Soccer Fans Aren't the Only Ones Upset With ESPN

Discussion in 'Business and Media' started by helmet, Jul 22, 2004.

  1. boffo

    boffo Member

    Aug 6, 2001
    Portland, ME
    Man, he nailed it. I was sorry to see CNNSI fizzle a few years ago, not because it was any good, but because I hoped it would keep ESPN somewhat honest. Fox is hopeless in that regard, and the role of Disney has gotten worse each day with the insipid original films and reality shows ESPN has now (and reruns constantly). For the same reasons, I mourned Classic Sports when ESPN bought it. (Those old roller derbies and pro wrestling bouts were a hoot!) As if the 2001 Chik-Fil-A Peach Bowl is a classic by any definition...
     
  2. therealronaldo7

    therealronaldo7 New Member

    Apr 14, 2004
    Chicago
    I just read that ESPN is showing, "Happy Gilmore" tonight. This is on ESPN regular, not ESPN2 or ESPN Classic. If ESPN is turning to movies in primetime, things are looking bad. Next thing you know ESPN will have an ESPN Movie Network with all sports movies.
     
  3. monster

    monster Member

    Oct 19, 1999
    Hanover, PA
    Club:
    DC United
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    1. If people didn't watch those kind of things, they wouldn't play them.

    b. I rarely watch ESPN except for soccer. I manage to keep up with the sports world. People greatly overstate ESPN's importance in the world.

    iii. While I agree with many of his points, he's also trying to call attention away from them and onto him. That's what a good columnist does. Wouldn't be surprised if he's lining up interviews on Sporting News Radio, Fox stations, etc., etc., etc.
     
  4. OldFanatic

    OldFanatic Member

    Jan 12, 2004
    Bay Area
    Club:
    San Jose Earthquakes
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    ESPN should merge with MTV and show some pseudo sports-music-movie type mixture all day long. Viewers could only vaguely tell which one of the 3 they're watching.
     
  5. writered21

    writered21 Member+

    Jul 14, 2001
    Middle of the Road
    Club:
    DC United
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    ESPNnews is interviewing Danny Szetela right now.

    ESPN hates soccer.
     
  6. ElJefe

    ElJefe Moderator
    Staff Member

    Feb 16, 1999
    Colorful Colorado
    Club:
    FC Dallas
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    The columnist is right. ESPN has turned into mostly crap.

    But I don't really care all that much. I've got my DVR. I record PTI and whatever game I might want to see, and don't bother with ESPN otherwise. I avoid the schlock. If absolutely gotta have a score or some highlights right now, I'll tune into ESPNEWS for a half-hour, and I'm done with it. If I don't watch the schlock, I don't get bothered by it.

    However, I'm a bit tired of media people saying, "Well, if people didn't watch it..." You know what, that rationalization is a bit gutless and abdicates any responsibility towards what you're putting out there. Which is horsecrap, considering that ESPN or Fox or whoever is making the decision whether or not to show high-quality programming or lowest-common-denominator crap. It's your choice whether you want to be the New York Times or the National Enquirer.

    ESPN can do what they like. But don't try to make me think that they're just slaves to the whims of the masses.
     
  7. bostonsoccermdl

    bostonsoccermdl Moderator
    Staff Member

    Apr 3, 2002
    Denver, CO
    As annoying as ESPN can be with some of its personalities and repetitiveness (ie the rehashing and obsessing with Sosa's corked bat for 3 weeks, non-stop), it is slowly getting better with soccer coverage..

    I just wish they wouldnt call themselves the "worldwide leader in sports" when they have such a narrow focuslist, and are everything but...
     
  8. therealronaldo7

    therealronaldo7 New Member

    Apr 14, 2004
    Chicago
    I was actually surprised that ESPNews had the Euro 2004 scores on the "bottom line" at the bottom of the screen. In addition ESPNews interviewed Tommy Smyth everyday during the Euros. Now that is ESPNews, not ESPN.
     
  9. afgrijselijkheid

    Dec 29, 2002
    mokum
    Club:
    AFC Ajax
    here... this might go nicely with your chardonnay

    [​IMG]
     
  10. edogg

    edogg Member

    Jul 7, 2004
    Philadelphia
    Club:
    Real Madrid
    Nat'l Team:
    Croatia
    And how much poker can you show? It is getting ridiculous
     
  11. Professor B

    Professor B Member

    Oct 13, 2000
    Grundy, VA
    I was always under the impression that "what the masses wanted to watch" was only one part of the ESPN programming equation. It seems to me that "what ESPN can get or produce for cheap" was as important as "what the masses wanted to watch."

    A live sports broadcast might get more viewers than yet another talk show, maybe not though, but it is definitely true that yet another talk show is cheaper to produce.

    So, if the advertising revenues are similar or close, the cheaper to produce/acquire program gets the nod.

    Professor B
     
  12. superdave

    superdave Member+

    Jul 14, 1999
    VB, VA
    Club:
    DC United
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    http://www.salon.com/news/sports/col/kaufman/2004/07/23/friday/index1.html

    I like King's writing alot, and here's what he says about the column.

    I'm not trying to be a smartass, just asking...what is the ratings trend for the ESPN family?

    Cuz, you know, it's possible for an industry to make stupid decisions. Look at music. They pushed boy bands on us because they sell. But guess what? They have no longevity, so the money spent promoting them doesn't create lasting revenue. A record company would be much better off trying to sign the next Bob Dylan or U2 or even Pink Floyd, to balance the "here today gone tomorrow" acts, because Bob Dylan's records for Columbia in the 60s are still a serious profit center.

    And look at radio...Clear Channel is struggling, because they did the "smart thing" to get people to listen. But over the long haul, they weren't creating music fans, and now music radio is in serious trouble.
     
  13. kenntomasch

    kenntomasch Member+

    Sep 2, 1999
    Out West
    Club:
    FC Tampa Bay Rowdies
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    This paragraph is confusing to me. If they got rid of Aldridge, then that plays into the theme of his story, but makes the paragraph incorrect. If they got rid of Smith, as it seems he's saying, the paragraph is correct but that doesn't play into his theme of Bad ESPN.
     
  14. pupusa3000

    pupusa3000 Member

    May 15, 2001
    East Bay Area
    I think he's saying that they let go of Aldridge, in which plays into his story because Smith is the load mouth obnoxious guy.
     
  15. guamster

    guamster Member+

    Mar 30, 2001
    Winnetka, CA
    Club:
    --other--
    Nat'l Team:
    Guam
    I believe that is what he INTENDED to say but his choice of words says otherwise:

    The one they let go was not the guy who actually made sense and does not harm your ears (i.e. Aldridge). In other words, he seems to be saying that the guy who does not make sense and is harmful to the ears (i.e. Smith) was released by ESPN.

    He should have worded it:

    Guess which one they just decided to keep? Hint: It wasn't the guy who actually makes sense and doesn't harm your ears.

    OR

    Guess which one they just let go? Hint: It wasn't the guy who actually makes no sense and does harm your ears.
     
  16. pupusa3000

    pupusa3000 Member

    May 15, 2001
    East Bay Area
    oh... I see now.
     
  17. (TxT)

    (TxT) Member+

    Jun 9, 2004
    Tampa, FL
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I used to be a huge fan of SportsCenter but after last months obsession with the Lakers I just stopped watching. 50% of their shows were devoted to the Lakers which is ridiculous. The only time I watch ESPN now is Around the Horn, PTI, during football season, soccer, when ever my favorite teams are on, and hockey play-offs; other than that I use the internet or FSW Report.
     
  18. kenntomasch

    kenntomasch Member+

    Sep 2, 1999
    Out West
    Club:
    FC Tampa Bay Rowdies
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    So they did get rid of Aldridge? How stupid is that?

    And did ESPN's David Aldridge confirm that ESPN had let David Aldridge go?
     
  19. mpruitt

    mpruitt Member

    Feb 11, 2002
    E. Somerville
    Club:
    New England Revolution
    Since when did they of Aldredge too? Unless he's in some reduced capacity. Aldredge can be a little dry on air but the guy is the Peter Gammons of basketball. Just an incrediable reporting talent who knows TONS about the game. Stephen A. Smith literally makes me turn off the channel. I'm not one of these guys who gets worked up about announcers or broadcasters. But the whole Angry Arrogant Black Man schtick he pulls makes me sick. Way to put a guy on the air and allow or encourage him to play into every negative stereotype of the young urban black male. I'm always waiting for him to say something like **********H PLEAZE DAT BITCH BE CRAZY!!!

    For me it was blatently clear that ESPN turned a bad corner when they started felling broadcasters from Fox Sports Net and the Best Damned Sports Show Period. Although, I like what they've done with the revamp of HD Sportscenter, and OTL Nightly.
     
  20. skipshady

    skipshady New Member

    Apr 26, 2001
    Orchard St, NYC
    Odd, isn't it? DA is still one of the featured writers on ESPN.com's NBA homepage, and he just put out a 3-part review rating offseason moves of all 30 NBA teams, a pretty big assignment to give to a lame duck columnist, no? Not to mention the live chat he hosted on Wednesday.
    And when ESPN severs relatioinship with a talent, they usually give the complete Trotsky treatment.

    I have a sneaking suspicion that the reports of Aldridge's being let go are greatly exaggerated.
     
  21. astabooty

    astabooty Member

    Nov 16, 2002
    China
    Club:
    FC Barcelona
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    this guy hit it.
    like mtv, espn has consistently furthered itself from what made it great and is trying too hard to become entertainment (in a different sense).
    dream job, these espn shorts, the hot seat, fact or fiction, around the horn, stump the schwab, the show they had which was a trivia contest, espys, the college football movie (the something boys?), etc.

    sportscenter used to be my fav show, now it is sh¡t. the problem is, there is no alternative.
     
  22. Kryptonite

    Kryptonite Fancy Title Here

    Apr 10, 1999
    Columbus
    Club:
    Columbus Crew
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I doubt that.

    In the fall, they'll be back to showing NFL on Sunday nights, NBA on Friday and whatever else night, college football on saturdays, and hopefully NHL other nights.

    Plus baseball will continue on espn until their season is done.
     
  23. geordienation

    geordienation Moderator

    Apr 21, 2001
    Chicago
    Club:
    Newcastle United FC
    Aldridge is still at ESPN.

    I sense a bit of sour grapes over the Stephen A. Smith thing, as he's another NBA print guy in the Knight-Ridder chain, but that's me.

    I've got no problem with ESPN, but then again I like poker. It's entertaining and what the hell else are you gonna show on Tuesday nights in the summer? Major League Lacrosse?
     
  24. kenntomasch

    kenntomasch Member+

    Sep 2, 1999
    Out West
    Club:
    FC Tampa Bay Rowdies
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    ESPN hates lacrosse.
     

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