Here’s an utterly depressing thought. What if ESPN, upon self-reflection about all the socially left-leaning, agenda driven coverage of things like Jason Collins, Michael Sam, Richie Incognito et. al., did NOT come to the conclusion that they are potentially turning away/annoying fans who just want to enjoy sports as an “escape”. But rather, came to the conclusion that perhaps they aren’t leaning left hard enough!
If that thought makes you slightly ill… I caution you not to read any further….
Lipsyte synthesizes the familiar grievance thusly: “Enough already about Michael Sam, Jason Collins, Richie Incognito, Jonathan Martin, concussions and the N-word. I turn on ESPN to get away from the stress of everyday life, to relax with my friends, to share some family time with the kids. Why do you keep shoving that stuff in my face?”
Eat it, Lipsyte essentially responds. “I don’t think ESPN is actually shoving enough of that stuff in enough faces often enough,” the ombudsman writes. “The coverage of issues that jump the white lines tends to be hit-and-run, treated as isolated events rather than as a web of Jock Culture attitudes and politics that are connected and need continual attention.”
Wonderful. And given how tepid, copycat, and disorganized the new Fox Sports One seems to be as a real alternative to the 4-letter Borg in Bristol, I would say that ESPN is plenty free to keep pushing their agenda even harder.
What are you gonna do? Not watch?
10 Comments
Taha
I only watch live events on ESPN…oh, and PTI. Love Mr Tony
Kevin J
As a matter of fact, I haven’t turned on the Bristol PC police in…over a year, at least. Plenty of other great sources (Yahoo? … Shameless plug) and Twitter works for ME. Bleacher Report is another great one
Tony Clifton
What are you gonna do? Not watch?
…that’s exactly what I’m going to do. As I’ve been doing for years. This is the age of the internet, anything I need or want to know about sports is literally on demand at my fingertips. Not to mention that often times ESPN’s website is one of the last to report on breaking news, in my experience.
Sam Martin
It’s Boomer’s frat house. Suzi’s pajama party. Booyah booyah booyah.
Steve
I for the most part have stopped watching ESPN. I think the only time I turn to that channel if the Brewers are on, which is rare since we all know its the Sox/Yankees channel, the Bears are on, or for a Nationwide NASCAR race. Also pop over there for golf every now and then. Their website is even getting sickening. The constant coverage of athletes, even when they play badly or WD because of a bad back. But that is a different rant for a different time.
HozelRockit
“What are you gonna do? Not watch?”
Um…Yes. If it is a live event that I am interested in then I will begrudgingly watch and suffer through their announcers. I got a friend that constantly complains about something on PTI or Sports Center and keep asking him, “Then why do you keep watching it?”
ESPN - Whats wrong with Sports!
I stopped watching ESPN when they kept forcing Favre/Tebow watches on every channel non stop for 2 seasons. that was enough to walk away from that Garbage Network.
Jeff
I tuned out ESPN years ago and haven’t had any desire to go back. I watch a handful of their live events, but as far as SportsCenter or any of the other fluff goes, I have tuned it out completely. Thanks to the Internet and satellite TV, I no longer have to sit through the endless schtick and the biased opinions of those ESPN jackwagons to get my sports news and highlights.
bwp
“What are you gonna do? Not watch?”
Why, yes, that’s exactly what I knew I could control so I gave up on ESPN when they tried to tell me how to feel about gun control. I haven’t had to deal with them telling me how to react to strange people.
Chuck U Farley
I only watch live events & turn off the sound. If I want to listen to broadcasts I turn on the radio via internet.
Oh, & I don’t watch Costa, Olbermann & rest of the Nazi propagandists when they come on either.