The Fall of the ESPN Empire

When I think of ESPN, I think monopoly. Sure, there are other sports networks from which to choose, Fox Sports Net, CSS in the south, NESN in the northeast, but when it comes down to it, ESPN is a national titan. While I used to love ESPN for their sports reporting, I feel that the Disney owned Empire has swayed too far from the concept of sports and wandered into the dreaded tabloid realm of entertainment. The network no longer reports on simply sports stories; rather, they feed viewers stories of players sleeping with other players wives, outrageous contract hold outs (Sportscenter has been renamed T.O.center), drug arrests, weaponry arrests, domestic violence etc. They will run a story on how they promote the role of morality in sports, denouncing steroid use or gambling in sports, then cut to an hour long commercial for Las Vegas in another episode of World Series of Poker. Furthermore, the network promotes itself more than any other network. Yes, the Sportscenter ads are clever, but the network is so self indulgent, it takes a viewers attention away from the sport and focuses on some pointless Kenny Mayne trip to Alaska to find polo playing eskimoes. The self promotion bleeds from the network itself down to each and every SC anchor, prying for just one of their witty little catch phrases to capture the attention of the public. The original catch phrase king Chris Berman can still get away with it, but hearing Stuart Scott shout "BOOYA" for every single Bonds/Griffey homerun is just plain annoying (not to mention the fact that year by year Stuarts right eye travels a bit farther from focus). The actual reporters on SC get the least recognition. I have to feel for guys like Pedro Gomez, assigned to bunk with Bonds and report on what color cast he has on his leg as a daily update each day. It is seriously laughable. Not only are the stories at times laughable, but also the way that the reporters and anchors tend to act buddy-buddy with the athletes defeats the purpose of their job. The hard questions never get asked because the anchor is too busy worrying about whether or not the athlete will hate him. My best advice would be to get back to the basics, when ESPN was young and trying to make a name. Get away from family-friendly Disney and become an independent sports news network. And for god's sake, get rid of that new ESPN TV entertainment magazine. Entertainment Tonight for sports is not necessary in the least. No one, and I mean, NO ONE needs to hear Shaq rap. I mean, did anyone see Kazaam? Ugh.

Props go to Rich Eisen though, King of the NFL Network.

2 days til NFL returns. Are you ready for some football? Start revving up the Gang Green...Arrowhead here we come...