It's Time for Some Changes at ESPN

[TMC1982]

The basic problems with ESPN these days if you ask me, is that number one, without a strong rival or competitor (Versus is not quite there yet, Fox Sports Net is really more of collection of regional sports nets than a strongly concentrated entity, and Turner already tried and failed with CNN/SI), they'll continue to rest on their laurels so to speak. The same sort of thing happened to World Wrestling Entertainment when World Championship Wrestling and Extreme Championship Wrestling went under in the year 2001. Also, ESPN seems more interested in being a "brand name"/marketing machine (a la Coca-Cola) than a viable journalistic source. In a way This is partially why I believe that if ESPN doesn't have a contract with your league (like the NHL at the moment), it's not going to get much press or exposure. This has become even more apparent when Disney came into the fold. ESPN is more interested in being the news and being in bed with pop culture than reporting it. In a way, it's arguable that ESPN has turned into the Fox News (where larger than life personalities, frequently delving into sensationalism, and carving your own personal ends/means take prescience more than anything) and/or MTV of sports television.

It's Time for Some Changes at ESPN

An open letter to ESPN/ABC Sports President George Bodenheimer:

Dear Mr. Bodenheimer,

As the leader of the self-proclaimed "Worldwide Leader in Sports," not to
mention one of the most powerful men in two industries (sports and
broadcasting), you probably think you don't need much advice in running your
company.

Maybe you're right. After all, ESPN is the dominant force in sports media and
has been for a generation. There are literally millions of sports fans who can't
imagine life without your television channels, your radio network, your website,
your magazine, your award shows and your restaurants.

OK, so the restaurants didn't quite work out so well, but that's still an
impressive record of success you have there. You guys have a hand in every nook
and cranny of sports, and it is an extraordinary empire you lord over, to be
sure.

But like every good empire, it's showing signs of decay, signs you might not be
able or willing to detect from your castle in Bristol, Conn. There is growing
unrest among the sports masses, and it's not just coming from the handful of
nattering nabobs of negativism in sports media that don't work for you.

More and more, fans are expressing dissatisfaction not only with your product,
but with how it's delivered. The sense I get from a lot of people is that they
take in your product not because they want to, but because they have to. You
guys are sort of like a utility, in that everyone has to use your services, but
no one's especially thrilled about it. In the long run, that's not where you
want to be.

The phrase "Must See TV," in its best sense, stems from providing shows and
content that consumers take in because they're compelling, not because they're
forced down their throat.

The easy thing for you to do, of course, would be to sit back, watch the profits
roll in, and dismiss the criticism as so much chirping from the uninformed.

It would be easy, but it would also open the door to competition. One of the
more open secrets in the industry is that once the NBC Universal/Comcast merger
goes through, the Versus channel is going to be molded into something that could
go head-to-head with ESPN.

Being the astute leader you are, I'm guessing that you don't want to give anyone
reason to seek out a worthy, well-funded challenger with the distribution of
Comcast, the leading cable operator.

I'm a regular visitor to the Sports Media Watch website, which among other things analysis television ratings for major sporting events. Anyway, recently they analyzed the current pros and cons for broadcast networks' and cable outlets' overall schedules/coverage. While sister outlet ABC had gotten its own assessment for the year 2010, ESPN has only gotten a "part one" overview. So in the mean time, all that I have to work with is the first "State of the Networks" address from 2007:
State of the networks: ESPN, Part III

State of the networks: ESPN, Part II

State of the networks: ESPN, Part I

There's also the argument that ESPN has gone into decay under Disney's management:
ESPN: A Requiem in Five Parts

• Chapter One: Take Me to Your Leader
• Chapter Two: A Firm Anchor in Nonsense
• Chapter Three: Synergy Is Just Another Word for Greed
• Chapter Four: Due to Time Constraints
• Chapter Five: The Virus Spreads

 

[cyborg ninja 14]

ESPN has had this coming. "The Decision" was an embarrassing moment for sports journalism because there was no integrity and built it up like an episode of American Idol.

They've done a lot of stupid things for a while now though, not that these essays and letters should come as a surprise.

 

[Dr. Evil]

They've gone from "The Decision" back to their Stephen Strasburg-Brett Favre obsessions.

 

[TMC1982]

Part II of Sports Media Watch's "State of ESPN in 2010" overview looks at the Four Letter Network's journalistic capabilities (or lack there of):
http://www.sportsmediawatch.net/2010/07/state-of-networks-ii-espn-part-ii.html#more

 

[Dr. Evil]

I bet ESPN would cover Brett Favre vs. Stephen Strasburg vs. LeBron James in a game of Chutes and Ladders.

 

[Ghostvirus]

The only thing I watch on ESPN is PTI. & that is almost to much. The stuff they talk about is head hurting at times. Especially during the NBA playoffs. Everything game that a team loses they ask the question, "is this team done?" Uhmm, no there is still 6 more games to play moron.

& I still can't believe they gave legitimacy to Jackson words on Gilberts letter to Lebron being racist. That left my jaw on the floor. Like are you serious!

ESPN isn't doing anything new though.

MTV plays little to no videos.

believe it or not. The E! network actually used to be a respectable movie news network. In fact there was a time when that was pretty much all they ran in repeat was just movie news. I loved it back then.

& the funny thing is there are networks that previously didn't really get much respect, but are building quite a solid base. TBS, AMC, USA, TNT. All these netowrks used to be just a place where syndicated shows go. Now they have some pretty solid shows.

So, where one dies. Another rises.

 

[The Executioner]

Yeah ESPN is like MTV nowadays....will not be surprised if in the future they run reality sport shows on ESPN.

 

[Immortalfire]

ESPN needs to have more Molly Qerim.

 

[The Executioner]

ESPN needs to be an actual sports network again.

 

[Kurosawa]

If they would just get rid of Colin Cowherd it would be a good start. If they roasted them on a spit during Sportscenter I'd vote them the best network ever.

 

[Darthphere]

I love Colin Cowherd.

 

[Kurosawa]

Ewwww..... he makes me sick. The only people on their radio lineup I can even stand now is Mike and Mike. Their radio has been near unlistenable since Dan Patrick left.

 

[TMC1982]

Yeah ESPN is like MTV nowadays....will not be surprised if in the future they run reality sport shows on ESPN.

They kind of already did that several years back with shows like Dream Job (in which the contestants competed for a job on SportsCenter). This was still when Mark Shaprio was around, developing shows for ESPN.

The only thing I watch on ESPN is PTI. & that is almost to much. The stuff they talk about is head hurting at times. Especially during the NBA playoffs. Everything game that a team loses they ask the question, "is this team done?" Uhmm, no there is still 6 more games to play moron.

Al Michaels was interviewed on Bob Costas' old HBO show Costas Now (the episode in question concerned the current state of sports media), in which he signaled ESPN (although, they aren't alone, but are the pied piper) out for having too many shows that constitute people getting in screaming matches with each other.

believe it or not. The E! network actually used to be a respectable movie news network. In fact there was a time when that was pretty much all they ran in repeat was just movie news. I loved it back then.

Yeah, all E! is about now is the Kardashians, The Girls Next Door and its spin-offs (Kendra and Holly's World), and anything else vaguely pertaining to actual show business people.

 

[Go Web Go!]

If they would just get rid of Colin Cowherd it would be a good start. If they roasted them on a spit during Sportscenter I'd vote them the best network ever.

God, how ****ing terrible is that guy? Aside from looking like the Crypt Keeper's younger cousin, the guy also has the most annoying voice - and he does nothing with it. I listen to a lot of sports talk radio because there are days where I'm working on the road a lot, but since the local station picked up his show I've been unable to listen to it AT ALL. Automatic switch-over. His show is also a wreck, save for the blonde.

 

[The Incredible Hulk]

Only time I tune into ESPN is when they're showing actual games. I watch ESPNEWS ocassionally but that's about it. Each of the 4 major sports has their own Networks now and thye each do a better job at broadcasting and covering their own sports than ESPN does.

 

[kane9321]

I watch around the horn, pti,nfl countdown & Nfl match up ith sal, jaws and merill ..thats really about it

 

[Raiden]

Ewwww..... he makes me sick. The only people on their radio lineup I can even stand now is Mike and Mike. Their radio has been near unlistenable since Dan Patrick left.

I listen to Dan Patrick occasionally, but imo he's not as great as I once thought. And Cowherd is alright; at least he says it as it is. Patrick doesn't seemed all that much interested in talking about sports as Cowherd does imo.

As for ESPN, they have their faults obviously, and "The Decision" was just a terrible informercial that even got criticized by ESPN analysts, but despite all their problems there is no other sports network I'd rather watch. And ESPN is not MTV, not by a long shot.

 

[Raiden]

edit - site hiccup

 

[Go Web Go!]

For as awful as everyone thinks the whole 'Decision' special was, a hell of a lot of people watched it. What was it - the 2nd highest rated program on that network all year? People can bash how poorly it was put together because we all know it was, but I don't know what else they expected to come out of it. I mean, did anyone actually think LeBron taking an hour to announce somethig that takes 10 seconds was going to be any good? It went in my favor in terms if rooting interest and I thought it was dreadful.

 

[The Executioner]

CNN covered the Decision better then ESPN.

 

[Holiday]

The only people on their radio lineup I can even stand now is Mike and Mike.

I used to listen to those two back in the day... Yeah, I was young and dumb then. They're terrible.

They have the whole, smart girlie man/ manly man jock act that really isn't funny to me and they're analysis doesn't save the show for me after that. Also, when Golic talks about baseball he comes across as not knowing what he's talking about and not giving a damn.

For as awful as everyone thinks the whole 'Decision' special was, a hell of a lot of people watched it.

Of course they did, it was great comedy.

What was it - the 2nd highest rated program on that network all year? People can bash how poorly it was put together because we all know it was, but I don't know what else they expected to come out of it. I mean, did anyone actually think LeBron taking an hour to announce somethig that takes 10 seconds was going to be any good? It went in my favor in terms if rooting interest and I thought it was dreadful.

I don't think people were expecting it to be good and then disappointed it wasn't, I think most people were annoyed that it was even a show at all.

It never should have happened.

 

[The Executioner]

The Decision was comedy, I mean LBJ destroying Cleveland on live tv that was shown on CNN.

 

[TMC1982]

I used to listen to those two back in the day... Yeah, I was young and dumb then. They're terrible.

They have the whole, smart girlie man/ manly man jock act that really isn't funny to me and they're analysis doesn't save the show for me after that. Also, when Golic talks about baseball he comes across as not knowing what he's talking about and not giving a damn.



Of course they did, it was great comedy.



I don't think people were expecting it to be good and then disappointed it wasn't, I think most people were annoyed that it was even a show at all.

It never should have happened.

ESPN souled out and violated a ton of journalistic integrity and ethics with "The Decision". They treated a free agency signing/announcement like it was American Idol pretty much.

 

[FaT_tONle]

ESPN is disgusting... another 3 dozen reporters of Farve's front yard to drag this **** out again. I guess the A-Rod thing bought them some time, but now it will be back to 24/7 Farve... until there is another major network out there that is going to compete with them, things are never going to change. They know they have the sports landscape by the balls, now they need to focus on these stupid angles to draw the casual sports fan audience, the reality TV fans, the MTV crowd, and what not.

 

[Raiden]

ESPN is certainly not perfect (and while I did watch The Decision, I thought it was rather classless by LeBron to do that to his former team), but there is no other sports network I'd rather watch. Not Versus, and definitely not Fox Sports. ESPN is the empire, and I don't see any signs that other networks will take its place in the near future.