I know this is probably blasphemy to any sport-loving person in this country (of which I am definitely one), but I have finally come to this realization. I sensed that I hated it for quite a while, but confirmed my displeasure with several friends. Sportscenter has become the WalMart of sports.
Sportscenter itself is responsible for what sports have become today. It is responsible for simultaneoulsy reporting on sports, and their downfall. As my friend, comedian Ben Mowbray put it – “They are the equivalent of a rapist with a helmet cam.” (Ben was referring to MTV rather than ESPN) Sportscenter made athletes into celebrities. They favor the dunk, homerun, and huge hit in football over the more subtle nuances of the games. They have a nasty habit of nitpicking and over-analyzing every single tiny little word and gestures, then trying to create an issue where there wasn’t one. – “When your coach grinned slyly and blinked prior to answering a question about you in his interview, did you take that as a sign if disrespect?”
They talk about the same stories over and over again, ad nauseum. They actually dictate rivalries. Ask anyone in Boston or New York…Yankees-Red sox was never a huge rivalry until ESPN decided a rivalry was good for ratings. Then the players believe its a rivalry, start throwing at each other, fight because they think they’re being disrespected, and now we want to tune in because we think there will be a fight.
The part that really gets to me is when they actually have their own reporters talk about how much better the sports used to be. YOU’RE PART OF THE PROBLEM!
I have no idea why I got on this rant, except for the fact that I’m no longer capable of watching Sportscenter.
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