If you haven't taken a look at the Heat Index, you might as well do so now. Because I'm going to go on a rant about ESPN and their pathetic approach to things like this.
Seriously? An entire page of ESPN devoted to the day-by-day happenings of the Miami Heat? Can we get real for a second? There's ESPN Boston, New York, Chicago, Dallas, LA... why don't you make an ESPN Miami? I'd be fine with that. Include the Miami Dolphins. Include the Miami Hurricanes. Whatever -- making an ESPN website for every city would be a great and very expansive idea on the part of ESPN. But devoting a page to LeBron and his Heat squad is just plain embarrassing, and it completely supports every bash anyone makes against ESPN. It's the LeBron and Favre show.
News flash: the Miami Heat are 0-0 this season. They've won zero games thus far. Since when do we crown teams before they win a game? Where have the old days gone, when you earned your stardom? The only way you would ever be considered the greatest show on turf was by beating everyone on the turf. To be the best quarterback in the world, you'd have to beat the best in the world. And even if you acquired a Big Three, nothing was accomplished until you physically proved to everyone that anything truly is possible. Yet here we are, and I wouldn't be able to distinguish whether LeBron has no rings or 12 rings by the way the media treats his offseason.
The last time LeBron James played a meaningful basketball game in the NBA, he was walking off the court and ripping his Cavs jersey over his shoulders for the final time. He'd given up, he'd laid down for dead. Since that night, he hasn't played an NBA game. Why, then, has he accumulated about hours upon days upon weeks upon months of Sportscenter coverage since then? Time for a little journalism 101, ESPN. You're a sports news agency, and your primary job is to report the most important and relevant news stories in the sports world. Oh yeah, and one more thing -- impartiality. NESN can be partial, because they're the New England Sports Network. ESPN makes claim to covering the entire country, so they're expected to be impartial. Again, judging by the fact that ESPN is running and operating a Miami Heat Index page, I would never guess that this is supposed to be a corporation that covers all teams in all places.
But here's the bottom line through all the absurdity. I'm not fretting. I can almost say with absolute conviction that the Miami Heat won't win the NBA title this season. You'll ask me why / how that is my belief when they have such a talented squad, and I don't know what I'd tell you other than that I just know. I'm just positive that the Heat won't win the title. I've seen hyped teams, I've seen over-hyped teams, I've seen underdogs, Cinderella stories, the whole deal. And I've seen championship teams. And all I know is that there isn't enough championship vibe around this team to match the hype around the team. That's my belief. So ESPN, go ahead -- make a page for the Heat. I'll stick to ESPN Boston with a team that has already given a reason to be praised, and is looking for more this season.
When i heard about this yesterday it didn't really surprise me just because of how much they love Lebron. I'd be embarrassed to be a true Heat fan because ESPN is making every single person in the country hate them. I think this is ridiculous and I would love nothing more than for the Celtics to blow them out of the Garden on the 26th.
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad I left ESPN. I would never take part in this ridiculousness. Love the site boys.
ReplyDeleteI really doubt that was Rich Eisen, but I hope it was because that would be awesome if he would throw ESPN under the bus like that.
ReplyDeleteAs you know DRob, I could rant for so long on this, but i'll keep it short.
Perfect example of why I hate ESPN this morning. 1-3 Vikings vs. 1-3 Cowboys is the lead story. Fuck you ESPN. If that was 1-3 Browns vs. 1-3 Bills, it wouldn't be a story. But ESPN is like.. OMG Brett Favre OMG Jerry Jones. Why the fuck should I care so much about that story? Honestly, what is the appeal of that over this weeks Pats game for example? (not that that should be the lead story, but it probably is the best matchup of the week)
ESPN has turned into the sports version of Entertainment tonight, and Brett Favre and LeBron James have taken the roles of Kim Kardashian and Britney Spears. No one really cares about them, but ESPN thinks you should, therefore you get beaten over the head with coverage of whoever ESPN deems most important. Every team should be equally important. I tune into a national show because I want to know about the world of sports. What we get is Favre and LeBron gossip.
And by the way when was the last time you saw a breakdown of why the ravens zone blocking scheme will beat up the pats front seven, or why the Celtics inability to defend the pick-and-roll with shaq in the game will make it hard to beat the lakers this season. Instead all we get is gossip. Everyone who has played even high school sports knows how much goes into gameplanning and executing for a big game.
I'd love to see a breakdown of the pats cover 2 defense vs flacco and boldin, but all we get is a story about Brady and Moss making fun of each others hair. WOW.
My biggest gripe with my former station is that they force hipness on the Sportscenter. They are supposed to be reporting sports. The show has gone from sports news to the ESPN Variety Hour. And while an occasional joke is good, the constant pop-culture references and the forced humor gets really tired really fast.
ReplyDelete"Rich Eisen" makes some great points... If that is his real name. But ya Stu Scott sucks, along with Keyshawn and Chris Carter yucking it up on Countdown. It's a news station whose niche is sports, its not a comedy show. I shouldn't have to listen to crazy eyes scream things like HATERADE, BOOYA, REPRESENTIN'... Shut up and give me a breakdown of the game
ReplyDeleteEnahs should write for Ultimate Boston. Nesie Hcir wrote a book that's sitting on my bookshelf unread. I bet it's good though.
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