ESP has beeN

As a kid growing up in New York we didn’t have enough money for cable TV yet, so I would go over to my friend’s house and not only did they have cable, but they had this sports only channel called ESPN. It was amazing, all sports all the time, constant updates, highlights, scores and more. The personalities were hysterical, easy-going, and worked well together. Through the years as ESPN became a staple of every cable package and home in America, they embarked on showing live sports, personalities, buying the rights to certain sports like the NBA, college sports and the company continued to grow and then they hit pay dirt: Disney bought the company and put it under its umbrella. Unfortunately for ESPN it was the beginning of the end and the latest memo from Disney to employees asked, “the last remaining employee of ESPN to please turn off the lights on your way out.” So, what happened?

With the power and money of Disney, ESPN went on a spending spree that resulted in the rights to all major sports in America. The NFL, NBA, MLB and NHL signed lucrative multi-billion dollar deals with ESPN for broadcast rights. The rights to those alone should have been the feather in the hat and advertising money should have been rolling in every day for ESPN but for some reason it appears Disney got their hands on the company and some of the changes they made literally made the programming and their radio stations unbearable to listen to or watch. ESPN began hiring ex jocks and announcers to analyze a simple football game the way a surgeon would explain how he removed your spleen. Suddenly it wasn’t enough to have two men in the Monday Night Football booth, we needed 3 in the booth, 2 sideline reporters, an in-studio analyst, a halftime report on the game we are watching and 6 pre-game and in game people to tell us about their opinion on a 7-0 game at halftime. If this wasn’t enough, ESPN had to do more. The distracting sports scroll at the bottom of the screen giving us WNBA scores as well as results from Himalayan off track trotting became an eyesore. Then there was constant replay use after each and every play. Sometimes an incomplete 4-yard pass doesn’t need to be explained in slow motion. However, since Disney owned it there was no such thing as “Enough”.

More is always better when you go to a theme park. Disney began paying exorbitant amounts of money to on air talent without realizing that if my Jets were playing the Giants, they could have Andrew Dice Clay and Oprah in the booth. I’m still watching the game!

ESPN on air shows and radio shows once had a true purpose for sports fans and when average Joe’s are driving to work or going for a run, it was nice to hear scores, analysis, and predictions. However, ESPN became much more political on a variety of subjects that made people tune out. Sports are a haven from that world, and they wrecked it. In the last few years, they seem to be more concerned with having ‘diversity’ on the set or on the radio and the entertainment value plummeted. In recent months they have unceremoniously dumped talented and long-time talent to cut costs. 27-year vet Suzy Kolber was cut as well as long time basketball analysts Jeff Van Gundy and Mark Jackson. Fortunately, after nearly 10 years of continuing second chances, they did part ways with Max Kellerman who literally spoke as if he never watched an NFL or NBA game in his life. However, one of the cuts made was former Jet hero, Keyshawn Johnson. They cut him after giving him a 4-year $18 million guaranteed contract 6 months earlier, so one must wonder again: Why? Who were they competing with for his services? The one hold-over is Stevn A. Smith, who quite frankly gives me a headache with his constant screaming on his shows, but good for him. After all, reports are that they recently re-signed him for $10 million per year!

It’s the end of the era for ESPN as they are in talks with Apple to buy them and use the streaming rights. ESPN was a great story and go-to source for many years, but they are a ‘has been’ at this point. Rest in peace!

-BSB