[BiffTFinancial]

Saw my copy of ESPN the Mag body issue in stack of mail (free with Insider; great to catch clippings when trimming beard). Trying to decide exactly when ESPN jumped the shark. possibilities include, but are not limited to: first Espys, Stu Scott, Playmakers cancellation to appease NFL, the Schwami, jettisoning Kilborn & Olbermann, Kenny Mayne, purchase by ABC/Disney, Mike & Mike, PTI.

i realized that it had without question jumped the shark the night of the LSU-Ohio State national title game when the first 40 minutes of Sportscenter were devoted to some Roger Clemens "scandal" and the game (which was on Fox) was not even mentioned until bottom of the hour. however, that's a symptom, not the disease. same with Mike & Mike and PTI and College Gameday being 6 hours long, ESPN had already jumped the shark when they started putting out that garbage.

when did ESPN drop the facade of objective journalism and turn into simply TMZ for meatheads?

[frogsrangers]

Jumped the shark a long time ago

i prefer the sports-oriented networks, like MLB Network over ESPN

ESPN talks about the NFL 95% of the time and gives token coverage to the other sports

ESPN might as well be the NFL Network

Its more about being hip and in times with the current pop culture landscape than being a sports network

I do like its college basketball team/coverage though

[InTheDrink]

answer = when they forced olbermann out

even if the guy is a coksukker and deserved it they've been dying to find someone as entertaining ever since and every guy who tries is an over the top doosh

the shows like 1st and 10 and around the horn only made it worse

[Sunde91]

The bitching gets pretty nit picky doesn't it. K, Mike&Mike is terrible, sappy Disney My Wish garbage is terrible, laughable Tom Rinaldi pieces playing instead of highlights in SC is terrible, feminist crap from women announcing college football to all the softball no one cares about at all.

Get to the actual sports content and you're left with MNF sucks compared to NBC's SNF. NBA sucks comp to TNT. What else. Fact is NCAAF/NCAAB coverage is the best. Euro and World Cup every game covered with quality. MLB, NBA, Golf, Tennis, WSOP, etc etc etc. So the expectation is a network showing 24 hrs of flawless sports programming? Oh, Olbermann is the deal breaker that makes ESPN terrible now?

[Brock Landers]

somewhere in the previous decade. used to be a great network in the early 90's

[hydrosmak]

The bitching gets pretty nit picky doesn't it. K, Mike&Mike is terrible, sappy Disney My Wish garbage is terrible, laughable Tom Rinaldi pieces playing instead of highlights in SC is terrible, feminist crap from women announcing college football to all the softball no one cares about at all.

Get to the actual sports content and you're left with MNF sucks compared to NBC's SNF. NBA sucks comp to TNT. What else. Fact is NCAAF/NCAAB coverage is the best. Euro and World Cup every game covered with quality. MLB, NBA, Golf, Tennis, WSOP, etc etc etc. So the expectation is a network showing 24 hrs of flawless sports programming? Oh, Olbermann is the deal breaker that makes ESPN terrible now?

Nice try at being the devils advocate but I am still not convinced.

See the thing is Biff I am sure saw ESPN when it wasn't trying to be trendy. That was the baseline and they haven't been anywhere near that in a long time.

[Jericholic]

Jumped the shark a long time ago

i prefer the sports-oriented networks, like MLB Network over ESPN

ESPN talks about the NFL 95% of the time and gives token coverage to the other sports

ESPN might as well be the NFL Network

Its more about being hip and in times with the current pop culture landscape than being a sports network

I do like its college basketball team/coverage though

Truer words were never spoken.

[Sunde91]

Some of the worst attempts to be trendy in recent years was the "Who is more Now" trying to make it all hip hop. When they play this shit in the middle of SportsCenter instead of highlights, that's when ESPN is the worst. ESPN is a cult like Wal Mart now. Not what it used to be, but I'd take Herb and Mush over any CBS or Fox for Primetime College football thanks

[actiondan]

Colin cowherd can eat my schitt

[frogsrangers]

Some of the worst attempts to be trendy in recent years was the "Who is more Now" trying to make it all hip hop. When they play this shit in the middle of SportsCenter instead of highlights, that's when ESPN is the worst. ESPN is a cult like Wal Mart now. Not what it used to be, but I'd take Herb and Mush over any CBS or Fox for Primetime College football thanks

I agree with that

Its like ESPN made the black/hip hop/club hopper demographic its priority target demographic

Trying to appeal to the lowest common denominator

I like how its the middle of June and all ESPN talks about is NFL NFL NFL NFL NFL and breaks their NFL coverage to give its token coverage to MLB and then it goes back to NFL coverage

I know that NFL is what the audience wants and will drive ratings, because NFL is the sport that appeals to the lowest common denominator, but they need to be a bit more diverse.

[HoulihansTX]

They still have quality production, the talent in front of the camera is horrific though.

[frogsrangers]

Sometimes I don't know if I am watching ESPN or a McDonald's commercial

[No coincidences]

Two words: Stu Scott.

[InTheDrink]

The bitching gets pretty nit picky doesn't it. K, Mike&Mike is terrible, sappy Disney My Wish garbage is terrible, laughable Tom Rinaldi pieces playing instead of highlights in SC is terrible, feminist crap from women announcing college football to all the softball no one cares about at all.

Get to the actual sports content and you're left with MNF sucks compared to NBC's SNF. NBA sucks comp to TNT. What else. Fact is NCAAF/NCAAB coverage is the best. Euro and World Cup every game covered with quality. MLB, NBA, Golf, Tennis, WSOP, etc etc etc. So the expectation is a network showing 24 hrs of flawless sports programming? Oh, Olbermann is the deal breaker that makes ESPN terrible now?

Reading is fundamental

Raise your hand if you're not a fukkin moron.

Not so fast sunde!

[antifoil]

they probably couldn't show the highlights from the game that fox owned the rights to until the game was over.


also, MJD's thighs in that body magazine are massive.

[Harold Baines]

It started when Patrick and Olbermann were allowed to interject their lame comedy act into Sportscenter, in the attempt to make themselves bigger than the game. The future generations of knockoff 'anchors' have been even worse.

The final nail was when Disney bought them up and turned them ultra PC. Now all they try to do is create controversial 'stories' based on sensationalism, like a liberal version of Fox News Channel.

[doylfish]

when they hired jemele hill to meet pc quotas. one word. worthless.

[Sunde91]

ESPN My Wish makes me cry. I enjoy the sappy stuff man so you're a moron.
-InMyTwat

The answer is probably after Disney and the rise of the Corporate Mothership. Don't ever cross the mothership like Olbermann or you're out. Push for world domination cult, trendy, pc.

[mrmarket]

dang ole ESPN

[InTheDrink]

The answer is probably after Disney and the rise of the Corporate Mothership. Don't ever cross the mothership like Olbermann or you're out. Push for world domination cult, trendy, pc.

So wait you're agreeing with me

You might be the dumbest guy on the Internet.

[BiffTFinancial]

Jumped the shark a long time ago

i prefer the sports-oriented networks, like MLB Network over ESPN

ESPN talks about the NFL 95% of the time and gives token coverage to the other sports

ESPN might as well be the NFL Network

Its more about being hip and in times with the current pop culture landscape than being a sports network

I do like its college basketball team/coverage though

i agree with one qualification: it's NFL 80+% of the time with a nauseating dose of NBA thrown in to fill out the rest, as evidenced by the 24-hour coverage of Jeremy Lin's biorhythms this week.

also agree that ESPN is at it's best when covering college hoops and college football. i think that it's production of college football and college hoops games is outstanding. they are completely destroying monday night football, though. any organization that makes a decision to promote a hack like Tirico and toss aside a great X-and-O guy who perhaps isn't the most intriguing broadcaster personality-wise like Jaworski is gearing its product towards a target audience that doesn't include me.

[BiffTFinancial]

I agree with that

Its like ESPN made the black/hip hop/club hopper demographic its priority target demographic

Trying to appeal to the lowest common denominator

I like how its the middle of June and all ESPN talks about is NFL NFL NFL NFL NFL and breaks their NFL coverage to give its token coverage to MLB and then it goes back to NFL coverage

I know that NFL is what the audience wants and will drive ratings, because NFL is the sport that appeals to the lowest common denominator, but they need to be a bit more diverse.

i generally agree with this too, with one qualification: i don't think they're going for the black/urban fan so much as they're going for the casual fan. at some point, ESPN made a decision that they no longer needed to focus on hardcore sports fans ("hey - we'll get those guys anyway!") and are more focused on drawing in the casual fan. if a dude and his girlfriend are watching tv between 11 and midnight, flipping around, the guy would be happy to watch sportscenter, but his girl probably isn't as into seeing college hoops highlights as she is a police blotter story about Adrian Peterson or Roger Clemens or Pac-man Jones or whatever professional athlete with which this chicken head has already familiar.

that and, like all 24-hour media, they have a huge bias - a sensationalism bias. "Carmelo Anthony called Jeremy Lin's contract offer from the Rockets 'ridiculous'? Well, tell me more!"

[BiffTFinancial]

The bitching gets pretty nit picky doesn't it. K, Mike&Mike is terrible, sappy Disney My Wish garbage is terrible, laughable Tom Rinaldi pieces playing instead of highlights in SC is terrible, feminist crap from women announcing college football to all the softball no one cares about at all.

Get to the actual sports content and you're left with MNF sucks compared to NBC's SNF. NBA sucks comp to TNT. What else. Fact is NCAAF/NCAAB coverage is the best. Euro and World Cup every game covered with quality. MLB, NBA, Golf, Tennis, WSOP, etc etc etc. So the expectation is a network showing 24 hrs of flawless sports programming? Oh, Olbermann is the deal breaker that makes ESPN terrible now?

you make some good points, particularly about NCAAF/NCAAB game coverage, which remains it's strong point.

however, one of my real problems with ESPN is underscored by its soccer coverage. that is, there was non-stop coverage of Euro and World Cup, which were broadcast on ESPN. however, they literally don't even mention soccer matches/tourneys that are not broadcast on ESPN but rather Fox Soccer or the like (e.g., Champions League, EPL, La Liga, Bundescliga). ESPN is so far in bed with its corporate partners like the NFL as to completely undersell anything that it doesn't broadcast (NHL is another example) and appear not to report objectively (they were criticized sharply and fairly, i say, for underreporting Roethlesberger rape accusation incident).

in the 90's, they came off like objective sports journalists. now, they come off like a propaganda machine for the NFL and NBA.

[Fayt13]

you make some good points, particularly about NCAAF/NCAAB game coverage, which remains it's strong point.

however, one of my real problems with ESPN is underscored by its soccer coverage. that is, there was non-stop coverage of Euro and World Cup, which were broadcast on ESPN. however, they literally don't even mention soccer matches/tourneys that are not broadcast on ESPN but rather Fox Soccer or the like (e.g., Champions League, EPL, La Liga, Bundescliga). ESPN is so far in bed with its corporate partners like the NFL as to completely undersell anything that it doesn't broadcast (NHL is another example) and appear not to report objectively (they were criticized sharply and fairly, i say, for underreporting Roethlesberger rape accusation incident).

in the 90's, they came off like objective sports journalists. now, they come off like a propaganda machine for the NFL and NBA.

I don't think that statement about their soccer coverage is fair. They show highlights or at least give a brief score rundown of Barcelona, Manchester United, Real Madrid and Champions League matches quite often.

[mcaulay777]

ESPN SUCKS Plain and Simple.They were it 20 years ago because they were the first to do what they do and even back then i thought the nightly sports show on cnn was better.Today each sport has there own network,which is way better then anything on espn.Compare MLB TONIGHT on espn to the MLB Coverage on MLB Channel and it is not even close.Im Forced to watch a few things on ESPN Like MNF And Wimbeldon this year but anything else i pass so ESPN Is non exisetent to me.I know NHL Is not a mainstream sport but i like it and since ESPN Threw it away a few years ago they chose not to do anything with hockey and pretend it is not there they do throw the nhl a bone once in a while by throwing in Barry Melrose.ESN JUmped the shark when they Cancelled Stump the Schwab whitch was there best show didnt SS Host it.By the way Classic Sport network was awesome before ESPN bought it now that network stinks.

[Emily_Haines]

They're all a bunch of assholes that will spew the company line.

You say something they don't like and your GONE.

ESPN Moves to Silence Golf Analyst Who Criticized Obama

ESPN Has Fired Hank Williams Jr. After Comparing Obama To Hitler

ESPN Fires Employee For Jeremy Lin Slur

[BiffTFinancial]

I don't think that statement about their soccer coverage is fair. They show highlights or at least give a brief score rundown of Barcelona, Manchester United, Real Madrid and Champions League matches quite often.

Perhaps I overstated it, but the time devoted to soccer is night and day during a tourney that Espn is broadcasting vs one that it's not/regular season.

[broadway6]

Espn = lakers, yankees, and cowboys

[krs]

ESPN is all about self promotion, pushing its own brands, programs, personnel and everything Disney, making you think they break every sports story and sucking up to players and leagues. Understand that and everything they do makes sense.

[ThaTopMoron]

last time i turned on ESPN... Sportscenter started and they went ahead with Penn State... more on Penn State... and more. Nothing else for 5+ minutes... after realizing this was BSPN at its finest I couldn't turn it off fast enough