I haven’t watched ESPN at home in years aside from NBA games. On the road, I’ll turn on SportsCenter on the hotel TV sometimes but I’ll just as often watch whatever Law & Order episode is usually playing on TBS. I seriously mourn for the old SportsCenter.
I haven’t watched ESPN in 15 years at least, so I’m no judge, but I noticed you didn’t mention politics. Does the (supposed) politicization of ESPN play a role here?
I'm not convinced. If ESPN were less "woke" today would these problems with cord-cutting and the tech giants and cable companies not wanting to pay higher carriage fees not exist? I think they're in trouble regardless, even if they had done a better job to appease the median sports fan - a right-leaning male somewhere between the ages of 18-45.
I, too, was an ESPN kid. But alas, haven't watched it in over a decade. I might catch a few minutes whenever I'm staying at a hotel. These days The NY Post is my go to spot for Mets info (they're really the only team, and baseball is the only sport, that I follow). The Athletic is pretty good, too. Will be interesting to see how ESPN pivots. Great analysis.
I do sometimes miss watching ESPN and always watch in hotels. Post is still good, as the only NY newspaper with a large, functioning sports section. Athletic is solid. I'd give NYP the edge since they're ultimately more fun.
In addition to the demise of cable, and ESPN no longer getting free money via bundling, look at the comments here. Older guys, with disposable income, no longer watch or care about ESPN or Sports Center.
The virtue signaling, status jockeying, politicization of the network is nauseating. The little I've watched ESPN the last 20 yrs (I cut the cord a loooong time ago) was awful. It was a bunch of people talking about race, explaining what they'd said on twtr in response to other tweets about race. The last few years I had cable I never turned on ESPN because it was so bad. The people they brought in to talk / entertain were obviously not there because of their sports knowledge.
I know as old guys, telling everyone to get off their lawn, we long for Patrick and Olberman on SC, but ESPN committing ritual seppku to the politically correct zeitgeist helped speed the demise.
I'm in a similar situation as you, except I live just outside Baltimore, and I'm an Orioles fan. Also, I still watch Pardon the Interruption. It's the Siskel and Ebert of sports shows, and I don't bother with any of the others.
If MASN had a deal similar to that of YES, I'd drop cable right now.
It hasn’t changed which is the appeal to me being roughly the same age as you.
Tony is cranky and didn’t stay up late to watch the end of the game and Mike when he’s not hating on “analytics” is name dropping all the athletes he has in his phone. Needless to say I still love it.
I haven’t watched ESPN at home in years aside from NBA games. On the road, I’ll turn on SportsCenter on the hotel TV sometimes but I’ll just as often watch whatever Law & Order episode is usually playing on TBS. I seriously mourn for the old SportsCenter.
I haven’t watched ESPN in 15 years at least, so I’m no judge, but I noticed you didn’t mention politics. Does the (supposed) politicization of ESPN play a role here?
I'm not convinced. If ESPN were less "woke" today would these problems with cord-cutting and the tech giants and cable companies not wanting to pay higher carriage fees not exist? I think they're in trouble regardless, even if they had done a better job to appease the median sports fan - a right-leaning male somewhere between the ages of 18-45.
I, too, was an ESPN kid. But alas, haven't watched it in over a decade. I might catch a few minutes whenever I'm staying at a hotel. These days The NY Post is my go to spot for Mets info (they're really the only team, and baseball is the only sport, that I follow). The Athletic is pretty good, too. Will be interesting to see how ESPN pivots. Great analysis.
I do sometimes miss watching ESPN and always watch in hotels. Post is still good, as the only NY newspaper with a large, functioning sports section. Athletic is solid. I'd give NYP the edge since they're ultimately more fun.
In addition to the demise of cable, and ESPN no longer getting free money via bundling, look at the comments here. Older guys, with disposable income, no longer watch or care about ESPN or Sports Center.
The virtue signaling, status jockeying, politicization of the network is nauseating. The little I've watched ESPN the last 20 yrs (I cut the cord a loooong time ago) was awful. It was a bunch of people talking about race, explaining what they'd said on twtr in response to other tweets about race. The last few years I had cable I never turned on ESPN because it was so bad. The people they brought in to talk / entertain were obviously not there because of their sports knowledge.
I know as old guys, telling everyone to get off their lawn, we long for Patrick and Olberman on SC, but ESPN committing ritual seppku to the politically correct zeitgeist helped speed the demise.
I'm in a similar situation as you, except I live just outside Baltimore, and I'm an Orioles fan. Also, I still watch Pardon the Interruption. It's the Siskel and Ebert of sports shows, and I don't bother with any of the others.
If MASN had a deal similar to that of YES, I'd drop cable right now.
Incredible PTI is still on. I was a regular watcher from 2002 or so through 2007, when I went off to college. I should try to watch it again.
It hasn’t changed which is the appeal to me being roughly the same age as you.
Tony is cranky and didn’t stay up late to watch the end of the game and Mike when he’s not hating on “analytics” is name dropping all the athletes he has in his phone. Needless to say I still love it.