So we’re the 50,000 blog write about this topic, get over it. As many of you may have heard by now, ESPN is doing a three hour prime time special for the release of the 2009 NFL Schedule. Not just covering every big game, but every game. It’s ridiculous and pointless. It’s just a freaking schedule.
One hour = ok.
Three hours = obsessive.
Putting that aside, let me feed you a little 411 on where I come from. To a lot of my friends and family football is played on Saturdays, not Sundays. No, I’m not getting into a NFL vs. College argument, please hear me out.
Most of them used to have a minor interest in the NFL, they’d watch a game here and there, especially on slow Sundays. But now, they want nothing to do with it. Too hyped. Too Overplayed. Too Whatever. It’s just not worth their time. They’ll turn on ESPN this time of year and hear 40 minutes of a hour long SportsCenter dedicated to a whiny quarterback who was traded to Chicago. Big trade? Hell ya. 40 Minutes worth of news? Hell no. Especially with everything else going in sports.
ESPN paid a lot of money for their NFL coverage rights, so of course they’re going to try and max out their deal. I understand that…but.
ESPN has made the NFL unbearable for some and it has even started wearing on me. I understand that it is a money maker, that some guys (and gals) hang on every word the network throws at you, but there is a point where even the strongest sports fan starts to question themselves. I’m there.
I love the NFL, I go out of my way to watch every Dolphins game (which only about 1/2 are shown locally in Orlando), but as my wife can attest to, the rest of the games? Maybe a few minutes here or there. In all honesty, I’ve grown sick of the NFL news beating we receive year round.
Maybe it’s just me, but ESPN is turning the NFL into Dungeons and Dragons. Geeking the hell out of the sport to the point where the fat guy sitting in a bar wearing an Eagles jersey thinks he knows why a blocking assignment was missed based merely on Tom Jackson’s Madden sponsored pregame simulations. Then you’ve got the girl in the Tom Brady jersey talking about how Romo’s play has slipped because Jessica is withholding nubbins. Do we really need to break down hours of tape for the fans? Do we really need to delve into players personal lives? It was much more of an enjoyable sport when they just showed some highlights and gave you a box score.
Can we get back to the early ’90s NFL I grew up loving…please…and cut the obsessive three hour show to break down schedules.
Trey is a contributor here at Sparty and Friends and can be reached at GatorTrey@spartyandfriends.com.
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AWESOME!!!
/gitc sparty(Quote)
I thought it was NFL Network that is doing the 3 hour show? They are revealing the schedules at 7 PM on Tuesday.
I am fine with all the coverage but the NFL is far and away my favorite sport. If you want to avoid the NFL you can, just don’t watch ESPN when that stuff is on. cbh49er(Quote)
you can most definitely avoid, but should one have to? sparty(Quote)
So you’re saying I should just throw the child lock on ESPN? GatorTrey(Quote)
I don’t want to hear about Jessica’s nubbins as you called it unless there is a sex tape involved that can be freely downloaded on the interwebs. When that happens I give ESPN permission to take 40 minutes breaking that down. knightwhosaysni(Quote)
Sure they talk about the NFL but it’s not all of the time. Its not like 60 minutes of Sportscenter is devoted to the NFL.
I think it’s pretty big news that a guy in his prime, coming off a pro bowl season has been traded. Considering the NFL is far and away the most popular sport I think its pretty big news when the schedule is released. Free agency is covered the same for the NBA and MLB, when a big name signs somewhere, it’s news, people want to know about it.
I hate that poker is on ESPN all the time, but I don’t watch it, so what’s the big deal? cbh49er(Quote)
Its not just ESPN, local stations cover the Redskins year round. They do it because their is a consumer demand for it.
Sure some people feel its over saturated, but enough don’t to where it makes sense that it is covered the way it is. cbh49er(Quote)
The E in ESPN stands for Excessive. You didn’t know that Trey? john(Quote)
Local TV is different. You’re appealing to the local demands. ESPN is appealing to the nation. The problem is, the NFL isn’t big everywhere. Plain and simple.
I was at the gym the afternoon Cutler was traded. During the 6pm SportsCenter I counted, 9 times in 60 minutes they broke in with breaking news on the trade, followed by analysis. That same day…Bruce Pearl was close to signing with Memphis. Tim Floyd visited Arizona, and we were less than 48 hours from the Final Four.
So yes, 40 minutes dedicated to a trade like that is too much. Espeically for a sports program designed distrubte news nationally. GatorTrey(Quote)
I wouldn’t go that far. The NFL is huge everywhere. However, with all sports, way too much time is devoted to breaking down trades. Do we really need the fantasy impact of the deal 8 mos before the season begins? sparty(Quote)
Trey, that was a bit much but they are also programming with the idea that not everyone is sitting there at 6 watching SportsCenter. People are checking in throughout the hour, hence constantly mentioning it.
The NFL isn’t big everywhere, but it is certainly bigger on a much larger scale to people than college basketball. cbh49er(Quote)
but they also have NFL Live breaking it down as well. so no need to do it on SC as well. sparty(Quote)
I would Sparty. Atlanta is one of the largest cities in the nation and they can’t pull the NFL at the gate or on TV. the same can be said for Jacksonville. Tampa does decent when the Bucs are.
I think to say it isn’t big was a little misleading. More like, the NFL isn’t the most popular sport everywhere. GatorTrey(Quote)
I agree with Trey Johnny(Quote)
YES!! mizerle06(Quote)
cbh, SportsCenter is supossed to be an all encompassing show. Now if they dedicate 40 minutes of a 60 minute show to say…the Super Bowl. Understood.
SportsCenter’s biggest attribute is it is a monopoly. They have zero outside competition. If a network like CNN dedicated a general news problem to stories like that they’d be blown out of the water. Instead, they save their stories to news specific programs.
That being said. The NFL schedule is really nothing if you look at it. It would be like CNN throwing up a 3 hour show looking at the next day’s House props. GatorTrey(Quote)
Trey- don’t rate popularity based upon what happens at the gates. NFL is huge in Detroit. sparty(Quote)
You could make the argument that places like Miss, Arkansas, and Alabama don’t care for the NFL. but are a lot of them watching SC? nope, they have on ESPNU. sparty(Quote)
I just have never understood the issue with over coverage. If something is being covered too much I stop watching, I have about 250 other options. Just don’t get it, that’s all. cbh49er(Quote)
I’m also convinced that hockey’s perceived lack of popularity has a lot to do with espn covers it or doesn’t for the most part Johnny(Quote)
cbh- don’t you remember the days of waking up early to watch all the sports highlights from the night before? you can’t do that anymore, and if you do get to see your teams highlights, it is about a 10 sec clip. sparty(Quote)
cbh, you’re a huge NFl fan though, you fall in the demographic ESPn likes to nail down.
I’m more of a college guy, but even then, I can’t handle it when they over hype and or go crazy on teh college coverage.
I just want a well balanced show that gives you all the days sports news, especially when your working out. I can switch and usually do to the local news, but at 5AM (when I normally go to the gym) at times that could put you to sleep.
SportsCenter was once like that. But they investeed too much money into the NFL GatorTrey(Quote)
I still watch Sportscenter every morning. I remember the old days but don’t really miss them. Times change. cbh49er(Quote)
Agreed Johnny. GatorTrey(Quote)
i think you just nailed it. sparty(Quote)
Unless you’re the Red Sox, Yankees, Cowboys, whoever Brett Favre is playing for and the Lebrons. john(Quote)
I agree I am in their demographic. All I know is, when I wake up ESPN is on, when I get home and decide to watch TV, most of the time ESPN is on, I fall asleep to ESPN.
I am not saying I am everyone, but based on ESPN’s success I would say their is many people like me, which also means that too many people ESPN is doing something right. cbh49er(Quote)
cbh,
Again though. ESPN is the only national sports network out there.
I usually only watch it in the AM, but some people just as soon watch ESPN than nothing. Sure, they’re successful. But anyone can be successful when you have a legal monopoly over something. GatorTrey(Quote)
Trey, other networks have tried and not been successful. CNNSI, Fox Sports News, etc.
All 4 sports have their own networks now, all those fans could flock to those channels and never watch ESPN and get the information they need. I don’t buy this monopoly stuff. cbh49er(Quote)
/redneck’d rekcalsa(Quote)
It’s an interesting debate to have and your post sparked it, so for that I say well done Trey. cbh49er(Quote)
CNNSI wasn’t successful because the lack of cable networks that picked it up. In the markets it was in, it did pretty awesome. They had some top notch reporters on there (Maisel, Seth Davis, Rick Reilly, etc). A lot of it stemmed from the fact that a major cable provider (Time Warner) owned and created it.
As for Fox Sports. Easy. It’s very under funded and regionally owned. GatorTrey(Quote)
really? can everyone get NHL, NFL, NBA and MLB without paying additional money to their cable provider? sparty(Quote)
Yeah but by the time CNNSI, and Fox Sports News started ESPN was already established as “the worldwide leader.” In reality they didn’t really have a chance at competing with ESPN Johnny(Quote)
Versus is being very casual about things. keep an eye on them. sparty(Quote)
Johnny, and that is ESPN’s fault? They should have sucked?
Sparty, I get all 4 for my normal sports tier package that includes ESPN and other sports channels. cbh49er(Quote)
cbh- majority of people have to pay extra. you have the option of changing the channel to one or the other. for the last 3 years we ahve been hearing about people griping that they don’t get to watch the Thursday night games. sparty(Quote)
no one is blaming ESPN. but the perception is that they are sports, so people watch. sparty(Quote)