Opinions on ESPN

I don't get to see SportsCenter. ESPN might want to run it a couple of times in the morning.

 

I liked that their checks never bounced.

 

I like how they beat everyone to every scoop.

"ESPN has learned..."

 

How about put Around the Horn on primetime, where it belongs?

And ditch Pardon the Interruption.

Rachel Nichols as a SportsCenter anchor?

 

Thank god ESPN Classic stopped showing so many of those damn old games. Hello, they've already been played, so what's the point? I'm sure all true sports fans can agree that the poker, reality, and game shows are much better.

 

...from reading their competitor's website."

 

The good things about ESPN?

Nobody gives complete coverage of major sporting events better. And it is not even close. I think what ESPN does is special when it comes to the finals of the NBA or the Super Bowl.

I also think that Pardon the Int. and Around the Horn are good shows with enough information mixed with entertainment and fun to be worth watching every day.

Michael Wilbon is very intelligent, Woody Paige is funny and that hour just works.

I'm not crazy about some of Jim Rome's regulars -- like the one guy from Fox Andrew Siciliano -- but I do think Jim Rome is burning is watchable.

There are some good anchors even though the ones who seem to get ripped the most are the primary ones.

And I enjoyed some of the network's shows, like playmakers and the Junction Boys (though I hated the Bobby Knight one and this Bronx is burning is kind of a bore)

Things I dislike about ESPN ---

Stuart Scott is unwatchable as is Chris Berman and Linda Cohn and Skip Bayliss and the bald guy with the glasses and of course Stephen A. Smith.

The network some times tends to get too preachy with some of its stories and tries to hard to tug at heart strings far too often.

Sportscenter could be about half as long if it just cut out most of the "Who is Now" and "Budweiser Hot Seat" nonsense.

 

I did notice tonight that AP moved a NASCAR story where he, in part, rips ESPN and their coverage of him.

For giggles, I checked ESPN.com and I saw they ran the story - but omitted any reference to his criticism of the Worldwide Leader.

I used to think ESPN was going to be a beacon in the same regard as SI. Now, not so much. The whole "Who's Now" stuff just is the latest in the line of poor decisions on their part.

 

I've mentioned this before among SportsJournalists.com friends -- why does Stuart Scott always have a football in his hand when he talks about football? Is it a prop? Would you pay less attention if he wasn't holding a football?

I've also noticed Mark Schlereth's tendency to refer to any NFL organization as a "football team," and every person on the field and in the action as a "football player," and he does it as many times as he can. The use of the word "football" as a disclaimer on a program that talks about nothing but the NFL seems rather redundant, and quite annoying.

Oh yeah, and while I'm at it (sorry, had a couple drinks post-work this evening) the whole "Who's now?" thing is obnoxious, except for Jessica Biel and Erin Andrews as commentators.

And another thing -- how much time and money will ESPN waste following Barry Bonds (and getting shots of Selig before every Bonds at-bat) before they realize the first game they're not tat for live coverage, he's going to tie/break Aaron's record?

Phew. I'm spent.

 

jay - quit fucking with keith. he wanted honest answers.

 

Oh. I like Sports Center.

 

I like how ESPN broadcasts the spelling bee and treats it like a sport. Because, you know, little Cindy works just as hard at spelling as the football players do at football.