The next Howard Cosell is not happy, Quite Frankly

http://chicagosports.chicagotribune.com/sports/columnists/cs-060720teddy,1,2958515.column?coll=cs-home-utility
The Baker flap is the latest blow for "Quite Frankly," which kicked off a promotional blitz but seems to have fallen off ESPN's radar as it approaches its one-year anniversary Aug. 1.

"I'm not happy," Smith said. "I love working for ESPN, and ESPN has been very good to me. But I'd be lying if I said I'm happy with what has transpired with the show.

"There hasn't been promotion and marketing for a long time, though I'm confident that's something they will address. But that's not the source of my unhappiness. People don't know where to find me. The show is supposed to come on at 11 (Eastern time) but almost never does. We need a definitive time slot."

Low ratings during the show's first few months prompted ESPN officials to ask Smith whether he wanted to move the show from 5:30 p.m. to 10 (Central time). Smith said he jumped at the chance, not realizing that live programming would alter his start times.

"People come up to me all the time and say, 'I love your show … when I can find it?'," Smith said.

Smith said he also wishes he could exercise more control over guest selections.

"When it's your name, your face and your reputation on the line, you want to feel you're calling every shot," he said.

But he's not. And that's why Smith, who developed a love-him-or-hate-him following with his insightful yet rambunctious NBA analysis, isn't certain if the show will go on.

Asked if he will make it to a second anniversary, he replied: "I don't know. I don't know if I'm going to want to [continue]. … For me it never has been about just being on TV. I'm about success."

 

He's got valid beef.

 

According to the story, he "jumped at the chance" to move to the later time slot. He'd have to be a fool not to realize that, you know, sporting events weren't always going to cooperate with his scream-fest getting on-air on time.

As for not marketing the show, the image of him doing a little shuffle is seared into my brain from the thousands of promos I saw for it.

The show sucks, it's tanking and he's looking to pass the blame onto ESPN instead of admitting it's just not very good.

 

How about Doug Gottlieb filling in for SAS and talking football with Chris Chandler and another random ex-player, whom I couldn't name. Now that's engaging TV. I really care what Chris Chandler thinks about the Steelers.

 

ESPN's love affair with Gottlieb is as mysterioius as the many banal mysteries at that network.

 

Huh?

They've promo'd the hell out of that guy.

It sucks that he knows nothing about the sports being played from July until November.

But that is his problem that has come home to roost.

Oh, and the screaming.

 

Nothing more mysterious than Digger Phelps' continued employment.
But I digress. What I wanted to say was that ESPN doesn't really promote PTI. And it gets ratings because it's a good show. SAS's only legit gripe is that the time slot in question gets bounced because of live programming.
As for his point about "Where can I find it?" Some people are so stupid about TV times they don't even know when to expect ER, and it's been on Thursdays at 10 for a dozen years.

 

A hack ex-college hoops guy talking pro football with a concussed hack ex-quarterback. MMMM.... that's great TV right there.

I don't understand why the NFL created the NFL Network when they already had ESPN airing NFL programming 12 fucking months out of the year.

Yeah, I absolutely love the fact that they cut Baseball Tonight down to 20 minutes so they can show NFL Tonight in May and June. Give me a fucking break. Like I give a shit which team ESPN's collection of buffoons thinks has the best placekicker.

 

I guess more people care about paintball and fucking hot dog eating contests too.