The Rise & Fall of ESPN

The Rise & Fall of ESPN. A brief history about ESPN's rise to dominance & how it lost its unique voice in the changing sports media landscape. Signup for Underdog Here: play.underdogf... CODE: THATSGOOD
#espn #nfl #espnlayoffs #history #sports #patmcafee #sportscenter
From Chris Berman, to Linda Cohn, Dan Patrick, Rich Eisen, Keith n, Stewart Scott, Skip Bayless, Stephen A Smith, Mina Kimes, & Pat McAfee Thatsgoodsports does a deep dive into ESPN.
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[@ericstevens1979]

As someone who used to write SportsCenter commercials back in the day and worked on the ESPN brand for 6 years I can say this is the best network case study ever made. Great job Brandon 👍

[@gohawks3571]

May I just say thank you? Those were some funny commercials!

[@goldenageofdinosaurs7192]

Big time Timmy Jim! (If that was you, kudos)

[@derekliggett685]

I grew up on espn, 43... Sad, that a piece of my childhood is dead..

[@ericstevens1979]

Don't thank me I didn't come up with the campaign. I just got to write a bunch near the end of their heyday. Ones with Manny Ramirez, David Ortiz, Jorge Posada, Adrian Peterson etc.

[@jacobball8422]

I loved those so much. This should be the pinned comment and thank you for helping build a large part of my childhood

[@StashHouse56]

I grew up in the prime of ESPN. What a great time it was. It felt really authentic.

[@perfunctorypersival]

Honestly I feel about Perna the way people feel about the early ESPN anchors.

[@michaeliceman5512]

Me too. then I saw this pop up in my feed and realized I hadn't watched ESPN in years

[@blueknight5754]

NFL prime time was so captivating…the music and commentary had me hanging on as if world peace hangs in the balance! Miss those days and that is what the network currently is lacking. They take themselves TOO SERIOUSLY today.

[@ChrisSmith-tu9bu]

Yeah they were attempting authenticity and then they basically handed over the reins to SAS whos just a black Skip Bayless, plus they basically sold out to Nike...all in all its all about over hyping whatever sells the most products and crapping over everything that doesn't/fit a narrative...so basically they'll treat a guy like Joker like trash until he sells enough products while treating a washed up guy like Lebron like his the Goat, which is ridiculous, and that hes still as good as his prime...in other words everyone is either a goat, which again is dumb, or trash with nothing in between

[@danielevans3932]

It's important to document where espn came from and where it's going in the future. Real talent is not created its made. Through hard work and a great pulse on the average sports viewer and their need for objuective sports analysis. And espn has to walk that line with little repercussions. I don't see any movement other than new competition in a regional sense. No more one size fits all content. Those days are numbered.

[@MrMurder0321]

Stephen A Smith killed it for me. Trying to listen to someone screaming for hours on end doesn’t cut it for me

[@helladapttoreading8465]

Him ripping the Cowboys is fun, but yeah that's about it for me

[@BobbyVanStone]

@@MoroziYenot so Chris Russo is black entertainment? pretty sound logic you have

[@maxwelloverton5543]

@@MoroziYenotracist for absolutely no reason

[@ellwoodwolf]

And they run out of legitimate topics, so they get more and more outlandish

[@YoungChuy2398]

Stephen A lucky he’s a consistent cowboys hater because that’s the only thing folks actually like about him

[@icemac911]

One thing you didn't mention about ESPN was it's investigative journalism. Particularly shows like Outside the Lines who went above and beyond who would uncover fascinating stories

[@Knightmessenger]

Now they just simp for whatever political opinion Lebron James or Megan Rapinoe has, and then pat themselves on the back for being socially conscious.

[@chrisfair11]

Outside the Lines, 30 for 30 and inspiring the NFL to do Hard knocks. There has been some great ESPN content.

[@AviRox1154]

​@chrisfair11 30 for 30 had some fantastic documentaries, for sure. *9.79, Broke, and Playing For The Mob were especially good.

[@KingHarambe_RIP]

To me, PTI is the last vestige of peak ESPN. The combination of chemistry and experience between Mike and Tony is still unparalleled but its days feel numbered.

[@salvatore_slate]

they are so good

[@SnoopyReads]

I used to look forward to watching that show and the one on before it "Around the Horn" about 15 years ago, but all those talking heads shows got tired real quick

[@michaelreich4827]

PTI worked because Tony and Mike simply did what they did at the Washington Post and set up cameras. It was natural.

[@catman-du8927]

​@@SnoopyReads I think PTI & Around the Horn were different from just normal talking head shows because there was something else controlling the talk. For PTI it was the clock & for Around the Horn it was the points & the mute button. The mute button was huge to me & Reali is great with it

[@SnoopyReads]

@@catman-du8927 yeah turning it into a game show helped make it more exciting especially in the early days of the show

[@jkh5]

Rest In Peace to the legend Stuart Scott. He was so damn good at his job.

[@willmarinac5201]

Class Act all the way!

[@Weshopwizard]

Yes. He was the best. Not the same since his passing.

[@fetch_happens]

He was awesome. Loved Stuart, Mayne, Eisen & Patrick.

[@craigcavaliere6744]

I remember when he was the back-up weekend sports anchor on the NBC affiliate in Orlando before going to ESPN.

[@craig3642]

Never forget losing it as a little kid when I saw Paul Molitor or someone hit a homerun and he went "Booyah!" That was back before the Scott Van Pelts came in and thought they were f'n standup comedians.

[@NickellaElla]

In the late 90’s ESPN was so enjoyable. I would have Sportscenter on every morning while getting ready for school. Stuart Scott and Rich Eisen just put me in a good mood.

[@theman9048]

2000s as well

[@ericstewart0921]

Sportscenter would have me leaving late for school!

[@RobbieStacks90]

ESPN was definitely at its peak in the 90s. After I did my homework, watched cartoons, played video games, I would often tune into the 6pm SportsCenter with (depending on the day) Dan Patrick, Kenny Mayne, Stuart Scott, Rich Eisen, Linda Cohn, Robin Roberts, etc. The main difference between ESPN back then and now was that not only did ESPN2 still have its own identity as kind of an extreme/niche sports channel, but the actual on-air personalities didn't impose their social and political agendas on viewers. The most abrasive personality back then was probably Lee Corso on Gameday. ESPN in 2023 penalizes its employees for being well-spoken, unassuming, and educated.

[@MarkGentile-qj2ru]

Back in the day great people doing there jobs once woke showed up it went black and ESPN became soft and ignorant they even made the last dance a mockery when you leave out Mr Jordan going to Colorado 3 different times to illegally video tape #23 how powerful was the videos it made one a King and the other one LePussy James the 2 18yr Olds killing Mr Jordan was Karma I'm 18yrs old how old were the killers 😢

[@c-stars]

ESPN+ has (almost) killed ESPN. Their business model is “Bait and Switch” on steroids. I can’t go to their website, look at the articles I can’t read, stare me in the face because I need a subscription, or go to an article and realize I can only read about two of “ESPN ranks the 10 Best Teams.” Then you finally buy a subscription - - only to find out you are not bought in at the level you need for some offers. Is there anyone but the diehard sports fan (i.e., online daily sports gambler) who is at least not extremely irritated with that media experience? I have started bookmarking other sites on my browser under a tab that gives me a superior individual experience.

[@chappy9245]

The golden age of SportsCenter was the early-mid 2000's. Chris Berman's; "WHOOP" and "Rumblin', Bumblin', Stumblin'" was great.

[@michaelahurt]

The golden age was definitely 1993-97. Craig Kilborn and Suzy Kolber were on SportsCenter from 93-96 then Kenny Mayne started in 94; Rich Eisen and Mike Greenberg got there in 96 But once Keith Olberman left in 1997 and broke up the greatest SC duo ever with Dan Patrick it was never the same. You also had Stuart Scott, Mike Tirico, Steve Levy, Bob Ley, Charlie Steiner, Robin Roberts, Chris Meyers, Jack Edwards, Linda Cohn, Rece Davis and Karl Ravech all doing SportsCenter. I also think that was Berman on top of his game. The cupboard was never more full. And the reporters: David Aldridge Bonnie Bernstein Chris Mortenson Sal Paolantonio John Clayton Peter Gammons Hank Goldberg Andrea Kremer Pam Oliver Jimmy Roberts Sunday Night Baseball still had Jon Miller and Joe Morgan And 1996 was the first headgear pick on College GameDay. And it was still just Chris Fowler, Lee Corso and Kirk Herbstreit before it became the bloated monstrosity we have now You had Big Monday with the real/old Big East (and Super Tuesday) back when college basketball still meant something ESPN Classic launched in 95. ESPN News in 96 And of course the best program in ESPN history: the Sports Reporters hosted by the legendary Dick Schaap

[@yourmother4385]

Remember when they had good shows like NFL yearbook or that edited tournament they did with all the dynasty teams?

[@chadzard4]

@@michaelahurt No dude. They might have had more names in the 90s but the brand itself wasn't as big in the 90s as it was in the 2000s. They didn't have nearly as many shows in the 90s because they didn't have the production value yet. Also cable and satellite TV had become more popular in the 2000s than in the 90s so they had more viewers. Make no mistake the 2000s were the golden age of ESPN and I'm a 90s fanboy.

[@michaelahurt]

@@chadzard4 I'll take quality over saturation. I agree the business/financial height was the 2000s though. That's not really arguable. Idk if it was this video or somewhere else but the peak was 2011 I think But OP was about SportsCenter not ESPN as a whole even though I went beyond SC in my response I actually prefer the 90s production quality tbh. Lol. It got so over produced as time went on. Shit is like CoCoMelon for adults.

[@chadzard4]

@@michaelahurt The quality was still good though in the 2000s that's the thing. They had become this massive global entity but they were still making great content and didn't get overly political. We'll probably never see anything like that ever again.

[@N9830G]

Beyond the politicization of the channel and hard shift towards "take" content, both of which were major turn-offs for me, their almost sole focus of NBA/NFL is what has ruined ESPN for me. The beauty of old-school SportsCenter was that you could see baseball highlights/breakdowns and then shift to tennis coverage, throw in some NCAA football news and then seamlessly transition to dog show highlights. They did it all. Now we get 20 hours a day of belaboring the same five NBA/NFL talking points each day with barely a passing mention of the rest of the sports world. It just isn't the same network anymore.

[@FalseNi9e]

Big facts

[@TheMilapMehta]

The sad part is that it's not even the entire NBA and NFL. They basically have the same 3 - 4 teams in each league that they discuss so it's the most repetitive mind numbingly stupid content out there. Couple that with a lack of actual broadcasting talent that's been subbed with athletes and personalities who aren't equipped to run with a broadcast show, and you have the current disaster.

[@alanvallazza9781]

They brought back NHL and CFL from Canada after the NBC Sports Network died. So now you can't say that just do NFL and NBA. They actually do a lot of different things you just don't watch ESPN News where they put all the boring stuff or everything on ESPN+ honestly who has all that time.

[@alanvallazza9781]

However I will agree with you with one thing their talk shows or shows where they analyze stuff are mainly in three parts NBA, NFL and they throw in MLB while not doing a daily MLB show. Instead the MLB talk is sprinkled in other programs like Get Up or First Take. Definitely Sports Center. The soccer show went to ESPN Plus if it's still there. The show on NHL must be there as well otherwise they don't have one. But they had one until they lost it originally. Then you got the college stuff.They definitely do a lot of college stuff. But not so much college baseball even though they cover it, games, to ad nauseam. Look I don't watch ESPNU all day. So who's to say they wouldn't talk about college baseball or college softball.

[@theworldisastage1984]

That's what drives viewership. People generally aren't interested in those sports. It's not like ESPN didn't take that into account, they did, which is why you have the current format. The anti whiteism is what forced me to tune out

[@j.thompson9345]

Literally use to wake up and watch ESPN highlights every morning before school. What a time to be alive.

[@buchiklop110]

90's ESPN was so, so damn good. Berman and Jackson covering football. John Miller and Joe Morgan on Sunday Night Baseball. Dan Patrick, Stuart Scott, Linda Cohn, Rich Eisen, and Scott Van Pelt on SportsCenter. Baseball 2Night. NFL Primetime. Page 2. Also, ESPNEWS had the Highlight Express, which was all the news, scores, and highlights in 30 minutes.

[@HairryTurttleneck]

Idk. That lady singer from the beginning was the best thing I may have ever seen. ESPN is fun and all, but that was art.

[@jmommy881]

It is a shame what they did to that network, how many people lost their jobs because of egotistical morons. It's amazing what a dozen people can do to hard working people.

[@duzzitmatter8679]

@buchiklop110 - thank you for bringing back those memories! 🥲

[@Feliz_BroDad]

Its a business.. they have to go to work man! That’s why they leave and let them leave because they will build up the next guy for less money… it’s a a business man they can’t pay everyone millions for 2 takes a week lol

[@rdecredico]

No, it was not good. It was all manipulation and marketing. It was all bullshit.

[@Cassie-Nova-]

This is it! We're finally getting long-form Thatsgoodsports content! Welcome to the golden age of the internet boys

[@Eugenes84]

This is your magnum opus. I had forgotten how good ESPN use to be and why I watched so much of it back in the day. I now consume zero mainstream sports media because of what “take culture” did to it. I hope KZbinrs like yourself can thrive.

[@jasonshaw3605]

John Clayton was for me the last relatable sports spokesperson. He had the knowledge but he talked in such a way that wasn't sensationalism. He backed up his opinions with solid facts. Most importantly, listening to him, you felt like you were hearing him talk to you like he was a good friend who was passionate about sports. I fully admit, after he was let go and after his time in the Seattle market, I gradually lost interest in sports overall. I am now lucky if i spend much interest even on following the home teams. The Professor was the last great one. May he rest in peace.

[@SLAYERSWINE1]

The ESPN commercial with Clayton & SLAYER was hilarious !

[@OtherBarry4908]

the people in ESPN now are idiots that focus too much on politics.

[@Gertieness]

RIP PROFESSOR

[@shrekdaddy6912]

He was a Pittsburgh guy who didn't kiss the local pgh sports teams asses. Like the Steelers. It was a breath of fresh air. RIP.

[@SnoopyReads]

It creeped me out when I found out he had that ponytail

[@ronarnold1507]

This video made me both happy, and sad. ESPN in the 90s was everything to me.

[@mikeedwards9984]

It was nothing like it especially getting some with a girl and turning it on afterwards 😂

[@SnoopyReads]

That's because it was the only way to see the highlights before the internet. You don't really need them anymore, pretty much like MTV

[@00ABBITT00]

just think how lucky you were to experience ESPN at it's best and that you didn't have to grow with the modern/current version of it.

[@edpaolosalting9116]

This is late, but this is the signs of the times, like everyone said. As the Internet grew, the TV and the news paper were forced to be integrated in it, for they would get left behind, as it shows now.

[@israelbarnes4704]

I DO NOT want to get political but I feel like it's almost the rise and fall of news / media in general. Everyone is competing to be as outrageous and loud and absurd as possible.

[@metpach]

That's a facts. Mainstream media has turned into outrage media. Ppl are tired of it.

[@thewriter8762]

It is due to its medium. Cable is going out of the window very quickly due to streaming services and platforms like Twitch, KZbin, and TikTok. The most common thing people watch are sporting events and even if they don’t catch it, the highlights are put out through social media anyways. So sports news is really irrelevant. The “best” shows are the debate shows that function as a podcast of people saying outrageous shit. Other news sources or debate shows wear their bias so blatantly or go so outrageous that it takes away from the actual news portions. There’s nothing of true substance anymore.

[@MaximusR93]

Yeah hopefully they’ll go back to creating meaningful content.

[@scawfan75]

You are saying the quiet part out loud. No one wants to admit to that.

[@gilliganallmighty3]

I wouldnt call that political. Its jist a fact.

[@useyourimaginasean]

Listening to Chris Berman narrate football highlights was something I would wait for sports center to replay late at night as a kid

[@yankees29]

Then it started to get stale and boring after a while….I used to watch too😢

[@roberthowe718]

ESPN is dead - ruined like media like education - like major cities - woke atheist - racist - indoctrination is what ESPN is- merit used to be important Not know Example host put Lamar jackson in his top 5 of current qb’s - a joke - pure wokeness

[@MrZackavelli]

WHAP

[@mariogutierrez4989]

And the inevitable 9ers vs Bills SB prediction

[@Gertieness]

Berman was great with the highlights, Cosell was the best

[@Bilal_Aslam_]

Nothing was ever the same after Tom Grossi went on the Pat McAfee Show

[@1000bomb]

Context?

[@AkeemGriffith-gj5rd]

@@1000bomb that's when all the politics began.

[@shanestevens5352]

@@1000bomblast month in his charity drive to all the different stadiums Tom was brought onto McAfee

[@jessedeeeeee]

Grossi broke 4th wall

[@Jay-pd9kc]

@@AkeemGriffith-gj5rdwdym politics?

[@buckminsterfullerene11]

Max saying Brady would fall off a cliff is the greatest worst call in history. Brady plays another 9 years and wins 2 Super Bowls with a couple MVP awards lol

[@UnchainedAmerica]

ESPN is in a Cold War between themselves and KZbin Content Creators. Fans are turning away from ESPN and started listening to you, Tom, or Tree for substance in sports reporting while tapping in fan interactions and humor. You, Tom, Five, and Tree had brewed up substance reporting with very little controversies. You keep the fans engaged, informed and be interactive. I feel these cable news are disconnected what we wants, or heard. We want to be heard, we want your reactions, and we want a "fan-favorable" sports reporting. ESPN used to be quite personable and fan-based in substance, but lost it when they politicalized their channel. The new brand sucks. It is why they hired Pat McAfee because he resembles you and Tom in staying with fan choices of news reporting and managing to stay engage with their fan base.

[@abebuenodemesquita8111]

also for less news-ey sports content i love the clips of the kelce brothers' podcast that I see on tiktok and should honestly get around to watching a full episode

[@aandwdabest]

@@abebuenodemesquita8111 Kelce Brother’s New Heights and Shannon Shape’s Club Shay Shay are very good podcasts.

[@victorianrat]

for baseball it’s all about Jomboy Media

[@JupiterJazzX]

Who is Tom, Five, and Tree? I am just now getting into sports (or particularly NFL) seriously and have been watching ESPN. Aside from the looks of Molly Qerim, watching it makes me want to die a terrible death so I googled and found this video. I read your comment and I'm looking for alternatives to ESPN and I don't know who Tom, Dick, Harry, or Tree are.

[@Darnold4Prez2024]

@@JupiterJazzX “Tom” is Tom Grossi, “Tree” is Urinating Tree, and honestly I’m drawing a blank on who “Five” is.

[@Aggie4life77]

I’m 46 and was born in 1977. I grew up with both hip hop, MTV, BET and ESPN! It brings a tear to my eye what both have turned into present day😢

[@michaelpetrovich5353]

I am a year younger then you bro and I support your statement 100%

[@5IvanDrago5]

Turn 46 in August and yeah being a 80's-90's kid was the best. Are we not the ones to blame for the current condition of things? We allowed and created the world and conditions that are fueling this insanity of today.

[@seanwilliams7655]

I'm around the same age as you, and I've seen it happen as well. But truth is, all those networks serve niches that don't really NEED a television network anymore. Think about it. MTV, and to a lesser extent BET, were build around showing music videos. Why would someone go watch those networks when they can look at whatever video they want on youtube right now? Now, it's a bit different with ESPN. I really think their biggest detriment was the general continued rise in cable costs, and the fact that younger people aren't as into sports as the previous generations were. Having live sports kept them on top longer than MTV, but it's getting to the point where that's not enough now. ESPN will be a shell of itself 20 years from now.

[@NinoBlacks]

Lool everyone is just jumping on the hate train because some famous people have said that smh

[@ekscalybur]

@@seanwilliams7655 Because its not the same. You know what happens when I go on KZbin and watch what I want to watch? I ONLY watch what I want to watch. Watching music videos on TV back in the day meant you absolutely were going to see things you never knew about. It's not the same, and it's certainly not as good.

[@casemasterj21]

I remember staying up late in the summer and watching the same episode of sportscenter 3 times in a row. Stewart Scott and Neil Everett were always my favorites. And I never missed Primetime every Sunday. Amazing video as always brother

[@jamesbarnett2483]

I used to do the same thing! If the Cardinals won, I'd stay up watching the highlights package 2 or 3 times. Times have changed though. I have not watched Sportscenter in at least 8 years.

[@ajdembroski7529]

The SportCenter commercials depicting professional athletes, in uniforms, as employees in the ESPN office were goddamn brilliant. Right up there with Terry Tate, Office Linebacker.

[@jimbrown5091]

ESPN is simply another case of the launch, growth, maturity and decline of a business that was once unique and no longer is. We've seen this in a number of industries over the years. ESPN has competition now that it never considered and simply cannot evolve quickly enough.

[@SnoopyReads]

That'll never happen to MTV

[@stevenvox6549]

The business evolved into opinion shows that held the players and teams up to ridicule and that's what some people want to hear. The fantasy and betting shows are boring. Why would I want to hear my teams being attacked by mean spirited jerks - like brian noe and zach gelb.

[@uziel25]

I think I've watched this 3 times since you released it. This is a great documentary. I know they take time, but you kick ass in this format. Thanks for all the entertainment.

[@JackOBee29]

"Nobody circles the wagons like the BUFFALO BILLS" Never knew what that meant but said it non stop thanks Berman 🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@thetruthinwonderland]

This video makes me feel nostalgic for that time on NFL Live when Trent Dilfer looked into the camera and said emphatically, with a straight face, ‘When I played I was one of BEST QBs in the game.’ A truly epic moment.

[@Trollificusv2]

Well, to be fair, he was including everybody in Asia, Africa, South America and France. By that criteria, he was up in the 99th percentile. Maybe 98th.

[@aaronsmith4806]

That’s one of those comments where using the term world instead of game, sounds larger and is more accurate

[@tigerwoods373]

Anyone qb who is in the nfl, let alone a starter is one of the best. It's only when you compare them to superstars you think they're bad. How many qbs you think try to get into the nfl and how many make it past the 52 man roster cut?

[@djzarrick]

😂😂

[@djzarrick]

@@Trollificusv2😂😂

[@Who-vt9oh]

Man, I miss NFL Prime Time with Boomer and Tom Jackson. That was a must watch for me.

[@checkmateforever]

The best post NFL game highlight show ever.

[@AdamAllen]

Was at times better than watching the actual games.

[@luke15olsen]

Nothing will ever beat the hour of sportscenter before school everyday and barely making it on the bus because I had to see Top 10 plays before shutting off the TV.. those times are long gone

[@kenw2225]

Or espn news was 30 min. I didn't have an hour everyday , somedays.

[@dylank.4498]

ESPN became garbage to me when it was non stop LA and NY. They would spend about 55 minutes of an hour long SportCenter talking about everything Lakers, Dodgers, Yankees etc, and 5 minutes talking about everything else. Some teams wouldn’t even get a mention of their highlights. They would talk about what shoes some Laker was going to wear for their playoff game and couldn’t be bothered to show highlights of small market teams.

[@theMidsizeLebowski]

Awesome video! Your points on "take culture" were spot on. Another important byproduct of "take culture" was ESPN's significantly increased coverage of scandals and problems in athletes' personal lives, always from a moral grandstanding point of view. I used to watch Sport Center for highlights and news about the leagues I followed, not the tabloid-style news that started crowding the good stuff out.

[@sprybug]

Yeah. Skip Bayless and Stephen A. Smith. Two guys I CAN NOT STAND. Two blowhards that say whatever and half the time sound like total idiots. Any time they show up, I look somewhere else.

[@SnoopyReads]

The weeks long coverage of certain personal stories like Mantai Teo being catfished, the Penn State scandal and Bountygate killed off my interest in ESPN for good. Covering the same topic 24/7 for days at a time just didn't make sense to me

[@CKC298]

@@SnoopyReadssome of them I think deserve coverage because they directly impact the sport being covered (Penn State and their SA culture for example). But endlessly dragging Mantei Teo was so unnecessary and cruel.

[@animula6908]

Like they are fighting the war on sports instead of enjoying sports with you.

[@Yoyo42069]

Absolutely amazing video! Enjoyed ever minute of it. Unlike watching a Broncos game last year😂 Go Niners!

[@HondoHoss77]

Bang bang

[@HondoHoss77]

Niner Gang

[@christophermanley3602]

Forty-Whiners 🏈 🦅

[@Tubalcain422]

This is a genius video. Well done Brandon.

[@LucidFlameX]

I miss Stuart Scott. Every time I see him or hear his name, it surprises me how much so. Wonder what he'd think of the current sports entertainment climate.

[@OtherBarry4908]

he'd agreed it sucks nowadays. It's too political.

[@legendaryTMNICO]

I also miss Steve young’s analyzing the nfl draft.

[@mangos2888]

Oh wow. I agree. I would love to hear his opinion...and Tim Russert's 😂

[@OtherBarry4908]

@@koolmaaan at least he didn't shove political nonsense down people's throats and have dumb takes on stuff. unlike everyone in today's ESPN.

[@PathBeyondTheDark]

People's refusal to accept political talk and outright fear of it is why we are in the shitshow that is America today. Shoving things under the rug is not a long term solution no matter if the average low IQ human believes it is. And it will be your kids' kids that will reap the true consequences of what has begun in recent years. But who cares as long as it is not me?

[@beeslikesteve]

the problem with "the takes" in both sports and "news" is they can say whatever bullshit they want, and be wrong, because they are getting paid to be talking heads - not for facts.

[@johndonny443]

Espn was like having a beer with your bro and kickin it. Now it is like being trapped in an elevator with the people who don't get invited to parties.

[@fenderbenderspecial]

Given the state of ESPN and other sports media, I want to say thanks, Brandon, for doing what you do. It's hard work and it's appreciated by the rest of us sad Broncos fans.

[@fortynights1513]

A big issue with ESPN was that shows like Around the Horn, PTI, and First Take stood out more when there were fewer of them. Replicating the formula burnt us all out.

[@davemartino5997]

@@fortynights1513no the problem was going political and pushing racial divide

[@and__lam1152]

​@davemartino5997 all the propaganda killed espn for me too

[@OtherBarry4908]

Getting too political is what started the downfall.

[@legendaryTMNICO]

@@fortynights1513First take was ok at first but now it’s just ridiculous.

[@DrBeauHightower]

What a time to be alive.

[@aztecwrrior1997]

Hey Doc whatchu doin here??

[@DrBeauHightower]

@@aztecwrrior1997 just watching KZbin 🤷‍♂️

[@retropunk24]

"Which Sportscenter did you watch? All of them."

[@SHAd0Eheart]

@@retropunk24 I loved those commercials where the Team Mascots worked in cubicles & didn’t know which restroom they was supposed to use! Those were great!

[@MitchMitch77-77]

Love their coverage during Dwight Gooden/ Daryl Strawberry, Don Mattingly, and Lawrence Taylor age as well as the NY Jets "Sack Exchange"! As you say: "Great time to be alive"!💯👍

[@snowman9642]

I remember watching ESPN First Take following game 7 of the World Series, Giants vs Royals. And too my disappointment, they did not mention Baseball, which shocked me, instead mostly only talked about basketball. So for me, they stopped covering all sports, rather only worried about rating.

[@jamesmccarthy4777]

NBA is the most overrepresented of all American sports. The low coverage of baseball on espn is largely due to the MLB having better tv deals with FOX. Just like how the NFL always had better TV deals with CBS and FOX.

[@SnoopyReads]

Yeah when they started focusing on one topic 24/7 for a week, like " Bounty Gate" or Mantei Teo I started tuning out. They just run things into the ground

[@wm_9640]

Maybe if we’re lucky they’ll quickly mention a World Series game in between all the Lebron talk

[@bmasters1981]

"I remember watching ESPN First Take following game 7 of the World Series, Giants vs Royals. And too my disappointment, they did not mention Baseball, which shocked me, instead mostly only talked about basketball." And when I got the New York Times National Edition the day after the Texas Rangers' historic World Series win in 5 over Arizona, they didn't even say a word about it, only talking about the NFL, college hoops and running. Hello?! That was a huge World Series win by a team who's never had one, and you're not gonna talk about it?!

[@charleswolfe8764]

The fall of ESPN can be summarized in one question: do you really want to hear about sports from Linda from Human Resources?

[@wghd6782]

Thank god Perna for speaking out. I am still so incredibly tired of the sensationalism in sports media in general. It drove me away from sports coverage for years.

[@twoshirts1842]

This is the longest Perna episode ive ever seen. And im here for it.

[@joshdavidson1571]

Thank you Brandon, I think that was your greatest work yet. It's actually heartbreaking what happened to ESPN. I used to get up an hour and a half early before school to watch every second of highlights I could in the 2000s and early 2010s. I think you're a hero for this video keep being you

[@wobblytwinkie8913]

Well done Brandon. This is they type of fun and informative stuff I've come to love. Thanks!

[@eternity5611]

That kick Peyton does to Eli looks like he had to put all of his athleticism into it.

[@Edward_Nebiolo]

The lost of Highly Questionable was a big loss for me

[@LUWiseguy08]

RIP Grantland. Great work Brandon! This must have been a ton of work to get ready. Appreciate all of your efforts.

[@bobbyhillthuglife]

Going even further back, RIP Page 2, Hunter S Thompson and Ralph Wiley

[@Jpiddypops]

Grantland was must read

[@Finkwood]

My mother asked me if I wanted to watch television with her, and said, "We can see if ESPN is good again". She is 72, and even she knows that ESPN fell off the trail somewhere.

[@KinnyGames]

Such a well done video. I remember watching Sportscenter every morning before school, when I would wake up early on the weekends and would watch the same run 3x in a row rather than Saturday cartoons. This was a true trip down nostalgia lane while providing great info and analysis into the causes. Fantastic video!

[@jonnewbury3482]

90’s ESPN was peak sports coverage. Later in college it was just left on, all day. I might end up watching the same highlights 3x. Stuart, Bergman, Patrick, Cohn were the best.

[@flyinelvis69]

It seems just about every story about ESPN forgets about Tom Mees. Most of us who watched it for the first time in the early 80s were greeted by Mees as he gave us the nights highlights. Huge part of their beginning.

[@K-Diesel]

Well said..Being born on the same year that ESPN was launched, I have grew up with the network and always had sportcenter playing in the background of my life and have went through the highs and lows of the network..I'm glad I got to witness the golden years..

[@nellAx19]

The sports market is absolutely nuts. So many podcasts. So many hot takes. So many personalities with outspoken opinions. As a consumer, at least we get to choose, but it's getting to be a bit much. I miss waking up before school and watching SportsCenter to see what I missed the night before. Felt so much easier than what we have now. Plus, we didn't have as many idiots like Stephen A. Smith, Nick Wright, or Skip Bayless.

[@sheri_LA_native]

I didn’t realize how much I missed those old ESPN ads until now 😢 I literally found your channel navigating away from ESPN proving your point. Lots of good sports content to choose from. Keep up the good work. Earned a subscribe. 👍

[@TheTlewis3074]

For me, the rise of the Debate Shows was the beginning of their downfall. And the focus on promoting Lebron James at the expense of other athletes made it unwatchable. The debates became too cruel, too personal and petty. It's not for a network to try and run the NBA and determine which players should play with which teams, always to Lebron's advantage. Haven't watched in years.

[@ThreeBZ]

I grew up a couple streets away from Chris berman ..guys truly a gem

[@badams4982]

I stopped watching when they started getting into politics, I watched ESPN to get away from the constant politicization of everything

[@indyspotes3310]

John Skipper brought over Rolling Stone editorial philosophies in 2011 and ESPN started an immediate and continuous decline from 2012 as a result. Maybe that's what happens when a news source stops simply telling us what happened and instead tries to demand how we should feel about it.

[@foresthill8462]

Great job, Brandon! I used to watch espn daily during its peak (late 90s through mid 00s) and brought back many memories. This was a terrific and informative capture of the story of the network. Like all things, there's a time when it's time.

[@bungle6334]

Well done Brandon! A very articulate and critical summary of the deevolution of ESPN which I think is a great reflection of American culture in general. Social media, hot take culture, shock value, fake polarising personas, all of it is what is wrong with popular culture and entertainment. We have been trending in the worst possible direction as a society, letting emotions completely rule over rationality. Perhaps someday, being genuine, intelligent, kind, and objective/unbias(the most absent yet critical) will become what's trendy in culture, and profitable in media. Excellent analysis and delivery on this Video Brandon. The tone was a bit more serious, but I think you point out some very important things for people to not only realize, but recognize in the future when it comes to fake, polarising, divisive and emotionally provacative media. Media that is purposed for one thing: Profits. No matter the cost. So uhh... yeah, thumbs up!

[@SpartanArmy117]

Yep, that's why the hate on Skip is misplaced. Sure, you can blame him for taking advantage of our rapidly declining culture but it's not like he's the one that caused it.

[@antelopedon6341]

Thanks for the trip down memory lane. Growing up in the 80’s with ESPN was my entertainment source. Berman was the best! I eventually switched from cartoons in the morning to sports center to get highlights from the night before.

[@Ramonatho]

Perna coming through with the Billy Corgan Rides a Roller Coaster clip at just the right moment, well done man. I also am partial to Ian Curtis Rides a Roller Coaster.

[@snakeayez]

One of the best sports analysis videos I've seen. Well done Brandon. This is your magnum opus

[@92jdeg]

I think it all boils down to…… people don’t watch Cable Television anymore

[@blopez54]

Keep the long videos coming!

[@ryangaskin4938]

My dream growing up was to be on Stump the Schwab. However as a young Canadian boy, my only chance at any success on that show was if they exclusively asked hockey questions. Mind would go completely blank for any NCAA related question.

[@paulgood2218]

Agree with the what turned off me to ESPN was the shock and awe debates and politics . I want sports center and well educated conversation about sports

[@growmiegreenthumb8025]

Espn commercials were must watch. John Clayton living with his mom was hilarious

[@Zodiezzz]

I already know this is going to be one of his best videos yet

[@johnaaron37]

ESPN just doesn't matter to me. Tired of b.s. from Steven A. and guys struggling to be his next Skip.

[@timferguson1593]

Rise of ESPN: PRE- Internet FALL; POST Internet

[@Alan_M00ch]

What isn't mentioned here (and I understand why) is that ESPN was also instrumental in getting the entire NASCAR Cup Series season televised. Every once in a while before '89, only big name races were placed on the big networks. ABC would air the Indy 500 under the "ESPN on ABC" banner. ESPN had a foothold on motorsports. That was until 2014 when they didn't re-up with NASCAR and then again in 2018 when IndyCar left for NBC full time in 2019. ESPN also now holds the rights to SRX races. As a fan of motorsports, it's always bums me out when auto racing don't get talked about when ESPN is talked about because ESPN helped make NASCAR a power house in the sports world.

[@anthonylacy8374]

At least F1 is covered more.

[@adamprice3466]

Nascar was way better when it was just regionally popular in the the South

[@kpegc]

It was also due to ESPN that IMSA, F1, IndyCar, and several other series were able to build audiences worldwide. The coverage was state of the art and the pundits seemed to truly care about racing, especially in the era that the series broadcasts were supplemented by SpeedWeek and later RPM 2 Night. For some reason, ESPN chose not to bring back a dedicated racing news show in the late 2000s, when they carried at least one race from every major series. If they truly cared, they could have invested more into their motorsports coverage and therefore convinced SPEED and later Versus/NBCSN to up their game too. Who knows where motorsports would be now if these networks were all competing with each other and constantly seeking to deliver the best, most in-depth coverage possible with their own unique styles.

[@kpegc]

@@adamprice3466 I wasn't alive back then, but it sounds like past motorsports TV coverage as a whole was more beloved when multiple different networks were broadcasting races in a particular series. I can see why executives prefer exclusive deals with specific networks, but I'd argue that such exclusivity has done more to hurt these series rather than grow them. People have their reasons for watching certain networks, and I think if a series broadcasts its races across many networks rather than just 1 or 2, they have a better chance of bringing in more viewers and more demographics who will give the other networks and therefore the series as a whole a try because they have more ways to get into it. Competition among networks also pushes them to improve their coverage, and if you lock 1 or 2 into a contract, they'll likely decide to offer the bare minimum under the impression that they don't have to try because motorsports fans have no other choice but to watch their network, which will turn them off of both a network and a championship in the long run. You don't have these problems when many different broadcasters are airing a series in my opinion.etworks were competing to buy broadcasting rights to individual races rather than a whole series

[@OCs_And_Stories]

Skip Bayless was the worst thing to ever happen to sports coverage

[@MrMustafio]

you spelled Jamele Hill wrong

[@cmbells7736]

Based

[@TheManny717]

Bayless has been like this for a long time. 🤷‍♂️

[@YoungChuy2398]

@@MrMustafioshe’s sucks but skip takes the lead

[@frozennorth3426]

somehow he’s even worse than that. “worst thing ever” still sounds too generous

[@amish1der]

Great video, man! Watching the fall of ESPN in real time was pretty upsetting. Once Le Batard and Co. left I no longer watch the network outside of a live game.

[@johncochran4032]

Just like CNN or Fox News mistake, ESPN made the same mistake focusing on opinions.

[@bmasters1981]

FOX "News" especially-- it's gotten so bad that old television newscasts (and radio all-news channel airchecks) of long ago (like WLS Eyewitness News in Chicago from 1982 for the former, and 1010 WINS of New York from 1988 for the latter) are far more appealing to me.

[@alexanderboulton2123]

People say that echochambers are what breed division. I disagree. It's having two radically different sides in direct contact with each other - a hot take debate - that breeds division. If you see somebody that has an idea that you think is outlandish, you're going to attack them, and defend your own side no matter what.

[@reidbronson6358]

What a fantastic video. First-time viewer here. I didn't know you existed. Excellent video. Well crafted. Well written. Great analysis. You must have spent considerable time on this video. You're really good at this. New subscriber. By the way, I loved Mike and Mike in the morning. I even got up at 3:00 in the morning to attend their show when it came to Dallas. God knows what year. That was the height of my viewing of ESPN. After they separated, I started to watch less and less. Today, I never watch it. I just got tired of watching everyone yelling at each other. It stopped being fun to watch. I really miss the old ESPN.

[@anarchy3176]

That mascot commercial was the start of pernas burning hatred for the seahawks😂😂😂

[@Busch22Fan]

Also, I remember their second NASCAR tenure, from 2007-14. They had non-racing personalities hosting the pre-race shows for the first year or so. As a NASCAR fan, it was awkward watching Suzy Kolber or Brent Musberger stumbling over driver or race event statistics, which they were probably only told about five minutes before the broadcasts started. They eventually replaced them with people who actually knew what they were talking about, like the legendary Allen Bestwick and Nicole Briscoe. (Who, coincidentally, now both work together at ESPN on their coverage of the SRX Series.) Hell, basketball player (and NASCAR team co-owner) Brad Daugherty was part of their team on that run. He's still popular in the NASCAR fandom, as NBC picked him up for THEIR post-race shows just last year.

[@jeremiahhardel2646]

🥹 found a fellow NASCAR fan

[@Chuck_EL]

Love Allen, Nicole and Brad

[@kpegc]

I can't believe they passed up the opportunity to bring back SpeedWeek or RPM 2 Night when they reacquired the rights to NASCAR. Since they already carried IndyCar, NHRA, World of Outlaws, and American Le Mans among other racing series, there was no good reason for them not to have a dedicated racing news show of their own in my opinion. It would have given The Speed Report some serious competition and said rivalry could have not just kept several motorsports on ESPN, but perhaps also convinced Fox to keep the SPEED channel alive too.

[@patrickmackin3579]

He should have at least mentioned their broadcasts of Australian rules football games😊

[@marcusanderson933]

All the legends either left to host their own shows, retired or sadly like Stuart Scptt passing away. And now they have clowns that most of us hate like Malika Andrews! I stopped watching ESPN for some time now and I don't miss it!

[@mangos2888]

Yes, those 90's & 00's were the best. Yes, I loved SportsCenter. Yes, I watched Dream Job. Yes, Skip Bayless drove me crazy back in the day. But he triggered good comebacks from Stephen A Smith in the early days. And yes, your analysis of the fall is spot on.

[@ginny9577]

ahh Berman.. i loved his unwavering faith in the Buffalo Bills.. even when we didn't deserve it. it was nice having somebody in the national media liking the same team as i did

[@BeatsAndMeats]

I loved how every year,no matter what, he would surprisingly pick the Bills and the Niners to go to the Super Bowl.

[@joemamma416]

Nobody circles the wagons like the buffalo bills

[@MrGoombasticveryFantastic]

Go Bills Cant wait for home opener will be my 11th or 12th Ive attended now

[@mikeedwards9984]

And his chargers super bowl prediction every year 😂

[@jgolden1399]

Rich Eisen with a full head of hair sure brings back some memories!😂😂

[@jesselawson224]

The enthusiasm coming from berman, is unreal, made it feel really worth while and noteworthy.

[@dlmcc0202]

Disney killed it. Inserting politics and social justice BS into sports turned me off to it. Anything Disney touches gets infected with this. Disney movies, Marvel, LucasFilms, ESPN. It’s not a coincidence. Most people watch sports to escape the world. But ESPN did have some poor hiring choices before this like Skip Bayless, Max Kelerman and Jemele Hilll. These people had no charisma they were unlikeable. It’s a far fall from what it was in the 90s and early 2000s when it was always on at home in the background. Bill Simmons was a talent they never should have burnt bridges with

[@therealDJG]

Sports Center in the 90s to the 2000s was just a cool vibe.

[@michaelwalsh129]

Spot on, Brandon. ESPN would have better served its customers and all sports fans by deriding social media instead of mimicing it.

[@kcollier2192]

I remember the ads for this brand new 24 hour all sports network that was set to premier on my local cable network. I watched the premier show and found it hard to see how in the world it would succeed by showing rodeo bull riding and Australian rules football. I liked the availability of instant sports news as it allowed me to follow my home teams from anywhere in the country. Who would have guessed it would become what it did- and what it was.

[@armenican2545]

Great job you did more than ESPN did in the last 5 years

[@lendon01]

i think people forget that espn is not signing just pat mcafee but the "pat mcafee show" which will include aj hawk, pac man jones, boston connor, tone diggs, ty schmidt,darius buttler, chuck pagano, aq shipley, and all the boys in the back, it will be a complete shock for anybody who hasnt actually watched pat and the boys before

[@Anthony16live]

Hot takes and too much politics killed it for me. I watched Sportcenter to see what was going on in the sports world. Not to hear people's absurd opinions. If I wanted that I would watch mainstream media.

[@IsaacMSingleton1]

Yep and it's not like you're getting a debate about both sides of the opinion, it's 1 side of the entire opinion and if you dare go against it you're fired.

[@ETibbs11]

As someone who really does not watch sports TV besides the games themselves, this deep dive was fucking fascinating. Love these longer format videos, Brandon! Keep going Balls Deep!!

[@Jeffertoya]

I’m gonna see this as kindly as I can… I give zero craps about ESPN And I think you basically hit all the reasons why even though I didn’t know why I had come to despise it. This is a great video man. Thanks.

[@tubenachos]

I find myself 99% of time on YT for highlights instead of Sportscenter. When they got woke it went downhill

[@thelive6103]

Growing up and into my mid 20s ESPN was the first channel I turned to. Sportscenter every night before bed and before work in the morning. Simple answer to the fall in my opinion is it stopped being fun. Like MTV in the 90s, ESPN was always so cool and fun. Towards the ends of 00s, they started to take themselves to seriously, and would rather have two assholes arguing about the latest controversy than continuing to present sports as fun and cool. Simple answer, ESPN wanted to be a grown up, which we can all agree is less fun.

[@1977TA]

It's easy to be on top when you are the only game in town. ESPN thrived in it's early days due to lack of competition. Indeed the market has become over saturated with options for sports commentary/highlights/analysis. Everyone and their grandmother has a podcast about something nowadays. What ESPN was when it was created 30+ years ago is simply no longer needed in a world in which access to information is wide spread and easily available.

[@BenIsFiguringitOut]

Exactly!!

[@SavageDoesSomething]

Meta-friendly title, 50 minute video, goddamn my man is going for a Greatest Hit

[@666kingdrummer]

I've been saying it for years, ESPN is the MTV of the sports world. They were instrumental in the days before the internet, but just like the music industry, they grew complacent and when the internet kneecaped them, they had no answer.

[@jamesdavis8731]

No, ESPN will still be around many years from now. They are still very formidable and always will be. The main issue with ESPN is competition. You can literally get scores, stories, and highlights from about anywhere you want to now.

[@SteelCityOnTop22]

Surprised that ESPN hasn’t tried to sign the Kelce brothers podcast New Hights

[@Middayeggs]

This is why I watch Brandon Perna. He nails it.