ESPN Is Pathetic

kenneycb

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There's like 45 days between the NBA Conference Championships ending and the NBA Finals starting. You're going to need more than just Raptors vs. Warriors stories to fill the time.
 

nattysez

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That's fair. I guess they need to fill the time, but I don't appreciate ESPN teeing up bombshell stories (a la the Wickersham-Pats story) just before big games/the playoffs, thereby taking the focus away from the games themselves. I'm also not in love with these ESPN stories that seem very reliant on sources with an axe to grind against the org, but I think that problem (if it's even a problem) is pretty pervasive in journalism generally.
 

kenneycb

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The issue is that now is the time of year with the most eyeballs on the NBA, so this is where they get the best bang for their buck. They don't want to sit on this relatively fresh story for a few months because a) they'll get scooped and b) nobody will care as much as they do now.
 

dcmissle

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There's like 45 days between the NBA Conference Championships ending and the NBA Finals starting. You're going to need more than just Raptors vs. Warriors stories to fill the time.
ESPN kicked off long ago with slow pitch softball, wrestling, college soccer and more exotic offerings. They have migrated from this to manufactured controversy.
 

shaggydog2000

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ESPN kicked off long ago with slow pitch softball, wrestling, college soccer and more exotic offerings. They have migrated from this to manufactured controversy.
I preferred the World's Strongest Man Competitions they used to show non-stop in the summer.
 

kenneycb

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ESPN kicked off long ago with slow pitch softball, wrestling, college soccer and more exotic offerings. They have migrated from this to manufactured controversy.
The LA Lakers being a disaster and a beloved son leaving the team in such an odd manner is not manufactured in the slightest. It’s a train wreck. Which are fascinating to watch.

And college softball isn’t upending the daily content that ESPN fills on a daily basis via First Take, the Greenie show, Around the Horn, etc.
 

nattysez

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Not a big fan of Sopan Deb, but this is a pretty damning thread -- I won't link to all the tweets here.

 

NDame616

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Mahomes won MVP by a landslide with Brees 2nd. (I don't think anyone outside of Mass would say Brady should be on the list )

Both Betts and Yelich also won in landslides but Trout should be included

Lebron missed 1/4 of the year. Not including him is a no brainer
 

Red(s)HawksFan

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The MLB nominees are the two MVPs and the two Cy Young winners. Seems reasonable to me. Unless we want to get into debating whether pitchers = players and exclude deGrom and/or Snell.
 

kenneycb

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No but Brady only had a good playoffs. It was fine but nothing special to overcome his above average regular season.

And JJ Watt isn’t even the best player on Houston.
 

The Needler

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Mahomes won MVP by a landslide with Brees 2nd. (I don't think anyone outside of Mass would say Brady should be on the list )

Both Betts and Yelich also won in landslides but Trout should be included

Lebron missed 1/4 of the year. Not including him is a no brainer
But Trout won the MLB award last year despite having missed 1/3 of the previous season (and not being among the top 3 in the AL MVP voting). Taking these awards seriously or expecting any kind of consistency is a fool’s game.
 

richgedman'sghost

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Didn't see this mentioned in this thread but Bob Ley officially announced his retirement. While the rest of ESPN is truly pathetic, Ley was not. He was a no nonsense reporter, the "conscience" of ESPN. In a world of hot takes and reactionary posts, Bob Ley was known for his even handed approach. He went where the story took him and just reported the facts, even if it might might some of ESPN's clients uncomfortable (eg. NFL). Ley will be missed
 

John Marzano Olympic Hero

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Vote for the ESPYs here: https://www.espn.com/espys/story/_/page/voting49/best-athlete-league

Laughable.

Options for best player in a league:

NFL: Mahomes, Donald, Gurley, Brees (no Watt or Brady??)
MLB: Betts, Yelich, deGrom, Snell (no, uh, MIKE TROUT??)
NBA: Giannis, Harden, Durant, George (no LeBron??)

LOL
I don't want to be that guy, but does anyone really give a shit about the ESPYs? At all? I don't even get why there is a sports awards show anyway, the leagues do a pretty good job giving out their awards and at the end of every year, a champion is crowned. Why (aside from creating network-owned, revenue-generating content) does ESPN have to have an awards show. Unless Norm MacDonald's hosting, it always sucks and no one give a shit.
 

Mueller's Twin Grannies

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Didn't see this mentioned in this thread but Bob Ley officially announced his retirement. While the rest of ESPN is truly pathetic, Ley was not. He was a no nonsense reporter, the "conscience" of ESPN. In a world of hot takes and reactionary posts, Bob Ley was known for his even handed approach. He went where the story took him and just reported the facts, even if it might might some of ESPN's clients uncomfortable (eg. NFL). Ley will be missed
Seconded. One of the last truly great sports reporters. It's probably why he was on that show that ESPN would bury in the early morning on weekends.

I don't want to be that guy, but does anyone really give a shit about the ESPYs? At all? I don't even get why there is a sports awards show anyway, the leagues do a pretty good job giving out their awards and at the end of every year, a champion is crowned. Why (aside from creating network-owned, revenue-generating content) does ESPN have to have an awards show. Unless Norm MacDonald's hosting, it always sucks and no one give a shit.
Shameless self-promotion is ESPN's raison d'être and they need to continually push the narrative that an MVP baseball player is the same thing as an Oscar-winner or Hollywood elite. It's just masturbation in awards show form.
 

shaggydog2000

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I don't want to be that guy, but does anyone really give a shit about the ESPYs? At all? I don't even get why there is a sports awards show anyway, the leagues do a pretty good job giving out their awards and at the end of every year, a champion is crowned. Why (aside from creating network-owned, revenue-generating content) does ESPN have to have an awards show. Unless Norm MacDonald's hosting, it always sucks and no one give a shit.
How dare you! The ESPY is the most meaningful award given out by a cable sports entertainment conglomerate that is wholly owned by a multinational mass media corporation. In the US. To fill dead air in the middle of summer.
 

ifmanis5

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Blue Monkey

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I believe ESPN is right here. Whether you agree with LeBatard’s message or not using your employer as the platform is a bad move. I know I would surely be reprimanded or possibly fired if I tried spreading a political message while at work.
 

The Long Tater

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LeBetard’s entre show is based on racial caricatures. And he is offended by Trump???? Pot meet kettle.

Seriously, fuck this guy. His show is not funny, is based on racial profiling and is not even about sports. Why are he and “stugatz” on the air at all.
 

mwonow

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I think that's what he was criticizing when he wrote "what year is this again?". Although I admit that wasn't exactly clear until his follow-up post about the recent feed.
Yeah, sorry, I should have been clearer. I have been underwhelmed by Reiss this training camp - stopped by ESPN to take a look - and saw that the second item in the feed centered on Hines Ward. Which struck me as a bit pathetic - both a lack of meaningful current content and the management glitch that posted old content.
 

Clears Cleaver

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seems the mandate was passed on that ESPN personalities were to tweet a reminder to watch mina kimes' debut in the booth tonight for the Rams/Raiders and to remind everyone what a wonderful person she is.
 

allstonite

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Or they’re excited for their friend and coworker getting a unique opportunity not usually afforded to people like her. It’s not like ESPN gets any benefit from her doing it outside of maybe some exposure for her to a few new people
 

Soxy

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Or they’re excited for their friend and coworker getting a unique opportunity not usually afforded to people like her. It’s not like ESPN gets any benefit from her doing it outside of maybe some exposure for her to a few new people
ESPN should be doing things like this to try and get Mina Kimes out in front of more people. She's generally pretty great.

I didn't see the game, so I have no idea how she was, but Kimes is smart, funny, and generally has well thought out takes. She also has a dorky kind of way about her that comes across as endearing. She's pretty easy to like.
 

kenneycb

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God forbid a media company support its on air talent publicly. Going into a new foray. Holy shit.

If only she could stop getting punked by the Papi handshake. That’s the story I’m more interested in.
 

moondog80

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The score of the USA-Japan FIBA World Cup game -- airing on ESPN+, their subscription website -- is not available on espn.com, not anywhere I could see anyway. (You can easily find it on Google.) The lead item on their front page is a teaser to watch the game, but no score. Maybe this ship sailed a long time ago, but can they do that and still call themselves a legit news outlet?
 
The score of the USA-Japan FIBA World Cup game -- airing on ESPN+, their subscription website -- is not available on espn.com, not anywhere I could see anyway. (You can easily find it on Google.) The lead item on their front page is a teaser to watch the game, but no score. Maybe this ship sailed a long time ago, but can they do that and still call themselves a legit news outlet?
Is it possible they're assuming a significant number of viewers will likely watch the game from China after they get home from work, and therefore that ESPN is trying not to spoil the result for them?
 

moondog80

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Is it possible they're assuming a significant number of viewers will likely watch the game from China after they get home from work, and therefore that ESPN is trying not to spoil the result for them?
I'd think a news organization would not have any regard for that.
 

ifmanis5

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deanx0

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Is it possible they're assuming a significant number of viewers will likely watch the game from China after they get home from work, and therefore that ESPN is trying not to spoil the result for them?
Saw this act during the Turkey game as well. It is clearly designed to push people to subscribe to ESPN+, which I will never do...