ESPN is Such a Joke

[AZCB34]

They have their lips wrapped so firmly around Bonds' bat it is pathetic. They lead off SC with him going 0-4 BB. Sorry, but passing Mays to me is no big deal. Is it cool? Yes but this infatuation they have with him is sad.

35 minutes into SC and nothing on the thrilling finish at BOB last night. Not trying to sound like a homer but the drama of the game was HUGE.

ESPN continues to lose it's luster.

 

[devilalum]

The Fox Sports news is much better for home town news. Even the national show does a better job with AZ news.

Didn't ESPN get bought up by ABC a few years ago? Seems like it has gone downhill every since.

 

[AZZenny]

Bought up by Disney. They have always had unabashed biases, still do, we should be used to it by now. We aren't among their favorites.

Wish BaBo would get the Mays thing over with so we can move on for at least a little while. Then they'll focus on A-Rod again, and then Bonds will be at a new mark, and then A-Rod...

 

[Mojo]

Yeah ESPN is biased but they are showing what viewers accross the country want to see, its marketing. And i remember in the summers of '01 and '02 whenever Randy or Curt pitched it was like their lead story everytime.

 

[minercon]

I have learned not to listen to these sportscasters in all sports. They just like to hear themselves talk. They are not as informed as the real fans out there are. They hype what they think will sell. That goes with some of our local sportscasters as well as the national ones.

 

[BOB_Man24]

You dont want to see Bonds pass Mays?

What if Randy was going to break the strikeout record? Would you watch it then?

I mean not that i want to see bonds' every at-bat, but it is not the end of the world if i HAVE to see him pass Mays. Baseball history is baseball history, and that takes precidence.

I do agree though, too much East Coast and Barry Bonds bias...

 

[Espo]

I have learned not to listen to these sportscasters in all sports. They just like to hear themselves talk. They are not as informed as the real fans out there are. They hype what they think will sell. That goes with some of our local sportscasters as well as the national ones.

Dont blame the sportscasters for reporting what they think will sell blame their directors and producers. They are the ones who decide what goes on the air the sportscasters just write the script for the story they are given.

 

[BOB_Man24]

Dont blame the sportscasters for reporting what they think will sell blame their directors and producers. They are the ones who decide what goes on the air the sportscasters just write the script for the story they are given.

Plus, we have to figure that they are trying to "market" to the casual fans. People like us know much more about baseball, and they dont have to "explain" everything to us. They report what will sell and i agree, we cannot blame them for that...

 

[jerryp]

Maybe it's becasue sstuff happens so late out there.

Look at it this way. SportsCenter is on as I write this. As of right now exactly two AL/NL West teams have played today (against each other). Not a single AL/NL West teams play another game until 7PM local time, which is 10PM where I sit. That means when SportsCenter comes on again at 11PM here your games will be in the first four innings. When Baseball Tonight comes on finally at 12:30 here, your games will still be in progress most likely.

Kind of hard to have complete coverage when the games are still going.

With NFL coverage I don't see the nationally popular teams getting more coverage than say the Buffalo Bills (where live). The only bias I see in NFL is the crappy teams get near zero coverage. San Diego, the Cards, Bengals, all of them you never here about since they suck. Except for Cinci got tons of coverage this last year due to Lewis. That's all we can hope for, for the Cardinals. If Denny can even get us 8-8 then hopefully we will get the coverage the Cinci did this past year.

I do agree with the My Green is Better Than Your Gibss article though, there should be all kinds of stuff on SportsCenter about Denny but we are overshadowed by the return of a coach with 3 Super Bowls and coaching in a more densly populated area of the country. Go figure.

Does anyone care to explain how exactly ESPN is East biased? I am not saying they are not, just saying I don't see it.

If anything, they are anti-NASCAR. The seconds most popular sport watched on TV in the country (completely obliterates MLB, NBA, and NHL ratings) and it gets virtually no coverage. All they say is who wins the pole and who wins the race, and it's usually just a blurb between other stories.

 

[Espo]

If anything, they are anti-NASCAR. The seconds most popular sport watched on TV in the country (completely obliterates MLB, NBA, and NHL ratings) and it gets virtually no coverage. All they say is who wins the pole and who wins the race, and it's usually just a blurb between other stories.

There is a good reason they are anti-NASCAR, because most sports fans are anti nascar. if you want to see nascar news turn to the speed network. I know im not alone when i say that nascar isnt a sport and that it shouldnt get more then a mention on ESPN, unless its a big race.

 

[green machine]

Alot of ESPN has gone downhill. There is certainly a bias. Mostly Yankees. They can't get all the Dbacks stuff because like last night's game it was late on their coast.

 

[Ryanwb]

They went down hill ever since they went through all the mergers with ABC and Disney.


Their internet site is just a damn advertisement now

 

[AZCB34]

You dont want to see Bonds pass Mays?

What if Randy was going to break the strikeout record? Would you watch it then?

I mean not that i want to see bonds' every at-bat, but it is not the end of the world if i HAVE to see him pass Mays. Baseball history is baseball history, and that takes precidence.

I do agree though, too much East Coast and Barry Bonds bias...

Quite frankly, I don't really see it as history. History will be bypassing Aaron. It is a milestone of sorts I guess my issue is that ESPN is bowing before the altar of Bonds and I have to see the LEAD story being him going 0-4 BB. And they lead with that not because it was a close game decided late but because of Barry. I have NO desire to sit through each one of his at bat replayed when he couldn't even get a hit. Hell the Masters was bigger than Bonds IMO.

 

[jerryp]

There is a good reason they are anti-NASCAR, because most sports fans are anti nascar. if you want to see nascar news turn to the speed network. I know im not alone when i say that nascar isnt a sport and that it shouldnt get more then a mention on ESPN, unless its a big race.

I knew this was coming.

First off all, I shouldn't have to pay for an extra channel just to see 15 minutes of race coverage. I am not asking they show races, but more than 10 seconds a week would be nice.

Also, if NASCAR is not a sport, then neither is Golf. It takes no more energy and stamina to walk 18 holes and swing an ultra light club than it does to sit in a 130 degree car for three hours making sure you make every single shif exactly right to avoid an accident. So get that **** off of every Thursday and Friday afternoon.

Second of all, you have absolutely ZERO evidence of any sort that "Most sports fans are anti NASCAR." First off, every single NASCAR fan IS a sports fan. There isn't a single one of us that doesn't consider NASCAR a sport, so unless you have some data showing that there are more self proclaimed sports fans that don't consider NASCAR a sport than NASCAR fans and sports fans who don't like NASCAR but still consider it a sport, you are talking straight out of your ass.

So if all you got is "I know I am not alone..." well thats weak man. Because for every person you got who doesn't think it's a sport, I got one that says it is. So what have we proven here, you have friends that don't like NASCAR and I do. That's it.

Finally, even if you don't like NASCAR, and I am not saying as an American you should or anything like that, but even if you hate NASCAR you should want ESPN to promote it.

Why you ask? Because at least some people in Arizona see the FINANCIAL gains that can be had from hosting a race. That's why Phoenix is trying to get a second race added to the schedule. But I guess after years of watching the Cardinals play you're not used to seeing what 100,000 fans oh so willing to buy stuff with their favorite driver on it can do for the local economy.

I'll bet you right now that the attendance of even a small race that even most NASCAR fans don't like (Watkins Glen where I used to live by) still eclipses that of the biggest crowds the Cards draw this year. Multiply that advantage by the cost of a single beer and you can see the cash that can be had.

So, care to answer my initial question about why people think ESPN has an East Coast bias, or was that question too hard compared to blasting someone for likeing NASCAR?

 

[Ryanwb]

Also, if NASCAR is not a sport, then neither is Golf. It takes no more energy and stamina to walk 18 holes and swing an ultra light club than it does to sit in a 130 degree car for three hours making sure you make every single shif exactly right to avoid an accident. So get that **** off of every Thursday and Friday afternoon.

Golf is a sport, trust me...the guys who can hang on the PGA tour are a select few, golf is all skill and very little equipment. Anyone could drive in NASCAR witha few hours of training, its just friggen left hand turns

 

[Espo]

I knew this was coming.

First off all, I shouldn't have to pay for an extra channel just to see 15 minutes of race coverage. I am not asking they show races, but more than 10 seconds a week would be nice.

Also, if NASCAR is not a sport, then neither is Golf. It takes no more energy and stamina to walk 18 holes and swing an ultra light club than it does to sit in a 130 degree car for three hours making sure you make every single shif exactly right to avoid an accident. So get that **** off of every Thursday and Friday afternoon.

Second of all, you have absolutely ZERO evidence of any sort that "Most sports fans are anti NASCAR." First off, every single NASCAR fan IS a sports fan. There isn't a single one of us that doesn't consider NASCAR a sport, so unless you have some data showing that there are more self proclaimed sports fans that don't consider NASCAR a sport than NASCAR fans and sports fans who don't like NASCAR but still consider it a sport, you are talking straight out of your ass.

So if all you got is "I know I am not alone..." well thats weak man. Because for every person you got who doesn't think it's a sport, I got one that says it is. So what have we proven here, you have friends that don't like NASCAR and I do. That's it.

Finally, even if you don't like NASCAR, and I am not saying as an American you should or anything like that, but even if you hate NASCAR you should want ESPN to promote it.

Why you ask? Because at least some people in Arizona see the FINANCIAL gains that can be had from hosting a race. That's why Phoenix is trying to get a second race added to the schedule. But I guess after years of watching the Cardinals play you're not used to seeing what 100,000 fans oh so willing to buy stuff with their favorite driver on it can do for the local economy.

I'll bet you right now that the attendance of even a small race that even most NASCAR fans don't like (Watkins Glen where I used to live by) still eclipses that of the biggest crowds the Cards draw this year. Multiply that advantage by the cost of a single beer and you can see the cash that can be had.

So, care to answer my initial question about why people think ESPN has an East Coast bias, or was that question too hard compared to blasting someone for likeing NASCAR?

Hey man i wasnt taking a personal shot at you. To each there own. I dont like Nascar and dont think its a sport. Do i respect the drivers who risk their lives out on the track every week yes. Do i consider them athletes, no. I wouldnt not have the guts to go out there and drive 200 miles an hour in a hunk of tin but they dont have to have any athletic talent to do that.
If nascar is such a sport then why dont you hear it talked about on sports radio? Why dont they have it on the front page of the sports page unless its a big race? Are there a lot of Nascar fans out there, yes. Does that mean it should be a top story, no.
As for the money factor and the promotion factor, thats not ESPN's job. I understand the more exposure nascar gets the better off the races will be and the more attended it will be. And i understand that the more people that go to PIR the more money arizona will make. But its Nascar officials jobs to put the pressure on outlets like ESPN and Fox Sports Net to air the highlights and honestly how many highlights are there? A car passing another car isnt quite as exciting as a tackle or a spectacular dunk or a long homerun. The bottom line for sports media is to entertain the viewer and 15 seconds of cars passing each other or a mention is about as much as the casual sports fan and even the serious sports fan can take before they will change the channel so they can see another dunk or tackle or homerun.
In regards to the east coast bias, they are located on the east coast so that has something to do with it and the game end so late on the east coast that it is tough to get west coast highlights on at the begining of the show. Also they dont have the ability to show highlights of a game until its over if they dont have the rights to the game. Thus sometimes fox will not allow them to show dbax highlights until the game ends. So you wont lead off with a story that you cant show video for.

 

[mkapp]

if not bonds..

If not bonds then its the skankees. ARod gets popped in the jaw...blah blah blah. Screw them. How about giving repect to the NL other than GAYry Bonds. Honestly he is 1 away from Aaarons record. He IS going to get it. Nobody gives a flying F**k

 

[jerryp]

Well, PHX Phan, you echoed exactly what I thought the reason for lack of west coast coverage was in my first post. So basically you're blaming the times zones, and Fox Sports for ESPN's bias. Ok, sure.

I haven't seen a Cards game since they left the NFC East, is it Fox's fault for not showing the 3 Cards games a season they used to show in NY since the NFL decided to realign divisions?

Also, I didn't ask for NASCAR to be a leading story or get tons of coverage. But would it kill to show 45 seconds of the fan favorites talking after the final practice? I mean show a fifteen second Jeff Gordon clip, a fifteen second Dale Jr. clip and you've satisfied half the NASCAR fans out there. If they showed 45 seconds more of golf would it suddenly make golf fans watch Sports Center because they actually got to see some stuff? No, but the potential is there for NASCAR.

And the pressure should not be totally on NASCAR, ESPN's objective is to make money though covering competition. Day before yesterday I had the TV on in the afternoon, they are showing ski jumping on ESPN. I lived many years not too far from Lake Placid where this event apparently was. And not even the people in the north country of New York give a **** about ski jumping, but it's being shown on afternoon television. I bet if the NASCAR practices were shown, even though they are not that exciting, it would still draw more random people in than ski jumping. So why doesn't ESPN cover it? What sponsorship is there for ski jumping? At least NASCAR races draw car care products advertisement revenue, lot's of people have cars right?

I guess you have your whole it's not a sport argument, but thats extremely subjective.

Ryanwb thinks anyone can just get in a stock car and be a good driver after a couple hours. I ask Ryan, what the hell are you doin here then man? If it only takes a couple hours training why aren't you on the NASCAR circuit? You realize completing one lap, blowing an engine, then finishing last still gets you like $35,000 right? If it's so easy, why aren't you out there hauling in the dough dude? You sound just like the guy I work with that claims he has a fail safe system for winning at craps. Yet for some reason he's not living in Vegas making millions.

I'm not going to argue this anymore because you're totally right PHX Phan, to each his own. But claiming it's easy is pure idiocy. Thanks for at least acknowledging it's not. Actually come to think of it, I also saw TABLE TENNIS on ESPN the other day, I suppose that's a sport too, or is it not a sport but anyone can compete at that level after a few hours? Ryanwb seems to be the resident expert on what qualifies so we'll leave it to him.

Bascially my view, is that a simple increase by a few minutes a day could open up a nation wide audience of millions. And during the summer when football is off, NHL, MLB, and NBA don't exactly have the rabid following in the south that NASCAR has, but I guess opening one of the fastest growing markets in America isn't ESPN's mission objective.

 

[Ryanwb]

Ryanwb thinks anyone can just get in a stock car and be a good driver after a couple hours. I ask Ryan, what the hell are you doin here then man? If it only takes a couple hours training why aren't you on the NASCAR circuit? You realize completing one lap, blowing an engine, then finishing last still gets you like $35,000 right? If it's so easy, why aren't you out there hauling in the dough dude? You sound just like the guy I work with that claims he has a fail safe system for winning at craps. Yet for some reason he's not living in Vegas making millions.

I don't have the financial backing and I don't have a deathwish... I read that it takes about a million bucks to have a stock car built, hire a crew and get everything you need to qualify for one race. If I was a redneck I would probably quit my job at Wal-mart and saddle up...but I went to college so I have some common sense.