The End Of The Sports Reporters

So sad to find out that The Sports Reporters on ESPN, after 29 years, is coming to a end. I've been watching this show religiously nearly since it's beginning with the inimitable Dick Schaap hosting the show then with John Saunders, who was also great and now the last two years with Mike Lupica.

A precursor to the radio and television shows we have today yet it wasn't done with yelling and screaming, it was done with dignity. Schaaps story of missing Don Larsen's perfect game in the World Series because he had just gotten married and his wife wanted to go shopping for furniture is priceless. John Saunders was the perfect replacement and held the show together for another 15 years with absolute class. Mike Lupica held it up well over the last two years and Gary Thorne is my favorite hockey announcer of all time although I never saw the show in those years.

A sad day for me. Some semblance of sanity in all the crazy sports reporting and opinionating going on these days. Dick Schaap and John Saunders were two of my most respected sports journalists of all time and I cried when both of them passed because they had gravitas. They weren't full of it nor were they full of themselves. They did the job, and very well.

Another little piece of what I liked in this world is now gone. I'll accept it because I don't have any other choice but I will always miss The Sports Reporters on Sunday morning. It's been there for thirty years and that's a hard habit to break.

Sad, but the world is changing too fast for humankind.

a reply to: TheSpanishArcher

Maybe this is why all sports are in trouble. Without beat reporters telling stories about the human dramas sports is not interesting enough to get good ratings. When you eliminate the human element, reduce the product to a passive video game, people are going to choose interactive video game. Or if you reduce the product to tweets, people are going to lose interest in something they have no connection with.

Instead of getting rid of reporters. They should be doubling the number story writers to develop meaningful and compelling content. They might was well file chapter 11 now and shut down ESPN altogether. It's inevitable they will not be in business very long. What is their business model without sport stories?

I am surprised it lasted as long as it did.
ESPN is losing viewers by the millions and they can't seem to figure out why.
People want sports on ESPN not political talk.
This is one of the shows to start that trend.

a reply to: TheSpanishArcher

Respectfully, I think most are wrong on the reasons why this is happening. I believe it to be because of streaming

Bluntone hit it right on the nose.

Sports is supposed to be a break from the troubles of life. In a time where politics is saturating everything from music, fast food and TV. Sports should be an oasis.

ESPN decided to go left wing and push their agenda into their sports reporting, which is their right in a free market, but by doing so they alienate half their audience. In a world where everything ESPN offers can be had instantly in an App on your phone they committed business suicide.

They are losing 10,000 subscribers a day. But they still have billion dollar TV contracts with the NFL and other sports, which is why they are firing all their big money personalities.

ESPN is a sinking ship.

originally posted by: Bluntone22

I am surprised it lasted as long as it did.
ESPN is losing viewers by the millions and they can't seem to figure out why.
People want sports on ESPN not political talk.
This is one of the shows to start that trend.

Because it is turning into the MTV of sports. I was watching my Yanks sweep the Cubs when in the start of the inning, instead of showing us the game, I had to watch a segment on Cub's manager Joe Maddon's RV while the game cast was made in the background.

Important baseball stuff.

originally posted by: watchitburn
ESPN decided to go left wing and push their agenda into their sports reporting, which is their right in a free market, but by doing so they alienate half their audience. In a world where everything ESPN offers can be had instantly in an App on your phone they committed business suicide.

Can you give an example of this? What are you referring to because I've never seen this. Maybe I'm missing something and I need to be enlightened by your insights.

a reply to: AugustusMasonicus

I agree. ESPN and lost the focus when it comes to sports reporting. It's a lot like MTV when MTV decided to stop playing music videos.

a reply to: dfnj2015

Bruce Jenner.

originally posted by: Bluntone22
I am surprised it lasted as long as it did.
ESPN is losing viewers by the millions and they can't seem to figure out why.
People want sports on ESPN not political talk.
This is one of the shows to start that trend.

Personally i stopped watching ESPN when 95% of their show became talking about basketball and what Lebron James had for brunch.

Bring back the real sports

ESPN should be in better partnership with the UFC.

Or if they want more viewers, hire Conor McGregor to talk about ANYTHING. He is entertaining!

originally posted by: musicismagic
Sad, but the world is changing too fast for humankind.

Speaking of change...I happened upon a golf event while monitoring the telescreen outlets one afternoon. Sergio Garcia was trying to play golf shortly after he did something to upset the gallery. I am not sure why he got mad, or what exactly he did. The crowd was jeering, taunting loudly, screaming, every time he tried to hit the ball. I believe it was in New York. I would guess that he probably flipped off someone.

The thing I came away with was how the announcer, a textbook perfect specimen, instantly tried to ameliorate the obvious disaster by announcing that 'this was the bold new face of golf', and since the circus went on unabated, we 'need to get used to it'. This doubtless improved ratings.

The announcer was not kidding about this explanation. He meant this literally, while the taunting, and justification, continued for as long as I could keep monitoring them.

It made me sick to see how quickly the media bent over for a mob,
and tried to get us to accept the behavior.

Remember this when you wonder how, and why, scenery changes so fast.
Piloting every world bus, there is a very large world rat, and only they know where they are trying to take us.

# 770

a reply to: TheSpanishArcher

Switch to radio, I did and I never looked back.

Radio commentators have the vocal skills that make the game far more interesting, i watch sports with the TV muted and listen to the commentary on radio.

a reply to: dfnj2015

When people like Bob Costas turn their sportscast into an opportunity to rant on guns and gun ownership and gun control.

When sports casts have more "human interest" pieces than they do footage of the actual games or events ... sort of like trying to watch the Olympics anymore. "Look! We showed you a dive. Now let's all watch this poignant human interest piece on how the diver from Vanuatu, who has no chance of winning, spends her extra time reading to one-eyed, dyslexic children of Tholidamide! ... Ahhhh ... Oh, and you can see that while we were showing you that, the competition ended and it's ..."

originally posted by: Thecakeisalie
a reply to: TheSpanishArcher

Switch to radio, I did and I never looked back.

Radio commentators have the vocal skills that make the game far more interesting, i watch sports with the TV muted and listen to the commentary on radio.

Sometimes, the best combo is to get a station with decent footage of the event, turn the TV idiots way down, and amp the radio cast. In our area for college, we get Wyatt and Stan and they are often about 3 to 5 seconds faster than the TV, so you know exactly what to watch for.