Wow does ESPN really suck now...

[IrishJedi]

Back in the day Bob Ley, Dan Patrick, et. al. were more focused on reporting the news than shaping/creating/controlling it...or being the news themselves. Patrick, for instance, became a personality because he was actually clever - he didn't have to create a persona or a shtick in order to generate an audience that was interested in listening to what he had to report. Becoming important in the Cult of Personality has become more paramount to ESPN "personalities" than actually being accurate and responsible with the sports news (see Stuart Scott, Todd McShay, etc). What a bunch of unfunny, annoying hacks.

At some point, ESPN realized the power it had accumulated in terms of controlling the spin of information as it is received by its viewers. It became more and more focused on controlling the message to the benefit of its own interests than being impartial and factual. The Monster became self-aware - and it has no competitor - and ESPN is now a monopoly that shapes and creates sports news and events as it sees fit.

F them. If they didn't broadcast important live games in almost all sports I'd never tune in again.

 

[Darthrazz]

Back in the day Bob Ley, Dan Patrick, et. al. were more focused on reporting the news than shaping/creating/controlling it...or being the news themselves. Patrick, for instance, became a personality because he was actually clever - he didn't have to create a persona or a shtick in order to generate an audience that was interested in listening to what he had to report. Becoming important in the Cult of Personality has become more paramount to ESPN "personalities" than actually being accurate and responsible with the sports news (see Stuart Scott, Todd McShay, etc). What a bunch of unfunny, annoying hacks.

At some point, ESPN realized the power it had accumulated in terms of controlling the spin of information as it is received by its viewers. It became more and more focused on controlling the message to the benefit of its own interests than being impartial and factual. The Monster became self-aware - and it has no competitor - and ESPN is now a monopoly that shapes and creates sports news and events as it sees fit.

F them. If they didn't broadcast important live games in almost all sports I'd never tune in again.

Irish, I agree 100%. I haven't watched ESPN in years, as you said only certain live sporting events. Their anchors are nothing short of annoying.

 

[karamazov80]

You could be describe any cable news channel there--sports oriented or not. Sensationalism and playing down to your perceived audience is a hallmark of TV nowadays. The stupid characters on Fox or CNN are just as annoying as the ESPN guys. I kind of like Mike and Mike (probably only because they aren't as bad as the rest), and I really enjoy Pardon the Interruption, but most of the rest can go fly a kite.

I especially hate the draft "experts" that pop up this time of year. Just thinking of McShay and hair guy pisses me off.

 

[IrishJedi]

Irish, I agree 100%. I haven't watched ESPN in years, as you said only certain live sporting events. Their anchors are nothing short of annoying.

They've gone beyond just having annoying, insufferable anchors now though. They basically control sports media and how people perceive athletes, teams, etc.

For example, they completely hi-jacked the Heisman Trophy a few years ago. Now it may as well be ESPN's Most Popular College Football Player Award. And their NFL draft stuff and MLB coverage? Don't even get me started. What a damned joke. Everything is a pre-packaged, sugar-coated product to serve their own agenda.

Makes me want to F'ing puke.

 

[ProgMatinee]

Dan Patrick is actually pretty lame. He asks some of the worst questions possible. Listened to him interview the NFL commissioner the other day and he was asking questions like how many overseas games will there be this year and what game will be the first game of the season when the info could have been pulled off the press release.

Chris Berman is the worst now. Hate his commentary, he interupts the others and just says stupid stuff like, "hey Tom how about that Broncos vs Chiefs game, but first what do you think of the Chargers?"

Unfortunately every network has its hacks. I was so annoyed by Berman I flipped to the NFL network to watch the draft and Deon Sanders is on...even worse! I like Marshall Faulk and Mooch, but Neon Deon is just unwatchable.

 

[IrishJedi]

Yeah, Patrick isn't that great anymore. But back in the day he was one of the best. Certainly better than any of the douche-nozzles on that network now.

 

[karamazov80]

I saw McShay this morning stammering through the actual draft picks, trying to explain how stupid the teams were for not picking the guys that he pretty much guaranteed would be going to specific teams at specific points. It's like he was angry that he couldn't dictate draft choices.

 

[ProgMatinee]

McShay.. Is that the moron with the computer screen where he's like "as you can see, the Cowboys need a WR, so I think they'll be moving up to get Dez Bryant..." and on his screenhe only lists the Cowboys needing an OT.

 

[hairlesswookiee]

I haven't watched Sportscenter in about 10 years. Seriously, unless its on at the gym when I'm working out I never bother watching that crapfest of a so-called sports show. As already mentioned, Sportscenter is not the same as it was 10-15 years ago when they actually cared about reporting accurately, and the anchors just made it even better. Now, its like they are just trying too hard to make their jokes and quips funny, and they seem to put actual Sports news on the backburner.

 

[karamazov80]

The problem is that people just don't want to see actual news. If they did, ESPN would provide it. You can catch the Sports Reporters on Sundays, which is the closest thing they have to a legitimate discussion of news by journalists, but that's about all I've seen. Similarly, CNN has some actual, serious news shows on Sunday (particularly Fareed Zarakia's GPS), as do the network channels (Meet the Press, etc.). But most of the time, it's a bunch of crap. Unfortunately, I don't know of any sports equivalents to NPR.

 

[Darthrazz]

I use to listen to Mike and Mike In the Morning on the radio. I just stopped. I love football, but they take it to the level that football is GOD, they talk about coaches as if they were all holy. Like I said I love football, but all they talk about is football, all the time. I really don't want to hear about football in May!

 

[karamazov80]

Y'see, I have no problem with that

Sure, be nice if they talked about pro wrestling every now and again, but. . .

 

[Darthrazz]

Y'see, I have no problem with that

Sure, be nice if they talked about pro wrestling every now and again, but. . .

I mean baseball, basketball, march madness, they just glance over them.

 

[karamazov80]

I know. Football is the major sport that I follow, which is why I don't care so much about that. But again, I think that's just playing to their audience. Football is probably as popular as all other sports in this country combined. So, that's what ESPN focuses on. You don't have a huge hullabaloo over Baseball draft day.

 

[Darthrazz]

You don't have a huge hullabaloo over Baseball draft day.

That's for sure!

 

[FLOSI]

Sports Center is a waste of time... If I want NFL News I go to the NFL channel, MLB is the MLB Network, NHL, NBA, Golf, Soccer and so on... at least the reporting is focused on the sport and not glamor reporting (roids, Roethlisberger, Vick, Woods, Etc Etc...)

 

[Chigger58]

I've been away from the ESPN scene for a bit now as I don't really listen to the radio shows or the TV stuff anymore. I did however tune in last night to watch the draft (GO CHIEFS!) and I was moderately annoyed with the announcers.

I will say this though, I HATE their website! Everything that I seem to want to read is now part of their "IN" insider thing and I'm sorry, it's not that important that I'm going to sign up. Just went out to see what projections were available for round 2 and it was all wrapped up "IN".

Ridiculous.

Regarding Dan Patrick, since it is NFL draft time, I think he made the funniest comment I've ever heard regarding Jet fans once on his radio show.

He was commenting on how all the Jet fans are there every year, front and center, and letting everyone know just what they think about their teams picks. He kind of transitioned to the fact that they are never happy and then acted like he was the commissioner and said "with the next pick in the NFL draft, the New York Jets take Jesus Christ." Then he acted like the Jet fans and boo'd the pick.



Da** funny.

 

[FLOSI]

I've been away from the ESPN scene for a bit now as I don't really listen to the radio shows or the TV stuff anymore. I did however tune in last night to watch the draft (GO CHIEFS!) and I was moderately annoyed with the announcers.

I will say this though, I HATE their website! Everything that I seem to want to read is now part of their "IN" insider thing and I'm sorry, it's not that important that I'm going to sign up. Just went out to see what projections were available for round 2 and it was all wrapped up "IN".

Ridiculous.

Regarding Dan Patrick, since it is NFL draft time, I think he made the funniest comment I've ever heard regarding Jet fans once on his radio show.

He was commenting on how all the Jet fans are there every year, front and center, and letting everyone know just what they think about their teams picks. He kind of transitioned to the fact that they are never happy and then acted like he was the commissioner and said "with the next pick in the NFL draft, the New York Jets take Jesus Christ." Then he acted like the Jet fans and boo'd the pick.



Da** funny.

I couldn't agree more, Chigger. That "INSIDER" crap pisses me off. Every front page story has some kind of INSIDER article attached to it. A couple years ago I realized that I had been brainlessly going to that site for years for no apparent reason. Anyway, I use CNNSI.com for my general news now and I also check the blogs of my teams beat writers daily.... It only makes sense. Why do we go to a national news source, especially since I'm in California and ESPN is all the way on the other side of the nation, when local writers are the ones who really have the inside knowledge of the teams we follow?

 

[hairlesswookiee]

when local writers are the ones who really have the inside knowledge of the teams we follow?

Truth!!! Its even better when the local writers know the local players on a personal level instead of just a name they're writing a column about.

 

[FLOSI]

Almost forgot THE one thing that pisses me off more than anything else about ESPN.... The blatant east coast bias!!! THE RED SOX AND YANKEES ARE NOT THE EPICENTER OF THE ____ING UNIVERSE!!!!