The Sports Media Thread

[The_Admiral]

Milbury should be a part of intermission reports, because I don't watch intermission reports, but he should only be treated as a complete buttmonkey. Everything he says should be met with "yeah, well, you did [any Islanders move]" and then they move to another topic.

[buzzcut]

Potential sportpocalypse on the horizon as AT&T threatens to dump the FON, along with other Disney networks.

https://awfulannouncing.com/espn/espn-blitzes-att-mnf-viewers-with-ads-ticker-updates-streaming-blackouts-as-massive-suddenly-contentious-att-carriage-dispute-looms.html

[Kevin W.]

23 hours ago, the admiral said:

Milbury should be a part of intermission reports, because I don't watch intermission reports, but he should only be treated as a complete buttmonkey. Everything he says should be met with "yeah, well, you did [any Islanders move]" and then they move to another topic.

You misspelled "beat a fan with his shoe."

[MadmanLA]

Sad news from the NBA world...

 

Long-time Cavaliers and Pistons TV play-by-play announcer Fred McLeod died last night, at the age of 67.  McLeod's most recent work was calling this summer's Lions preseason telecasts.  He had served as the Cavs' TV voice since 2006, and before that spent 22 years calling Detroit Pistons cable telecasts on PASS, and then on Fox Sports Detroit when the latter launched in 1997. 

 

He also worked as a sportscaster at Cleveland's Channel 8 (then WJKW) in the late '70s, as a weekend sports anchor, and called Cavs and Indians games for that station until both moved to then-indie WUAB in 1980.  In his Detroit years, he was also a sportscaster at WJBK and WDIV-TV.

 

https://www.cnn.com/2019/09/10/sport/fred-mcleod-obit-nba-trnd/index.html

 

LeBron shared his sentiments today...

 

 

[Tracy Jordan]

Chris Berman and Tom Jackson are returning to NFL Primetime on ESPN+
 

Quote

 

Chris Berman and Tom Jackson, who teamed up to co-host ESPN's NFL PrimeTime for 19 seasons, will reunite as the show returns, beginning Sunday, on ESPN+, it was announced Friday.

 

From 1987 to 2005, Berman and Jackson helped redefine NFL highlights with their back-and-forth banter, Berman's signature player nicknames and delivery, and Jackson's analysis. They will be joined on NFL PrimeTime by SportsCenter anchor Scott Van Pelt and Monday Night Football play-by-play voice Joe Tessitore.

"ESPN just celebrated its 40th birthday and the NFL is celebrating its 100th season," Berman said in a statement. "What better way to commemorate both occasions than by bringing back NFL PrimeTime, now on ESPN+. I hope everyone is as excited about this as we are."

 

The 60-minute show will stream live on ESPN+ at 7:30 p.m. ET each Sunday during the 2019 season and will be updated with highlights from the Sunday night and Monday night games. The show will be available on demand each week until late Wednesday night.

 

 

https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/27608398/berman-tj-back-nfl-prime-espn+?platform=amp

 

This is wonderful news if you remember growing up watching Berman and Jackson every Sunday night. No NFL highlights show has ever been as good since the original 'Primetime' ended in 2006. I don't care what anyone thinks, I miss Berman's corny nicknames and the iconic highlights music so I'm super happy. Come at me, bro.

[Sec19Row53]

On 9/13/2019 at 11:58 PM, Tracy Jordan said:

Chris Berman and Tom Jackson are returning to NFL Primetime on ESPN+
 

 

https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/27608398/berman-tj-back-nfl-prime-espn+?platform=amp

 

This is wonderful news if you remember growing up watching Berman and Jackson every Sunday night. No NFL highlights show has ever been as good since the original 'Primetime' ended in 2006. I don't care what anyone thinks, I miss Berman's corny nicknames and the iconic highlights music so I'm super happy. Come at me, bro.

OK - here I come.

 

Too much of ESPN has become 'look at me' rather than 'look at this highlight'. Chris Berman and his lame nicknames and his shtick are among the reasons I rarely watch ESPN any longer unless it is for a live event. It seems to me that most of ESPN follows his lead (yeah - it started with Patrick and Olberman, but (a) not everyone is good at the shtick and (b) not everyone needs to do the shtick).

 

I can understand how people will enjoy this - I won't be one of them.

[Digby]

4 hours ago, Sec19Row53 said:

OK - here I come.

 

Too much of ESPN has become 'look at me' rather than 'look at this highlight'. Chris Berman and his lame nicknames and his shtick are among the reasons I rarely watch ESPN any longer unless it is for a live event. It seems to me that most of ESPN follows his lead (yeah - it started with Patrick and Olberman, but (a) not everyone is good at the shtick and (b) not everyone needs to do the shtick).

 

I can understand how people will enjoy this - I won't be one of them.

 

All of this and also -- what was fresh 25 years ago probably isn't now. What is useful to the highlight consumer of now? Is it cramming as many catchphrases in as possible?

[DG_ThenNowForever]

3 minutes ago, Digby said:

 

All of this and also -- what was fresh 25 years ago probably isn't now. What is useful to the highlight consumer of now? Is it cramming as many catchphrases in as possible?

 

I wonder how much of ESPN's audience is TVs left on at public places (airports, hotels, bars) compared to home viewers. In public, it's nice to see highlights so you have something to react to. At home, you have twitter or @houseofhighlights or myriad other places.

[Sec19Row53]

24 minutes ago, DG_Now said:

 

I wonder how much of ESPN's audience is TVs left on at public places (airports, hotels, bars) compared to home viewers. In public, it's nice to see highlights so you have something to react to. At home, you have twitter or @houseofhighlights or myriad other places.

I'm an old guy. I SHOULD be ESPN's demographic, because I don't go to Twitter or online for highlights.

 

But I DO go to the MLB Network or NFL Network for highlights and information, rather than where I used to go (ESPN), because I feel like I get less shtick.

[Red Comet]

Here's the best part about NFL Primetime. 

 

But yeah, in an era of ubiquitous Internet access to highlights on demand, I don't see any point to a highlights show anymore. 

[The_Admiral]

Maybe there's not a point to ESPN itself anymore, but they still have programming hours to fill outside their game properties. I guess we should be grateful that they're letting Chris Berman do one more lap of yelling WHOOP! over dated production music instead of much cheaper options. Would you rather have a simulcast of ESPN Radio doing, like, Sarah Spain Is Raspily Indignant About Crap No One Cares About? 

[Tracy Jordan]

12 hours ago, Digby said:

 

All of this and also -- what was fresh 25 years ago probably isn't now. What is useful to the highlight consumer of now? Is it cramming as many catchphrases in as possible?

 

I'm only speaking for myself, but it was fun to watch a 45 minute commercial-free episode of NFL Primetime yesterday and see all the highlights from Sunday's games. Call me old-fashioned, but I still believe there's a demand for in-depth highlights on television (or on-demand in this case). Yes, there's a lot of places to watch highlights online or on a smartphone these days. But if there's one thing I've noticed in the last few years is that nostalgia is a powerful selling point. An entire generation of fans grew up watching the original 'Primetime' and listening to Berman's shtick every Sunday. It's a low-risk gamble for ESPN to try and lure some of those fans back. If they would just cut back on their talking head programs and focus solely on live games and highlights, I'd probably watch a lot more ESPN than I used to.

[Sport]

On 9/6/2019 at 8:08 PM, DG_Now said:

After the umpteenth Bill Simmons podcast in a row where he complains about hurt feelings -- coupled with a healthy bit of Pats superfandom -- I'm out. Life's too short to be trolled by the media I choose to consume.

 

If someone can let me know when he's off this kick, I'd appreciate it. But for now, who needs it.

 

He's still on it and I've been skipping them more and more. He needs people in his orbit to check him and I don't think he has that. Maybe Russillo. Everyone else is over-laughing at his jokes, not correcting him when he mispronounces words and names (which happens OFTEN), and nobody tells him to STFU about the Patriots. 

 

Other reasons I'm out on Ringer podcasts - I find their new editor in chief, Mallory Rubin, completely unlistenable, Chris Ryan needs to stop yelling, Shea Serrano needs to get a personality besides "I love terrible action movies isn't that funny how much I love them?", and I'd like to dangle Nephew Kyle off a balcony. Never heard someone trying so hard while failing so hard to sound cool. 

[pmoehrin]

21 hours ago, Sec19Row53 said:

I'm an old guy. I SHOULD be ESPN's demographic, because I don't go to Twitter or online for highlights.

 

But I DO go to the MLB Network or NFL Network for highlights and information, rather than where I used to go (ESPN), because I feel like I get less shtick.

 

I feel like shtick is the only thing ESPN has going for it as this point.

 

Get Up!, First Take, High Noon, Highly Questionable, Around the Horn, PTI. Those aren't six different shows. That's the same show done six different ways.

 

Maybe it wouldn't be so bad if they mixed up the personalities on these shows every so often, but more and more it just seems like its the same people thrown in your face over and over again.

 

Mike Greenberg, Stephen A. Smith, Dan Le Batard, Wilbon and Kornheiser, Jalen Rose, Mark Schlereth, Tony Reali. I'm not saying I think all of these people are bad, or even need to be replaced, but ESPN has been running all of these people out on their debate shows for a decade-plus now. At some point, you have to bring in new people even if its a downgrade, just for the sake of changing things up.

 

What's sad is that I know they have some good people in their research department they could bring up, because I talk to some of them, and the impression I get is that the network has made it very clear they're there just to do behind the scenes stats stuff for the company. This is why I have no interest in working for ESPN. I can get paid double somewhere else to do the same type of work ESPN would be asking me to do. My articles already get called out on the site, so I'm not even losing online exposure by not being there. Being an on-air personality is the only carrot ESPN could offer me, and they won't even offer that to their own people.

 

Meanwhile you go to the MLB Network, and you see them pushing their stat guys to put out online content through Cut4. They do podcasts, put out online videos, graphics, you name it. Not everything works out, but as they're trying new things. ESPN's attempt at doing something like this was to go out and hire Barstool.

At this any personal issue I had with ESPN is water under the bridge. I just feel for anyone who went to work there thinking working under a false impression of what they getting into. Its not good when I bash ESPN on Twitter, and I get likes from ESPN employees.

[Kramerica Industries]

On 9/16/2019 at 7:43 PM, the admiral said:

 over dated production music

 

 

[Still MIGHTY]

On 9/17/2019 at 5:26 AM, McCarthy said:

 

He's still on it and I've been skipping them more and more. He needs people in his orbit to check him and I don't think he has that. Maybe Russillo. Everyone else is over-laughing at his jokes, not correcting him when he mispronounces words and names (which happens OFTEN), and nobody tells him to STFU about the Patriots. 

 

Other reasons I'm out on Ringer podcasts - I find their new editor in chief, Mallory Rubin, completely unlistenable, Chris Ryan needs to stop yelling, Shea Serrano needs to get a personality besides "I love terrible action movies isn't that funny how much I love them?", and I'd like to dangle Nephew Kyle off a balcony. Never heard someone trying so hard while failing so hard to sound cool. 

 

I'm definitely in more of a pick-and-choose when it comes to the Ringer podcasts I consume nowadays.

 

With Simmons, it's pretty much just the NFL Lines pod with Cousin Sal as a foil against him. I was out on Simmons all summer (You can't be all-in with NBA content in early August, like, enough.) I'll also listen when Russillo comes on, but that's less now since Russillo has his own pod. Simmons talks about being "unapologetically in F you mode," but all that does is make him an ass. I mean, he's always been an ass, but this makes him a much less charming ass. (Like, currently, he keeps insisting on calling the new Jags QB "G. Minshew," because thats how it read on his score app and he thinks it's funny. Except when his real name (Gardner Flint Minshew II) is funnier than what Simmons wants to call him, it's a case of him continually choosing to be wrong because he's a prick.) ((Also also, everything he introduces the pod as "The BS Podcast on !*!THE RINGER!*!" I want to punch him.))

 

Speaking of Russillo, I've enjoyed his Monday podcasts with Chris Long on the NFL. Chris Long is refreshing against the "I'm the cool radio guy" vibe that Russillo gives off, and its becaue of that vibe that I can't do too much Rusillo. (Honestly, he's a bit too polished for what the Ringer does.)

 

With all the other Ringer pods, I only tune in because of the content they're talking about, but I've become increasingly disenchanted with the hosts. Your'e right, in almost every context, Mallory Rubin is unlistenable. Her voice, her frequency, her tone, her mannerisms. All of it I can not stand. However, I'm just in this weird relationship where I do *want* to listen to the podcasts she hosts because of the content (I mean, Binge Mode hits some spots for me on going deep on Game of Thrones, Harry Potter and next up Star Wars), but boy oh boy would I love to throw her out a window.

 

I don't hate Chris Ryan as much, but I've listened to less and less of The Watch. I listen when they talk about something I know, but the show is much worse off not having Andy Greenwald on full time to level out Chris Ryan. You're also right in that Shea Serrano brings nothing.

 

I do enjoy the Ringer's The Big Picture (movies), The Press Box (media) and occasionally The Rewatchables. On The Big Picture, Sean Fennessey is great and thoughtful in a non-Simmons-backup-dancer setting. (Although Amanda Dobbins gets near the throw-out-the-window territory with some of her verbal ticks.) The Press Box is almost always strong, although moving to twice a week has hurt it a little, but its still quality. The Rewatchables I only tune in if it's a movie I care enough about to form opinions on, and even then, the choice of host roundtable determines my enjoyment.

 

--

 

tl;dr - I agree. I want to enjoy most Ringer podcasts, but the hosts more and more make me want to drive into a ditch.

[DG_ThenNowForever]

I have no patience for Malcolm Gladwell or Joe Paterno defense. Is Bill Simmons trying to be Joe Rogan? I'm glad I'm done with this.

 

https://deadspin.com/malcolm-gladwell-goes-on-bill-simmonss-podcast-to-dust-1838218193

 

Edit:
 

Quote

 

Gladwell: You know I have that chapter on Jerry Sandusky in my book, and it’s all about how I feel the leadership of Penn State was totally, outrageously attacked over this. I think they’re blameless.

 

Simmons: Yeah.

 

Gladwell: But with Joe Paterno... Joe Paterno essentially did nothing wrong. He hears the allegation and immediately tells his superiors, and the critique of Joe Paterno was essentially, “Why was a 75-year-old football coach not behaving towards a suspected pedophile with the savvy and insight of a psychiatrist?”

 

Simmons: Right.

 

Gladwell: He’s a football coach! He doesn’t even know what the word—there was this hilarious—[regretful sigh] hilarious—there was this moment in, I think one of the trial transcripts, where someone was asked, “Did you use, when you went to”—the quarterback who goes to Paterno, McQueary, the former quarterback, goes to Paterno to tell him this allegation—“Did you use the word sodomy?” And he’s like, “No I didn’t use the word sodomy.” And then there’s this sort of thing, I think, where they’re wondering whether Paterno actually knew what the word sodomy was [laughing]

 

Simmons: Right.

 

Gladwell: He doesn’t! He’s been thinking football 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, for 60 years. He is not going to be alert to the darkness inside the heart of one of his former coaches. You can’t ask him to do that. That’s why you have mental health professionals or fit, trained psychologists in the world to handle those kind of problems. We do this thing sometimes when a crisis happens, when we suddenly expect our leaders to be skilled at absolutely every job under the sun. They’re not.

 

 

 

Who is the audience for this?

[Red Comet]

People like Sandusky don't need a psychologist, they need to be thrown into GenPop. They know how to properly handle sick :censored:s like him.

[The_Admiral]

47 minutes ago, Red Comet said:

People like Sandusky don't need a psychologist, they need to be thrown into GenPop. They know how to properly handle sick :censored:s like him.

 

Now now, let's not advocate for rape to be used as de facto state-levied punishment.

[Red Comet]

33 minutes ago, the admiral said:

 

Now now, let's not advocate for rape to be used as de facto state-levied punishment.

 

I didn't mean rape, I meant more along the lines of "coincidentally" the guards are away when he gets cornered by other prisoners carrying shivs.