Monday ESPNU podcast & ESPN's decline

[billsin01]

I love to hate ESPN too, but...its a business. If more people keep the tv remote out of their hand when stories about Lebron, Tebow and UK are coming up...well, ratings is what drives advertising dollars. Blame society...

I hate ESPN for their schotty journalism, but I can't kill them for running stories about teams and players the world wants to hear about.

this is a great post and exactly how I see ESPN. The problem people have with ESPN is really just a reflection of the problem they have with society at large. It's like, I'm not one of those sports fans who likes calling in and arguing about pointless s--t like who are the top 5 NBA players ever (mike and mike were literally discussing this this morning, which is funny b/c I don't buy that golic even watches the nba). But, the reality is that I'm more or less in the minority. I do like listening to jeff passan talk about the research MLB is doing on the frequency and treatment of injuries, but I have to be content to listen to that on MLB radio. It really doesn't make much sense for ESPN to dedicate much time to it.

And for those who are so offended by the lack of commitment to news and analysis, just check what happened to papers, which are really the last medium to take that stuff seriously. Not a great business model.

For the record, however, I find much of ESPN's stuff unlistenable/unwatchable.

 

[billsin01]

They know people love/hate Kentucky. They are trying to get a reaction.

Yeah, I'm not a huge fan of parity. I actually do like it when the big boys are big and good b/c I like having the villain and the storyline of teams trying to take them down. I think it's fun when the Yanks are good so long as someone beats them, preferably the sox. I think it's fun when ND is good even though 99% of folks here want their plane to crash into a mountain. Duke being really good every year is great -- every time you play them it's a "big" game. Those are things to celebrate not try to eliminate through revenue sharing, etc. I've never understood that. The NFL salary cap has ruined that league for me. I literally think there is almost no difference between 2/3 of that league.

 

[Knicks411]

Bryant Gumbel's HBO show is also a nice example of actual sports news, without the biased league agenda

Forgot where I read it, but someone mentioned that real sports will go after the NFL and talk about concussions, but won't do the same for boxing since HBO is in bed with Boxing.

To be fair, I don't really watch the show, so I can't say if that is true or not.

 

[scottynguyen]

I remember when he tweeted "BOOM!!!" or something when someone at yahoo reported about the Auburn point shaving. Totally made me hate his guts. It's one thing to report a story. Another to celebrate breaking a story that could lead to some kid's possible demise.

Actually, now that I think of it...what happened about that? Kind of like the whole ESPN story on "wiretapping with the Saints" deal that quietly went away when it was declared untrue...or that Bernie Fine thing.

Here it is.

 

[billsin01]

Forgot where I read it, but someone mentioned that real sports will go after the NFL and talk about concussions, but won't do the same for boxing since HBO is in bed with Boxing.

To be fair, I don't really watch the show, so I can't say if that is true or not.

I wonder if part of that is because it's just been out there for so long that boxing is terrible for you long-term. You have so many boxers dealing with major issues. The NFL for a long time almost celebrated it's long-term injuries -- gimpy knees, arthritis, bad back -- as badges of honor for warriors. Then the concussion-related depression/alzheimer's stuff started coming up and it was no longer quaint.

I think somehow it's just a different story -- one sport is more or less about getting punched in the head and everyone subtly agreed that it probably wasn't the best idea for your long-term health. The other sport celebrates it's violence on one hand, but then spawned huge youth leagues all across america and grew into america's past-time, essentially. The reality of football is that it's pretty dangerous even at young ages and that's probably a story that wasn't really told for the past 25 years or more.

 

[chlywtr]

If that's a politcal statement--there is at least one other thread where it belongs.

If it isn't--just slap me with a flounder.

where would you like your flounder sent??

 

[Antiprodigy]

Rupert Murdoch envisions a replacement for ESPN.

 

[Czar]

I don't think you compete with ESPN by trying to beat ESPN at it's own game like what NBC said it tried or is trying (and failing miserably) to do. The only solution IMO is to just provide small, better 'niche' sports coverage and erode its base over time by exploiting the one thing everyone hates about ESPN - its overgeneralized coverage and disgraceful prioritization of drama over sports.

I don't see how you can say NBC has been failing already, or that they're trying to beat ESPN at their own game. NBC can't do anything about the current sports contracts, they can't compete until major ones come up (2014 is the earliest a Big 4 sport comes up) in the meantime, NBC launched a first strike against FOX and ESPN and took all Formula 1 and English Premier League broadcasts from them in the first contracts they could possibly get.

 

[djcon57]

I don't see how you can say NBC has been failing already, or that they're trying to beat ESPN at their own game. NBC can't do anything about the current sports contracts, they can't compete until major ones come up (2014 is the earliest a Big 4 sport comes up) in the meantime, NBC launched a first strike against FOX and ESPN and took all Formula 1 and English Premier League broadcasts from them in the first contracts they could possibly get.

Not happy about EPL.
Fox Soccer blows, but I NEED my Ian Darke fix

 

[Czar]

Not happy about EPL.
Fox Soccer blows, but I NEED my Ian Darke fix

Ian Darke is out of contract at the end of the year anyways, NBC will likely hire him.

 

[djcon57]

Ian Darke is out of contract at the end of the year anyways, NBC will likely hire him.

OOOH I didn't know that. Nice!

 

[armory]

I don't see how you can say NBC has been failing already, or that they're trying to beat ESPN at their own game. NBC can't do anything about the current sports contracts, they can't compete until major ones come up (2014 is the earliest a Big 4 sport comes up) in the meantime, NBC launched a first strike against FOX and ESPN and took all Formula 1 and English Premier League broadcasts from them in the first contracts they could possibly get.

Well, then I will await being proven wrong ... in the meantime I haven't been watching any NBC sportscasts nor been compelled to.

 

[Czar]

Well, then I will await being proven wrong ... in the meantime I haven't been watching any NBC sportscasts nor been compelled to.

There's really nothing right now due to hockey lockout. College Hockey though is fun. Doc Emrick is doing that for now during the lockout, and the Midwestern games are awesome.