ESPN Continues to Move Away From the Information and Journalism it was Built on Across Decades

With the latest New York Post reports saying that ESPN is moving on from one of its most popular afternoon shows 'Around the Horn,' The Dan Le Batard Show reacts to the news and why it continues to mark an end of an era for the worldwide leader as their programming continues to dramatically shift from the information and journalism it was built on across decades. Dan also points out the tie in with them saying this as Stephen A. Smith continues to negotiate his next contract with ESPN and why it has been difficult for him to get the amount of resources he would like in comparison to Pat McAfee and Peyton Manning.
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#lebatardshow #lebatard #thepirateship #sports #live #stugotz #danlebatard #espn #stephenasmith #firsttake #sportscenter #maxkellerman #tonyreali #aroundthehorn #espnnews #pti

[@Dr.Deagle.]

Man ATH and PTI were my afyerschool routine for years 😢

[@dakineprotoss]

i used to watch ESPN all the time in high school and college, PTI/ATH/HQ/SportsCenter i havent watched ESPN (i havent had cable) in probably 15 years though, so Dans point is probably true in my case. They can change anyone out of ESPN and its not going to change my viewing habits (which is, not watching at all, dont even have the channel)

[@pstratos7]

Then you grew up and stopped watching that garbage

[@Rico513]

Mike Wilbon pretty much raised me like a second Dad...and it's been my pleasure watching him, Reali, and Kornheiser for these 20+ years. ESPN should be ashamed of themselves

[@stringer2295]

I still listen to pti occasionally but I haven’t looked at ATH in like a decade

[@dortchem]

Facts!

[@riveraderek07]

That 4 til 6 programming. SportsNation, HQ, ATH and PTI was goated.

[@marcomagana8329]

The best programs for sure. I miss that era.

[@dreamcage1801]

@@marcomagana8329same 90s and 00s. Sportscenter as the shit back in the 00s

[@marcomagana8329]

@@dreamcage1801 cold pizza with the 1st and ten segments with Skip and Woody those were good times as well

[@dreamcage1801]

@@marcomagana8329 yeah I know. I remember Dana Jacobson and jay Crawford as well.

[@TheRealRepoman82]

FACTS

[@Scottz504]

All time favorite ESPN show was the sports reporters with the legends like Dick Schaap ,John Saunders,Bill Rhoden,Wilbon,Mike Lupica. Talking sports stories from everywhere on the planet. I miss it.

[@carlhicksjr8401]

Why is this so stunning? It's always been this way at ESPN going all the way back to Keith Olbermann and Kenny Mayne. Once you get famous enough that you want to be paid for the ratings bump you bring in, ESPN cuts you loose and brings in a blonde with boobs and a leather skirt to hold things up while they find somebody else. This is absolutely no surprise.

[@dreamcage1801]

I honestly hate the modern era in a lot of ways

[@carlhicksjr8401]

People have been saying that literally since Ancient Greece. Totally not kidding. There's Persian graffiti in the ruins Persepolis dated to the time of Alexander the Great about how the young no longer respect their elders, how their hair is ridiculous, and how their young women were lascivious.

[@jarvisstephenson7039]

Why hate when it better. Oh yea I know why cuz it’s now for you

[@future62]

Personally I like it........ great journos arent beholden to institutional gatekeepers like ESPN

[@dreamcage1801]

@@jarvisstephenson7039 products are fake nowadays

[@carlhicksjr8401]

@@future62 Well, it used to be 'great journos' had to vette their stories through good editors and fact checkers before it was published. Back then they called it 'real journalism'. Nowadays, any gasbag can get on the net babble whatever the frig they like and if it's juicy enough some clown will run with it - - and let the facts catch up later.

[@jeremypage3370]

For at least the past 10 years Ive been thinking that the whole ESPN/sports talk machine is completely broken. ESPN has become Fox News/MSNBC for sports. The recipe is the same; take 5 topics that have broke the previous evening, and then fill the day with different shows who are all arguing and "hot taking" those same 5 topics. Its become obnoxious white noise. I havent watched ESPN in years, but it sounds like they are just systematically eliminating all the real journalists, and throwing in acerbic, grating "personalities". And yes, Smith is one of them. In fact, I feel like he started it. Yes, he was a journalist, but I feel like he only pulls that card when people like Le Batard call him on it. I know I sound old, but does anyone remember the dignity of The Sports Reporters on Sunday mornings back in the 90's?

[@Muskogee]

20 years

[@jakeMontejo3272]

ESPN is basura. SAS and that entire morning crew are hot basura. Max had credibility and wasn’t a loudmouth. I haven’t watched any ESPN shows in years.

[@beeoneal2520]

Nobody watched first take to see Max. Stop lying

[@edgewoodaldridge]

If you haven’t watched in years how do you know it’s garbage?

[@danp4350]

@@beeoneal2520something a simple mind would say.

[@jakeMontejo3272]

@@danp4350 casual

[@jakeMontejo3272]

@@edgewoodaldridge it’s called YT

[@sergiomorales7157]

I used to watch ESPN daily. I no longer do I watch Mcafee everynow and again. But other than that not really and I used to watch First take everyday. I’m worn out on SAS tbh his coverage annoys me and the amount of bias/mistakes/fake of his coverage isn’t appealing to me anymore.

[@tone6835]

🎯🎯🎯

[@burner_boy]

Same here

[@ZareefPusha]

Around the Horn is literally the only reason I still watch espn. After it’s gone there will be nothing left

[@beeoneal2520]

You don’t watch around the horn stop the 🧢

[@ZareefPusha]

@@beeoneal2520 unnecessary reply, as if you know me. I watch it everyday or if I can’t catch it I listen to the podcast.

[@timadamson3378]

I don't think the news can stay the same once it goes from a newspaper once a day to 24/7 coverage.

[@future62]

This is exactly the issue

[@28457]

I'm 46, I remember when Charlie Steiner left. Robin Roberts, Craig Kilborn. People leave ESPN....and it keeps going ....I also don't watch nearly as much as I did when Peter Gammons was on......ijs...

[@zelbongrimmage3770]

Those was the good days right there

[@moretoknowshow1887]

Loved the ESPN Afternoon lineup, including Highly Questionable, now its a shadow of itself. Outside SVP at night, I've quit watching the Worldwide Leader..

[@eddievangundy4510]

SVP is awful.

[@moretoknowshow1887]

@@eddievangundy4510 He's actually about the only part of the network I can still stand. He has actual gravitas..

[@benoitwaffle5439]

The non-game programming on ESPN is just time filler and promotion for its games. The weekday shows are background for tv monitors at gyms, cafes, waiting rooms, and airports. They don't need to break the bank with who it uses for those purposes. Its value comes from the actual games from the NFL, NBA, college football and basketball, MLB, etc. I like the 30-for-30s and PTI, but it is far from the reason I pay to have the network.

[@tronwilliams8781]

I started watching Sports Reporters on Sundays when i was young.

[@KateKearney-p2e]

Me too. John S was different .

[@FMA419]

Man, this show is a gem. Ya’ll doing the lord’s work

[@sportsplato5899]

espn stopped being a place for journalism when they got involved with sports media rights

[@prolific1518]

Bingo. ESPN paid for content then had to drive engagement to that content by new means. This is how you get SAS as the face and he's nothing but an entertainer who frequently talks about crafting narratives vs being a journalist. That's when I stopped watching. Most people don't realize what you do.

[@sportsplato5899]

@@prolific1518 there is clearly a gag order at the company to not say anything about Dana White. UFC is probably the only reason espn+ still exists

[@quiddity131]

Why is this a surprise? ESPN abandoned quality journalism over a decade ago

[@eddievangundy4510]

When did ESPN ever have quality journalism?

[@JerseyQ32]

It would be great to see them move on from the debate format. It had a good run, but it’s been annoying for years. ESPN should just be highlights and shows talking about sports related news. Nobody needs Kendrick Perkins arguing with people

[@katrinaj7173]

This makes me sad that ATH will be gone. So many years of my life were spent watching ATH, Highly Questionable and PTI. ATH and PTI are the only shows I watch ESPN for. Just sad

[@siniister710]

I used to be a huge espn watcher and still enjoy some of the people but once we cut cable I basically stopped watching the network all together. Between KZbin channels and other streaming sites I have no reason to pay the cable bill required to watch. Not to mention the KZbin content world is much better than these major networks anyway, those who have switched to digital only are ahead of them.

[@chirocket4791]

Talent is always disposable. All sports teams operate this way.

[@pstratos7]

@@chirocket4791 all businesses operate this way

[@LogicOverEverything]

And this is different than sports. ESPN has figured out there’s no point in paying 50 ppl 10 bucks a piece for 10 different shows when they can pay 5 ppl 50 bucks and make them work on any amount of shows they want

[@mike-r575]

Most employees are disposable? Welcome the real world, Dan! Fortunately, I learned that I'm disposable/replaceable when I worked at a restaurant while in college. Kellerman is a great boxing analyst, but he was not memorable doing anything else.

[@Weaponator18]

Seriously. If covid didn't teach you that as an employee, you're 100% disposable, you learned nothing.

[@mike-r575]

@@Weaponator18 My point is that I learned the disposable/replaceable lesson when I working an odd job before I started my career.

[@jameswall8157]

The new ESPN is trash

[@eddievangundy4510]

ESPN under John Skipper was also trash.

[@filippodeangelis158]

Oh no, Not Legler!

[@LogicOverEverything]

Like they can’t make another LEGLER 😂

[@edgarmuniz8331]

I stopped watching sports TV regularly in 2013. I still keep up with the analysis of sports by watching you guys, Jim Rome & the NHL Network. However, now, I mainly consume sports media by listening to podcasts.

[@adambliefernicht181]

Tony Reali is the equivalent of that guy at your work who is psyched to be there but everyone else hates it.

[@paulramos2383]

It's a conglomerate of corporate greed. There is no way any small business or individual can win. Corporations who are given unlimited breath of content, and already own the majority of wherewithal and have inalienable perpetuity. How are you going to fight that?

[@hectorcarrillo6655]

Bring back Max Kellerman! The guy was a voice of reason in a room full of buffoons.

[@akadanielmaia]

Idk if Dan is getting old or just missing the point. A cost of the major sports rights are going bananas as it’s one of the very few things putting people on TV and players way bigger than TV like Amazon and Apple join the race. B users dictate the product and it’s quite clear based on show’s popularity that the majority of people willing to turn on do not want a high % of it being journalism but rather entertainment. C TV has evolved and will not stop. MTV was a music video channel and failed to innovate so became small. ESPN was a highlight channel and evolved to maintain viewers when no live game is shown. D ESPN is aware that viewers got a sample of players as hosts and guests with podcasts and loved it. So they are preparing to compete for those retired players which are definitely better than any “journalist” even Stephen A.

[@pstratos7]

@@akadanielmaia definitely getting old, he’s preaching this “shift in media” shit like it hasn’t been going on for 15 years and every week it’s like it’s a new topic to “discuss how interesting it is” but to the general audience it’s not. We are sports fans, but at this point I think Dan is a sports media/ sports narratives fan.

[@tunit33k]

6:10 I started realizing it was a business when they got rid of Jamelle Hill & Mike Smith

[@americanhero1234]

We are tired of guys who never played sports tell us who should be respected or praised.

[@pstratos7]

@@americanhero1234 exactly, any pro teams benchwarmer instantly has so much more credibility than these media herbs

[@christopherwilliams2351]

Unfortunately in this time period of social media, sensationalism is more important than facts and accountability. Even Shannon isn't the same as when he was on Undisputed. First Things First is probably the best sports show on tv that takes actual facts and data combined with enjoyable commentary. No one to blame but ourselves though because if we didn't watch, ESPN wouldn't pay these people to scream at us for hours everyday

[@Anthonycheesman33]

I can’t imagine getting my news from bill Maher post 2016.

[@anon837]

Sports Reporters on Sunday was my show. Sports Journalists were talking sports; not KZbin stars with high Q ratings spewing nonsense.

[@jrb984]

ESPN sucks now the shows that they have they get rid of all the ones that were good

[@RedPanda450]

I like Dan, but ESPN was bad when he was there. Who are we kidding?

[@andreadams8004]

Dan been steady throwing stones since he departed ESPN

[@donjohnson3195]

Stephen A is the Worst part of Espn😂

[@Bob-z2i]

When Mike & Mike was unceremoniously dumped I began a slow drift away.

[@jimbob8840]

ATH got stale, even though I still liked it way more than the $A$ experience. It started being way more about stuff other than sports, and I was just trying to unwind after school/work

[@eddievangundy4510]

Woke and sports really don't mix.

[@donsullivan9243]

ESPN, tries to create news rather than report it.

[@realjasonwhitlock]

This convo is way too surface level. Journalism takes courage. ESPN has lacked courage for a lonnnng time, well before Jimmy Pitaro. It's easier to defend clowns than journalism. Most of the sports writers who joined the ESPN debate shows did so because they were tired of the demands and pushback of journalism. Everybody sold out.

[@joshsalwen]

PTI is the only thing I watch on ESPN You Tube for everything else

[@cabanjd1]

I don't watch ESPN

[@roycrosby4941]

ESPN has the same problem as main stream news media. People now use social media to view content. We just want ESPN, CBS, and Fox to show us the games in a professional manner.

[@antmc84]

N NBC 😂🤣

[@eddievangundy4510]

Never knew ESPN had anything to do with journalism or information. And it got worse under John Skipper. On the other hand Highly Questionable was the best show on their network. Dan Poppy Bomani very good.

[@drmike329]

MTV is unrecognizable from the original format. What a pity 😢

[@MichaelW969]

PTI is the only one I have continued to watch but that is waning too for.me since Tony retired to his attic, the dynamic is not the same.

[@tfive24]

Since the show has left espn, i haven't watch a full hour of espn. I have been watching espn since the 90s. Everyday before school in my mother's class room, getting back from school, and then going home, i would watch hours of espn. I am sad to say that now, can't watch an hour of any of the content on the stations. Now, i just watch fs1 from 3 to 6 or 7 now.

[@stevedm8962]

I caught onto ESPN’s storytelling entertainment shift years ago. I wished another network made a sports news show to compete with SportsCenter and outside the line. Fans still want quality journalism.

[@JohnThomas-lz4wf]

I agree with you Dan. ESPN is losing its journalist soul.

[@cabanjd1]

Noooooo, I don't care about ESPN. They are an overrated sports TMZ

[@bees313]

Espn is not becoming a clown show. It is a clown show. First take. Just hollering. Get up is now Jet up. Greeny constantly talking about the Jets is annoying..I turn immediately. Hell, greeny doesn't even do his radio show half the time.. what is he getting paid for? And McAfee show is just utter nonsense most of the time

[@Mvs2527]

I dont know why they thought jerry krause was beloved in Chicago.

[@whoo17]

He passed away...don't have to cheer for him. We're Chicago not NY, LA OR PHI. We have more CLASS than that.

[@dmichael100]

He doesn't have to be beloved for human beings to be classy enough not to boo his widow.

[@blablablaa14]

I think its so interesting on this point, that Greg Popovich, who basically built the modern day Spurs himself, always acknowledged that Duncan was the reason they won titles, it wasn't Pop or the Spurs organization. It was Tim Duncan and Pop/Spurs always knew that. They didn't get delusional from their own success. They acknowledged the player is the real difference maker

[@bigmic1972]

If you’re gonna be totally honest, michael said that teams win championships. He said it’s the players that are out there on the court. He did not say I win championships

[@Roq235]

I stopped watching First Take many years ago because of SAS yelling all the time and when they brought Perkins with his “hot takes”, it was over for me. All in all, I haven’t watched ESPN in years lol I recently tried to watch SC and couldn’t get through it. I loved watching ESPN back in the day. My brother and I bonded over SC with Chris Berman, Stuart Scott and Dan Patrick as kids. That was special, but those days are long gone and never coming back.

[@PositivelySunshine]

I’m 39. My entire childhood was Sportscenter before school and going to sleep. Then they stopped paying SC talent and the show grew stale, but First Take (Originally called Cold Pizza, then 1st and 10) became the morning show of choice and PTI and Around the Horn filled every day after school. Then in adulthood, SAS came along and First Take became hot take garbage. Thankfully there were early mornings to be filled by Mike and Mike, afternoons with SVP and Russillo, and the glorious block of Highly Questionable, ATH, and PTI. Now I only watch McAffee and the SVP Sportscenters at night. I’m just trying to show the evolution of a viewer over 30 years and the fact that talent matters. The one constant in my viewing across decades is that I follow talent and quality content. ESPN has less of both than they did at any other point in their history.

[@eddieuardo]

ESPN is dying!!!!! They can’t keep wasting money on these shows that don’t draw the same eyes anymore. Why would this new generation watch around the horn or PTI when they can get their news/opinions on X or KZbin. You don’t have to wait until 5pm to get info. Can just go directly to X. This is ESPN’s last ditch effort. ESPN is done. Them going woke has a small impact but nothing bigger than social media.

[@tonyc5440]

Calm down Trumper

[@Weaponator18]

They're not dying because they still have games 🙄

[@crichardson7424]

Isn't a lot of this "New" type of Sports Programming driven by Sports Media People who now have their own Production Companies. These Production Companies are putting Sports Celebs out there...the "trash" is being paid for by big Sponsorships. Companies like those owned by Cowherd, SAS, Sharpe... They and others have learned the hard way by being in the arena and seeing how IT all works. SAS is new to the Production side, but he is a very quick learner and he has taken off. The Sports Consumer is looking for Entertainment, Action, A heads up in betting, And anything that will fill the spaces when Football and Basketball Seasons close down. Sports ain't Rocket Science, so stop trying to make it so; a 1year or 20 yr Sports Show is irrelevant...it ain't like ending Face The Nation or Meet The Press or 60 Minutes...Come back and make Sense, Nobody will care 7 days after SAS or anyone else leaves, they are NOT MIKE WALLACE OR WALTER CRONKITE, OR EDWARD R. MORROW (

[@timadamson3378]

The good thing is that all these people being fired can become head coach of the Lakers in the next 2 4 6 8 and 10 years.

[@twobarsfourstars]

Love when the show does a journalism, thank you!

[@Therock007dmx]

I absolutely love PTI, my daughter is 20 and I almost missed her birth because I was watching PTI. Tony and Mike raised my daughter because we watched them during dinner together.

[@DAV3RAG3]

I don’t watch ESPN nor do I pay for it

[@gfear24]

"Idiocracy" was a movie set 500 years in the future. It was meant to be satire. It's become a documentary on the US. It just came 500 years earlier than Mike Judge envisioned.

[@danielcortez2499]

I ditched ESPN once and for all back when Stephen A sandbagged Max Kellerman for nothing more than poking legitimate holes in his hyperbole. D-bag move....

[@beeoneal2520]

Max was boring. Nobody misses Max. Stop with the lie. 🧢

[@danielcortez2499]

@@beeoneal2520 I'm curious as to what made you presume that I give even the littlest sh*t what you think?

[@beeoneal2520]

@@danielcortez2499 because you gave a comment for people give see what your thoughts were 😂. That’s how this thing works. Max was boring 🥱

[@meanguy111]

Guys they don't care anyway us not watching doesn't hurt because most people lie and watch anyway

[@danielcortez2499]

@@beeoneal2520 precisely that - to give MY opinion. So allow me to clarify, I couldn't give even the slightest sh*t what you think.

[@Muskogee]

I stopped watching ESPN a few years ago. I'm sick of Stephen A. Smith and ESPN fired people that were great

[@mikedidyk8233]

Because they are. People are tired of the same hosts, the same formats and the same arguments.

[@jonathanjones3091]

Growing up after coming home from school watch NFL films presents and then PTI.

[@Smoovek1d]

ESPN has been falling off since Outside the Lines and E60 started to fade. I loved the stories behind sports, it was a break from constant sportcenter and highlights. Once SVP leaves, just cancel ESPN...

[@birdtweettweet]

As a rare figure skating fan (which I know is a sport Dan loves less than The Bachelor), ESPN's recent "article" ranking Olympic athletes was AI writing at its finest. It listed Yuzuru Hanyu as a "gymnast" and stated he was "not known for his jumps..." ESPN couldn't even text an intern of Christine Brennan to make sure this was accurate?! When they could have easily, with all of Disney's money, gotten Christine herself on the phone?

[@blablablaa14]

I low key hope that they release Stephen A because it would create such a new world for ESPN coverage and discussion

[@eddievangundy4510]

ATH was hardly journalism, Dan, I'm sorry. And HQ was a much better watch.

[@Weaponator18]

As much as I love around the horn and PTI, they were never journalism. The only quality journalism ESPN had was outside the lines when they cared about it and sportscenter before the rise of infotainment. Thats it.

[@juiceman_3]

I’m surprised that they’re surprised that ESPN is only in the entertainment business. Entertainment changes with trends

[@KeithBeacham]

I used to watch Max's NYC public access boxing show.

[@akadanielmaia]

I doubt that Max is still on garden leave getting paid to not compete. I bet he hasn’t find any great opportunity yet and if he is so unique and great you should make Max and Marcellus an offer Dan.

[@geoffoldread7684]

While the direction ESPN has taken may suck, sadly, we bear some of the blame.

[@f1champ551]

I can't even deal with ESPN anymore, just watch Sky Sports News and the rest of their channels with TNT Sports (was BT Sport) and Eurosport.. Why? That is the real source. And the only time I even try to watch a live sport is mostly F1, and I go straight to KZbin for the F1 highlights, no need to watch the entire race or the weekend itself.

[@beamerball666]

ATH and PTI are the last two things from an era when ESPN was actually good

[@zmanindy]

I most enjoy when a host/show pulls back the ropes on how games are won or lost. Describe/show why X team won or why he/she is a great player. Don’t give a shit about the drama of where is Rodger’s and how he is or is not destroying the locker room from people who have no clue what is going on behind the closed doors.

[@dmichael100]

Me too but I have had to come to the realization that most fans seem to prefer the short sound bites, extreme-position arguments and entertainment. I only tuned in if someone like Legler was breaking down a player/game or if someone like Steve Kerr was being interviewed. You and I must be two of the remaining 100 fans who are still interested in real game analysis.

[@tobiasevans9882]

The drops on this show are stupid and unnecessary. That's why I can't listen to a full show

[@SpockIsAPimp]

Poor Dan and all the other disgruntled ex ESPN Employees 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 ESPN is a machine, no hate will stop it.

[@killa_bee0037]

Damn sounds like a hater cause his show is no longer on ESPN

[@tonyc5440]

Calm down Willis!

[@lynnerose7891]

So, Jerry Krause was right. And iirc their contracts were all ending, so he didn’t break up the team. If they wanted to kept it together, it was up to the players not ending their contracts all in 1998.

[@TheBoardgameWarthog]

Once Highly Questionable and The Dan Labatard Show was gone, I had no more use for ESPN to watch daily. ESPN is completely wrong if they think the company is larger than the talent. As the talent has slowly kept moving on (Keith Obermann, Dan Patrick, etc.) the channel has become more and more obsolete.

[@jwal1992]

The problem is ESPN will let these people go but not replace them with adequate talent. We don’t watch ESPN. We watch the people on ESPN.

[@stevenbresselsmith6906]

PTI needs to go too

[@Hendrix.Robinson]

As a kid that grew up watching PTI, around the horn, cold pizza, Mike and Mike in the morning, Colin cowherd show, it sucks but the time moves on. Espn has been out of touch for some time now. I’m probably in the 20-30% that doesn’t even check for espn. Can’t remember the last time I needed to watch it because i consume my sports from other outlets on my own. Espn died in my eyes once first take went from a 2 hour show to a 4 hours show, to the entire morning block of 10hrs. Then Dan when you left, I never looked back. It’s a clown show over there- they don’t even promote other sports. It’s all Dallas cowboys, lebron and Jordan talk, and Stephen A.. 🤷🏾‍♂️ I’m good!

[@____2080_____]

With Dan Le Batard has never realized is that the communities and target markets that listen to the Gilbert Arena, Shannon Sharp, Pat McAfee’s hated this format for 40 years. I was suspect that this format has never made the station money and they’ve been laundering money for 40 years. I’ve never seen anyone ever watch any of this stuff. And let’s not be so naïve to believe that the ratings are actually telling the truth. The ratings are as fixed as , the economy doing well. One can make that number appear to be anything We can talk about all of the new media and expound on the reasons for a success until we are blue and purple in our faces. The reality: the news media are all mimicking what they think the typical sports talk radio listener wants to hear. Every journalist to every sports beat reporter, to every Talking Heads has never had credibility with the fans. The change in the technology landscape has merely opened up the ability for people to ignore the thing they’ve always been ignored. With analytics and tracking, the corporate media can’t pretend that these people have audiences. It’s harder for them to cook the books.

[@kbsutton3]

Yes, it matters. I hardly watch ESPN outside of actual live games

[@NitecastMediaTV]

Sad that ESPN is getting rid of original good programming

[@jaycutty8697]

I haven’t watched ESPN on a consistent basis since Skip left.

[@j2times2006]

11:13 he's absolutely right. It's all about the money. Corporations will kick babies over flaming goalposts if they know that's what people will watch.

[@jorwon]

Bruh no one cares, you’ll grow to like whoever is on

[@supreme504]

Hogwash! ESPN was built on "back back back back backs" and "booyahs." Trying to say it was anything else is ridiculous.

[@jdburch]

SVP leaving is the only person that would make a dent.

[@tgr98]

I think ESPN could be wrong about hosts not mattering. Although I see people in the comments talking about SAS being trash or the shows like First Take being awful, the fact is SAS and First Take pull numbers. You might not watch but plenty of people are. That said, I think we saw what losing Shannon Sharpe did to Undisputed. They put in Keyshawn...all due respect to the great player he was and a champion...but he has always been so stern and serious and insistent on making his points that he kills the energy and vibe of a show. He killed the vibe on the morning show with Max Kellerman and J-Will. J-Will and Max would try to start a fun back and forth and Keyshawn would kill the fun with being overly stern. These shows are not about just sports information or who has the best take. You can read stats for sports info. You can read online or print articlles for opinions. Thesse show are ENTERTAINMENT. Hate him or love him, Stephen A knows this. I love Max Kellerman. I am a boxing guy. Been following Max for a long time, before ESPN. But while his takes are, to me, more thoughtful and nuanced that SAS, there did seem to be a ceiling on their chemistry. I greatly dislike Skip. Smart guy, respect his hard work....but he took some things too far over the years. But the chemistry he had with SAS built First Take into what it became after Cold Pizza. The chemistry he had with Shannon was great too. In retrospect, how much of that was Stephen A and Shannon, not Skip. Maybe a lot. And FoxSports learned once Shannon was out and Keyshawn was in that you can't just put anybody on the screen and have it work. ESPN should look at that example and think carefully about letting SAS walk. Unless they think Shannon could take over or they have a plan to pair him with somebody else should SAS contract negotiations break down.

[@johncreighton44]

What is that sound bite they play when the supporting cast starts talking about themselves? I can’t make it out.

[@17NateJohnson]

I think “the talent” got full of itself. You’re discussing sports. There are lots of people who can do this w intelligence and insight. The TRUE talents are rare: Barkley and Costas are the only two that feel irreplaceable to me. John Madden had it, too.

[@eddievangundy4510]

Yes on Barkley, no one Costas.

[@maynetayn]

What the hell are some of these folks talking about. We watched Boomer because he was a personality, not a guy breaking down the game. Stuart Scott was a personality, didn’t breakdown the game. We watched countdown, partly because of him. These guys sound “delusionally” bougie about sports content 😅😅😅😅😅😂😂😂

[@colinthompson3111]

Very good analysis from Dan.