ESPN sucks, so do thread closers

[Vern Gagne 0]

Brian Hutson won season one.

[Open the Muggy Gate 0]

That Red Sox/Yankees sportscenter commercial is one of the best ones they've done in a long time. Wally's reaction was priceless.

[RonL21 0]

That Red Sox/Yankees sportscenter commercial is one of the best ones they've done in a long time. Wally's reaction was priceless.

[TheDevilAndGodAreRagingInsideMe 0]

I was trying to think of anything on ESPN that we actually still like any more.

 

I personally still enjoy Outside the Lines, the Sports Reporters (Non-S.A.S. editions), and PTI.

[Cheech Tremendous 0]

I think that Doug Gottlieb is quickly becoming my least favorite personality on the network. I can handle hopeless stupidity (Steve Phillips) and I can put up with dickheads (Jay Mariotti). But if you're going to clueless AND a prick, that's just going too far.

[Guest Queen Leelee]

Agreed. I don't know why they've spread Gottlieb to all sports. He's fine with college basketball (outside of the usual ESPN forcing you to say stupid, outlandish shit). The rest, he knows nothing.

[Guest Queen Leelee]

Things I still like about ESPN:

 

PTI (Only with Tony and Wilbon, though. Or a rare good replacement like Tirico. And only when Tony isn't completely ignorant about a subject, and when Wilbon isn't being a race-baiting ass.)

 

ESPNEWS (when they're showing highlights.)

 

Their college basketball coverage is still really good.

 

They're working with Tennis Channel to show lots of quality tennis, which is as surprising as anything. Although ESPN's coverage is still horrendous, and most of the announcers need to die. Especially, P. McEnroe.

 

NFL Matchup (well, was, assuming Jaws won't be doing that show anymore.)

 

Brian Kenny (who I'll say for the millionth time is way too good to be on ESPN, and must be pulling his hair out working with such twits.)

[Black Lushus 0]

well hopefully Jaws brings the goods to MNF...we have at least ONE game to watch this upcoming season, Leena, so we'll see

[Vern Gagne 0]

Things I like.

 

Peter Gammons-

 

Kirk Herbstreit

[Guest Queen Leelee]

Yes, Gammons is also good. I never see him on anymore, as Baseball Tonight is unwatchable.

[Vern Gagne 0]

They'd rather have on Dusty and Kruk do the Yankees/Red Sox game from the studio.

[Broward83 0]

So how the fuck does A-Rod hitting two homers in a losing fucking effort make the number 1 play of the night, but a fuckin game-winning grand slam from Biggio doesn't even make the fucking Top 10?

 

Bullshit.

[Dobbs 3K 0]

So how the fuck does A-Rod hitting two homers in a losing fucking effort make the number 1 play of the night, but a fuckin game-winning grand slam from Biggio doesn't even make the fucking Top 10?

 

Bullshit.

 

I think ESPN forgot the NL Central exists.

[CanadianChris 0]

ESPN doesn't acknowledge Houston's existence except when Roger Clemens is on the team or rumoured to rejoin.

[Hawk 34 0]

So how the fuck does A-Rod hitting two homers in a losing fucking effort make the number 1 play of the night, but a fuckin game-winning grand slam from Biggio doesn't even make the fucking Top 10?

 

Bullshit.

 

I think ESPN forgot the NL Central exists.

 

It's Craig Biggio. He's played an entire career in anonymity. Of course ESPN knows the NL Central exists. Can't miss that in-depth coverage of the annual Cubs calamity and them gushing for Hamilton.

[TheDevilAndGodAreRagingInsideMe 0]

Watching the Yanks/Sawx recap on 'Newz earlier today.

 

Praise A-Rod for his two bombs. Then he lines out in the top of the 9th. "A-Rod can't come through in the 9th once again"

 

Are. you. kidding. me.

[RonL21 0]

Things I still like about ESPN:

 

PTI (Only with Tony and Wilbon, though. Or a rare good replacement like Tirico. And only when Tony isn't completely ignorant about a subject, and when Wilbon isn't being a race-baiting ass.)

 

ESPNEWS (when they're showing highlights.)

 

Their college basketball coverage is still really good.

 

They're working with Tennis Channel to show lots of quality tennis, which is as surprising as anything. Although ESPN's coverage is still horrendous, and most of the announcers need to die. Especially, P. McEnroe.

 

NFL Matchup (well, was, assuming Jaws won't be doing that show anymore.)

 

Brian Kenny (who I'll say for the millionth time is way too good to be on ESPN, and must be pulling his hair out working with such twits.)

I thought I was the only one...

 

I get a kick out of it when his interviewing people and he doesnt understand or agree with the answer....He has that tone in voice that's priceless...Like that's exactly how I would react....I hope that makes sense cause it's hard to explain...But yea..he's probably the best on the network....Lend him to HBO for De La Hoya/Mayweather...

[cabbageboy 0]

I think ESPN has hurt baseball's overall popularity. They focus way too much on this Red Sox/Yankees stuff to the point where those teams are the only ones who can draw money and ratings. Thus if you get an ALCS like Oakland vs. Detroit or White Sox vs. Angels those series attract little interest.

 

In the NL if it's not the Cubs, Dodgers, or Mets it might as well not exist.

[TheDevilAndGodAreRagingInsideMe 0]

If you say 'Joe Morgan' three times in your mirror, Joe Morgan will appear and slowly torture you to death by saying idiotic things.

[Guest Richard McBeef]

Guess what, "cabbageboy," nobody gave a flying fuck about the White Sox or the Angels before Baseball Tonight went on the air, either. You have it backward: ESPN's coverage isn't the cause of some teams being non-factors, it's an effect. How do you propose that they devote more coverage to the White Sox? It's a team with a blowhard manager, a blowhard catcher, and an largely uncompelling supporting cast. Five-sixths of Chicagoland doesn't care about the White Sox. Why would America? Though I agree that Red Sox-Yankees does get too much focus and may cause a backlash, you do have to remember that it makes the most sense to cover these teams. Yankees, Red Sox, Cubs, Dodgers, Mets, Braves, Cardinals. These are the teams that matter. That's just how it is.

 

Furthermore, attendance has been steadily on the rise throughout the major leagues over the last several years, so your argument that ESPN's failure to care about Jon Garland and Dallas MacPherson has hurt the health of the sport is, with all due respect, a big hot pile of horseshit.

[Bored 0]

I agree it's ludicrous to say ESPN hurts baseball's populartiy but I personally can't watch a Yankees/Red Sox game because of ESPN. Can't watch a Duke/North Carolina basketball game either. The hype they give those two rivalries go beyond nauseating levels.

[Dobbs 3K 0]

I just rarely watch ESPN, so it doesn't hinder or enhance my enjoyment of baseball one way or the other.

[USC Wuz Robbed! 0]

Guess what, "cabbageboy," nobody gave a flying fuck about the White Sox or the Angels before Baseball Tonight went on the air, either. You have it backward: ESPN's coverage isn't the cause of some teams being non-factors, it's an effect. How do you propose that they devote more coverage to the White Sox? It's a team with a blowhard manager, a blowhard catcher, and an largely uncompelling supporting cast. Five-sixths of Chicagoland doesn't care about the White Sox. Why would America? Though I agree that Red Sox-Yankees does get too much focus and may cause a backlash, you do have to remember that it makes the most sense to cover these teams. Yankees, Red Sox, Cubs, Dodgers, Mets, Braves, Cardinals. These are the teams that matter. That's just how it is.

 

Furthermore, attendance has been steadily on the rise throughout the major leagues over the last several years, so your argument that ESPN's failure to care about Jon Garland and Dallas MacPherson has hurt the health of the sport is, with all due respect, a big hot pile of horseshit.

 

This is true. The White Sox gets no love from most of Chicago. They are too dysfunctional and abrasive. The only time people in Chicago cares about them are when they are making a postseason run.

 

Though as the Cubs continue to suck the meat missile, their status should be downgraded to regional favorites only.

[Guest Richard McBeef]

No chance of that with the current roster and impending sale. They'll keep getting coverage. I don't see the popularity of the team dwindling, either. I mean, they're the Chicago Cubs.

 

Re: White Sox coverage, I wish they'd talk more about the team than just Ozzie Guillen, but alas.

[USC Wuz Robbed! 0]

That's true. Even though I don't like the Cubs, I hope they get a better owner who legitimately loves the game and knows how/who to hire the right people to build a real contender. After watching the Golden State/Dallas game, I'm now not entirely sure it should be Cuban.

 

And as for Guillen, when you have a manager that acts larger than life (albeit negatively), the coverage is going to always be on him, as opposed to the "boring" team players.

[Guest Richard McBeef]

My bet is still on Bill Murray and/or Steve Stone with a bunch of comparatively anonymous millionaires in the area. All-important local ownership*, and who can say no to Murray and Stoney?

 

*The importance of local ownership isn't always such a good thing, despite what Bud may tell you. Peter Angelos is local. Bill Wirtz is local.

[Dobbs 3K 0]

I hate that kind of talk. The White Sox have been an exciting team the last couple years. But they don't get attention so they're lambasted as "boring, abbrasive, blah blah blah..." We'd much rather talk about A-Rod striking out in the ninth inning, or finding out what Dice-K had for lunch, I guess.

[Slayer 0]

The only exciting thing about the White Sox is Guillen

[Guest Richard McBeef]

I hate that kind of talk. The White Sox have been an exciting team the last couple years. But they don't get attention so they're lambasted as "boring, abbrasive, blah blah blah..." We'd much rather talk about A-Rod striking out in the ninth inning, or finding out what Dice-K had for lunch, I guess.

The fuck are you saying? They are boring and abrasive. If you didn't grow up south of Roosevelt Rd., there's no way on Earth you could possibly like that team. From ownership down to players, all anybody does on that team is bitch and start petty shit. What's been exciting?

[cabbageboy 0]

Okay, if the White Sox have such a douchebag manager and are such assholes...cast them as a heel. The NBA had no problem making the Detroit Pistons a heel that kept MJ from the promised land, then later had no problem doing the same with the Knicks. Of course the problem there is who exactly would the White Sox be holding down or have as a rival? It'd just be the Red Sox and Yankees.

 

There are several factors that may have lead to a rise in attendance. After the 1994 strike attendance was bleh for a few years until the home run chase in 1998. Combine a renewed interest with new state of the art ballparks to replace the run down parks and it's easy to see how attendance improved at a local level.

 

But what about the rest of the country that casually follows MLB? ESPN and the media in general force feed the constant "Sox! Yankees!" talk until any postseason series not involving one of those two teams is met with apathy, even a series with two old guard teams like St. Louis and Detroit. If that World Series was in the 1980s for instance it would have drawn much bigger ratings because people hadn't been so brainwashed by this Sox and Yankees hype.