ESPN pay cuts?

Things were so much better back in the day - when there was a TV channel that showed sports from even further back in the day.

But, there is this thing called YouTube - amazing what you can find. I've mentioned watching a 1974 game between the Raiders and Cowboys that I attended as a kid. Seeing the TV broadcast - there was no VHS or DVD then - was like a time machine for me - let alone the players who played in that thing. Even better than Classic, would be a website featuring games, and allowing modified comments - like a live chat - where people could comment on everything from the size of the shoulder pads, memories of old players, the announcers - even the graphics packages.

 

Wouldn't there be issues about rights fees?

 

Bitter, I went back and watched stuff I taped off ESPN Classic in 1999 ("Thanks for the Memories, Barry (Sanders)" - six hours of Lions highlight videos)). And I think I got my answer.

The commercials are not exactly the cream of the crop. Some Matthew Lesko, a lot of Tom Emansky and those Ronnie Milsap cassette tapes they were always trying to give away for some absurdly low price.

So, like newspapers, looks like ESPN couldn't get the ad people to drive an awesome all-round product.

 

Oh, but seeing the old ads that broadcast sports ran - MillerLite, DutchMasters, various shaving cream ads with hot young things.....

 

I’ll sometimes scan YouTube for old SportsCenter or Baseball Tonight episodes. I’d watch old Sports Reporters or some of their trivia shows, too, if they were around. I wonder if ESPN could throw those past broadcasts on ESPN+. SportsCenter probably not because of highlights to sports it doesn’t have rights to, but there’s a lot of archival original programming that would be fun to fire up at one’s convenience.

 

Dan, the channels to which I subscribe do not show commercials as they tend to be a quick route to demonetization. But yes, I want all the old spots too, especially WWOR.

 

Found this great YouTube clip last night after being referred to GodzillaRocks channel. All kinds of old stuff there ...

EDIT: It's "Super Bowl II Highlights," Packers over Raiders. I'll leave the post up for the link. Great trip back in time.

 

Here’s another show I loved with an announcer I loved: Warner Fusell (RIP)

 

https://www.nexttv.com/news/weekly-cable-ratings-espn-dominates-field-during-christmas-week

 

I miss the home run derby show from the '50's and filmed at the other Wrigley Field. Also, Firestone.

 

They also showed reruns of The Baseball Bunch.