Arena ESPN Discussion Thread

I just saw Golic on CNN talking about the college football season. That seems like a really good fit for him, he seemed really relaxed and just kind of did his thing.

 

Falcons reporter Vaughn McClure dies at age 48.

No cause of death given.

 

Yeah he was a very good beat writer for the Bears. Very professional and through while by all accounts, a very nice and humbled person. Very sad. 2020 ....enough already!

 

Another round of layoffs coming at ESPN, with 300 staff getting cut, and 200 open positions not getting filled.

Honestly, I think ESPN needs to commit to the digital shift, and go all in on ESPN+. The current fragmented approach of some digital and some traditional isn't working, and actually upsets consumers, who can be confused about what they do/don't have access to.

ESPN was great for years, and good for years. But the current landscape - instant video highlights sent literally to a device in your hand, hot takes you can interact with - undercut what originally made ESPN and erode what helped sustain and reinvent them.

Other than an absolutely great 30for30 or live sports ... Why does anyone even watch ESPN today?

 

I will watch PTI @DarthIntegral every once in a while but other then that I don't watch ESPN. Heck I do not even watch live sports on there as I will flip on ESPN+ instead since sometimes they do not have that annoying darn ticker at the bottom of the screen. Like for Fight Nights, I will watch them on ESPN+ even if they are being simulcast on ESPN since again ESPN+ does not have the ticker. But yeah ESPN other then live sports and 30 for 30 is nothing but one talk show after another. And I gotten to the point in my life that I don't have time to watch people sit around and talk sports for hours on end nor want to.

 

Not surprised once Golic and Wingo was canned.

 

haven't watched espn in almost a year, but do they not still have rachel nichols and/or katie nolan?

 

I think during a regular year and season their ratings would have held up. Especially among all the office workers going in at 9am every morning and listening on the way to work. But since they're all working from home this year, it would make sense that ratings are down.

I always found Le Batard to be insufferable and could never understand how he was so successful at ESPN.

 

I must admit the only sports talk show I watch is Good Morning Football (which I have on the background right now as class is ending LOL!) and a little bit of PTI. All these names I heard of but honestly have not listen to in years. Even Greeny I have really not really heard ever since him and Golic split up. I still think ESPN is best going to being a streaming site only and well streaming mostly live sports. I much rather watch Australian football if I am home randomly one afternoon with nothing to do then yet another talk show.

 

They've carved out their own kind of celebrity status in the sports world and it's become totally unwatchable. I remember ESPN's line up of talk shows throughout the 2000s was pretty golden. But then a lot of those people tried going on to bigger and better things, some more successful than others. And then it became more about promoting their own individual brands, with each one trying to outdo each other in their formats and hot takes. I can't stand most of them anymore. And now there's this new class of TV commentators who are trying to do the same thing. But we hardly know them, and yet they all act like the next big star in this community. Some of them try way too hard to be an expert, instead of just being one and letting things happen. With ESPN themselves constantly pushing some of them as the next big thing. Their morning through afternoon line up used to be my go to just to have on, now I can't even do that. PTI is the only show that has held up, but even they seem more limited now in favor of the better stories going to somebody else.

It's why I liked Golic and Wingo, because those were two guys who had nothing to prove and didn't need the flashy show. When I listened to them regularly it just felt like two guys shooting the **** and talking football. Wingo has always been super laid back, but I guess ESPN no longer wanted that. I'm sure he'll be replaced with somebody that they feel is more in keeping with the direction they've been heading.

 

as far as sports talk goes, I prefer audio/radio shows, I have an old used car that for the first few years I had it it still had satellite radio service, I guess the previous owner just paid for a ten year plan or something when they got the car, I didn’t bother renewing the service when it ran out but I really liked listening to the NBA, other basketball ball, soccer, and some hockey shows, I don’t know I think sports talk programs works better as something to listen to while driving vs something you sit down and watch at home

 

Yeah I saw that @Guidman and have no idea what to make it out other then $$$ and maybe a change of scenery? Fox Sports golf coverage is almost non exist and while they have the Big 10, they do not have any of the national playoff championship bowl games. Perhaps Rinaldi is looking to do something else besides golf and college football?