ESPN Rant

[Pappy]

I was watching the game tonight up until the interview with the editor from the Atlanta newspaper. The TV is off in the room with me now.

I sent this email to ESPN and, with additional comments, to the Falcons and the NFL Player's Union.

You are supposed to be providing coverage of a football game, not providing a venue for the defense of, or generation of sympathy for, Michael Vick. The comments that "we don't need to see another young Black man in prison" or comments that he "still has a lot of potential", in fact the entire interview, have nothing to do with the game being played. The man is a confessed criminal who now has to pay the price for his decisions.

If ESPN coverage continues this way, I will change channels.

When the game coverage goes to a reduced screen so the fluff on the sidelines can get her airtime I get a little put off.

If the type of coverage they have show in the preseason continues, I willl find other ways to spend my time!

[TB Roye]

Pappy

I agree, ESPN is turning into a crap station, They even mess up NASCAR and INDY/Champ car racing with their lousy reporters. AT one time ESPN was a good sports channel. I think I should have known when they started covering the National Spelling Bee that things were going down hill. Nothing against the spelling bee but come on that is not a sport. The neighborhood I live in is full of young people that have the same mind set as Mr. Vick and other like him, only difference is he has/had money and these guys don't and never will execpt for the drug money. There is a mentality that some of this younger generation has that is scary. No respect for human life, no respect for others property and just a general sence of I don't give **** about what is right, moral or ethical. Rant off.

Tom

[gwyneth]

To quote Mike Florio:

"ESPN's Monday Night Football, also known as Non-Stop Michael Vick Discussion With A Football Game Playing In The Background."

[Thalermade]

Kind of glad to hear others complain. I thought it was just me, being a Bengals fan. It seemed like the announcers would have preferred to have been anywhere but at the game.

I could have watched it all, I just could not stand to listen. Guess I should have just turned on the radio.

Russ

[gad5264]

Kind of glad to hear others complain. I thought it was just me.

I could not agree more. This is turning into another three ring circus.

[mater]

I could not agree more. This is turning into another three ring circus.

I agree also.

[woodman2263]

Being brand new here, I must walk on solid ground. I agree with all of you on the Michael Vick deal, he is a felon and I don't care to hear that he magically found "Jesus". I will say though, I am very happy with the coverage of the Little League World Series. I love watching the kids play baseball because its all about their heart and love of the game.

[Uncle Cracker]

Good point, Woodman. There are two sides to every coin. I think we can all agree that ESPN has been a great asset to sports enthusiasts. But it's about content. That LLWS coverage is an example of the right content, while the incessant sensationalization of the Vick debacle while ignoring the game in progress is an example of the wrong content. ESPN should be able to keep viewership by coverage of sporting events, and should not have to resort to the overkill methods so rampant in mainstream media these days. Just my 2 cents. And welcome aboard, by the way.

[prlundberg]

I agree, I also turned it off.

They have been doing the same thing at every game so far this year. And not just about Michael Vick. They do interviews and talk about all manner of stupid things I care nothing about.

Too bad, because they negated the improvement of getting Theismann out of there. I used to look forward to Monday Night Football, but there has definately been a downgrade since it moved to ESPN.

Leave the soap opera reporting to PTI and Around the Horn.

[billwmeyer]

Espn

I for one didn't turn off the game. I knew it would be exactly like it was described, so I didn't turn it on. I am sick of tabloid journalism, and I hate it that it has crossed into the sports field. I also do not plan on watching any Falcons games during the season, because after about every sack, some announcer will say the Vick could have eluded it.

I hope this story fades away soon, but with the sentancing in mid December, it will just get charged up again soon.

Bill

[germdoc]

I wonder #1) when did players start getting so selfish and self-indulgent--I would guess about the time their contracts starting topping the $100,000 mark and 2) when did coverage start being about more than how they play the game. I miss Howard Cosell, Frank Gifford, and others who knew the backstory and sidestory of everyone they reported but who never lost their focus on the game itself.

The closest person to that tradition now IMO is SI's Frank DeFore. Here's his take on the Vick situation:

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/s...oryId=12568999