I can't believe I just wrote that. Really, I can't. When I first discovered Sportscenter when I was a little kid (and coming into my own as a sports fan), it was pretty much the coolest thing I'd ever seen. I had always liked watching the sports on my local news, but this was like the nightly sports report on steroids. More highlights...longer highlights...everything a sports fan needs to be a sports fan.
Fast forward 20 years.
I can't even watch Sportscenter anymore. Gone are the days of Dan Patrick and Keith Olbermann on "The Big Show." Enter the days of Barry Bonds, TO, Who Is Now, and literally a dead horse (Barbaro). Sportscenter has become overbearing. It's almost like a news magazine, without any of the appeal of 60 minutes.
I know it's for a good cause and all, but I don't watch Sportscenter to see the My Dream, or whatever that segment was called a few weeks ago, where they fulfill a kids sports dream. Don't get me wrong, it's a great thing. But it's not what I want to see when I turn on Sportscenter in the morning. Give me stats, give me highlights, don't give me Keyshawn Johnson and Mike Wilbon arguing over who is more relevant in pop culture.
Who gives a flip? When did my favorite show turn into something so blah, for lack of a better word?
Why are we constantly subjected to endless discussions of Barry Bonds, when I don't even know of a single person who isn't 100% sick of hearing about the guy. Same thing goes for Terrell Owens. I don't care if TO can coexist with Tony Romo. I don't care if he's doing situps in his driveway. I don't care about HIM. Yet I am endlessly subjected to him during the NFL season. As if the viewing public can't get enough.
I don't really have any answers, but I would really like to start a discussion. I've seen a lot of people complain about ESPN in general lately, so surely I'm not the only one who has any insight into this.
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8 comments:
Agreed. I don't watch it much anymore. In fact, to a lot of people, what happens off the field far surpasses what happens on the field, in human interest anyway.
This sickens me. But I'm an old schooler. I love the Steelers of the 70's, Winston Cup instead of this watered down Nextel Cup, Muhammed Ali and George Foreman, and baseball before free agency and the designated hitter rule. Back then, sports were pure. Yes, athletes got paid, but they did it because they loved it. When Sports Center first started, it was all about the game. No one cared what Jordan did in his free time. People didn't even think about Joe Montana out of uniform. Cal Ripken Jr. was all baseball, all the time. But that's what Sports Center reported on. Now, they must have a woman on, and at least one minority. Fine, but at least be entertaining! I get my sports from the radio now. Dan Patrick is still on in the afternoons on 97.3. He and Keith Olberman still do a segment of The Big Show every day. I recommend it to the sports fan like myself.
I didn't even think about Dan Patrick's radio show being on 97.3. I'll have to check it out.
I just feel like ESPN is getting more and more away from sports in the same way that MTV has nothing to do with music anymore. About the only show they have on anymore that is music related is TRL, which is dumb because they show about a minute of video for each song and cut to the next one. It's like we don't even have the attention span to sit through a 4 minute song anymore.
It's an alarming trend on Sportscenter, and I've really gotten annoyed with it lately. I think the NOW stuff is the straw that finally broke the camel's back. Enough is enough. I'm done with Sportscenter. About the only show that is watchable on ESPN anymore is Pardon the Interruption, but I fast forward through a bunch of that show too, because there's so much coverage of the Yanks/Sox, Michelle Wie, Danica Patrick etc. There are people in this country who live outside of the Northeast corridor.
Instead of doing these stories, how about giving us some coverage on the Chiefs, Titans or Browns. I don't care, just give me something other than Barry Bonds chasing a record he has made meaningless.
End Rant
I don't watch anything on ESPN anymore except for Baseball Tonight. As long as John Kruk is on there talking about the game, I'm in. Other than that, it's all garbage. I watch the Golf Channel instead (which, I'll admit, is sad). Maybe someday they'll open their eyes and realize that viewers want sports - that's why we're watching!!! They should be football all of the time for 6 months and just shut down for the other 6. Ridiculous.
When they started putting spelling bees and hot dog eating contests on my sports network, I tuned out.
It's all about Food Network to me anymore. Rachel Ray, Emeril, Paula's Party, Iron Chef. That's what it's all about. Food and entertainment wrapped all in one? There's where my vote goes. Well that and Ice Road Truckers on Sunday nights on the History Channel. And Dirty Jobs on Discovery Channel.
I know, I know, but I live in a house full of women, what do you expect?
Rachel Ray???
Yep, she has like 15 shows on TV now. Dude, she's cute, she cooks, what else do you want?
Her voice makes her a prime candidate for a donkey punch.
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