i don't know, double j. there are plenty of things i don't like about espn but tagging them -- what with 30-for-30, the investigations by the fainarus and van natta, their longform stuff and grantland -- wholesale as 'mediocre' seems like so much kneejerk, hate-the-man posing. i'd argue that they do 'mediocre', LCD stuff excellently. all the endless blabbing and mindless arguing, berman's horrific nicknaming, the faux buddy-buddy panel shows can be nauseating. but the quality and the production is superb. at its best and on the whole, espn is probably doing the most ambitious journalism at a time when the industry is cratering. at its worst it's like britney spears. it does the awful but in a way that, despite yourself, you still find yourself with a relentless earworm. you're humming along and hating yourself, but humming along regardless. espn execs may be cynics, but cynics with high standards.