ESPN Offered to get Virginia Tech Out of Game with Alabama?

Last I checked ESPN stood for Entertainment and Sports Programming Network. So what in the world are they doing telling Virginia Tech Head Coach Frank Beamer that they could get him and his Hokies out of last weekend's season opener against the two-time defending champions, the Alabama Crimson Tide?

@SBNation/Twitter

This is what Beamer had to say:

“We had a chance to actually play another opponent,” Beamer said. “ESPN offered for us to play another team and we said, ‘No, we wanted to stay with Alabama.’ I think for our fans sake, that’s the games they like to play and for our kids sake, they like the challenge of playing the No. 1 team in the country.”

From a programming stand point I get it. VT is coming off a 7-6 season and is simply not in the same class as Alabama. It shouldn't be--and wasn't--a very entertaining game to watch unless you were a 'Bama fan. but wait--since when does ESPN have any pull in who plays who?

As it turns out, another team had contacted officials with the Chick-fil-A bowl asking to play Alabama, but since there was already a contract with Virginia Tech officials had to say maybe--if VT is willing to back out. So the offer to do so was made and Beamer declined.

Maybe Beamer misspoke-- or maybe good ole ESPN has been trying to influence the game it is only supposed to be reporting on.

It's not like the network's reporters haven't been leading a hate campaign against Johnny Manziel (yes, Johnny Football does invite some of it, but ESPN goes overboard with their BS) or making false comments (i.e. Mark May and Skip Bayless 'growing up watching Notre Dame/Michigan rivalry).