Jason Whitlock vs. Maria Taylor and Katie Nolan

There’s a reason kids like the circus and grownups don’t. Once you’ve seen the elephant stand on 2 feet and play with a beach ball the novelty wears off and you’re off to see Stephen A. The Dog Faced Man or Lydia The Tattooed Lady

 

That is a very good point.

 

Yes and no, like many other things I suppose.

If Al Michaels or Joe Buck or, now, Tony Romo is on an NFL game, I'll be more likely to watch. Same for Gus Johnson with college basketball.

When it was Tess/Booger last two years on MNF, I watched the Spanish version. Seriously. I would rather amuse myself with a language that I DID NOT UNDERSTAND rather than listen to those two.

And, yes, if I know Maria Taylor is sideline reporting, I may stick around until halftime. If she's anchoring, I may watch the halftime show a little longer.

This isn't just a male-watching-females-on-TV thing either. There's a reason that many "Ken Doll"-types are news anchors as well. People attracted to men like watching good-looking men on TV as well. Those viewers just aren't as obnoxious as dudes watching female anchors.

 

exmediahack, I remember when Dave Marash was the first host of Baseball Tonight, so I know looks haven't always been a qualifying factor.

Plain-Jane Rich Eisen (at least in the looks/charm department) is made the Berman of a huge new network and fans stoop to weight-shame Holly Rowe.

I loved listening to Dick Enberg call a game - it was like chicken soup for the soul - and that's the only announcer I can think of making that exception for.

 

Listen to this picture.

 

I would get excited to hear Charlie Jones call a AFC West clash....mainly because it meant I was getting an out of market game.

 

If JW put half as much effort into his “job” as do the targets of his harangues, he might still be earning a dependable paycheck.

The evident lack of self-examination and self-feedback among prominent TV/radio talent is appalling and surprising. I remember listening on the radio, many years ago, to a now-deceased MLB play-by-play announcer who used the word “raw” to describe the playing conditions during a game … again, and again, and again, and again … FIND ANOTHER WORD! Maybe @exmediahack or @Elliotte Friedman can answer … Is there a palpable "I've made it” switch that is triggered once people reach a certain threshold?

For U.S. broadcasts of this year’s Stanley Cup playoffs, I’m not sure which is worse … the mispronunciations of the one guy, the contrived and forced - but not cliché! (yet probably culturally offensive) - phrases of another, or the nearly monotone, ticker-tape recitation of action we can all see of the third guy. Give me Levy and Melrose any day.

I’ll watch an effin’ Martian if it/he/she/they is comfortable in front of the camera and provides me some information.

 

wut

VIDEO: Jason Whitlock Testifies Before House Judiciary Committee

 

The higher up you get, the more safe you’ll play it unless you’re one of the few who makes F-U money or has a brand that will get you immediately hired elsewhere.

Twenty years ago, when I was in sports making a princely 31k a year, I was very out there. High energy. Creative writing and delivery. No cliches. None. I ran a circus every night and loved it.

Big market news director said to me: What’s the most popular flavor of ice cream? Vanilla. You do a fantastic pineapple sherbet. One of the best I’ve ever seen. But vanilla is in everyone’s top three.

All these years later, I try and keep the energy and the writing sharp and cliche-free. But there is value to vanilla.

 

Ignorant buffoon.Twitter and Facebook exist for right wing but jobs to extol conspiracy theories and lies. And all complaints are met with that their lies are not in violation of community standards.

And the elephant in the room is that but for being black, Jason would never have been a national name.

 

A puppet of the right wing screech machine, directed by international media criminal Rupert Murdoch, crying about media manipulation. Whitlock is a Stepin Fetchit on the Murdoch plantation.