I'm an admittedly casual NBA fan these days, mainly due to the Rockets being irrelevant, but from what I've occasionally seen on both networks this article resonated with me. I find ESPN's NBA coverage (Smith, Windhorst, several others...whatever happened to Ramona Shelburne?) unwatchable, but I'll watch clips of Inside the NBA just because it's pretty awesome. What sayeth the diehard fans? https://awfulannouncing.com/espn/gulf-espn-nba-tnt-studio-coverage.html Relatedly, agree or disagree with this: In today’s media climate, nuanced, data-based analysis has become increasingly hard to come by, drowned out by the barely decipherable hysterics of Stephen A. Smith and Skip Bayless, among other purveyors of argument culture. With clickbait and viral soundbites serving as the new currency, the sports discourse, in many respects, has never been less sophisticated, devolving into the kind of cartoonish bluster usually reserved for shock jocks in the mold of 90s Era Howard Stern. It’s damning but also a reflection of our own societal tastes, catering to a generation of fans raised on social media.
Espn halftime vs tnt halftime is like the nfl vs high school football in terms of quality. Espn halftime is an immediate go do something for 15minutes for me because its legit 95% ads broken up by "your watching the nba playoffs on espn" At least with tnt you get some humor and discourse.
TNT crew gives honest opinions and has enough time to actually talk through the opinion. ESPN just lets each person say a single thought and then they go to commercials.
I haven't watched every single series or game these playoffs but in the games I have watched not even once have they mentioned Sengun, both Sabonis and Jokic have played this post season and they fail to mention how both of their games remind us of Sengun. I'm not asking for a full segment or anything but atleast mention him when the other centers are playing well.
Well, there are some big differences and reasons for that. Inside the NBA has a crew that has been together and they're more of a TV show than simply a sports coverage show that discusses Xs and Os. I find that ESPN actually does more play breakdowns on their various shows whether with Jalen or Chiney or JJ or whoever. It just doesn't always happen specifically on the Countdown show. But, really this comes down to what sports journalism has evolved to. The sports fan no longer needs someone to tell them what happened in the game nor someone to give them stats. We have the internet. So, all the guys who started their careers doing that have to do something else. The only thing that's left is in depth play breakdowns, analysis from someone with nba experience, becoming an "insider", or "entertaining". ESPN employs a bunch of these old sports journalists. A few study enough to do real play breakdowns, a few more become mouth pieces for player agents, but the majority can only entertain. That's where the hot takes come out. TNT however has Kenny, Chuck, Shaq and Ernie as the host. When they talk about the game it's analysis from people who have played. ESPN has Greenie hosting but Stephen A and Wilbon aren't equipped to analyze the game at the same level. There was a quote in the article saying that Stephen A doesn't do what JJ Reddick or Tim Legler does. It's because he can't.
ESPN are always in Controversy. Hiring Terrible Human Beings. Malika Andrews Hates Black Men (Her Dad), Richard Jefferson, McNut, Reddick, Jay Williams Just Terrible Bitter, Unlikeable People Loudmouth Mad Dog, His weird Loud Voice. No Morals or Ethics
Thanks heavens Western Conference Finals is ESPN, since 5-7 games of Reggie Miller would be dreadful. Let's just hope NBC gets some if not most of the rights along with maybe Apple or whoever. TNT and ESPN can both piss off with their coverage.
I like Mark Jackson as a commentator but his opinions are often insultingly dumb. I enjoy Van Gundy for the random rants he goes on. Otherwise I haven't watched ESPN much since maybe 2008. It stopped being about sports and became about hot topics, hot takes, hot identity politics and hot personalities. In other words it became obsessed with itself more than its subject matter; meta.
ABC has the better play by-play and color commentators, but TNT studio show >>>>>>>ESPN, which is unwatchable, imo. Chuck and Shaq are dumb, but they’re generally cheerful and funny, and they have real conversations, rather than screamed hot takes.
You can always turn off the sound and skip the halftime and post game shows.The segment last night where they interviewed Lowery was pretty interesting.
They should call the offensive set and defensive set and shut up about their personal opinions on cities and players. Educate the fans. Getting to hear your opinion is not an education. “The Warriors look like they’re going to run the pistol once again, and the Spurs counter with drop coverage. That should leave two men wide open.”
Yeah but that's contra to the way Disney scripts everything they touch now. They adopted the Fox News model. Everyone has to project today's feelings and opinions onto everything. Can't have true escapism anymore. Escapism is violence through silence. (More importantly, being controversial means way more attention, clicks, cult followers, and cash money.) Being reasonable or informational is so passe, bro. You can't simply report events as they happened, you have to turn it into some way to be "progressive", bro. Change the world at every opportunity, bro.
I think they have a hard time fitting in conversation during the NBA Finals about a guy averaging 25 mpg on a team that lost 122 games in the two seasons he's played. I love me some Sengun, but no one on the Rockets is going to be talked about aside from Jalen's appearance on an advertisement, unless they're showing highlights of one of the teams playing against us.
Well this is a bit miss leading, Sengun won The Turkish league MVP at the age of 19 and is already the premiere player of his team in only his second year. The only reason The Rockets have lost so much is because they sat Sengun and refused to play him more in hopes of landing Wemby. Not to mention how awful Silas was. To mention Sengun during the finals wouldn't be out of place.
I love the Rockets and like Sengun a ton. I just don't have any expectation that any are driving any real conversation or even passing thoughts in the minds of announcers discussing the NBA Finals in the moment, aside from past Rockets Finals appearances.
"My escapism must be delivered according to my requirements" is the most snowflake stuff ever written man.