The E-SPN Thread

[TooLiveBrew]

Given the various mistakes the four-letter network makes on a daily basis (and brewer255's great thread "Chad Cordero is on the Brewers!"), I want to start a thread in which we can chronicle certain and/or specific instances that drive us crazy. For me, that's pretty much any time Joe Morgan is allowed to speak into a live microphone. The guy is such an idiot, and I honestly can't figure out which is greater: his stupidity or his self-adoration. I know the network is notorious for calling CoCo "Chad Cordero," and their "analysts" rarely have anything to offer aside from incorrect dissections of games from which they saw 3 or 4 highlights.

 

Hopefully there are others out there who share my loathing of ESPN, because I know that at any given moment more classic mistakes could be happening. Sorry if a thread like this already exists (couldn't find one in a search), and remember - you can't spell ESPN without the E!

[trwi7]

I always like the "Richie Weeks" references. I'm just waiting for Chris Berman to say "Joba the Hut" in reference to Joba Chamberlain.

[jlau20]

I don't know if Berman has done it, but I think I've already (unfortunately) heard it several times. For as much as I don't really like ESPN, I still find it hard to turn away from baseball tonight, regardless of how poor some of their analysts are. Not trying to put a knock on Davey Nelson, but some of those guys on BBTN are worse than him.

[Weirdos19]

I liked Morgan tonight. The Yanks hit for Jose Molina with Posada already DH'ing.

 

"Torre told me that they brought up a couple of young catchers, just for this situation." Not a direct quote, just ballpark.

 

He made it sound like the Yankees are the only team brilliant enough to make a September first callup like this. Guessing every team brings up a third catcher this time of year.

 

Not only that, Joe, but can you do enough homework to learn these guys names? They are on your little cheat sheet in front of you. How lazy can you possibly be?

[TooLiveBrew]

Another favorite of mine is how he always waits until the outcome of a pitch/safe-out call/etc. has been clearly determined before saying, "Yeah, that's what I was thinking..." He usually even admits (and did tonight) that, "I always wait...", but then he'll take credit in some asinine way for being right about something. Morgan also usually goads Miller into picking ball/strike or safe/out, and then rubs it in his face if Miller gets it wrong - and somehow acts like, because he waited to see what happened, instead of offering a guess, that it means he was 'right'

 

http://static.yuku.com//domainskins/bypass/img/smileys/mad.gif http://static.yuku.com//domainskins/bypass/img/smileys/sick.gif

[BrewCityUnit]

For all of you who rip ESPN, why are you still watching it? To critique it?

 

If you don't like it, why don't you just ignore it and watch some other 24 hour sports station?

[JoeH33]

For all of you who rip ESPN, why are you still watching it? To critique it?

 

If you don't like it, why don't you just ignore it and watch some other 24 hour sports station?

ESPN is a necessary evil. There is no other 24 hour sports station other than FSN, which has like one highlight show every day.

 

[BrewCityUnit]

ESPN is a necessary evil. There is no other 24 hour sports station other than FSN, which has like one highlight show every day.

 

 

Exactly, that is why I think it is ridiculous when people continuessly rip ESPN for every little mistake they make.

[lukevan]

Exactly, that is why I think it is ridiculous when people continuessly rip ESPN for every little mistake they make.

 

Well, you'd think that a cable station dedicated to solely sports would be somewhat scientific about their research. It appears at times that they put more time into devising personalities and "witty" banter than into furthering the understanding of sports. I understand that TV isn't exactly the best place to go for strict analysis of anything, but ESPN IMHO has noticably declined in the last five years.

[kgbaseball]

I assume you guys already know about firejoemorgan.com.

[TooLiveBrew]

yea - it's good. It can get a little old after a while (talk about holding someone accountable for every detail...), but I love that it holds him (& others) accountable.

 

To BCU - it's the only place where I can watch many games, especially since I don't live in WI. Don't rip me please without knowing the circumstances. I enjoy following the Yankees almost as much as the Brewers, so I rarely get a chance to watch them play. ESPN is the lone place - aside from Fox, which usually uses at least McCarver (http://static.yuku.com//domainskins/bypass/img/smileys/sick.gif) and sometimes Buck (http://static.yuku.com//domainskins/bypass/img/smileys/sick.gif) in addition, so not better at all - where I can ever see them play, not to mention UW football & the Bucks. They are the only choice, and like most monopolies, they get lazy in their service, since (for those outside their favorite team's markets) there is no other choice.

 

Fwiw, I much prefer FSN & their Final Score to Sportscenter, but FSN only carries regional action, thus I watch it far less.

[TheBwaz]

Karl Ravich

Steve Levy

 

Karl, dial down the smarm. Steve, you don't have to speak in all capitals. I hear you just fine.

 

ESPN got the same memo cable news a few years ago: "Don't just report the story, BE the story." The FSN show avoids that somewhat by only being a half hour (less time to fill), but still showboats around.

 

Gimme 10 minutes with the box scores in the paper along with my tea. That is all.

[bacon06]

Fox Soccer Channel has an English Premiere League review show that, I think, is really good, because all they show when they show highlights is the starting line up for each teams, and then the game feed. No anchors adding in their own personality and catchy phrases to a highlight, just the game. However, I can't see this working for American sports because English soccer announcers don't stray from announcing the game as American announcers do, so the constant stream of dialogue is about the game, not about all the filler material announcers talk about.

[mothershipconnection]

Exactly, that is why I think it is ridiculous when people continuessly rip ESPN for every little mistake they make.

 

It's not like people are saying ESPN should be shut down. Rather, people think ESPN is less than it could be, and saying they make some stupid moves. It's not really any different from when we criticize the Brewers for blowing a game. Nobody is saying the Brewers should be contracted, they're stating what they want to improve.

[jaybird2001wi]

Remember when CNN and Sports Illustrated got together to form CNNSI? It was a decent network, with some ok personalities. But I think the reason they failed is they were more about being "informative" than "entertaining," which means "boring" to some casual fans of sports.

But I like FSN's Final Score because it is very quick and to the point with everything.

I seem to remember surfing the ins and outs of ESPN.com and they actually have an ESPN Ombudsman where fans can e-mail and complain to her.

[Diskono]

Exactly, that is why I think it is ridiculous when people continuessly rip ESPN for every little mistake they make.

 

So, because there is no alternative means people can't complain about ESPN? I don't understand. If there were alternatives, then yes, complaining about ESPN would be silly because you could easily watch something else. But if ESPN is the only choice and you think its bad, then all you can really do is either complain or start your own cable sports network. And the latter just isn't realistic.

[TooLiveBrew]

Me-SPN?

[jaybird2001wi]

It seems like every time the Yankees and Red Sox face each other, there is absolutely NO COVERAGE of any other matchups during Baseball Tonight. They dedicate 20 minutes of coverage to this "rivalry" while every other team suffers. No wonder why "Joe Casual" from Fargo, ND who watches ESPN doesn't know anything about other teams.

I am a journalism student and it seems like ESPN's "Agenda Setting Theory" (definition: any news outlet splurges about a specific issue so people can "talk about it") is that they simply don't want the midwest and west coast fans to care about ANY teams. ESPN is so biased when it comes to this. They have nothing but baseball analysts who are either a) from a former team located on the east coast or b) is sensational enough to bring a crowd of hearsayers.

Baseball Tonight and SportsCenter and the network themselves have gone downhill. I remember 10 years ago when they actually were informative about things, now it is just crap and "fluff" news stories.

I seriously think we as brewerfan.netters, and the rest of the "blogger" community in the sports midwest community should just barrage ESPN with questions of why they continually alienate the rest of the country with ignorant analysts in all sports and stuff. This could actually be the first time we could work with Cubs fans about this issue.