ESPN is losing talent

[J24]

So it was announced today that Colin Cowherd is leaving ESPN and in May it was announced that Bill Simmons was leaving the company. I didn't always agree with either of them but I feel that both of those guys were very talented and that ESPN will miss them. I think ESPN is going to lose a lot of its luster in the next couple of years and other sports networks will eventually fill the void.

[GodFather]

I am friends with some high executives at ESPN and when FOX sports decided to step up and compete with ESPN, there was a decision to sign alot of high profile talent. The problem is that all that money is starting to haunt Disney(they own ESPN). So they're letting alot of talent go as a result. It's all about the $$$.

[Benton]

That's been the direction for a while. Instead of media guys, more recent ex-athletes and more attractive ladies. Less Berman, more Briscoe.

Which is ok. An unattractive 50 year old guy isn't necessarily a better sports personality than a hot 30 year old woman. But just flipping through the channel, it's way more attractive than interesting the last several years.

[J24]

(07-17-2015, 12:26 AM)GodFather Wrote: I am friends with some high executives at ESPN and when FOX sports decided to step up and compete with ESPN, there was a decision to sign alot of high profile talent. The problem is that all that money is starting to haunt Disney(they own ESPN). So they're letting alot of talent go as a result. It's all about the $$$.

Is it really hurting Disney or are they just being cheap?

[*Wyche'sWarrior*]

(07-17-2015, 01:11 AM)J24 Wrote: Is it really hurting Disney or are they just being cheap?

Judging by their IT department practices, they're being cheap.

[BengalHawk62]

(07-17-2015, 12:54 AM)Benton Wrote: That's been the direction for a while. Instead of media guys, more recent ex-athletes and more attractive ladies. Less Berman, more Briscoe.

Which is ok. An unattractive 50 year old guy isn't necessarily a better sports personality than a hot 30 year old woman. But just flipping through the channel, it's way more attractive than interesting the last several years.

Sex sells.

[djs7685]

Colin Cowherd is pretty much a sports radio shock jock.

I don't see the big deal with him going anywhere because you probably shouldn't be taking your sports advice from a guy that would go out of his way to be the contrarian in every single argument no matter how absurd he had to be to reach his point.

[WeezyBengal]

(07-17-2015, 11:18 AM)djs7685 Wrote: Colin Cowherd is pretty much a sports radio shock jock.

I don't see the big deal with him going anywhere because you probably shouldn't be taking your sports advice from a guy that would go out of his way to be the contrarian in every single argument no matter how absurd he had to be to reach his point.

Figured there would be some sort of response like this. 

Im a big fan of Cowherd. I think his show is interesting and he has different perspectives on popular topics that many other radio personalities don't or won't touch. 

I like Colin, but he has his biases just like many of us do. When it comes to telling it like it is though, he does that VERY well. Some people just don't want to hear it though, or are too sensitive, thats why they don't like him. 

[WeezyBengal]

(07-17-2015, 12:54 AM)Benton Wrote: That's been the direction for a while. Instead of media guys, more recent ex-athletes and more attractive ladies. Less Berman, more Briscoe.

Which is ok. An unattractive 50 year old guy isn't necessarily a better sports personality than a hot 30 year old woman. But just flipping through the channel, it's way more attractive than interesting the last several years.

Yep. It's almost disgusting how ESPN has gravitated towards big tittied woman with a pretty face. If you are a regular looking female or male trying to get into sports broadcast journalism then you may as well find a new profession. Its sad, really. 

[Vas Deferens]

(07-17-2015, 11:18 AM)djs7685 Wrote: Colin Cowherd is pretty much a sports radio shock jock.

I don't see the big deal with him going anywhere because you probably shouldn't be taking your sports advice from a guy that would go out of his way to be the contrarian in every single argument no matter how absurd he had to be to reach his point.

couldnt agree more.  dude is a tool of the highest degree

[djs7685]

(07-17-2015, 12:38 PM)WeezyBengal Wrote: Figured there would be some sort of response like this. 

Im a big fan of Cowherd. I think his show is interesting and he has different perspectives on popular topics that many other radio personalities don't or won't touch. 

I like Colin, but he has his biases just like many of us do. When it comes to telling it like it is though, he does that VERY well. Some people just don't want to hear it thought or are too sensitive, thats why they don't like him. 

No, I don't like him because he goes against EVERY popular opinion to get ratings. I'm not so sure they're all his true feelings, he just has to be the contrarian 24/7 to get noticed. I don't mind people with differing thoughts and people who are willing to "tell it like it is", I just want there to be true feelings behind it when someone is "telling it like it is", and a lot of his BS comes off as very forced.

I'm an asshole myself, and I've been a huge Howard Stern fan since the 90's, so I'm not really too sensitive or afraid to hear someone go against the grain in the media. I just find Cowherd to be more fake than he is knowledgable.

Is he good at being a dick and getting ratings? Absolutely. Is he a person to take their sports opinions to heart? Lol, no.

[RICHMONDBENGAL_07]

(07-17-2015, 12:40 PM)WeezyBengal Wrote: Yep. It's almost disgusting how ESPN has gravitated towards big tittied woman with a pretty face. If you are a regular looking female or male trying to get into sports broadcast journalism then you may as well find a new profession. Its sad, really. 

Sadly, it's the way it's going with bartending also.  Many think it's ok to just have a pretty face behind the bar.   Many don't even know how to make a decent martini.

[*rfaulk34*]

(07-17-2015, 12:38 PM)WeezyBengal Wrote: Figured there would be some sort of response like this. 

Im a big fan of Cowherd. I think his show is interesting and he has different perspectives on popular topics that many other radio personalities don't or won't touch. 

I like Colin, but he has his biases just like many of us do. When it comes to telling it like it is though, he does that VERY well. Some people just don't want to hear it thought or are too sensitive, thats why they don't like him. 

Ditto'd

[mallorian69]

Wait, wut? ESPN has talent? Who knew.

[*Awful Llama*]

(07-17-2015, 12:54 AM)Benton Wrote: That's been the direction for a while. Instead of media guys, more recent ex-athletes and more attractive ladies. Less Berman, more Briscoe.

Which is ok. An unattractive 50 year old guy isn't necessarily a better sports personality than a hot 30 year old woman. But just flipping through the channel, it's way more attractive than interesting the last several years.

Guess I'd rather have the balding, pudgy, middle-aged guy who actually knows what he's talking about instead of the blonde, dimwitted bimbo who's eye candy. If I want that I'll watch any Fox channel.

[GodFather]

(07-17-2015, 01:11 AM)J24 Wrote: Is it really hurting Disney or are they just being cheap?

ESPN used to be the biggest revenue draw for Disney. But since then they bought Pixar, Marvel film franchise and now the Lucas library. So ESPN is going to feel the cutbacks because they are no longer Disney's big cheese.

[StLucieBengal]

Espn should be able to let these guys go. They should have been building talent ready to step in.

[Benton]

(07-17-2015, 08:32 PM)Awful Llama Wrote: Guess I'd rather have the balding, pudgy, middle-aged guy who actually knows what he's talking about instead of the blonde, dimwitted bimbo who's eye candy.  If I want that I'll watch any Fox channel.

Understood. But my point is, sometimes the eye candy is as knowledgeable as the old fat guy. One of the biggest sports people i worked with was an incredibly hot 25 year old.

That's not to day ESPN has been hiring hot, knowledgeable chicks. Or recent players who cam form a complete sentence. They haven't, and they've done a horrible job there. But being pretty doesn't exclude sports knowledge.

[Yojimbo]

Never a fan of Simmons or Cowherd, so meh.

ESPN is hemorrhaging money because of contracts to televise games and 3.3 millions viewers lost in the past year due to cord cutters ditching cable.

http://www.digitaltrends.com/movies/disney-forces-espn-to-cut-costs/

[6andcounting]

(07-18-2015, 08:33 AM)Yojimbo Wrote: Never a fan of Simmons or Cowherd, so meh.

ESPN is hemorrhaging money because of contracts to televise games and 3.3 millions viewers lost in the past year due to cord cutters ditching cable.

http://www.digitaltrends.com/movies/disney-forces-espn-to-cut-costs/

Maybe basing their programming around 2 NBA players, Johnny Manziel and whatever woman athlete they are trying to prop up that particular month doesn't make for very much interesting content.