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ESPN (A bunch of Death-Spiraling maroons)

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GoBucks1014;2278231; said:
After the awkward moment of silence, Doucheberg reiterated his agenda and segwayed into the next topic. :shake:
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Interesting read examining the culture that e!spn has embraced.

When you get past your anger over the carnival barking, the race-baiting and a hockey goon named Skip Bayless who makes his living as a low-rent sports contrarian, you simply feel bad for the rank and file at ESPN.

Since the network suspended ESPN2 First Take panelist Rob Parker on Friday after his offensive comments about Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III, I've spoken to a number of current and former ESPN employees who are tired of being associated with a program they believe is beneath the network.

"The issue is that it becomes ESPN and not First Take when people weigh in," one longtime ESPN staffer said. "They don't say, 'First Take said this or that.' It's, 'ESPN said this or that.' I don't wish to be lumped in with that nonsense."

"They have created a culture of this," another ESPN employee said. "The fact that they didn't remove it [Parker's comments about Griffin] from the re-air [the show repeats at 12 p.m. ET] proves their intent wasn't to do anything."

This weekend saw another round of negative press thanks to ESPN's lustful support of the cheap "embrace debate" concept. On Friday, the network said Parker had been "suspended until further notice" and that it was "conducting a full review." One can only hope the review is taken more seriously than the one Captain Louis Renault conducted of Rick's Caf? in Casablanca.

But don't expect a parade to be thrown in this column for ESPN management. Parker did what the ethos of the show requires, perfectly described on Sunday by the New York Post's Phil Mushnick as "worthless, senseless, obligatory bomb-throwing."

I emailed the company's PR arm on Sunday to ask a number of questions: Where did the review stand? Which staffers were leading it? When could viewers expect findings? Would the executive and coordinating producers for that show be interviewed as part of the review? How did ESPN define "further notice" regarding Parker?

Said an ESPN PR spokesperson: "A thorough review is ongoing and includes all appropriate personnel. When we have more information, we will share it."

Understandably, much of ESPN's focus this weekend was set on its handling of the tragedy in nearby Newtown, Conn., and that is commendable. But management has enabled this circus for years and it leads to rightful skepticism. ESPN happily brought in Parker, a summa cum laude graduate of the look-at-me school of media, and he delivered what he was asked to do. (Parker is liked by the show's producers, and people I spoke with called him a good employee.)

As far as how First Take works behind the scenes, the producers hold a meeting a couple of hours before air, and emails are often kicked around the night before to find subjects on which the debaters disagree.

"They brought on Rob for a reason -- he is confrontational," said a former ESPN staffer who worked at the network for years. "That is his style. They want debate and conflict and that can be a good thing, to force people to look at issues and force people to look at things. I know they get hammered a lot for making everything a racial topic, and sometimes it does go too far, but they do a good job of getting debate out there that people are shying away from because it is uncomfortable."

It's also creates the perception for ESPN's on-air staffers that the only way to get noticed by management is if you are skilled at disagreement. Think about that toxic message. Everyone I spoke with mentioned First Take's ratings, and this is what's kept this flotsam afloat. The show's first airing at 10 a.m. ET has averaged 378,000 viewers this quarter, according to ESPN, and it gets social media buzz almost daily for its provocative hosts. But every day, as the ESPN staffer above noted, the rank and file get lumped in with nonsense. That is what ESPN is currently embracing, and it makes you shake your head. ​
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MaxBuck;2279144; said:
It's not just ESPN, nor were they the first. Jim Rome has been doing this crap for 20 years or more; no steak, only sizzle.

Skip Bayless certainly lowers it to another level, though. Parker seems to me like just a Bayless wannabe.

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I love that you used the gayest couple ever (print-wise).
 
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I still had ESPN on in the background while I do some photoshop work after MNF.....and they show a "highlight" of Tebow scrambling and throwing the ball out of bounds. Word for word, this is what Levy said: "Look at the strength on that throw, and the accuracy to throw it out of bounds."

:shake:
 
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BuckeyeNation27;2279161; said:
I still had ESPN on in the background while I do some photoshop work after MNF.....and they show a "highlight" of Tebow scrambling and throwing the ball out of bounds. Word for word, this is what Levy said: "Look at the strength on that throw, and the accuracy to throw it out of bounds."

:shake:
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Seriously? :slappy:
 
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I've seen Steve Levy make fun of their coverage before.. my guess is he was doing it again. He usually makes little comments about their lack of hockey coverage when it's actually going on. Sounds like that to me.

Could be wrong, I didn't see the highlight.
 
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3074326;2279172; said:
I've seen Steve Levy make fun of their coverage before.. my guess is he was doing it again. He usually makes little comments about their lack of hockey coverage when it's actually going on. Sounds like that to me.

Could be wrong, I didn't see the highlight.
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It definitely came across as tongue-in-cheek to me when I heard it.
 
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3074326 said:
I've seen Steve Levy make fun of their coverage before.. my guess is he was doing it again. He usually makes little comments about their lack of hockey coverage when it's actually going on. Sounds like that to me.

Could be wrong, I didn't see the highlight.
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Could have been.....which would be hilarious. The fact that they even showed the clip is ridiculous.
 
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