ESPN sucks, so do thread closers

[Dobbs 3K 0]

Hasn't the poker fad finally died off yet? It's on like four or five different cable channels. Enough already.

[TheDevilAndGodAreRagingInsideMe 0]

Earlier today I saw that '82 Cal/Stanford: The Play was on ESPN Classic...

[hyperchord24 0]

Hasn't the poker fad finally died off yet? It's on like four or five different cable channels. Enough already.

No way. Poker is HUGE. Everybody . . . and I mean everybody at my work plays it, follows it, and talks about it. It's not going anywhere . . . yet.

[snuffbox 0]

ESPN aired the first in a string of three afternoons of Muhammed Ali fights today. Much better than the usual poker and retired benchwarmers acting like football experts.

[alfdogg 0]

Something I've just recently noticed...is Tom Tolbert still with ESPN? I don't believe I've heard him do a game this year. I'd be disappointed if he was gone. Jon Barry tries, but it's not quite the same as Walton and Tolbert. Though I did laugh at his "Yeah, well, I got traded for Alaa Abdelnaby!" line.

[Guest Princess Leena]

I'm sure I've seen Tolbert on ESPNEWS sometime this year. I think he's been reduced to the 3rd team of announcers, which won't be needed for a while.

[Craig Th 0]

Hasn't the poker fad finally died off yet? It's on like four or five different cable channels. Enough already.

No way. Poker is HUGE. Everybody . . . and I mean everybody at my work plays it, follows it, and talks about it. It's not going anywhere . . . yet.

Ratings are down everywhere. The Main Event did alright this year, but not as well as the past few years.

[CanadianChris 0]

Hasn't the poker fad finally died off yet? It's on like four or five different cable channels. Enough already.

No way. Poker is HUGE. Everybody . . . and I mean everybody at my work plays it, follows it, and talks about it. It's not going anywhere . . . yet.

Ratings are down everywhere. The Main Event did alright this year, but not as well as the past few years.

Considering a gigantic douche won it, I'm not surprised.

 

Ratings are only going to get worse -- the US government outlawed bank transactions funding online gambling in the last session, and a lot of the online poker rooms barred Americans from playing, including the largest one. Interest is going to really die down in the next few months, I think.

[Guest Princess Leena]

It was already dying down, though. Well, at least TV viewing. Probably because it was so oversaturated, combined with the absolute WORST possible kind of guy winning the WSOP.

[C Dubya 04 0]

They also put way too many shows of just regular not good players on tv. If I'm ever going to watch poker on tv (which I don't have much desire to do) I want to see good players and see what they do. Not other amateurs making the same mistakes I make.

 

I like the one on the GSN (I think) where it's the high stakes game funded by their own money. That one interests me a lot more than watching a bunch of random people throw money into a pot and hope to get lucky.

[MFer 0]

On the travel channel they have the World Poker Tour, which has pretty much all the best players. But yeah, I hate Jamie Gold. He's the poster child for douchebagism. I would love to play in the WSOP someday though.

[The Man in Blak 0]

Not to derail this too much, but the only real watchable poker show anymore is High Stakes Poker on GSN and, consequently, I think it's the only one that has remained fairly unscathed from the drop in ratings.

 

The rest are steadily devolving into pure shit. The WPT and WSOP coverage (especially the Main Event) is completely dedicated to pre-flop all-ins and idiots sucking out on ridiculous crap because, supposedly, the casual viewer likes watching regular joes hit three-outers over and over again.

 

You can certainly blame ESPN for part of the decline, as they've been their own worst enemy as far as saturation is concerned, but they aren't the only ones pushing it out there (Fox Sports) and the quality of TV poker, in general, has gone south in a hurry, due to clueless TV producers and exponentially growing tournament fields.

 

All of that said, poker is extremely cheap to produce - you hire a couple of guys to work a steadycam, you create some simple HUDs for the cards, and pay little or no broadcasting rights - so ESPN can still turn a profit on it, even when the ratings are in decline. I doubt we'll see it go anywhere any time soon.

[Guest Princess Leena]

I understand that poker is cheap to produce. But, there's no reason to replay it as much as they do. Half the nights I go through the ESPN channels, there's old poker on at least 2 of their channels.

[Guest A.BUTCHER'S HOUSE OF RIBS]

I have to give ESPN credit they show an awful lot of college hoops.

[Red Baron 0]

The World Poker Tour was at the Fallsview Casino in Niagara Falls last month.

 

It was damn popular (and expensive to play as well).

[The Man in Blak 0]

I understand that poker is cheap to produce. But, there's no reason to replay it as much as they do. Half the nights I go through the ESPN channels, there's old poker on at least 2 of their channels.

 

Rating numbers. Judging by the abrupt program switch on ESPN Classic, I'm guessing that they're desperate to drive up numbers (or cut costs, depending on how much they have to pay to air that old footage). Poker, even in a declined state of popularity, will still probably outdraw certain college basketball matchups or other "lesser" sporting events (such as hockey) and that's why they'll air it on those evening time slots.

[2GOLD 0]

How many times can the ESPN announcers say, "How is that not drafting Reggie Bush working out huh Houston?!?!"

Like Reggie has redefined the position this year and Mario has done nothing. We get it ESPN, you really loved Reggie Bush.

 

31 tackles and 4.5 sacks is a pretty good rookie season, especially leading the team in sacks. He'll be in the top five for the defensive rookie of the year.

 

In other words, shut up ESPN.

[Vampiro69 0]

How many times can the ESPN announcers say, "How is that not drafting Reggie Bush working out huh Houston?!?!"

Like Reggie has redefined the position this year and Mario has done nothing. We get it ESPN, you really loved Reggie Bush.

 

31 tackles and 4.5 sacks is a pretty good rookie season, especially leading the team in sacks. He'll be in the top five for the defensive rookie of the year.

 

In other words, shut up ESPN.

 

Word.

[Guest Princess Leena]

But, Reggie stretches the field for Marques Colston. Or something.

[Hawk 34 0]

If anything ESPN should praise Houston for not taking Bush. Otherwise, Bush would be stuck on a dead end team that doesn't show much long term hope. Bush landed in a perfect situation with New Orleans and made it even better for his standing.

[naiwf 0]

I'm already sick of the Tony Romo hype.

[Open the Muggy Gate 0]

ESPN is homo for Romo.

[Rendclaw 0]

Even though it drags out way too damned long, I like Poker Superstars. High Stakes Poker is #1 in my book, because you see most of the players more relaxed.

 

And I don;t care how oversaturated it is, I will never, ever, EVER get tired of watching assholes like Hellmuth and Matusow lose. Matusow especially, because he is the classic example of a man who cannot get out of his own way.

 

And I agree, Jamie Gold was a major-league dick at the table.

[Guest A.BUTCHER'S HOUSE OF RIBS]

I'm already sick of the Tony Romo hype.

 

I defiantly agree with you there. And when did Bill Parcells drop his first name and is only going to be known as "Parcells" the so called greatest coach of all time. Shit what has he really done in the last 10 years besides be hyped to the moon?

[MFer 0]

On Jim Rome is Burning, he was doing an interview with Monta Ellis when, lo and behold, Baron Davis comes up and gives him a shaving cream pie to the face! It appeared that Ellis had quite a bit of discomfort. Rome did an impromptu Q & A with Baron and he said Ellis was alright. He said Dunleavy put him up to it. The funny thing was that Ellis was just talking about how Baron was the guy that took him under his wing.

[Guest Felonies!]

I'm already sick of the Tony Romo hype.

 

I defiantly agree with you there.

If hating Tony Romo is wrong, I don't wanna be right.

[TheDevilAndGodAreRagingInsideMe 0]

They have been all over Romo since the season started.

 

OMG T.O. LIKES ROMO MORE THAN BLEDSOE!!! was dominating in September before the guy ever threw a pass in 4 years in the pros.

[Guest Princess Leena]

Reason 25,000,001 The Player likes Dallas!

[alfdogg 0]

I'm already sick of the Tony Romo hype.

 

I defiantly agree with you there. And when did Bill Parcells drop his first name and is only going to be known as "Parcells" the so called greatest coach of all time. Shit what has he really done in the last 10 years besides be hyped to the moon?

He enlightened us all on the importance of "Jap plays."

[Black Lushus 0]

On Jim Rome is Burning, he was doing an interview with Monta Ellis when, lo and behold, Baron Davis comes up and gives him a shaving cream pie to the face! It appeared that Ellis had quite a bit of discomfort. Rome did an impromptu Q & A with Baron and he said Ellis was alright. He said Dunleavy put him up to it. The funny thing was that Ellis was just talking about how Baron was the guy that took him under his wing.

 

ha! I caught that part when it happened, but I fell asleep in the middle of the next segment so I missed Davis' response.