The rebirth of sports journalism

[Stevenson]

Starts on 1/1/2012...Versus is rebranded as the NBC Sport Network., espn will be related to the tmz of sports...looks like they have a pretty good head start.

bob ley was the only good thing left at espn, he is dead to me.

 

[PeteCalvin]

Bob Ley is a puppet, just like the rest. The real loss to that network was the death of Dick Schap. That guy got it and was a true sports journalist. The Walter Cronkite of sports.

 

[ljmilman]

The problem is that more and more I get the sense ESPN dictates the stances their employees are allowed to take.

 

[jcuse44]

The best was when schaap said that when Jim brown didn't win the heisman trophy...he decided to never vote for the heisman again. Cause it was a damn joke. He was the man, and was not afraid to do the right thing, even when it wasn't the popular choice.

 

[cliftonparksufan]

The problem is that more and more I get the sense ESPN dictates the stances their employees are allowed to take.

I don't watch ESPN that much anymore cause it's basically unwatchable. About the only decent person left is Jay Bilas. He's not the only one, but if I had to pick one as someone you respect, he would be it.

People say what they want about Mike Francesa. The thing I like about him is that he is not afraid to speak his mind. No doubt he has his downside, but his upside definitely outweighs it (no pun intended).

 

[ljmilman]

I don't watch ESPN that much anymore cause it's basically unwatchable. About the only decent person left is Jay Bilas. He's not the only one, but if I had to pick one as someone you respect, he would be it.

People say what they want about Mike Francesa. The thing I like about him is that he is not afraid to speak his mind. No doubt he has his downside, but his upside definitely outweighs it (no pun intended).

I agree on Bilas, he's great. Probably one of the people I'm so happy I follow on twitter.

As for Francesa, I loved him when he was paired with Chris Russo, they balanced each other pretty well. Now...yes, I respect that he says what he thinks, but I can't stand to listen to his arrogance.

 

[syr14]

i like scott van pelt and john buccigross. the rest of the anchors are pretty awful

 

[jekelish]

The best was when schaap said that when Jim brown didn't win the heisman trophy...he decided to never vote for the heisman again. Cause it was a damn joke. He was the man, and was not afraid to do the right thing, even when it wasn't the popular choice.

Did Schaap actually have a vote back then? Didn't he play lax against Brown? Schaap was definitely a keeper for Cornell, right? At the same time Jim Brown played at SU?

 

[Nate44]

I can't wait for nbc sports to get going, but unfortunately espn/abc will continue to have a stranglehold on live college sports broadcasts for the foreseeable future.

 

[cto]

Did Schaap actually have a vote back then? Didn't he play lax against Brown? Schaap was definitely a keeper for Cornell, right? At the same time Jim Brown played at SU?

Schaap did play keeper against Brown and SU, and he frequently told stories of what it was like (terrifying). Later, when he was invited to be a Heisman voter, he took the position of why he would not vote in the Heisman balloting.

He was really a great guy. I met him shortly before he went into the hospital (which he never left). We were randomly on the same flight out of Albany to NYC, and we got into a conversation at the airport; then the airport got shut down for weather. Everyone at the airport went to the Amtrak station because someone said a NYC-bound train was about to come through. Train was full, but someone recognized Dick and said he could board it. He said he would board it ONLY if they also let me on it. So we had a great chat all the way to NYC. He gave me his private phone number and said to call him whenever I wanted to go on set of The Sports Reporters. Sadly, i procrastinated, and soon he went into the hospital.

I know some of my stories make me sound like Zelig or Forrest Gump, but those here who know me, know they are all true. I have had an interesting life, to say the least.

 

[rrlbees]

Forrest Gump

Ha, you have a new nickname now.

 

[CJSyr]

I know some of my stories make me sound like Zelig

Are you a chameleon?