ESPN's Bad Night

[Michael_ Gee]

ESPN's first draft broadcasts back in the '80s were more professionally done than this one, and they were understandable exercises in chaos. And of course, they don't care. Ratings were up, so they were wonderful. The NFL made the ratings go up with the time switch, but never mind that.
How much longer until the league gives exclusivity to the NFL Network for the draft? It needs must-see programming more than the league needs whatever ESPN pays it for the draft rights.

 

[CitizenTino]

ESPN's first draft broadcasts back in the '80s were more professionally done than this one, and they were understandable exercises in chaos.

I think that's what boggled my mind more than anything else about ESPN's train wreck coverage: They've had 20-some years of practice doing this thing. You'd think they have it down by now.

 

[Evil ... Thy name is Orville Redenbacher!!]

The snippets of Saturday's coverage that I watched - featuring the B team - was way better than the crew's Thursday night coverage.

 

[Herbert Anchovy]

There's a different culprit for the ****tiness of the broadcast however you look at it.

Berman, Young, Kiper, Gruden . . . how about all of them, and the executive producer who thought putting them in an enclosed space was a good idea to begin with. They all sucked. Stop pretending you're at the bar so you can pass that off as connecting with blue-collar sports fans, stop giving away the ****ing pick before the commissioner reaches the podium and thereby ruining whatever 'drama' this event struggles to create. A little maturity, please. For once.

I think anyone who has watched the draft for the last 20-25 years can say this one was the most aggravating, and the watchability of it has dropped like a rock for a while.

 

[Armchair_QB]

ESPN could **** up a wet dream. One of the great mysteries of modern American broadcasting is how they've managed to not ruin College Football Gameday yet.

 

[Rufino]

Line of the night: Erin Andrews to Jimmy Clausen "How are you holding up?"


Un****ingbelievable... it's not like a family member died, airhead....

Seriously? The kid just lost around 10-15 million bucks and was being mocked all over the place. That question seemed that outrageous to you? Can't believe how much some people on this site look for things to rip EA about, especially when you consider the vastly bigger botchjobs chronicled in this thread.

 

[MacDaddy]

ESPN could **** up a wet dream. One of the great mysteries of modern American broadcasting is how they've managed to not ruin College Football Gameday yet.

Shhhhh. Don't give them any ideas. :-)

 

[steveu]

ESPN's first draft broadcasts back in the '80s were more professionally done than this one, and they were understandable exercises in chaos. And of course, they don't care. Ratings were up, so they were wonderful. The NFL made the ratings go up with the time switch, but never mind that.
How much longer until the league gives exclusivity to the NFL Network for the draft? It needs must-see programming more than the league needs whatever ESPN pays it for the draft rights.

I'd rather see ESPN have some say in the draft. If all that TV time were freed up, lord knows they'd give it to the NBA. (rolls eyes)

 

[podunk press]

Unfortunately, the always ill-prepared Berman isn't going anywhere. He signed a contract extension. I know this because they reported it on SportsCenter, and I called the anchor an asshole as a reflex.

 

[slappy4428]

Line of the night: Erin Andrews to Jimmy Clausen "How are you holding up?"


Un****ingbelievable... it's not like a family member died, airhead....

Seriously? The kid just lost around 10-15 million bucks and was being mocked all over the place. That question seemed that outrageous to you? Can't believe how much some people on this site look for things to rip EA about, especially when you consider the vastly bigger botchjobs chronicled in this thread.

My mother could have asked that question and I would have had the same reaction.
"How are you holding up?" was an overblown question. He's been mocked since he pulled up in a limo and he'll have to earn his extra millions the old-fashioned way -- on the field -- instead of getting it handed to him for his spot in the draft.
It was a bull**** question; the kind that sideline reporters are often mocked for.

 

[Bristol Insider]

Kiper is their meal ticket on this. If you sent him over to NFL and they dropped their "Kiper" ESPN might as well televise the WNBA.

Kiper is damn good and what he does. ESPN has forgotten this.

You're kidding, right? Kiper can't hold McShay's clipboard. One works; one doesn't ... See the Clausen scenarios.

 

[Petrie]

Kiper was touting Clausen so much that it seemed like he was getting 10 percent.

 

[CentralIllinoisan]

I watched a segment near the last pick of the first round where Tom Jackson and Steve Young literally talked at the same time for nearly 20 seconds each. Neither could decide who was in control, so they kept talking. The camera went to Young, then to Jackson, the panned out. Jackson started pointing and yelling louder so Young started motioning his hands like he was trying to burn as many calories as possible.

At one point Gruden chimmed in so we had three people talking at once. It sounded like when you are playing music, and forget you have a YouTube clip on in the background - you know two things are going on but can't tell what the hell either of them are.

Meanwhile, Mel Kiper, draft guru, is over on the far left face down looking at the desk. Not reading, not studying stats, just looking blankly at the desk. A few seconds later, his head is in his hands just kind of zoning out like he's not on TV or anything.

Not sure what the hell Berman was doing at that point, probably thinking up nicknames for Jahvid Best.

Sums it up perfectly. Well done.

 

[Ben_Hecht]

Kiper was touting Clausen so much that it seemed like he was getting 10 percent.

Let's all cry for the poor little *****, whose entire family clearly has a
grossly-inflated opinion of their precious little selves.

 

[Petrie]

Kiper was touting Clausen so much that it seemed like he was getting 10 percent.

Let's all cry for the poor little *****, whose entire family clearly has a
grossly-inflated opinion of their precious little selves.

What the ****? I was just saying it seemed like Kiper cared more about Clausen's draft spot than Clausen did. Kiper sounded more like an agent than an analyst...that's all I'm saying.

 

[gravehunter]

ESPN could **** up a wet dream. One of the great mysteries of modern American broadcasting is how they've managed to not ruin College Football Gameday yet.

Shhhhh. Don't give them any ideas. :-)

Too late....I'm sure they're working on that right now.