What's new
By:
USCHO Fan Forum

This is a sample guest message. Register a free account today to become a member! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members through your own private inbox!

  • The USCHO Fan Forum has migrated to a new plaform, xenForo. Most of the function of the forum should work in familiar ways. Please note that you can switch between light and dark modes by clicking on the gear icon in the upper right of the main menu bar. We are hoping that this new platform will prove to be faster and more reliable. Please feel free to explore its features.

The "Complain About ESPN" Thread

Status
Not open for further replies.
Re: The "Complain About ESPN" Thread

ExileOnDaytonStreet said:
What I find odd is what some of you are saying about the lack of Indy 500 coverage. Wasn't that one broadcast on ABC, and therefore more important to ESPN?
Click to expand...

For some reason (Danica Patrick?) ESPN prefers NASCAR. Probably because of the drivers (Danica Patrick) being from mostly US states with American names (Danica Patrick) as opposed to IndyCar which seems more international with funny sounding names (Dario Franchitti) which doesn't lend itself well to ESPN.
 
Re: The "Complain About ESPN" Thread

Priceless said:
For some reason (Danica Patrick?) ESPN prefers NASCAR. Probably because of the drivers (Danica Patrick) being from mostly US states with American names (Danica Patrick) as opposed to IndyCar which seems more international with funny sounding names (Dario Franchitti) which doesn't lend itself well to ESPN.
Click to expand...
There is also a huge following for NASCAR in the US, compared to Indy cars. People here care about the 500, but really don't bother with any other Indy car even unless they're a big-time fan. As much as some people hate to admit it, NASCAR is huge in the US, as far as number of fans is concerned.
 
Re: The "Complain About ESPN" Thread

bronconick said:
Haha. The left turn boys figured out what we did in 2005.
Click to expand...
Reading some of the story develop back then was interesting. It actually all started in 2001, when FOX(&FX),TNT, and NBC put in a huge bid for the then Winston Cup (now Sprint Cup) and Busch Series (Nationwide Series). ESPN2 still had a two year deal with the Craftsman Truck Series (Camping World Series).

I can't find the links now, but paraphrasing:

The first season was slow, people were still getting used to the new networks (and actually having nationally televised races all season). ESPN didn't give two sh*ts about NASCAR. Meanwhile, FOX was busy putting together SPEED Channel (originally Speedvision), where it started to air NASCAR specific programming, in essence a 24 hour "ESPN RPM2Nite."

Along with the emergence of SPEED Channel (for the second half of 2001, and 2002), and because they were no longer a broadcasting partner, ESPN was told by NASCAR that the only race highlights could be aired by SportsCenter or on ESPNNews. Since ESPN couldn't get "fair coverage" anymore for their RPM2Night show, ESPN then spent the 2002 season trying to "kill" the Craftsman Truck Series by burying tape delayed races until 2 a.m. Saturday, Sunday or Monday nights (Truck races typically were run Thursday or Friday during the day/evening).

FOX, bought out the contract from ESPN for the Truck Series, and moved it solely to SPEED Channel where it anchored end of the week coverage of Cup and Busch series practice and qualifying coverage.

ESPN, meanwhile, watched SPEED, FOX, TNT, and NBC's ratings soar with the live race coverage, but ESPN was happy, because this new found freedom allowed them to load up with football coverage, which fit better with their motives.


But, then midway through 2006, NASCAR's TV rights were up for sale once again, and guess who wanted a piece of the NASCAR money printing machine? Bristol, Connecticut. FOX, TNT, and SPEED were all re-upped for their portions, but ESPN wanted NBC's part (NBC said they wanted out to pursue other events like football).

NASCAR was wise to ESPN, and set strict guidelines that if ESPN wanted NBC's portion of the broadcast, they also couldn't treat the Busch series like they did the Truck series; and that providing a home for the Busch series all season long was part of the deal to get the end of the NASCAR season.

Begrudgingly, ESPN accepted, because they wanted the NASCAR money.



A lot of similarities between NASCAR+ESPN and NHL+ESPN can be drawn. Including the fact that fans of either series have a dedicated channel providing them timely coverage of their sport: SPEED for NASCAR, NHLNet for NHL.



I get the feeling that ESPN is grasping for straws, I've noticed a decrease in baseball coverage too, in part thanks to the MLB Network. They're down to the NBA and NFL, and they're pumping as much as they can into those two sports to save themselves.

Speaking of baseball, here's the breakdown of who's getting air time for the next 24 scheduled primetime Sunday/Monday/Wednesday night games:
Boston Red Sox 9
New York Yankees 9
Detroit Tigers 5
Tampa Bay Rays 4
St. Louis Cardinals 3
Texas Rangers 3
Cincinnati Reds 2
Los Angeles Angels 2
Los Angeles Dodgers 2
Miami Marlins 2
New York Mets 2
Philadelphia Phillies 2
Atlanta Braves 1
Chicago Cubs 1
San Francisco Giants 1

I know there is some flex scheduling with their programing, but that's absurd. But it's all about the ratings, right? Not about what teams are best or good?
 
Last edited:
Re: The "Complain About ESPN" Thread

It's all about the ratings. So tired of seeing the Yankees play.
 
Re: The "Complain About ESPN" Thread

aparch said:
But it's all about the ratings, right? Not about what teams are best or good?
Click to expand...

Are you just figuring this out now? This year I'm not sure the Red Sox or Yankees are bringing in the viewers though.

Conversely, the MLB Network will air games from every team but Miami this month.
 
Re: The "Complain About ESPN" Thread

Best move NHL, NASCAR and NFL did was these dedicated sports network. It took me a while to get it, but I understand. ESPN is nice draw the casual fan, but not completely necessary. NHL and NASCAR figured it out and they are reaping the benefits. I love how MLB shares coverage among the teams.
 
MountieBoyOz said:
Best move NHL, NASCAR and NFL did was these dedicated sports network. It took me a while to get it, but I understand. ESPN is nice draw the casual fan, but not completely necessary. NHL and NASCAR figured it out and they are reaping the benefits. I love how MLB shares coverage among the teams.
Click to expand...
Dow anyone else find the NHL Network boring? MLB Network is getting better and better.
 
Re: The "Complain About ESPN" Thread

Biddco said:
Dow anyone else find the NHL Network boring? MLB Network is getting better and better.
Click to expand...
I haven't watched NHLN in a while (since Uverse dumped it), but I always liked how they did their highlights...just by cutting the original broadcast footage with no annoying host talking over it (e.g., no excessive boo-yah's).
 
Re: The "Complain About ESPN" Thread

icebadger said:
I haven't watched NHLN in a while (since Uverse dumped it), but I always liked how they did their highlights...just by cutting the original broadcast footage with no annoying host talking over it (e.g., no excessive boo-yah's).
Click to expand...
When they changed from NHL On the Fly to NHL Tonight, they got more graphics, more talking over clips, and just a pinch less game highlights.

I haven't had MLB Network in a bit, but it reminded me of MLB Tonight, except less live action cut ins. I know baseball is much easier to "break in" for coverage. Watch a half inning of this game, a half inning of that game, highlights of a couple games, etc... But the NHL Network seemed to use their live look-ins so erratically. And were too busy yammering about highlights from earlier that night or a day ago.
 
Re: The "Complain About ESPN" Thread

Biddco said:
Dow anyone else find the NHL Network boring?
Click to expand...

No :)

tappen.png
 
Re: The "Complain About ESPN" Thread

Oh, Kathryn, how we miss you here at NESN.....they have yet to find an "able-bodied" replacement. :D
 
Re: The "Complain About ESPN" Thread

I can't believe Sportscenter just spent 12 minutes on a segment about NBA fashion. Ok, I actually can, but you get what I mean.
 
Re: The "Complain About ESPN" Thread

Priceless said:
Conversely, the MLB Network will air games from every team but Miami this month.
Click to expand...

While this is nice, how many of the AL games are still RedSox or Yankees telecasts? I love baseball, always have, and it will probably always be my favorite sport to watch on TV. I'll watch just about any MLB game. But for 2 + seasons now I have made it a point to not watch a regular season game that includes either the Yankees or the RedSox, unless they are playing the Tigers and Verlander is pitching (love watching him pitch, I'd probably watch him throw on the side between starts), or playing an interleague game against the Phillies. Even MLB Network force feeds us the Yanks and Sox all the time, including both choices tonight, depending on where you lived. TBS is the worst offender when it comes to the Yankees or Sox, as virtually every game seems to feature one or both. All three Sunday games scheduled this month are Yankees games, and 3 of the 4 in May were RedSox or Yankees as well. At some point these teams will struggle again and have a stretch of missed playoffs and Major League Baseball will be where the NBA was once the Bulls sucked.
 
Last edited:
Re: The "Complain About ESPN" Thread

I was going to come in here to argue that the MLB Network does a better job of mixing in the teams, but I looked at the June schedule and see 16 of the 27 primary telecasts this month involving AL teams include either the Red Sox or Yankees. I guess I never noticed because the MLB is blacked out in my area if the Sox are on and the game is also on NESN. We get the alternate feed instead, but unless it's a great pitching match up I don't bother to watch. In the alternate feed, seven of the 19 AL games are also Red Sox or Yankees. Granted, some of those are marquee games (Nats-Red Sox, Mets-Yanks, Rays-Yanks, Cubs-Red Sox) but I can see how someone outside the northeast can easily get Yankees/Sox overload.
 
Re: The "Complain About ESPN" Thread

MLB has taken the opposite approach of the NFL. This fall the NFL will hype the match-up between St Louis and Minnesota, two teams who managed 5 wins combined in 2011, in the exact same fashion as they will the Green Bay-New Orleans game. Yet for MLB, if the game does not feature the Yankees or the Sox, it may as well be a AAA game.

I understand the appeal of the Yankees. Biggest city in the country, for so many years a center of culture, capitol, and media. Not to mention a baseball team that since making their first world series in 1921 have gone a decade without winning one only once, the 1980s. But not the Redsox. "Red Sox Nation" is a creation of ESPN, literally; something they popularized when they began to morph into the hype and promotion machine they are now and moved away from simply being an outlet for sports news and live televised sporting events.

Growing up, I knew Yankees fans. I delivered newpapers to Miller Huggins' nephew. I saw the occasional Yankees cap (real team caps were a lot more uncommon years ago). The only RedSox fan I knew before about 1999 was my New England born and raised uncle. For 15 years now Red Sox "fans" are all over the place, supposedly. Sometimes its fun to ask them who their favorite player was on the 2003 team. Sort of like asking someone in 1975 if they liked the new chick in Led Zeppelin.
 
Re: The "Complain About ESPN" Thread

I love the "Bristolmetrics" segment on Deadspin.

Today featured this gem:

Bristolmetrics: The Miami Heat Got 120 Minutes Of SportsCenter Coverage Last Week; Every Other Sport Shared 130

All your Heat are belong to us: Keep in mind that the Heat only won a single game (game 6) in the week covered by our data. So to hear SportsCenter tell it, the Celtics weren't winning—the Heat were choking. That shouldn't be surprising. What was an all-time great seven-game series rich in storylines and legacies and possibilities was reduced to a weeklong narrative binge. It was ESPN at its worst, with postgame coverage that's best described as First Take after dark.

The guys on NBA Countdown flip-flopped on a nightly basis, going from the initial extreme of the Heat winning a short series, to raising concerns about whether LeBron has the clutch gene, to figuring out what the team could get in return for Chris Bosh once he was traded (they were adamant he would be gone if they lost in this series). ESPN clings to simple and digestible narratives because they don't think the average viewer is smart enough to comprehend that great players can miss, great teams can lose, and basketball can be a very random sort of game. Once an initial storyline doesn't work, another one is trotted out, even if it's just as shortsighted.

There were two solid hours of this over the last week. Outside of a few rational members of the Worldwide Leader (Tim Legler was a voice of reason), it was a 120-minute reminder that SportsCenter is a vehicle for ESPN promotion, not a news program.
Click to expand...
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top