Maybe I am seeing it because I, being an MU fan, am more focused on the situation than most, but it seems to me that ESPN is trying to champion the cause of the Big East imploding, almost as a self-fulfilling prophecy. Something along the lines of: You didn't take our deal, so we encouraged others to raid you, so now we are going to emphasize your destruction as a warning to others.
Reading articles on SI, and cbssports, the tone just seems different.