ESPN sucks, so do thread closers

[Damaramu 0]

Yes but they're supposed to be unbias and impartial. These people are none of those things. I'm going to ESPN for sports news. So they should sound like an impartial anchor. And if they're doing analysis they can sound excited. That's fine. But they shouldn't sound like a 14 year old Lebron fan that thinks he's going to dominate the league for the next 100 years.

On top of that the first thing we're taught in sports journalism is "You should be a fan of no team. You have to be impartial." Did ESPN get that memo?

[Cheech Tremendous 0]

Dama, why are you so down on Lebron and the Cavs? It's awesome to see his development into the best player in the league.

[USC Wuz Robbed! 0]

Yes but they're supposed to be unbias and impartial. These people are none of those things. I'm going to ESPN for sports news. So they should sound like an impartial anchor. And if they're doing analysis they can sound excited. That's fine. But they shouldn't sound like a 14 year old Lebron fan that thinks he's going to dominate the league for the next 100 years.

On top of that the first thing we're taught in sports journalism is "You should be a fan of no team. You have to be impartial." Did ESPN get that memo?

 

Dama, to be fair, you're a sports journalist, and you're going to mark out if OU were as awesome.

[CanadianChris 0]

To be more fair, though, he did speak the truth on OU's average season last year.

[USC Wuz Robbed! 0]

Because OU was average. But when they are good, which Dama is going to show up? That's my point.

 

edit: I'm not bashing Dama at all. I'm just presuming. If he maintains impartiality, then he has cause to bash ESPN.

[CanadianChris 0]

A very good question. It'll be interesting to see, given that OU is supposed to be pretty good this season.

 

One point that I've seen made (about the sports media in genefral, although ESPN certainly leads the charge) is that the media today constantly builds athletes up so they can be torn down when something goes wrong. The more an athlete is built up, the bigger the story when the athlete falls from grace. It happened with Kobe, it happened with Bonds. Not to say LeBron is going to take a fall, but the media are going to be giddy if it ever does happen.

[Damaramu 0]

I don't mind the fact that Lebron is a developing young star. As a matter of fact I think it's awesome that he is so good. But I don't need to hear about it ALL the time. I have eyes and I know the game of basketball. I can tell he's good! I also don't like how he's given preferential treatment by the league(like all the other big stars) and ESPN just glosses it over.

The problem with Sportscenter is that rather than just report the news they try to give commentary but their commentary is usually absurd and only focuses on the good aspects of a story or player rather than giving commentary on the bad aspects or even the real aspects of the story. Also they have their favorites and they throw in commentary they shouldn't.

An example.

Duke blows Texas out in b-ball early in the season. They cover it and talk about how good Duke was.

20 minutes later in the show they do another b-ball highlight package and at the end they say "And team xxx dumptrucks team xxx. OH BY THE WAY DUKE DUMPTRUCKED TEXAS!"

What did that have to do with anything? You already covered it? Why did you have to throw that in?

 

Oh and yeah OU should be pretty good this year but I'm not going to go crazy because I don't know if Bob Stoops is a great post-season coach anymore. He won 3 straight bowl games including a national title and Rose Bowl but then they laid 2 eggs in a row and then barely beat Oregon last season. I don't know how great of a big game coach he really is. So I won't trust OU no matter how good they are this season. I'm assuming they lose to Oregon or Texas A&M this season anyway. Thye're going to have BIG O-Line problems. But that's for another thread.

 

In short. The ESPN anchors suck ass.

[C Dubya 04 0]

I agree that the ESPN anchors suck ass, but for many reasons other than impartiality. I don't mind if an anchor person or journalist is partial to one team or another. It makes it more fun. Merril Hodge absolutely hates the Eagles, but that is part of what makes it fun to be a sports fan. I get riled up by what he says.

 

Sports journalists don't have to be impartial either IMO. I like when the local journalists write from a fans perspective. It makes me a lot more likely to read them. They shouldn't have ties to the teams is all that I ask.

[Gert T 0]

Sportscenter is an entertainment show. ESPN NEWS is the old school format. I know, not everybody gets ENews, but the bottom line is Dama, if people are watching ATH/PTI, The Best of Mike & Freakin' Mike at nights, they want the characters and commentary and not just the news.

 

I don't mind the LeBron hype, because he is doing things that no NBA player at his age has ever done. Now does that mean I'll stop watching the NBA playoffs if they lose the next 2 games. No, but I understand the point of view of the networks and the leagues in general. Build up the individual for the league to blossom.

[Bruiser Chong 0]

I watch ATH and PTI for entertainment values. When it comes to ATH, there are only a couple of panelists that've ever been on the show whose opinions I consistently respect. Wilbon and Kornheiser are just great for laughs, but they've occasionally got some good insights.

 

ESPN News is a great watch throughout the day, especially during those hours when there's nothing watchable elsewhere. Their various baseball segments are typically great, as they involve people not typically found on the main channel. The numbers are actually a focal part of the conversations and even some of the anchors seem knowledgable on the subjects (i.e. Brian Kenny).

[EVIL~! alkeiper 0]

ESPN News is a great watch throughout the day, especially during those hours when there's nothing watchable elsewhere. Their various baseball segments are typically great, as they involve people not typically found on the main channel. The numbers are actually a focal part of the conversations and even some of the anchors seem knowledgable on the subjects (i.e. Brian Kenny).

 

Brian Kenny came on a segment on XM Radio the other day, and spent most of the time praising sabermetrics. He is very knowledgeable and it comes out in his questions and his choice of guests.

[Guest Princess Leena]

Brian Kenny is easily ESPN's most underrated anchor. The guy even knows a decent amount about tennis! I wonder why they don't use him more... oh, because he's not an annoying jerk like every SC anchor.

[Cheech Tremendous 0]

Brian Kenny is easily ESPN's most underrated anchor. The guy even knows a decent amount about tennis! I wonder why they don't use him more... oh, because he's not an annoying jerk like every SC anchor.

 

I've been pumping Kinney for a long time. Not only is easily one of the most knowedgeable anchors, he's a great interviewer. He'll really ask hard-hitting questions, but not in a way that belittles or undermines the guest.

 

His baseball and boxing commentaries are great as well. He introduced me to sabermetrics and I've never looked back. ESPN could use him much better.

[Open the Muggy Gate 0]

I've been pumping Kinney for a long time.

 

Just wanted to point that out.

[Bored 0]

I've been "pumping" Brian Kinney before all of you.

The best SportsCenter anchor is currently stuck on ESPN News only and that's Brian Kinney.

[naiwf 0]

The dude's name is Brian Kenny. Why are you two bragging about pimping someone whose name you can't spell?

[Vern Gagne 0]

Paintball or NFL players trying to fill a giant tank with water. What compelling programming.

[Damaramu 0]

I think sports are only really entertaining if you can't just run off and do it yourself. I mean obviously you could play any of the major sports yourself but you wouldn't be considered great on a professional level or anything.

You don't really view anybody doing paintball as professional. It just seems like a game you and your friends play. It's like broadcasting a game of Clue.

[Guest Princess Leena]

True... but, ESPN actually tries to make these paintball games look like there's actual strategy and seriousness involved in them.

[Hawk 34 0]

It's like how people tried making Dodgeball come off as an actual sport, rather then a gym activity to pick on the losers.

[naiwf 0]

I'd rather watch the U.S. Paintball Championships than hockey, and I'm sure the ratings are probably pretty close considering even ESPN didn't want to touch hockey and they'll show fucking Scrabble tournaments, spelling bees and double dutch competitions.

[Guest Princess Leena]

I doubt that's true for playoff hockey.

[Bruiser Chong 0]

Brian Kenny is easily ESPN's most underrated anchor. The guy even knows a decent amount about tennis! I wonder why they don't use him more... oh, because he's not an annoying jerk like every SC anchor.

 

I've been pumping Kinney for a long time. Not only is easily one of the most knowedgeable anchors, he's a great interviewer. He'll really ask hard-hitting questions, but not in a way that belittles or undermines the guest.

 

His baseball and boxing commentaries are great as well. He introduced me to sabermetrics and I've never looked back. ESPN could use him much better.

This can make for some great moments. I'm so used to the questions being lobbed at the guests, as if to not offend them and ensure they'll come back on the show one day. He totally owned Steve Phillips a couple weeks back. Phillips is typically so calm and collected, but he was clearly getting flustered by the logic being thrown down before him. Kenny more or less spent the whole segment pointing out the logic gaps that are ever-so-present during most of the analytical portions of Baseball Tonight.

[razazteca 0]

ESPN needs to keep Chris Berman away from Baseball Tonight and never have him call another game with Joe Morgan ever again. Steve Phillips, Steve Stone, Jim Thorne are the only people who should call baseball games.

[Guest Princess Leena]

Berman's pompous ass needs to leave every form of television.

[razazteca 0]

Let him do plays of the week but he has to keep the nickname gimmick to a bare minimum.

[Vampiro69 0]

Brain Kinney is easily the most under appreciated member of the news crew. Another announcer under the rader is Anthony Amey. I think that he does a good job. However ESPNNews needs to keep Cindy Brunson and Michelle Bonner away from the newsdesk.

[Guest Princess Leena]

The only ESPNews anchors who are annoying:

 

The Spanish guy, who must ALWAYS overpronounce every Hispanic players' name.

 

Cindy Brunson, just because she's scary.

 

Bill Pidto, although I think he left a while ago. He's just a jerk.

 

One of the Dream Job guys, not the most recent one. He puts himself over too much.

[Vampiro69 0]

Whenever I have watched Bonner do the news she constantly stumbles over simple words and names. Thank goodness she doesn't do many hockey highlights or she would sprain her tounge.

[Mole 0]

I know this has been said before but ESPN needs to STOP TALKING ABOUT BARRY BONDS!!! NO ONE CARES THAT MUCH. JESUS FUCKIN CHRIST.

 

Last night on SC, they showed the Giants highlights and ONLY SHOWED Bonds' hits and that is it. And the Giants won 11-3. WHY NOT SHOW THE OTHER BATTERS HITS? Fuckin pisses me off.