Clocking in at a lengthy 5,830 words, Don Ohlmeyer filed his final column today as ESPN’s ombudsman. His reign comes to an end after 18 months as the network is in the process of hiring a new ombudsman.
In case you were wondering why we haven’t seen an column from Ohlmeyer recently, the television executive explains:
“We’ll take one final look at those answers, but first, I want to apologize for the spotty presence of this column the past six months. I’ve been dealing with some health issues that have prevented me from meeting some of my deadlines in that time. I appreciate your patience and ongoing correspondence, and want to thank ESPN management for its understanding.”
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Ohlmeyer goes on to say that ESPN needs to do a better job of listening to its audience. He received more than 25,000 messages last year and the network received 53,000 audience communications from e-mail, letter and phone. While it was a 40 percent decrease, nearly half of those communications were complaints.
To be a fly on the wall for when those phone calls come in after every Brett Favre love fest.