceptable, and we’re sorry we published it?” Or is Travis just free to put up whatever he wants? Or does all of his content fit within the parameters of what’s acceptable to Fox?
Travis has publicly stated that he has “complete creative control” and “own[s] all the content” on OKTC. It seems to be an extraordinary arrangement. Traffic is nice, but does a major network really want someone on their site who they don’t have editorial control over? Many would say no, but Fox’s current deal with Travis (if his relaying of it to Rau was accurate) would appear to suggest otherwise. Whether that arrangement will continue past June is an open question, though.
Fox Sports refused to comment directly on Travis’ claims of complete editorial freedom at FoxSports.com or on his current contract situation. They did issue this statement to Awful Announcing via a network spokesperson:
“Clay is a talented, unique voice in the chorus of sports commentators. His insight should be viewed in proper context—whether it’s satire, analysis, observations on pop culture, or simply an expression of the fan’s point of view. Like any commentator, his opinions are his own and don’t necessarily reflect the views of Fox Sports, but we certainly appreciate the perspective Clay adds to our coverage.”
It’s worth pondering how one can reconcile Outkick the Coverage as “the official college football blog of FoxSports.com” if Travis’ views don’t reflect the views of Fox Sports.
Is dealing with the controversies Travis generates ultimately worth it for Fox? Well, there are potential benefits for the company beyond just OKTC. Travis has appeared on their various college football shows, and he’s provided at least some talking points for shows that have struggled to gain buzz overall. (Of course, some might label Travis’ perspective as pure, unabated trolling.) He’s also done a gambling show for them, and the gambling/daily fantasy sector is an area they may look to expand on given the rising popularity of that sector and its increased legitimization (see the ESPN/DraftKings partnership). There’s been talk of Fox giving Travis his own TV show if he signs a new contract, and while details there are scant and it’s unclear how his brand of commentary would translate to traditional TV, they appear to view him as more than just a website content provider.
However, the various controversies Travis has been involved in aren’t without consequence. They impact how media members and the public view Fox, and perception isn’t insignificant. Whether it’s under the veil of lowbrow humor or not, it’s hard to imagine many people getting a mainstream job in the current media climate with “At a hospital, go straight for the rape victims and offer your protection, cha-ching” on their resume.
So far, it doesn’t seem like Travis’ actions have led anyone to leave Fox. But it’s quite possible that not everyone wants him as a colleague (and a highly-promoted one if he does manage to land his own TV show). It’s even more likely that at least some readers and viewers are less motivated to watch Fox or go to their site because they’re turned off by Travis.
And what about potential rights partners? In particular, Big Ten media rights expire in 2016, one of the few notable deals ending any time soon, and Fox is expected to make a strong bid for them. Having one of their featured college football pundits and “the official college football blog of Fox Sports” consistently bash the conference does not help their cause. Yes, that probably doesn’t mean too much compared to the dollars involved, but leagues do sometimes worry about what the coverage they’ll get looks like. Employing Travis isn’t going to decide whether Fox gets the Big Ten rights, but it’s not hard to see Big Ten officials souring on furthering their relationship with Fox Sports and FS1 because of Travis’ presence. (Fox already owns 51% of Big Ten Network.)