OT: ESPN ombudsman skewers the network for "arrogance" and "excess"

[BradyFTW!]

Ombudsman: ESPN's excess root of fan frustration - ESPN


IMO this column addresses what Pats fans feel about ESPN pretty effectively, and does a superb job of pointing out the areas where the network has just become a bloated, self-satisfied caricature of whatever it's supposed to be.

 

[DarrylS]

I read that, but no matter what nothing will change the arrogance will continue...

 

[Deus Irae]

This should come as no surprise to anyone. It's what happens when you get monopolies and 'near' monopolies. The NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL.... they're all arrogant as well in their dealings with the media, fans and players.

Unfortunately, the fans/consumers have historically been stupid enough to allow them to get away with it.

 

[upstater1]

When you are a for-profit agency that reports quarterly and your job is to produce coverage 24/7, you're not going to be able to get a good sense of how you are perceived. The people that work at ESPN are on the go. They have very little time to reflect on how they are received. All that count are ratings, increased ratings. That's it. And as long as what they do doesn't effect the ratings, they are not going to care if they are perceived as arrogant. In fact, they probably think arrogance works well because most sports fans I've come across (on the internet especially) can get resentful mighty quick, and they feed on that resentment.

ESPN is like an echo chamber, but as long as that echo chamber makes money, no one is going to blow the hatch.

 

[Deus Irae]

When you are a for-profit agency that reports quarterly and your job is to produce coverage 24/7, you're not going to be able to get a good sense of how you are perceived. The people that work at ESPN are on the go. They have very little time to reflect on how they are received. All that count are ratings, increased ratings. That's it. And as long as what they do doesn't effect the ratings, they are not going to care if they are perceived as arrogant. In fact, they probably think arrogance works well because most sports fans I've come across (on the internet especially) can get resentful mighty quick, and they feed on that resentment.

ESPN is like an echo chamber, but as long as that echo chamber makes money, no one is going to blow the hatch.

This is why sports leagues keep sticking it to the fans. After baseball took away the World Series, I stopped following the sport and swore that I wouldn't watch it again until the sport cleaned itself up and set things in motion so that the fans would stop getting screwed. I did this even though it was my favorite sport growing up. Unfortunately, I was one of probably 3 people on the planet that swore to do it, did it, and continue to do it to this day. I missed getting to see the Red Sox win the World Series, but that's the sort of sacrifice you sometimes have to make for principle.

 

[BradyFTW!]

This should come as no surprise to anyone. It's what happens when you get monopolies and 'near' monopolies. The NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL.... they're all arrogant as well in their dealings with the media, fans and players.

Unfortunately, the fans/consumers have historically been stupid enough to allow them to get away with it.

Unfortunately, you're absolutely right. It also sucks to realize that you're one of those fans/consumers. Sounds like you personally might not be, but I'll admit that I am. As much as the baseball strike pissed me off, I just couldn't not watch the Red Sox. Unfortunately, the MLB was 100% aware of that, and had no qualms whatsoever with exploiting it.

 

[PatriotsDaily.com]

She was great...and will be missed. The next one in line for this job has some big shoes to fill.

 

[MassPats38]

She did blast ESPN, but frankly that blast packs only as much punch as ESPN wants it to pack. I was never convinced she was given much of a voice in addressing problems. If anything, she may have served ESPN's ends of giving disenchanted readers a sense that change was coming, if only to keep them from refusing to visit the site, while continuing to do exactly what those fans contacted the Ombudsman to resolve.

 

[BradyFTW!]

She did blast ESPN, but frankly that blast packs only as much punch as ESPN wants it to pack. I was never convinced she was given much of a voice in addressing problems. If anything, she may have served ESPN's ends of giving disenchanted readers a sense that change was coming, if only to keep them from refusing to visit the site, while continuing to do exactly what those fans contacted the Ombudsman to resolve.

I would agree with this. While she did an excellent job, for sure, has ESPN ever given any indication that it was trying to resolve the problems that she pointed out?

 

[mojocaster.com]

An "ombudsman" is basically a trusted intermediary... I don't know that I trust anyone over there.

Come to think if it, I know I don't.

 

[PatsWickedPissah]

This is why sports leagues keep sticking it to the fans. After baseball took away the World Series, I stopped following the sport and swore that I wouldn't watch it again until the sport cleaned itself up and set things in motion so that the fans would stop getting screwed. I did this even though it was my favorite sport growing up. Unfortunately, I was one of probably 3 people on the planet that swore to do it, did it, and continue to do it to this day. I missed getting to see the Red Sox win the World Series, but that's the sort of sacrifice you sometimes have to make for principle.

I agree with your sentiment but not being a MLB fan I didn't know that the WS had been taken away

 

[BradyFTW!]

I agree with your sentiment but not being a MLB fan I didn't know that the WS had been taken away

It was in 1994, when the players went on strike. Came back in '95, had some 'roided up freaks put on a home run sideshow in 1998, and before you knew it the league was back to its former popularity.

 

[Deus Irae]

I agree with your sentiment but not being a MLB fan I didn't know that the WS had been taken away

It was in 1994, when the players went on strike. Came back in '95, had some 'roided up freaks put on a home run sideshow in 1998, and before you knew it the league was back to its former popularity.

I haven't watched a game since, live or on television.

 

[APatrioticVirginian]

Espn needs to drop back and punt....with a whole new on air team.

 

[tuckeverlasting]

Espn needs to drop back and punt....with a whole new on air team.

in our dreams.

 

[Rob0729]

As much as I hate ESPN's sensationalization of sporting news, they aren't really doing anything different than CNN, Fox News, CNBC, etc. do for the real news. It is the sensationalism of TV journalism.

 

[mojocaster.com]

As much as I hate ESPN's sensationalization of sporting news, they aren't really doing anything different than CNN, Fox News, CNBC, etc. do for the real news. It is the sensationalism of TV journalism.

Sensationalism and journalism are inherently mutually exclusive. Just sayin'.

 

[Lloyd_Christmas]

I started watching NFL Network instead of ESPN when they chopped up NFL Primetime and stuffed it bit by bit into their Sportscenter program. (Obviously done to force NFL fans to watch their entire crummy sportscenter program even if they weren't fans of other sports)

The fact that they later beat the spygate story like a dead horse only cemented my disdain for them.

 

[fgssand]

I haven't watched a game since, live or on television.

Do you think you ended up punishing anyone but yourself??

No question what happened in the strike, sucked, but, I love the sport and it's all there really was when they came back.

By the way.......the 2004 & 2007 playoffs and World Series were awesome.

As much as I hate Fespn...I still watch because I love sports and where else am I going to go, after NFL Network , of course.

 

[Deus Irae]

Do you think you ended up punishing anyone but yourself??

No question what happened in the strike, sucked, but, I love the sport and it's all there really was when they came back.

By the way.......the 2004 & 2007 playoffs and World Series were awesome.

As much as I hate Fespn...I still watch because I love sports and where else am I going to go, after NFL Network , of course.

I'm not sure how I've punished myself. Instead of investing my time and money in baseball, I've invested it elsewhere.