BBTN booted from the All-Star Game

by Ben in Va on Jul 8, 2007 10:04 PM PDT

Oh No! How will we ever survive without Kruk and Phillips there live at the game to provide their witty and insightful commentary?

Hey ESPN...

300: Persian guy: A thousand nations of the Persian empire descend upon you. Our arrows will blot out the sun!
Spartans: Then we will fight in the shade.

A quote from 300 to fill out 300 characters.

Poll

ESPN Provides

Jobs for the mentally disabled

37 votes

Rumblin, Bumblin, Stumblin crap...24 hrs a day

59 votes

Insightful analysis and witty commentary

1 votes

24 hrs of quality programming

5 votes

102 votes | Poll has closed

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Comments

Awesome

More baseball, less jibberish.

Felix, you magnificent bastard.

by Double06 on Jul 8, 2007 10:11 PM PDT reply actions

It is sad in a way though

With Steve Phillips scheduled to be in San Francisco I was looking forward to the Mythbusters putting the myth to rest that he was a quality major league GM.

by Ben in Va on Jul 8, 2007 10:17 PM PDT up reply actions

I always got a laugh out of him as an analyst

He'd trash deals the Mets made back when their GM was...Steve Phillips.

by PetRock on Jul 8, 2007 11:17 PM PDT up reply actions

I really fear for ESPN's baseball coverage...

when Gammons retires. I mean it's gotten so much worse the past few years, but without Gammons, it'd be completely worthless.

by SethGrandpa on Jul 8, 2007 11:41 PM PDT reply actions

Yep.

The only one who I really like besides Fith, is Scott Van Pelt who's hilarious.

Top 5 Greatest Players ever: 1. Josh Gibson 2. Cool Papa Bell 3. Babe Ruth 4. Matty 5. Ty Cobb

by Coach Owens on Jul 8, 2007 11:57 PM PDT up reply actions

Well I don't think ESPN is worthless.

But BBTN is. There are some good SC anchors and PTI is still the best show on TV (when it's Tony and Mike).

by SethGrandpa on Jul 9, 2007 12:08 AM PDT up reply actions

Kenny Mayne is the current best

Keith Olberman occasionally co hosts with Dan Patrick on ESPN radio and thats pretty much the funniest sports talk out there right now

by Robert on Jul 9, 2007 12:55 AM PDT up reply actions

I'm a fan of John Clayton

And don't forget that they've hired Mike Sando.

by ningwers on Jul 9, 2007 1:33 AM PDT up reply actions

The Olbermann/Patrick years were the best days

of SportsCenter, so I'm not surprised that Olbermann/Patrick are that funny on the radio show. If only I hadn't given up sports talk radio entirely.

Nice Guys Finish Third - Hopelessly lost, but makin' good time.

by pdb on Jul 9, 2007 7:07 AM PDT up reply actions

I want The Big Show back

I know it's gone and won't happen again, but still. It's like The price is Right and Bob Barker. The show just isn't the same without Olbermann and Patrick.

by Gomez on Jul 9, 2007 1:06 PM PDT up reply actions

Dan Patrick quits Aug 17TH

He announced today he is completely leaving ESPN.

Dan Patrick leaving

by Ben in Va on Jul 9, 2007 1:57 PM PDT up reply actions

Well, it's official, then

There is now officially no reason to pay attention to ESPN.

Nice Guys Finish Third - Hopelessly lost, but makin' good time.

by pdb on Jul 9, 2007 1:58 PM PDT up reply actions

at the ESPNzone in Times Square last month and saw him and Olbermann doing their show in there...I tried to take a picture but they wisely put up glass that reflected any pictures from coming out well...anyways, ESPN sucks now...its like SNL...got worse and worse

by kentroyals5 on Jul 9, 2007 3:42 PM PDT up reply actions

Odd reason

Seems like he drank from the Mike Hargrove burnout mug.

by Paytheline on Jul 9, 2007 6:55 PM PDT up reply actions

Dan LeBetard

is the funniest sports show out there.

by Dylan @ Lookout Landing on Jul 9, 2007 8:14 AM PDT up reply actions

SC has gone off the deep end

Have you seen that "Wno's Now" feature they keep doing or whatever its called. Pathetic.

by phil333 on Jul 9, 2007 4:52 AM PDT up reply actions

I just saw that for the first time yesterday

while checking to see if SC or BBTN was on, to cover the M's/A's scuffle.

Ridiculous. Who the eff cares who's more "now" between ARod and TO? That's stupid.

by Katal LM on Jul 9, 2007 9:20 AM PDT up reply actions

What does "now" even mean?

Other than it means that I'll probably never watch ESPN again...

Nice Guys Finish Third - Hopelessly lost, but makin' good time.

by pdb on Jul 9, 2007 9:27 AM PDT up reply actions

I don't think they ever defined it

It could have been referring to which player is getting the most hype "now", or which player is currently better.

I have absolutely no idea.

by Katal LM on Jul 9, 2007 9:46 AM PDT up reply actions

it's supposed to be "the man

A combo of skills/being popular.

It's so stupid. It has single handedly turned me off from watching SC this summer.

by phil333 on Jul 9, 2007 10:23 AM PDT up reply actions

When LT beat Beckam

I could stop laughing at how they couldn't even understand their own stupid contest.

by Robert on Jul 9, 2007 11:21 AM PDT up reply actions

Tomlinson

HE SHALL NOT BE CALLED LT.

by Matthew on Jul 9, 2007 11:28 AM PDT up reply actions

Shouldn't Beckam be #1???

Blow me, Fry!

by JI on Jul 9, 2007 11:53 AM PDT up reply actions

I just won't watch

It's so stupid.

by Gomez on Jul 9, 2007 1:06 PM PDT up reply actions

I'd bet money it was Stuart Scott's idea.

by Hackman Leonard on Jul 9, 2007 3:56 PM PDT up reply actions

Sounds like his kind of deal.

This place has a sign hangin' over the urinal that says, "Don't eat the big white mint".

by Thingray on Jul 9, 2007 4:31 PM PDT up reply actions

there are some random bright spots

on ESPN, but it's a wasteland now. You can thank Disney for that.

by Matthew on Jul 9, 2007 9:51 AM PDT up reply actions

Any hope for a revival on the horizon?

by Robert on Jul 9, 2007 11:20 AM PDT up reply actions

No

Not unless Disney sells ESPN which will never happen.

90% of all the differences between ESPN now and ESPN 10 years ago are at Disney's insistence. And it's made them tons of money. It's a dumber network, but it now has a wider audience range because, well, America is dumb.

The best hope for any revival in national sports coverage is a competing network. Which I think Fox should do. Make a FoxSportsNational channel.

During baseball season, take two local games a day and promote simulcast them on the national channel. Result: more varied coverage of all teams.

Fox already has football properties, so it can simulcast them as well.

Fox already has soccer properties, so it can move some of the marquee matchups over to the national channel.

Fox has the money and presence to attract basketball and hockey properties, along with any other sports they wish to get (Rugby?). The end result being a possible American version of EuroSport which actually has sports on nearly 24/7. No pointless shit like cup-stacking, if there's nothing marquee going on, they broadcast events like the World Championships of Ski Jumping or the Goodwill Games, or various stuff like that.

I also have ideas for what could make an absolute kickass analyst show that would fill tons of airtime. But it would be super ambitious and would never come to be.

by Matthew on Jul 9, 2007 11:36 AM PDT up reply actions

ESPN and their 4pm PDT start times can kiss my ass

They never show west coast baseball games. NEVAH-EVAH

Blow me, Fry!

by JI on Jul 9, 2007 11:47 AM PDT up reply actions

Their 9PM start times for Gonzaga basketball games

can suck it too.

Blow me, Fry!

by JI on Jul 9, 2007 11:51 AM PDT up reply actions

Fox Simulcast

That would never happen... part of the reason is because one its not part of the contract, the fee Fox paid to air the games is for their network games. Simulcasting the games on another channel, would effectively lower the ratings for the single network, thereby not allowing them to charge higher advertising rates. Plus it would have a bigger impact on the local affiliates in each market because they'd be selling to a smaller audience and the national channel would have to fill all breaks with national ads instead of local ads. Baseball is not that big of a draw in viewership ratings that would allow them to turn a profit from their purchase of the rights and be able to cross air the same games on another national cable channel.

Its just not feasible for Fox or any other broadcast network to do that, either physcially or financially.

by MfaninAlaska on Jul 9, 2007 12:14 PM PDT up reply actions

I know it's not part of their contract

they would have to restructure it.

As for simulcasting, I admit I don't know the intricacies or advertising rates and national broadcast rights versus local, but I do think if they really wanted to do it, there's a way it can be done profitably.

A big part of the draw from a channel like this could be the channel itself instead of any single individual program/sports property. Whenever I'm in Europe there are tons of places that have EuroSport on non-stop simply because they know something sports related will be on. People in Topeka wouldn't be tuning in because a Reds-Pirates game is on, but they might have the channel on anyways because they know sports will be on. Something you cannot say with ESPN.

I know if this channel existed, I for one would have it on at least one TV pretty much all day simply for background.

by Matthew on Jul 9, 2007 12:33 PM PDT up reply actions

Two words:

Tim McCarver.

Seriously, I would count on Fox to fuck up sports the way they fuck up the news.

by Paytheline on Jul 9, 2007 6:58 PM PDT up reply actions

Interesting

Since Fox News is the number 1 rated cable news network by a mile. Seems like the majority don't really agree with you in your sentiments of Fox. :~)

Oh and I don't work for Fox anymore, so I'm not being a homer in that regard.

by MfaninAlaska on Jul 10, 2007 8:23 AM PDT up reply actions

The "majority"?

Of what?

by Paytheline on Jul 10, 2007 9:47 AM PDT up reply actions

Just because it's number 1

doesn't make it good, fair, or balanced.

Nice Guys Finish Third - Hopelessly lost, but makin' good time.

by pdb on Jul 10, 2007 9:56 AM PDT up reply actions

You idiot

Don't you know that if your the most popular that automatically means you are the best. Jeter>ARod For Life.

by Robert on Jul 10, 2007 10:14 AM PDT up reply actions

Yeah, what was I thinking?

/*rushes out to trade all his Wilco albums for the new Kelly Clarkson record

/*decides to eat at Applebee's every night

/*moves to suburb, buys SUV

Nice Guys Finish Third - Hopelessly lost, but makin' good time.

by pdb on Jul 10, 2007 10:26 AM PDT up reply actions

Don't they do the HR derby?

Blow me, Fry!

by JI on Jul 9, 2007 12:07 AM PDT reply actions

Berman does, I'm not sure if that's BBTN

by SethGrandpa on Jul 9, 2007 12:09 AM PDT up reply actions

I guess it's because they broke their agreement

with MLB Re: the All-Star selection show.

Blow me, Fry!

by JI on Jul 9, 2007 12:13 AM PDT up reply actions

bbtn is doing that

but after the home run derby, they are done. In studio only

by mutt1823 on Jul 9, 2007 5:53 AM PDT up reply actions

Slightly OT

Speaking of ESPN, they have penned a piece on Felix for their website. Sadly I can't ready it because it is subscription only. Anyone have access to it know whether it talks about the blog influence on his last start?

http://insider.espn.go.com/espn/blog/index?entryID=2929523&name=olney_buster&action=login&am p;appRedirect=http%3a%2f%2finsider.espn.go.com%2fespn%2fblog%2findex%3fentryID%3d2929523%26name%3dol ney_buster

by EnglishMariner on Jul 9, 2007 10:28 AM PDT reply actions