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

[fgssand]

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

OK - Got any investment advice for your fellow patriot fanatics???

 

[Deus Irae]

OK - Got any investment advice for your fellow patriot fanatics???

Yes. Stop investing time, money and energy in people, companies, leagues and products that screw you over.

 

[since67]

ESPN purports to be a premier service and does provide broadcasting but their negative attributes overwhelm their positive ones.

Communications of any kind can be ruined with exploitative sensationalism and they have intentionally embraced this modus operandi and made this an art form, sadly creating their own empire of garbage.

When you're akin to a monopoly its hard to smell your own stink. The network seems to possess an arrogance not exceeded by much, and a wrong mindedness not dissimilar than that which the dysfunctionally operated insurance giant AIG presents.

 

[Dragda]

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.

For some reason, I don't really remember 1994

 

[Dragda]

ESPN purports to be a premier service and does provide broadcasting but their negative attributes overwhelm their positive ones.

Communications of any kind can be ruined with exploitative sensationalism and they have intentionally embraced this modus operandi and made this an art form, sadly creating their own empire of garbage.

When you're akin to a monopoly its hard to smell your own stink. The network seems to possess an arrogance not exceeded by much, and a wrong mindedness not dissimilar than that which the dysfunctionally operated insurance giant AIG presents.

I only watch them when they televise games I want to see. I no longer watch Sportcenter which I loved ten and twenty years ago. I don't watch any of those "torture" broadcasts like Rome is Burning or that one with the four ugly faces in boxes on the screen.

 

[PatsFanSince74]

It's nice that ESPN's ombudsman is saying these things, but I won't hold my breath until anything changes.

Also, I think it's interesting that she mentions the Pats as one of the handful of teams to which she says ESPN gives saturation coverage. It's a backhanded compliment that the "talent" (a term I use very loosely here) on ESPN knows that any bashing of the Pats will get clicks and viewers.

I've resigned myself to the reality that the ultra-competitiveness of a 24/7 sports programming cycle across thousands of blogs and web pages has resulted in an "anything goes" approach to reporting, with little regard to the truth or (ha ha) "journalistic integrity."

As Pats fans who are caught in the crossfire here, I think we have two alternatives; either develop a very thick skin in these regards or ignore/avoid places like ESPN (other than to watch a sporting event) and the Horrald (entirely).

Not worth losing sleep or getting an ulcer over these fools.

 

[PatsFanSince74]

Yes. Stop investing time, money and energy in people, companies, leagues and products that screw you over.

Exactly. No "clicks" on ESPN, the Horrald, etc. Everytime we visit their webpages or buy a paper, we put money in their pockets and encourage them! I'll turn on ESPN for a sports event that I can't see anywhere else, but don't watch any of their "news" progamming like SportsCenter, etc. Worst of all, Pats fans who still buy the Herald or go to its webpage in the post-Tomass era deserve absolutely everything they get.

 

[MetalBleachers]

When you're akin to a monopoly its hard to smell your own stink. The network seems to possess an arrogance not exceeded by much, and a wrong mindedness not dissimilar than that which the dysfunctionally operated insurance giant AIG presents.

What? I'm sorry, I was distracted watching ESPN's behind the scenes look at the ESPN Top Ten ESPN broadcasts of the ESPYs.

They really went yard on that one. Boo yah!

 

[captain stone]

Yes. Stop investing time, money and energy in people, companies, leagues and products that screw you over...

...and governments, too.

BTW, is Ton-ass still employed at the Herald?

 

[TrueBeliever]

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.

On your first point, I agree totally. Pro football is the only sport I care about, and it used to drive me crazy when I'd be watching SportsCenter and they'd jump back and forth between football and baseball (in early fall) then to basketball and hockey later in the NFL season.

There are those that argue that you shouldn't encourage NFL Network either because you're not going to get objective coverage from a medium owned by the business it's covering. But hey, we're talking about football, not China State Television.

There are so many ways BSPN has gotten out of hand I can't even count them all. Back in the mid-90s they were all about the Cowpokes, then in the late '90s they became obsessed with the Broncos. Then with the new decade came parity and BSPN didn't know what to do, so you'd think once they got a bonafide "dynasty" team again they'd be all over it. Instead they tried to pretend there was no dynasty and made fools of themselves in the process.

The network also has a terrible case of OCD when it comes to certain people - A-Rod, the ol' hillbilly Favre, T.O., etc. I am so bloody sick of hearing about A-Rod I want to wretch whenever he's mentioned. Thankfully March Madness came along and now they're obsessing about that for a while instead.

Last fall I read a great article in Entertainment Weekly where Jon Stewart said, "There isn't more news than there was 50 years ago, but today we have 24 hours of news coverage instead of 30 minutes - so you have to make your own news about the news." BSPN has basically done to sports what CNN, Fox, etc. have done to news.

 

[BradyFTW!]

There are those that argue that you shouldn't encourage NFL Network either because you're not going to get objective coverage from a medium owned by the business it's covering. But hey, we're talking about football, not China State Television.

I agree- if there was anywhere where you WERE getting objective coverage, that point might hold water. But if ESPN is the alternative, it's pretty much a moot point anyways.

 

[Patjew]

There are those that argue that you shouldn't encourage NFL Network either because you're not going to get objective coverage from a medium owned by the business it's covering. But hey, we're talking about football, not China State Television.

Hey, I just saw on TV that everything is excellent. Tomorrow is forecast to be excellent as well.

 

[cubedoggy]

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.

Hey, Lloyd? Could you spell BB's last name right in your sig, maybe?
Thanks.

 

[PatsFan24]

explains just a few reasons why i gave up watching espn. in fact those are reasons i am off all sports media these days. i think the radio talk shows have gotten as bad, or worse, than sportscenter.

 

[TrueBeliever]

Not to mention the worthless "ESPYs". I haven't paid attention to those since the 2001 Pats got passed over for "Best Team". (It went to the Lakers instead.)