ESPN is missing the point

[punchdrunkpanic]

I know that ESPN has been bashing Alabama a lot. First, for firing Shula and second, for all of us that still hold our coaching position in high regard, leading us to number 3... that we think we can hire a big time coach.

Alabama is still a big time job. Always was, always will be. It's not that our HC position has lost luster. Coaching positions in the country are changing like the game itself is, there's more parity. Alabama's job hasn't lost stature... other HC positions have gained. With the ability of more schools being able to win... other spots have risen, but please... Rutgers and West Virginia, despite their success as of late, still do not hold a candle to what it means to be the HC at UA.

OBVIOUSLY, those at ESPN haven't watched UA the past 4 years. If they did, they would have known that firing Shula was the right thing to do. Ever since the '05 Florida game... Bama has continued to go downhill.

AS for us not being able to get a big time coach in here... well, here's to hoping that is proven wrong here soon. It's difficult to ignore the allure that coaching at UA has. The tradition, the fans, the SEC, the expectations, nop-notch facilities.... second to none. Yes, it's a lot of pressure, but pressure is rising at every school.

The last point, is that if our HC position has fallen from the ranks and we are no longer relevant in the national discussion of college football.... then why are so many media outlets... especially ESPN.... continually talking about our HC position?

Here's to hoping we get the RIGHT guy... not what ESPN or anyone else thinks we can get.


Roll Tide

 

[CadensDad]

ESPN is very very very messed up. Even last year during Alabamas 9-0 run they never gave us any highlight time, (other than the Prothro catch) they barely talk about us and when they do it's that moron Holtz talking about us when he has no clue whats going on. ESPN is really becoming a horrible network for College Football

 

[HoosierTide]

i'm catholic and from indiana...so as you can imagine i grew up (and still am) an nd fan. even in light of this i think that holtz and mark may should both be taken off air. i mean you have holtz who overrates notre dame and mark may who worships usc while deriding notre dame...it's like a circus that detracts from every other school in the ncaa

 

[bamaga]

i'm catholic and from indiana...so as you can imagine i grew up (and still am) an nd fan. even in light of this i think that holtz and mark may should both be taken off air. i mean you have holtz who overrates notre dame and mark may who worships usc while deriding notre dame...it's like a circus that detracts from every other school in the ncaa

You must not be very old, otherwise, there is NO WAY you could be A BAMA fan and a nd fan

 

[punchdrunkpanic]

ESPN's coverage, especially gameday... has really become more about GAMEDAY than covering the sport itself. I used to love getting up on Saturday morning and tuning into it. Now, I just channel surf til noon, when the first games begin.

ABC's 3 man crew of John Saunders, Craig James, and Doug Flutie is just awful.

 

[TommyMac]

ESPN's coverage, especially gameday... has really become more about GAMEDAY than covering the sport itself. I used to love getting up on Saturday morning and tuning into it. Now, I just channel surf til noon, when the first games begin.

ABC's 3 man crew of John Saunders, Craig James, and Doug Flutie is just awful.

James is the shining star of that trio and he's an idiot.:biggrin:

 

[NOSty]

James is the shining star of that trio and he's an idiot.:biggrin:

Easy, there. I remember one Craig James that was going with Bama in '92 when no one else would.

 

[punchdrunkpanic]

Easy, there. I remember one Craig James that was going with Bama in '92 when no one else would.

That is true, but he must have become rather idiotic in the last 14 years.

 

[RIVATIDE86]

ESPN's coverage, especially gameday... has really become more about GAMEDAY than covering the sport itself. I used to love getting up on Saturday morning and tuning into it. Now, I just channel surf til noon, when the first games begin.

ABC's 3 man crew of John Saunders, Craig James, and Doug Flutie is just awful.

Speaking of, this is one of those things that irritates me. People make fun of us for living in the past, but did anybody see the BC/Miami game this year? They played the replay of the "Flutie magic" play about 100 times. They interviewed the guy that caught the ball as well as just about everyone else that was at the stadium that day. Of course, Flutie was in the booth, and to his defense it appeared that he really didn't want to talk about it. It wasn't even an important anniversary....I would have been okay with it if it had been 20 or 25 years later. Nope, I think it was the 22 years after the play. And I think that game has changed weekends since then. Meanwhile, there was a game happening on the field, they just failed to notice it.

 

[RIVATIDE86]

Easy, there. I remember one Craig James that was going with Bama in '92 when no one else would.

What was that saying about blind squirrels and nuts again?

 

[BamaFanOJ]

i'm catholic and from indiana...so as you can imagine i grew up (and still am) an nd fan. even in light of this i think that holtz and mark may should both be taken off air. i mean you have holtz who overrates notre dame and mark may who worships usc while deriding notre dame...it's like a circus that detracts from every other school in the ncaa

Completely agree. Holtz is completely incompetant. ESPN needs to realize that he is over the hill and take him off the air. Even though Mark May praises USC, at least he knows what he is talking about. Holtz is ridiculous. Why would ESPN sign him in the first place. They already have Lee Corso. Isn't one dumb burnt out coach enough?

RTR forever!

 

[Godfather]

ESPN's problem is that they are putting more E (entertainment) than S (sports)in their product. Sportscenter is becoming a lot like Entertainment Tonight.

 

[TheBearww]

ESPN always missed the point.

 

[TexasBammer]

Easy, there. I remember one Craig James that was going with Bama in '92 when no one else would.

Yeah, but if I remember correctly, he changed to favoring Miami the day of the game.

 

[Bodhisattva]

ESPN is doing for sports what MTV did to music: mostly inane glitz, little substance.

 

[TommyMac]

Speaking of, this is one of those things that irritates me. People make fun of us for living in the past, but did anybody see the BC/Miami game this year? They played the replay of the "Flutie magic" play about 100 times. They interviewed the guy that caught the ball as well as just about everyone else that was at the stadium that day. Of course, Flutie was in the booth, and to his defense it appeared that he really didn't want to talk about it. It wasn't even an important anniversary....I would have been okay with it if it had been 20 or 25 years later. Nope, I think it was the 22 years after the play. And I think that game has changed weekends since then. Meanwhile, there was a game happening on the field, they just failed to notice it.

Good point. Notice that they don't give the same kind of attention to Teague's play which was probably the key play in a NC game.

 

[BamaInMo1]

People, it's all about the ratings. All it takes is a couple of village idiots ( Corso and Holtz ) and people will watch just to see what kind of non-sense they will come up with from one week to the next.

Agreed, ESPN is becoming more about glitz and glamour than actually covering sports and such. The only reason I even watch Game Day is because there is absolutely nothing else on relating to college football at that time of day.

LH should be put out to pasture and MM ( despite knowing a little bit about football ) should begin to realize that there are several other D-1 teams besides USC. Speaking of which, I wonder how MM is doing now that USC is out of the picture and an SEC team is going to play for the NC?

ROLL TIDE !!

 

[cbi1972]

Good point. Notice that they don't give the same kind of attention to Teague's play which was probably the key play in a NC game.

CBS shows it all the time though.

 

[swoop10]

People, it's all about the ratings. All it takes is a couple of village idiots ( Corso and Holtz ) and people will watch just to see what kind of non-sense they will come up with from one week to the next.

Agreed, ESPN is becoming more about glitz and glamour than actually covering sports and such. The only reason I even watch Game Day is because there is absolutely nothing else on relating to college football at that time of day.

LH should be put out to pasture and MM ( despite knowing a little bit about football ) should begin to realize that there are several other D-1 teams besides USC. Speaking of which, I wonder how MM is doing now that USC is out of the picture and an SEC team is going to play for the NC?

ROLL TIDE !!

You are correct about the village idiots, but atleast with Corso you don't know ahead of time who he will predict to win the SCarolina and ND games. I always wondered why he don't predict Ark to win every game. Maybe he is can't remember even coaching there or did Ark fire him.

 

[scottsborobama]

When talking about why ESPN does anything relative to college football look no further than ESPN's own personal interests. ESPN builds up USC and any good Pac 10 team because ABC/ESPN have first dibs on all Pac 10 games. ESPN is in love with Big 10 teams because ABC/ESPN have first dibs on all Big 10 games.

ESPN is not big on the SEC because CBS has first dibs on their games. ESPN is simply trying to get viewership for the games they can get. ESPN is going to constantly build up teams from conferences that they have the first shot to televise and ESPN is going to show more highlights for those teams to try to get you to watch their games. It is that simple. Sure USC is a good team and so is Ohio State and Michigan, but a similar team from the SEC (like Florida) isn't going to get the same love because it might take viewership away from ABC/ESPN and give it to CBS.