The Anti-Media Media

[joecrisp]

Originally Posted by Schneed10

Here's the thing though, they're not employees of the team. They're a separate business entity which is now owned by the team. The guys at ExtremeSkins don't toe the company line because they were bought out; they were bought out because they've been toeing the company line all along, and now the Redskins are taking advantage of it as a way to reach out to fans who want the enthusiastic approach. I don't think they are representatives of the team.

They're representatives of the Official Message Board **OF** the Washington Redskins. That word "OF" is key here (thus the obnoxious little asterisks). That word implies ownership and possession. If they represent a smaller entity that belongs to a larger entity, do they not represent the larger entity as well? For example, if I worked for ESPN (one can dream, can't he?), would I not also be an employee-- and therefore a representative-- of Walt Disney?

Only in this case, the relationship is much more direct, and judging by the fringe benefits (and whatever other possibly unrevealed compensation) the Extremeskins staff is enjoying, I'd say they have quite a vested stake in their positive representation of the team. They've said it themselves: they'd be foolish to bite the hand that feeds them.