When did ESPN jump the shark?

[USF11]

Re: When did ESPN jump the shark?

Once ESPN started adding actual live sporting event programming they lost their ability to be an impartial news source. The only thing they do right is college football.

[LetsGoBucs]

Re: When did ESPN jump the shark?

They now have too many segments of "games". What I mean are things like the "Coors Light Six Pack", "Who's Now", "Budwieser Hot Seat", etc. Everything is broken up into 2 minute segments for the short attention span folks. I also think it happened when they expanded SportsCenter to over an hour. Too much filler rather than just sports news.

Someone said ESPNews is the way to go, and I agree.

[TarHeelMan]

Re: When did ESPN jump the shark?

Why all the hate for Stu Scott?!?!? It's not like he's the only one there with catchphrases and all that crap... Every single anchor has their stupid little phrase and saying... Berman was doing that tired "backbackback" crap before Stu could even pee straight.

[mike01]

Re: When did ESPN jump the shark?

When they had those fake news conferences with Steve Phillips.

thats a good one.

also when Dan Patrick was "had" by the fake Steve Bartman.

when they introduced espn 360 or whatever it is when they used ESPN2 as a channel just to show like 8 different cameras all at once during games

when they made the bobby knight movie

when they fired Harold Reynolds, when they allowed John Kruk and Eduardo Perez to get airtime

when they hyped the Cubs/Red Sox curses to the max

When Kenny Mayne stopped anchoring

when they did the show to find the next anchor

[soltrain]

Re: When did ESPN jump the shark?

Berman was doing that tired "backbackback" crap before Stu could even pee straight.

You mean see? Either is acceptable, really.

[CMH]

Re: When did ESPN jump the shark?

I agree with the cutting of stats being the jump moment.

I used to love SportsCenter when it gave me detailed stats on players after a game and showed me several highlights on the game.

Now, we get three highlights (maybe) and a quick flash of the final score. If we do see a boxscore overlay it only shows a few players per team.

It just isn't the same.

[kweiss]

Re: When did ESPN jump the shark?

I tell you when! When they stopped doing the whole screen for stats and just showed the little thing at the bottom of the screen. Man I remember the days when a whole screen would show up for stats in a game and would even tell you how many RBIs the guy had hit so far...not BBTN doest even do that. It is like ESPN went for the casual because if you notice the only thing you can see that a player has done all year is HRs.

That little thing they show now is a sad excuse of a game recap. Especially when Bonds hits and one of the spots is used for him.

I WANT MY STATS BACK!

Bingo! NOTHING about ESPN or Sportcenter has improved since that point. Without a doubt, that moment marked SC's transition to a trendy show focused on whatever gimmicks can get them more revenue and ratings.

Since then, ESPN has given use the likes of Dream Job, Bronx is Burning, Who's Now, etc. and Sportscenter has become a joke, while making no improvements.

[bgeno]

Re: When did ESPN jump the shark?

I haven't read this yet, but a buddy of mine sent it to me: a 5-part article series on the decline on ESPN. The second through fifth parts are linked just after the article.

http://www.thephatphree.com/features.asp?StoryID=3658

[SEGA_LOYAL_FAN]

Re: When did ESPN jump the shark?

I haven't read this yet, but a buddy of mine sent it to me: a 5-part article series on the decline on ESPN. The second through fifth parts are linked just after the article.

http://www.thephatphree.com/features.asp?StoryID=3658

I was going to say ABC/Disney merger but phat phree beat me to it. The "entertainment" portion is what really screws up the network. They went from going after a certain group of people to trying to have everyone and their mother watch to channel.

It's been hard these last few years but there is hope at Fox Sports with FSN Final Score. The only sports show with about 3 commercial breaks that wraps all the games and scores/news around the leagues in 30 minutes.

[trobinson97]

Re: When did ESPN jump the shark?

Stump the Schwab...

[Hootiefish]

Re: When did ESPN jump the shark?

**** Schaap's death.

With Schaap, ESPN had journalistic integrety. Once he passed, all of it disappeared.

It didn't help that at around the same time Charlie Steiner left SC. He was by far one of the most underrated anchors in ESPN's history. Amusing, but not over-the-top, Steiner was great.

If you didn't catch it, one of the best Sportscenters that I have ever seen was when Charlie came back and did a 25th anniversary episode with Bob Ley. That was sports reporting at its finest.

[TarHeelMan]

Re: When did ESPN jump the shark?

I haven't read this yet, but a buddy of mine sent it to me: a 5-part article series on the decline on ESPN. The second through fifth parts are linked just after the article.

http://www.thephatphree.com/features.asp?StoryID=3658

That's a good read... Especially the part about the on-air "talent"

[fistofrage]

Re: When did ESPN jump the shark?

When Stuart Scott started working there.

Ding Ding Ding....Booyah.

Or when Greenie made the Mike and Mike show all about him being a girly man...They show has gone way overboard with their "Schtick". And I think thats the other thing, instead of trying to report on sports, everyone is trying to make a "character". ESPN outside of ESPN news is just rubbish.

[Moses Shuttlesworth]

Re: When did ESPN jump the shark?

As soon as Steven A. Smith opened his mouth. I don't think anyone has ever agreed with a single point he's made. (On that note, he hasn't really made any points.)

[UMass03]

Re: When did ESPN jump the shark?

I think the whole "Who's Now" thing pushed them well into jumping-the-shark land