ESPN

[IrishLion]

Skip actually defended the SEC, saying he's never seen a stronger conference. He blamed their bowl losses on the rigor of their conference schedule. It was the producers (i.e. "ESPN") who put the "overrated" question on the table with the mocking "SEC you later" tag.

So... your entire post is incorrect.

Hahahaha then it's EVEN DUMBER. Excuses for the network's new darling.

Mandated from the bosses? Or more shock-jock commentary? Both, probably.

 

[wizards8507]

Hahahaha then it's EVEN DUMBER. Excuses for the network's new darling.

Mandated from the bosses? Or more shock-jock commentary? Both, probably.

I'm sure you were just as outraged when Lou Holtz picked us for next season's playoff in his LSU postgame. Or when he picked us for the BCS in 2007... and 2008... and 2009... and...

Damn shock jock, amirite?

 

[Guest]

I'm sure you were just as outraged when Lou Holtz picked us for next season's playoff in his LSU postgame. Or when he picked us for the BCS in 2007... and 2008... and 2009... and...

Damn shock jock, amirite?

Holtz was the coach at ND, so his affinity is largely understandable. What is Bayless' affiliation with the SEC other than his network broadcasts their games?

 

[IrishLion]

I'm sure you were just as outraged when Lou Holtz picked us for next season's playoff in his LSU postgame. Or when he picked us for the BCS in 2007... and 2008... and 2009... and...

Damn shock jock, amirite?

Haha I simply roll my eyes at Lou and ignore it, so not sure what you're getting at.

Actually, I do know what you're getting at, and seriously dude, congrats. You are the "unbiased guy" on the board, setting aside your allegiances when the rest of us can't.

You are a true role model and champion of non-hypocritical viewpoints.

 

[pkt77242]

I'm sure you were just as outraged when Lou Holtz picked us for next season's playoff in his LSU postgame. Or when he picked us for the BCS in 2007... and 2008... and 2009... and...

Damn shock jock, amirite?

Nope, he is a damn homer, there is a big difference.

 

[irishfan]

I'm sure you were just as outraged when Lou Holtz picked us for next season's playoff in his LSU postgame. Or when he picked us for the BCS in 2007... and 2008... and 2009... and...

Damn shock jock, amirite?

I don't think anyone takes Holtz's ND predictions very seriously. Are you defending Skip Bayless being an idiot, by saying it's okay because Holtz makes outlandish predictions too?

Really wish ESPN was dedicated to actual analysis and highlights, and they let people make stupid predictions and have dumb debates on ESPN2.

 

[wizards8507]

Holtz was the coach at ND, so his affinity is largely understandable. What is Bayless' affiliation with the SEC other than his network broadcasts their games?

Haha I simply roll my eyes at Lou and ignore it, so not sure what you're getting at.

I don't think anyone takes Holtz's ND predictions very seriously. Are you defending Skip Bayless being an idiot, by saying it's okay because Holtz makes outlandish predictions too?

This is kind of my point. If Skip Bayless is an "idiot" or a "shock jock" or whatever else you think he is, who cares what he says? Saying "Skip Bayless is wrong because... he's and idiot; he's a professional troll; he likes to be confrontational" is all fine criticism. Saying "Skip Bayless is wrong because John Skipper pulls him aside before broadcasts and encourages him to say controversial things to drive up ratings for his programs and/or lower-tier SEC games" is where I get grouchy.

Really wish ESPN was dedicated to actual analysis and highlights, and they let people make stupid predictions and have dumb debates on ESPN2.

There are lines within ESPN that establish those boundaries. "Journalistic integrity" applies to programs like SportsCenter, Outside the Lines, and 30 for 30. If you wan't "just the facts, ma'am," then I suggest you stay away from Cowherd, Bayless, Stephen A., Simmons, etc. Programs like College GameDay are somewhere in between. Herbstreit, for example, doesn't "pick" games that he's calling because that would be a conflict of interest. Scott Van Pelt is much different on his radio show than he is when he's anchoring the SportsCenter desk. I've pointed this out when it comes to cable news as well. Reporters report. Anchors anchor. Analysts analyze. Opinion people give their opinion.

 

[IrishLion]

I'd much rather watch Herbie or even Jessie Palmer battle it out at the desk with Mark May, because then May might actually provide decent insight on ND, rather than going with the old "battles with Lou" thing that is played out.

But again, ESPN's good for very little aside 30 for 30 and live games.

 

[T Town Tommy]

Once people understand the premise behind Skip and Stephen A and their show on ESPN, then one would realize why they make the remarks they do. If they sit there and simply agree with each other and/or the obvious, then there would be no need for a show at all. And when it appears the show is lacking something, they trot out Jemele Hill to up the stupidity level a few notches. All in all, it's like reality tv... for sports programming. A novel idea to say the least.

 

[wizards8507]

To jump back to the OP (before the threads got merged), from Schlabach's piece, first article on the main page of ESPN.com.

And maybe, after Ohio State and Oregon won convincingly, college football's landscape changed dramatically in the first year of the playoff. The SEC, which saw its teams win seven BCS championships in a row from 2006 to 2012, can't win a national title for the second season in a row. The SEC West, which was considered the sport's best division and had both Alabama and Mississippi State ranked No. 1 in the country at times this season, is an unsightly 2-5 in bowl games.

Maybe everyone else, including Ohio State and Oregon, has closed the gap on the once-mighty SEC. The SEC's last hope for redemption was the Crimson Tide, and it sure seemed like the SEC's dominance ended on the first day of 2015, or at least shortly after midnight, when Elliott burst through the defense for his backbreaking, 85-yard touchdown run.

"At the end of the day, there are great teams in college football across the country," Smith said. "I wouldn't say there's one team or conference that's supreme. There's obviously a perception about how great the SEC is, and it has had great success. But there are great teams around the country, and we happened to be one of them tonight."

When I posted that screenshot of Bayless before, I didn't mean for that to be the ONE piece of evidence that they're covering the "SEC is overrated" story. They've been talking about it all morning. That just happened to be on the TV as I was walking out to lunch.

Yeah I just read ESPN is over $5.00, and other channels average 0.26 cents each.

Didn't respond to this one yet, but there are a few reasons behind the $5 other than "Disney and ESPN are bullies." ESPN is several channels, including ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNEWS, ESPN Classic, ESPN Deportes, and ESPNU, not counting Longhorn and SEC. Let's round down and say five channels at $1 each per sub. That's much closer to what the other channels are getting. The rest of the gap is due to the cost of programming. A channel like MTV or VH1 is paying for a handful of talent, a few producers, and a fleet of cameramen to put cheap reality programming on the TV. Meanwhile, ESPN is shelling out billions for broadcast rights to the NFL, NBA, MLB, and college sports, (including $2B a year just for MNF).

 

[Cackalacky]

Monkey pirate drummers?

That would be. "Badum swish" as in punchline to a joke.

 

[gkIrish]

My biggest recent problem with the mothership is that their employees are all of a sudden experts on child abuse, domestic abuse, rape, and race relations. Stick to what you "know."

 

[Guest]

This is kind of my point. If Skip Bayless is an "idiot" or a "shock jock" or whatever else you think he is, who cares what he says? Saying "Skip Bayless is wrong because... he's and idiot; he's a professional troll; he likes to be confrontational" is all fine criticism. Saying "Skip Bayless is wrong because John Skipper pulls him aside before broadcasts and encourages him to say controversial things to drive up ratings for his programs and/or lower-tier SEC games" is where I get grouchy.


There are lines within ESPN that establish those boundaries. "Journalistic integrity" applies to programs like SportsCenter, Outside the Lines, and 30 for 30. If you wan't "just the facts, ma'am," then I suggest you stay away from Cowherd, Bayless, Stephen A., Simmons, etc. Programs like College GameDay are somewhere in between. Herbstreit, for example, doesn't "pick" games that he's calling because that would be a conflict of interest. Scott Van Pelt is much different on his radio show than he is when he's anchoring the SportsCenter desk. I've pointed this out when it comes to cable news as well. Reporters report. Anchors anchor. Analysts analyze. Opinion people give their opinion.

Understood. I live in Texas and had to listen/read Skip for several years. He was run out of radio, the press, and out of DFW for good for his blatantly sensationalist tactics. Occasionally he will make a good point and seem legit, then when people settle down, he'll make outlandish arguments nobody believes he actually believes himself. Those are the types of guys real journalists hate, and fans eventually get tired of. ESPN will eventually saturate people with this crap to the point people will actually reject them. I see that change coming sooner than later, but first we need some other sports news source to step it up and fill some of gaps. There isn't anyone close right now.

 

[Guest]

That would be. "Badum swish" as in punchline to a joke.

Aw, disappointed. I thought there was pop culture reference there I just missed

 

[Irish#1]

I miss the days when thge only thing on ESPN besides Sports Center was, Australian Rules Football, Badminton, Cricket and Bowling.

 

[connor_in]

That would be. "ba-dum-bump" as in punchline to a joke.

FIFY

 

[ickythump1225]

I'm sure you were just as outraged when Lou Holtz picked us for next season's playoff in his LSU postgame. Or when he picked us for the BCS in 2007... and 2008... and 2009... and...

Damn shock jock, amirite?

Skip actually defended the SEC, saying he's never seen a stronger conference. He blamed their bowl losses on the rigor of their conference schedule. It was the producers (i.e. "ESPN") who put the "overrated" question on the table with the mocking "SEC you later" tag.

So... your entire post is incorrect.

"Sack fortitude."

 

[phgreek]

I miss the days when thge only thing on ESPN besides Sports Center was, Australian Rules Football, Badminton, Cricket and Bowling.

If I actually recall those days...am I old?

 

[Cackalacky]

FIFY

Dude. Why you messin with my high-hat?

 

[Circa]

Can you believe how they still show Bama so much lve? They almost act as If The OSU didn't just lose the first quarter last night...

 

[ickythump1225]

Saying "Skip Bayless is wrong because... he's and idiot; he's a professional troll; he likes to be confrontational"

Are you related to Skip Bayless?

 

[johnnycando]

Are you related to Skip Bayless?

Bwahahahahaha

 

[Cackalacky]

It has become crystal clear to me over the last few years and in particular this year with the CFB playoff and purchase of bowl television rights that ESPN has fully adopted the Fox News/ Roger Ailes media business model.

Event "X" happens.

Frame Event X in an existing narrative and manipulate or create a new narrative.

Take narrative and disseminate it to your talking heads.

Talking heads filter the narrative using their opinions and rhetoric, dashed with a smidgen of facts or data to appear the opinion is supported when it really is just a talking point to reinforce the narrative. It also does not matter who says what because what matters is that the narrative is reinforced by repitition.

Repeat, wash, and rinse until the narrative is reinforced.

Now that the desired narrative is established, future narratives can be generated/manipulated within the context of the previous narrative thereby creating a perception that what you are being told is based in fact when in truth its a big pile of unsupported crap posing as popular opinion.

Watching ESPN backpedal off of the SEC propaganda this year was kind of hilarious. Also the whole Oregon is soft narrative was pushed hard leading up to the game and then when they dominated FSU, look what you have now.... A new narrative that Oregon is not soft and the whole country has been wrong this whole time... Herbstreit must have mentioned Oregon and soft at least 20 times during the game.

I will bet all my vBucks that Oregon showing the country they aren't soft will be one of the major talking points leading up to the game against OSU.

 

[dshans]

I will bet all my vBucks that Oregon showing the country they aren't soft will be one of the major talking points leading up to the game against OSU.

A sucker's bet if I ever did see one.

I'm not a bettin' man.

I doan wanna bee v-poor.

I'll pass.




Or should I bet Red? Or Black? Or double zero?

Dern ...

 

[Circa]

This is kind of my point. If Skip Bayless is an "idiot" or a "shock jock" or whatever else you think he is, who cares what he says? Saying "Skip Bayless is wrong because... he's and idiot; he's a professional troll; he likes to be confrontational" is all fine criticism. Saying "Skip Bayless is wrong because John Skipper pulls him aside before broadcasts and encourages him to say controversial things to drive up ratings for his programs and/or lower-tier SEC games" is where I get grouchy.


There are lines within ESPN that establish those boundaries. "Journalistic integrity" applies to programs like SportsCenter, Outside the Lines, and 30 for 30. If you wan't "just the facts, ma'am," then I suggest you stay away from Cowherd, Bayless, Stephen A., Simmons, etc. Programs like College GameDay are somewhere in between. Herbstreit, for example, doesn't "pick" games that he's calling because that would be a conflict of interest. Scott Van Pelt is much different on his radio show than he is when he's anchoring the SportsCenter desk. I've pointed this out when it comes to cable news as well. Reporters report. Anchors anchor. Analysts analyze. Opinion people give their opinion.

This is all understandable and I realize you are one of the few whom are in the know. Now tell me something I don't know.

 

[IrishLion]

This is all understandable and I realize you are one of the few whom are in the know. Now tell me something I don't know.

No seriously Wizards, tell us some juicy stuff from the campus of the Mothership.

I want to know about mistresses, temper tantrums, unexpected divas, ragers gone wrong, sex, drugs, etc.

 

[Circa]

No seriously Wizards, tell us some juicy stuff from the campus of the Mothership.

I want to know about mistresses, temper tantrums, unexpected divas, ragers gone wrong, sex, drugs, etc.

Just wondered whom ya rented that priceline room for..

 

[wizards8507]

Sling TV to Launch Live, Over-the-Top Service for $20 Per Month; Watch on TVs, Tablets, Computers, Smartphones, Game Consoles | About DISH

$20 per month with no contract. Seems like a great option if you only wanted ESPN for college football season, for example.

 

[IrishJayhawk]

Sling TV to Launch Live, Over-the-Top Service for $20 Per Month; Watch on TVs, Tablets, Computers, Smartphones, Game Consoles | About DISH

$20 per month with no contract. Seems like a great option if you only wanted ESPN for college football season, for example.

'bout time.

 

[phork]

ESPN and ESPN2, not the other channels.