ESPN has done what science couldn't, they have nearly perfected perpetual motion.

[JtotheIzzo]

As a disclaimer before I begin, I am not a hater of the world wide leader, despite occasionally referring to them as the world wide follower, I listen to 3 of their podcasts and watch Sportscenter and their NFL pregame show. But recently they have become the world wide chasing their tail going in circles and I think it is insulting to everyone with rational thought.

They need to be taken down a notch, they are making us dumber and it is for one specific reason (like I said, not a hate thread). They are not making us dumber because Sal Pal is a moron, or Jaws is ridiculous, or 'The Professor' may be a pedo, they are making us dumber because they are creating news and passing it off as something real.

let me give you an example. Last month Ron Jaworski said some ridiculous nonsense about Colin Kaepernick being potentially the best QB ever. By every measurable standard it is nonsensical fluff, delivered with hyperbole to drive home an idea that the kid has tools.

BUT OH NO, NOT AT ESPN, it becomes a big story and runs through every office in Bristol and LA and is broken down like a game score on every show and platform.

THIS IS DISINGENUOUS AND IRRESPONSIBLE REPORTING.

another example, Jalen Rose pulls an outlandish prediction from his posterior on his webcast with Bill Simmons about Kevin Durant going to Houston and it becomes breaking news forcing all the meathead drones to break it down at length.

The result, Durant has to deal with complete bullshit all year and people in OKC get whipped up in a frenzy, all because Jalen predicted something completely out of his ass.

These are two examples, but it happens daily, ESPN constantly creates news within their own walls and then reports on it like it happened outside of their offices and is a real thing.

Basically, you could get hired there, say some shit like "When Kobe retires I think he is going to move to Cambodia and f*ck underage male prostitutes", if you are an 'expert' or 'analysts' this will become a lead story on every platform in Bristol.

It is one thing (and a bad thing) that Fox News talks about MSNBC and everyone bitches about Fox News, the media talking about the media like it is news is bad, but it is nothing compared to an outlet so egotistical, arrogant and reckless that it believes the musings of its washed up, alcoholic, retired athletes, are newsworthy.

Must be true, Jaws watches a lot of tape, or maybe Jalen is just 'givin the people what they want!'

Either way, it is too much.

F*ck you John Walsh!

[ALBballer]

Agreed.

Also take the Tim Tebow fiasco. They are responsible for making stories out of nothing for him instead of letting the guy just play.

[joe]

I agree. The Lebron situation taught me to realize these are just people trying to live their lives. Just because they're famous doesn't make it right for us to burn their jerseys when they make a decision we don't like. The way everyone treated Lebron was just wrong. As a sports fan I won't play into it with Durant. Espn definitely has gone too far in the respects you mention.

[Nick Young]

I agree. The Lebron situation taught me to realize these are just people trying to live their lives. Just because they're famous doesn't make it right for us to burn their jerseys when they make a decision we don't like. The way everyone treated Lebron was just wrong. As a sports fan I won't play into it with Durant. Espn definitely has gone too far in the respects you mention.

LOL Lebron betrayed his hometown and left the franchise who drafted him in turmoil! He deserves the hate he got! He could have just informed the Cavs "I'm not going to re-sign with you guys, you should start trying to rebuild a team without me in the future. Instead he strung them along until the last second of the trade deadline and announces he's going to Miami on national TV, giving Cleveland no time to put a new team together, and destroying the franchise.

Yes Lebron has the right to leave but he disrespected the entire city and organization that had just spent 8 years pandering to his every whim. He deserved it and still does.


Look at this horse shit! "Wah wah poor Lebron, what should he do, poor guy just signed a massive contract and has to move to Miami, booo hoo woe is me"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NvgD9HNTMkM

[mlh1981]

I prefer the channels specific to each sport. Just better quality. They can focus in on their "specialty."

Specifically, one format I've grown really tired of is the debate format on ESPN. I can't tell you the last time I watched any of those type of shows. Middle aged men yelling about sports and coming up with contrarian opinions just for the sake of argument is a tired formula.

[Scholar]

Yeah, to be honest, I watch NBATV for NBA coverage and the NFL Network for NFL coverage. There won't be any sensationalizing out of those networks.
mlh1981 hit the nail on the head. The debate format is tiresome. And if you watch SportsCenter long enough, you realize all their news reporters are the same dudes. They may look different, but they're all the same. All their energy and charisma is used to pretty much just say shit that they THINK is funny, like giving players bad nicknames while showing highlight reels or just plain saying stupid ass shit that not even a toddler would find amusing.

[Rasheed1]

That is the echo chamber effect of most media outlets today... They do it in electronic and print media too.. A rumor in the new times gets cited by other outlets as the source for other media outlets to keep running with a story that is obviously bogus..

either that or they they spend inordinate amounts of time reporting on each other.. Huff post spends more time reporting on Rush Limbaugh then they do on legitimate news.. Fox is notorious for creating stories based on crap they themselves made up..

ESPN does it too..

The media has a bagful of tricks they use to keep bullsh*t going when there isnt anything legitimate to talk about.. My favorite is the controversial headlines with the question mark at the end... You can put almost anything as a headline if you end it with a question mark


BTW I happened to enjoy what Jalen Rose said about Durant.. It was interesting... I think its bullish*t that people will hound him about all year, and people try to give legitimacy to something that was obviously just a prediction.. But it was interesting to consider..

[MMM]

I agree. The Lebron situation taught me to realize these are just people trying to live their lives. Just because they're famous doesn't make it right for us to burn their jerseys when they make a decision we don't like. The way everyone treated Lebron was just wrong. As a sports fan I won't play into it with Durant. Espn definitely has gone too far in the respects you mention.

Haven't seen you in a min
welcome back man

[gigantes]

interesting thread, comments.


what was rose's point about durant going to houston? he misses the bearded one...?

[TheMarkMadsen]

I could maybe take your post seriously if you hadn't labeled John Clayton as a possible pedo before you went on to complain about irresponsible, disingenuous & sensationalized reporting

[Rasheed1]

interesting thread, comments.


what was rose's point about durant going to houston? he misses the bearded one...?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7-_K3gWqaBk

[gigantes]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7-_K3gWqaBk

thank you!


i don't know. it does sound like he's talking out his ass, though. friends of other athletes are often giving these kinds of predictions, but when the event rolls around (free agency), other factors typically become way more important. the interviews, the tours of the facilities, the offer sheets, personal whim, etc.

i would not be able to sit through bullshit shows like these. sports is interesting, but it's not THAT interesting.

[Tarik One]

It's the fact that they have zero competition. Their analysts and coverage are often times so incredibly biased that it's extremely unethical.

I'll give you an example. So North Carolina athletics had major academic fraud running rampant to keep both football players and basketball players eligible in a fake class. NC State fans broke the news MONTHS before ESPN decided to mention it and when they did, they just passed it off as a football issue but that was bogus. There were a ton of basketball players involved and even when the P.J. Hairston story breaks, again, by NC State fans, they don't even report the full story about how far back it goes and how many cars Hairston had rented by the felon, Fats, and his accomplices. And you know why this story doesnt get the coverage it deserved? You know who is the President of ESPN Inc? John Skipper. Wanna take a guess on which school he attended?

It's amazing when that network decides to try and take someone down and harps on a subject ad nausem like OSU or the Rutgers coach but they're extremely silent on UNC being one of the most crooked programs in decades. Duke and their worshipping of Coach K aren't too far off either with how they fail to report the shadiness and corruption in that program.

[gigantes]

i have to tip the sombrero to ESPN's josh gross, though. he bravely took on blowhard dana white of MMA fame over fighter pay. that was actually quite painful for him, since it permanently lost him access to UFC events.


come to think of it, i guess ESPN kind of hung him out to dry. i mean, they could have made the story an agenda... a pretty righteous agenda if you ask me... but just let it go. probably because there wasn't nearly enough money involved.

[joe]

LOL Lebron betrayed his hometown and left the franchise who drafted him in turmoil! He deserves the hate he got! He could have just informed the Cavs "I'm not going to re-sign with you guys, you should start trying to rebuild a team without me in the future. Instead he strung them along until the last second of the trade deadline and announces he's going to Miami on national TV, giving Cleveland no time to put a new team together, and destroying the franchise.

Yes Lebron has the right to leave but he disrespected the entire city and organization that had just spent 8 years pandering to his every whim. He deserved it and still does.


Look at this horse shit! "Wah wah poor Lebron, what should he do, poor guy just signed a massive contract and has to move to Miami, booo hoo woe is me"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NvgD9HNTMkM

The bolded part is the heart of the problem to me. If Lebron plays in your city, and you cater to his every whim, and the identity of the city is wrapped up in the player, and the fans identity is wrapped up in rooting for that player... it makes sense to burn their jersey when they leave.

But why should you become so attached to a player in the first place? Or a team for that matter.

Lebron's crime was not considering that a lot of people had a crazed, unhealthy sports-obsession towards him. He was insensitive towards that. But it was the fans who had that obsession to begin with.

And it still continues with Durant. Next it will be Wiggins. In music the same is done to Miley Cirus, Justin Bieber.

I hope Durant makes the best decision for 1) basketball and 2) himself. I want to see him play on a good team. He doesn't owe Oklahoma City anything. And more than anyone, the fans of the Thunder should know that first and foremost. Appreciate him but don't identify with him. If he leaves, root for him because he's insanely skilled and fun to watch. Don't hate him because he "shunned you" even though all he's really doing is trying to make the best decisions he can make in life. It shouldn't get that personal, like it did with Lebron.