I totally agree with BD. This article pretty much sums up my opinion of
ESPN:
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HEY, MNF CREW: SHUT UP & WATCH
December 29, 2006 -- MONDAY night on ESPN, the all- sports network that has
quit on sports fans in favor of everyone and everything else, the Jets had a
third-and-eight, 3:15 left in the first quarter.
Approaching the line of scrimmage, Chad Pennington looked to his right and
made a two-handed, waist-high digging motion. Then he looked to his left and
made the same shoveling motion. Hello! Anybody home?
No. Joe Theismann, ESPN's idea of a first-team national TV football analyst,
already was busy suffocating the game, puffing away about Pennington's
completion percentage.
Theismann, who often tells us what we just saw despite evidence only to the
contrary, was too busy talking to see what was hard to miss - Pennington's
two, two-handed shoveling motions.
After the snap, Pennington pushed a shovel pass to RB Leon Washington,
cutting left-to-right out of the Jets' backfield. Washington ran for 30
yards. "Shovel pass!" said startled play-by-play man Mike Tirico. Hmmm.
But such is/was ESPN, 2006.
Early in the second quarter, ESPN, eager to show anything other than the
game, set up accomplished sideline reporter Suzy Kolber to take a needless
fall. ESPN had her chat with Serena and Venus Williams for no other reason
than that she could.
Kolber tried to make the session football-relevant. Noting that the Dolphins
are out of the hunt, "playing for pride," she then asked, "So if you're on
the court and [there's] no title at the end of the match, what motivates
you?"
Of course, the tennis played by the Williams sisters is overwhelmingly
single-elimination - lose and you're out. And until you lose, there's always
a title at stake. But these days, ESPN's bus to Stupidtown - far, far from
the game - leaves every few minutes. All aboard!
Later in the second quarter, ESPN's Steve Young, this week's special
in-booth guest/needless distraction, was asked to assess Miami's QB
situation. He suggested injured Dolphins QB Daunte Culpepper lacks
dedication. "I see where he's been missing meetings," said Young.
In the fourth quarter, after Culpepper, who heard Young's comment,
confronted Young off-air to tell him that he doesn't know what he's talking
(to a national audience) about - he had not missed any team meetings other
than when he had knee surgery - Theismann issued a clarification on Young's
behalf.
That, too, is typical of the new ESPN, where ex-star players are hired by
the ton, then thrown on national TV to say anything about anyone, no
accountability needed, as if it's one big blog. Last year, Young declared
that Chris Simms was disadvantaged by his soft upbringing, which not only
enraged Chris's dad, Phil, it was a terrible guess presented as insight.
But all of the above is representative of why ESPN is our TV Story Of The
Year. What ESPN has long been moving toward - its self-destruction as a
cherished sports network - was, in 2006, nearly completed.
*
Every time we try to warm to MSG Network's "50 Greatest Moments at Madison
Square Garden," something so ridiculous is tossed in that we're left
stunned. This week, Chris Russo, of all people, appeared in the series to
testify to what Mark Messier meant to the Rangers.
Why not have a vegetarian review a steak house? To select a guy who so
clearly knows and cares little about hockey - a person who hasn't even
bothered to minimally educate himself about the game while operating in a
three-team NHL town - is more than a credibility killer; it's an insult to
the serial's primary target audience - local sports fans.
*
Joe Micheletti, MSG Network's Rangers analyst and a testicular cancer
survivor, last week contacted the Bruins to let them know that he's
available to Phil Kessel, Boston's rookie center who is being treated for
testicular cancer.
Speaking of Boston, native New Englander Dave O'Brien, from 2002-05 a caller
of Mets' Ch. 11 telecasts, will be in the Red Sox's radio booth this season,
in addition to working ESPN baseball. Also added to Boston's radio crew is
Glen Geffner, who - and we kid you not, broadcast journalism majors - is
also the Red Sox's VP of Communications.
Mike McCann makes for a real nice addition to WFAN's update crew. McCann's
strong on both style - he has a radio narrator's pipes and delivery, and
substance - he delivers useful, cut-above parenthetical info and
perspective, proving that he knows his sports and pays attention.
phil.mushnick@
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