If that's true, great. And I don't care what you watch at all. That wasn't my point.
Here is the typical BY logic on ESPN:
- ESPN screwed us
- Therefore I hate ESPN
- Now I have to make up reasons to not like programming I used to like so I can be consistent with my ESPN bashing
- I have to pretend that 3rd rate TV/Radio shows are better than ESPN programming (even though in comparison they get no ratings because they aren't any good) in order to not be inconsistent
- I still secretly listen to a handful of ESPN shows on the radio that I do like - but only when I'm alone - and I pretend that I don't
It just isn't credible to say that ALL ESPN programming is inferior to ALL other programming, regardless of subject matter / daypart / etc. I'm not arguing that it is all great. It isn't. Even shows that I like I don't like all the time. But when I'm in the car, and I don't want to listen to ESPN Radio for whatever reason, there is nearly NOTHING else to listen to sports-wise that is any good.
I'd be lying if I said that I didn't have a shred of hatred towards ESPiN for their part in our AAC affiliation. But I truly find their content to be below standard.
The sports that I personally care about are MLB, NFL, NHL, NCAAMB, NCAAF, and, now, NCAAH. I find ESPiN's coverage of all of these sports to be inferior to what I find on MLB Network, MLB.TV, NFL Network (I made the switch to watch this past year's draft on NFL Network and was blown away by how much I had been missing over the years), and other channels. The online content on ESPiN's website is exactly what
@whaler11 says it is: hot garbage. I can't trust a single reporter that works for their network to report with integrity and without spin (ex - Chris Mortensen).
They don't cover the NHL anymore because they don't air any of their games (remember when they used to cover the NHL in the 90s when they had their contract?) so that's a very easy transition to NHL Network and NBCSN. As for college sports, I run into problems because it seems as though ESPiN runs the monopoly on college sports coverage. I'm not interested in watching the ACC (that, I admit, is 100% stemmed from a personal distaste of many of the conference members and how anti-UConn the conference has been) and it so happens that the ACC is owned by ESPiN. The SEC games that I watch are primarily the Saturday 3:30 games on CBS, but I will watch SEC games on ESPiN if I have to. To be completely honest, I really like B1G football...it's what I grew up watching mostly. I LOVE football played in the elements...there is something about watching important, tense football games played in freezing temps or cold rain. Of course, the B1G isn't the only conference that plays football in the elements but as long as their members play above the Mason-Dixon, there's a good chance that once you enter November, you're going to get fun football games.
For college hoops, I admittedly don't watch much other than UConn. I'm just not that interested. Saying this probably does not help sell UConn's best P5 selling feature: year-round winter content, but it is what it is. I've always been more drawn to hockey than hoops. Blame the Whale for that. So, I do have watch ESPiN for those rare occurrences that the network gives UConn some respect and airs one of our games but that's not that often. I'm not a fan of the NBA whatsoever and that is the league that gets the most non-NFL season airtime on that channel. No loss there for me.
As for the radio, I take the bus to work so no worries there. I can watch MLB games on my phone using the MLB.TV app and when I'm actually in my car, I listen to MLB Radio, Fantasy Sports channel (yes, I'm a fantasy sports junkie), or music. Never ESPiN radio. Again, their content and on-air radio personalities is driven by NBA or NFL conspiracy theory talk. I'm not interested in listening to either one bit.
If ESPN can be given credit for anything it is this; they have made sports entertainment the mega Billion dollar industry that it is today. Whether that's a good or bad thing going forward remains to be seen. But their coverage has absolutely slipped over the years, especially when you compare them to the quality that you can find on most other channels. If given the choice between listening to sports talk come out of the mouths of Skip Bayless, Steven A Smith, Lou Holtz, Robert Smith, John Kruk, Curt Schilling, Chris Berman, Herm Edwards, the Mike and Mike boys, Dick Vitale...the list is endless, then the choice is easy: turn the channel. I can only name a handful of personalities that I respect on that network (Jay Bilas, for example).
So to answer your question: yes, I do admit that my hatred originally stemmed from what I viewed (and still view) of their role in UConn's conference affiliation. But then I started flipping the dial around and discovered a wonderful thing: the sports talk world isn't flat. I can find intelligent and still highly entertaining discussion on every other channel, enough to satisfy my year-round craving for sports coverage (and my wife's year-round hatred of sports coverage!). I've got to tell you though: if ESPiN were to single-handedly deliver UConn to the B1G tomorrow, I still wouldn't watch/listen/read their content. It is far below industry standard and my own personal coverage expectation. But that's just my opinion. Everyone is entitled to their own, of course.
