Gammons leaving ESPN

Hall of Fame baseball journalist Peter Gammons has announced he will be leaving ESPN after the conclusion of the Winter meetings.

Kind of sad to see him go, but he isn't quitting all together. Where will Gammons end up next?

UPDATE (10:42) Well, Gammons was unemployed for a solid 20 minutes. He is jumping ship to the MLB Network.

Obviously, it is a much better fit for Gammons than ESPN as the entire network is dedicated to baseball.

Sports networks are a gift and a curse. They deliver an immense amount of coverage that many cannot get any other way, but at what cost?

The checks and balances system that journalism is supposed to represent surely does not exist when the MLB, NFL, NBA or any other major federation is writing the checks for those acquiring and distributing the information.

By acquiring Gammons, to go with Bob Costas, the MLB Network has gained some credibility in terms of men who have been of the highest quality in journalism.  By joining the MLB Network it's hard to call them journalists anymore.

How about public relations managers?

But who can blame them? It is the way the industry is heading.

I enjoy these networks and especially enjoy the work of Gammons and Costas, but having Major League Baseball write their checks is something that I will always consider when evaluating their material now.

How can the media compete with these networks to keep some semblance of unbiased journalism alive? Or better yet: does unbiased journalism exist?

Your thoughts?