RIP ESPN The Magazine

[Regan MacNeil]

Honestly, NFL Network's on-air coverage is better than ESPN's.

However, ESPN.com has some tremendous local and national NFL writers (and some shirtty ones); not much of a fan of NFL.com's written work.

 

[TigerVols]

Now I get SI as part of of Texture ($10 a month and you get 200 magazines). I never look at SI. I find it hard to believe my habits have changed that much but they have.

I love Texture but Apple has bought it and are killing it off for the most part. Damn.

 

[3_Octave_Fart]

I don't know about joy and admiration, but I recall a time in ESPN's lifespan when it very much did seem to decide which NFL players it would promote hard - overwhelmingly so - that there was no other way to view it than a joke.

Off the top of my head, I am referring to the post-Super Bowl, pre-Flacco Ray Lewis Ravens, Terrell Owens, Favre and Tony Romo.

Duly noted on the concussions, DD, and the league's pathetic, seemingly seasonal crises of conscience - Ray Rice, bullying, corporal punishment, kneelers, so on (and which ESPN covers while acting the part of a Greek chorus). I have become so disgusted with the onfield product that the era slips my mind.

 

[LanceyHoward]

I love Texture but Apple has bought it and are killing it off for the most part. Damn.

I still get my magazines from Texture on a Kindle Fire.

 

[Sports Barf]

Is The Undefeated next? I imagine they could keep cutting budget but keep it going for a while. With no print product, costs are mostly limited to personnel and rent (neither of which is insignificant).

I think if they cut it now ESPN would hear cries of racism on the vocal left that pollutes twitter

 

[Fran Curci]

I think if they cut it now ESPN would hear cries of racism on the vocal left that pollutes twitter

They'd hear about it, but I think they could take the heat, especially if they didn't kill it completely.

 

[Fran Curci]

ESPN is giving Undefeated EIC Kevin Merida another job, per Ourand, though he's still keeping his Undefeated gig:



Don't really know how to interpret that shuffling of jobs, other than to say I'm not sure the Undefeated has made any sort of impact. And with the NY Post report from a few months back about how ESPN isn't done cutting costs, I can't say I'm optimistic about its long-term prognosis.

You're right -- I have to think this is setting up Merida for a soft landing. I wonder if he'll have to move from D.C. to Bristol.

 

[CD Boogie]

Honestly, NFL Network's on-air coverage is better than ESPN's.

However, ESPN.com has some tremendous local and national NFL writers (and some shirtty ones); not much of a fan of NFL.com's written work.

They have Kay Adams and that's all ya need IMHO

 

[DanOregon]

We were warned.
Eagles linemen want to bust the 'O-line body' stigma

 

[Fredrick]

Asked the HS seniors in my classes today how many read a newspaper. Only one positive response: "My dad does."

Most do consume digital, but that can be anything.

Can you do a test and someday bring a newspaper to class, show them the sports section (2-3 pages probably, lol) and ask them, "If this picture and article package was a game story on our football team would you read it?" "If there was an article on you or one of your friends would you read it?" Or a family member? To me ... it would seem articles about people we know would always be of interest and a good sports section (at least in a medium or small town) would pretty much include a lot of names of people we know. Ask the kids if they would be interested in that.
That's wild these kids even know what a newspaper is if only one kid said his/her dad read the paper and nobody else read one.

 

[DanOregon]

Honestly worked at a paper that published youth soccer round-ups. It was like typing the phone book, but I was told "People subscribe because of this!" I knew we were doomed then - this wasn't a weekly, but a daily.

 

[Doc Holliday]

Can you do a test and someday bring a newspaper to class, show them the sports section (2-3 pages probably, lol) and ask them, "If this picture and article package was a game story on our football team would you read it?" "If there was an article on you or one of your friends would you read it?" Or a family member? To me ... it would seem articles about people we know would always be of interest and a good sports section (at least in a medium or small town) would pretty much include a lot of names of people we know. Ask the kids if they would be interested in that.
That's wild these kids even know what a newspaper is if only one kid said his/her dad read the paper and nobody else read one.

This may seem like a silly comment by our beloved Frederick. But dear Frederick actually has a good point.

A junior high football player came by my house tonight selling something that helps fund his school's football program. They do it every year and we buy one every year because we want to support them. So the kid starts talking to me, recognizing me as a sports writer. He asks me and I quote "What do I gotta do to get in the newspaper? Do I need to have a big game?" to which I responded yes, that would be a very good way to get in the paper. He said "Yeah, that's kind of what I thought. I gotta have a big game. I want to get in the newspaper!"

What struck me is the excitement the kid had in his eyes and voice. His eyes got big, his voice was excitable and he clearly meant every word of it. That kid wants in the newspaper. He's the quarterback. And he's planning on getting in the paper soon.

So make what you want of our beloved Frederick and his comments. But don't totally discount him either. There's some truth to what he's saying about this.