The "Complain About ESPN" Thread

[The Rube]

Re: The "Complain About ESPN" Thread

I actually have a compliment for ESPN. For the most part, the articles on ESPN.com are very well-written. Head over to Yahoo and it's just a mess.

I think many of us could be a better legit news source than Yahoo. They're not quite TMZ...but man, they are bad.

 

[bigblue_dl]

Re: The "Complain About ESPN" Thread

I didn't mind ESPN's broadcast of The Open. They were fine, and had enough "golf" guys on the broadcast that they could do it right. It was ****ing annoying to see the "OMG ITS THE YANKEES AND RED SOX ON ESPN TONIGHT!!!!! THIS IS THE GREATEST THING EVAR!!!!" commercials every single commercial break.

 

[Shirtless Guy]

Re: The "Complain About ESPN" Thread

I didn't mind ESPN's broadcast of The Open. They were fine, and had enough "golf" guys on the broadcast that they could do it right. It was ****ing annoying to see the "OMG ITS THE YANKEES AND RED SOX ON ESPN TONIGHT!!!!! THIS IS THE GREATEST THING EVAR!!!!" commercials every single commercial break.

I loved when they were talking about Sunday Night Baseball - Yankees vs Red Sox "and then the Yankees travel to" whereever and are featured on Monday Night Baseball too...yay.

 

[Priceless]

Re: The "Complain About ESPN" Thread

The only way to watch the Open was on the BBC (Channel 705 on DirecTV) because they focused completely on golf, offered authentic historical facts (not the pap ESPN peddles) and had commentators who pulled no punches. At one point they were describing Woods and Scott on the green and said, "Those were two horrendous putts." Throughout the day they were criticizing players for poor play just as often as they were praising good shots. How often does ESPN criticize any golfer on the course, much less Tiger?

Oh, and the Yankees go to Arlington

 

[dxmnkd316]

Re: The "Complain About ESPN" Thread

I actually have a compliment for ESPN. For the most part, the articles on ESPN.com are very well-written. Head over to Yahoo and it's just a mess.

The problem I have with ESPN and ESPN.com is that guys like Adam Schefter will take a story from Yahoo and the tagline will read: "ESPN's Adam Schefter is reporting such and such." Or "Sources tell Adam Schefter that so and so has been traded." When really it's a local paper or Yahoo that breaks it.

Adam Schefter is a phony and I'll never get why people treat him like an oracle.

 

[MountieBoyOz]

Re: The "Complain About ESPN" Thread

The problem I have with ESPN and ESPN.com is that guys like Adam Schefter will take a story from Yahoo and the tagline will read: "ESPN's Adam Schefter is reporting such and such." Or "Sources tell Adam Schefter that so and so has been traded." When really it's a local paper or Yahoo that breaks it.

Adam Schefter is a phony and I'll never get why people treat him like an oracle.

I know that the mothership could do a good job being a real sports news power. Guys like LeBrun, Burnside and others are great reports. Puck Daddy always reminds fans not to paint the .com hockey guys with the same "feces-covered (his words, not mind) brush." OTL still has its good moments but we are relegated to Bayless and Smith braying like idiots about Tebow, the NBA and other network approved subjects. And Ditto on guys like Schefter that cut and paste their name onto someone else's hard work.

 

[Biddco]

Re: The "Complain About ESPN" Thread

Here is the article I was thinking about earlier:

http://www.awfulannouncing.com/2013/july/shaking-my-head-at-sportscenter.html

 

[Slap Shot]

Re: The "Complain About ESPN" Thread

How often does ESPN criticize any golfer on the course, much less Tiger?

During the round, quite often.

 

[dxmnkd316]

Re: The "Complain About ESPN" Thread

Here is the article I was thinking about earlier:

http://www.awfulannouncing.com/2013/july/shaking-my-head-at-sportscenter.html

Imagine what will happen if FS1 takes off and you see a massive shift of viewers from Sportscenter to FS1's analogue. Keeping in mind that ESPN just built a $130 million studio for SC. If I'm ESPN, I'm worried. Very worried. Even if FS1 is a flop, there seems to be more and more momentum to challenge their supremacy. This isn't someone trying to edge their way in. This is a series of high profile attempts (with growing frequency) at trying to fill a growing void in quality sports programming.

Then there's the exodus of talent from ESPN and TSN to the direct competitors. I don't know if they've come out and said it, however, I can't help but think it has to do (in part) with the network dictating sensationalistic content.

I'm actually stunned at the choices ESPN is still making. It's almost like they don't understand that they are being laughed at by the vast majority of sports fans. Maybe they do though. Obviously the 30%+ drop in primetime Sportscenter ratings was a wake-up call as I see Keith Olbermann was recently hired. I can't imagine him going on about Lebronathon or Kobejesus or Tebowchrist.

I hope to God FS1 starts spanking ESPN in the ratings. It's time for the monopoly in sports to go away.

 

[Spartanforlife4]

Re: The "Complain About ESPN" Thread

I don't think Olbermann is doing Sportscenter at all though, just a night time talk show. Which will probably not end well because Keith does not play well with others. Except Dan Patrick.

 

[Dude Love]

Re: The "Complain About ESPN" Thread

Oh it's pretty obvious that 90% of the time "sources say" actually means "Yahoo Sports did all the legwork here," but at least ESPN's stories don't look like they were written by someone failing a high school writing class.

 

[The Rube]

Re: The "Complain About ESPN" Thread

Oh it's pretty obvious that 90% of the time "sources say" actually means "Yahoos Sports did all the legwork here," but at least ESPN's stories don't look like they were written by someone failing a high school writing class.

This.

"Sources say" is the same as inserting "alleged/allegedly." It covers your arse.

 

[Priceless]

Re: The "Complain About ESPN" Thread

Had three different invites to do surveys this morning and ESPN was the topic (directly or indirectly) of all three. They are getting really nervous about Fox Sports One.

 

[SteveP]

Re: The "Complain About ESPN" Thread

ESPN head honcho regrets not getting NHL back.

"I regret not being able to get hockey back. We made a strong bid for it last time [in 2011]. But the NHL felt well served by NBC. So that's kind of something you have to respect, that they wanted to stay with the incumbents," Skipper told Hollywood Reporter's Marisa Guthrie.

After the 2004-05 lockout, ESPN opted out of a two-year deal with the NHL, leaving the league without a cable partner. In 2005, Comcast paid $70 million a year for three years to air NHL games on the Outdoor Living Network, renamed Versus in 2006. In 2011, Comcast acquired a majority share of NBC/Universal. As a result, NBC Sports and Versus relaunched as the NBC Sports Network. The same year, the NHL decided to stick with NBC Sports Group and signed an exclusive 10-year contract worth $2 billion.

 

[MountieBoyOz]

Re: The "Complain About ESPN" Thread

I remember the author of the book about ESPN "These Guys Have All the Fun" said many at ESPN were furious that hockey got axed.

 

[Gurtholfin]

Re: The "Complain About ESPN" Thread

Imagine what will happen if FS1 takes off and you see a massive shift of viewers from Sportscenter to FS1's analogue. Keeping in mind that ESPN just built a $130 million studio for SC. If I'm ESPN, I'm worried. Very worried. Even if FS1 is a flop, there seems to be more and more momentum to challenge their supremacy. This isn't someone trying to edge their way in. This is a series of high profile attempts (with growing frequency) at trying to fill a growing void in quality sports programming.

Then there's the exodus of talent from ESPN and TSN to the direct competitors. I don't know if they've come out and said it, however, I can't help but think it has to do (in part) with the network dictating sensationalistic content.

I'm actually stunned at the choices ESPN is still making. It's almost like they don't understand that they are being laughed at by the vast majority of sports fans.

Maybe they just can't see over the Appalachians...

As a fan of Midwestern sports, why in the world would I tune into daily reports by Sal Pal from Eagles camp, or Jets camp, or Tebow, etc, etc, etc..

How long since the Jets or Eagles were relevant, yet we get seemingly daily reports. I bet ESPN is doing well in the Northeast, which seems to be all they care about.

 

[MountieBoyOz]

Re: The "Complain About ESPN" Thread

Maybe they just can't see over the Appalachians...

As a fan of Midwestern sports, why in the world would I tune into daily reports by Sal Pal from Eagles camp, or Jets camp, or Tebow, etc, etc, etc..

How long since the Jets or Eagles were relevant, yet we get seemingly daily reports. I bet ESPN is doing well in the Northeast, which seems to be all they care about.

I dare someone to bring a "ESPN fears Onrait & O'Toole" sign to an ESPN broadcasted game.

 

[Priceless]

Maybe they just can't see over the Appalachians...

As a fan of Midwestern sports, why in the world would I tune into daily reports by Sal Pal from Eagles camp, or Jets camp, or Tebow, etc, etc, etc..

How long since the Jets or Eagles were relevant, yet we get seemingly daily reports. I bet ESPN is doing well in the Northeast, which seems to be all they care about.

They care about the ratings. To get strong ratings you appeal
to places where there are a lot of people. The corridors from New England to DC and from San Francisco to San Diego contain over half the country's population. Appeal to them and you have a good chance to get good numbers. Appealing to people in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa and the Dakotas is waaaaaaay down the list. It isn't "east coast bias" so much as appealing to places where there are people. If the vast majority of our population lived in the middle of this country you'd see programming aimed at attracting them. I don't think you'll see a lot of differences with the new FS 1

 

[Gurtholfin]

Re: The "Complain About ESPN" Thread

They care about the ratings. To get strong ratings you appeal
to places where there are a lot of people. The corridors from New England to DC and from San Francisco to San Diego contain over half the country's population. Appeal to them and you have a good chance to get good numbers. Appealing to people in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa and the Dakotas is waaaaaaay down the list. It isn't "east coast bias" so much as appealing to places where there are people. If the vast majority of our population lived in the middle of this country you'd see programming aimed at attracting them. I don't think you'll see a lot of differences with the new FS 1

All true.

One of the reasons we point and laugh though is that they try to position themselves as a national network and these days they're basically NESN that shows up in every house. They don't even cover the west coast teams other than the Lakers.

In addition, there've turned into Entertainment Tonight in a lot of ways. Do Patriot fans even care about Tebow?

 

[Dude Love]

Re: The "Complain About ESPN" Thread

One of the reasons we point and laugh though is that they try to position themselves as a national network and these days they're basically NESN that shows up in every house. They don't even cover the west coast teams other than the Lakers.

No kidding. Do any of the Yankees vs. Red Sox games get broadcast locally or do they get blacked out because 15/18 of them are on ESPN?