ESPN = Wal-Mart

Goes without saying, slappy.

 

CNN/SI?

 

Touche.

Most.

 

Other than situating itself in a god-forsaken outpost I don't see much similarity. Though if ESPN did drive a number of newspapers (or at least their sports sections) into the the ground, it wouldn't be any different than the corporations that have gobbled up actual mom n' pop operations. News corporations can compete with ESPN, that they choose not to isn't ESPN's problem.

 

Wal-Mart has better prices on old DVDs.

ESPN has Erin Andrews.

Edge: ESPN.

 

But Lou Holtz would be a great WalMart Greeter.

"Hey how ya doing young man?!"

 

Wal-Mart has a fine selection of candy and other snack foods.

ESPN has Stuart Scott.

Edge: Wal-Mart

 

Wal-Mart: Imports cheap goods from China.
ESPN: Imports underpaid talent from newspaper sports departments.

Advantage: ESPN.

 

Yeah, but CNN/SI tried starting up AFTER the WWL had been established for quite some time. If a mom and pop store opens down the street from Wal-Mart and can't cut it, that's not Wal-Mart's doing: That's failure to generate your own business.

 

I dunno 'bout everybody else, but that got a chuckle out of me

Actually, as I was looking at the stuff about Reilly/Patrick, it occurred to me that we may all may eventually work for ESPN, and the phrase, "they're trying to take over the world" did come to mind. When they've got 10-year-olds in Bangladesh writing "This is SportsCenter" commercials for 35 cents a day, then I'll buy the Wal-Mart analogy.

 

I'd love to be a greeter.

"Good morning, welcome to ESPN."

"Good morning, welcome to ESPn."

"Good morning, welcome to Esmnbn."

"Good morning, welcome to hell."