Just within the past year I've really felt like there is a decline in the the quality of those who cover sports.
So for those of you here in the midwest that are in Big Ten land and pay attention to Big Ten sports may have noticed that your team isn't being covered on your local station with ESPN plus and now is on The Big Ten Network. Now being on a new network isn't what I'm upset about. I'm a little upset about the fact that its not being included in basic cable. It is here on campus but not in my home town. You can't even get it in my home town. The network and cable company are in a feud stand off that the BTN (Big Ten Network) wants it to be on basic cable and the cable company wants it to be a premium channel. Neither gets what they want so its not even being offered. That is pitiful. Next I can see why they don't want it on basic cable. The channel is absolutely horrible. The analysis is terrible and the people who cover the games are exteremly unprofessional. One person quoted on an IU football game as saying he had, "a brain fart." Wow. There's not much you can say to that analysis. Also an IU basketball game recently coming back from a time out the color commentary guy said on air, "well thats shit." The BTN is bad. Any one in the Midwest probably feels the same way I do.
Now the major networks. CBS's pregame crew Marino, Sharpe, Boomer, JB, etc. Is horrible. JB was awesome on Fox (still an awesome pregame show) and he still is good but Shannon Sharpe is god awful. The man can't even speak. He doesn't seem that bad though because all the rest of them are terrible. They are about 5 seconds behind calling the highlight and they don't even know the players names. Its like they don't watch the games or have even seen the plays before they come on. They get names wrong more than they get them right.
ESPN, who usually has an excellent line up of people to give their 2 cents has hired Keyshawn Johnson onto their crew. The guy is horrible. He doesn't bring any thing to the table that a 20x better personality Tom Jackson brings. When Michael Irvin used to be on with that crew he was SO much better. Keyshawn needs to go. While he isn't as bad as the CBS crew he is absolutely worthless.
Comparing this to other coverage like TNT's coverage of the NBA. Charles Barkley is one of the most entertaining people in the industry. The team meshes well and they all know and bring something different to the table. Plus they can all take a joke and makes it entertaining to watch... well unless its half time and the Knicks are getting blown out by 50.
So for those of you here in the midwest that are in Big Ten land and pay attention to Big Ten sports may have noticed that your team isn't being covered on your local station with ESPN plus and now is on The Big Ten Network. Now being on a new network isn't what I'm upset about. I'm a little upset about the fact that its not being included in basic cable. It is here on campus but not in my home town. You can't even get it in my home town. The network and cable company are in a feud stand off that the BTN (Big Ten Network) wants it to be on basic cable and the cable company wants it to be a premium channel. Neither gets what they want so its not even being offered. That is pitiful. Next I can see why they don't want it on basic cable. The channel is absolutely horrible. The analysis is terrible and the people who cover the games are exteremly unprofessional. One person quoted on an IU football game as saying he had, "a brain fart." Wow. There's not much you can say to that analysis. Also an IU basketball game recently coming back from a time out the color commentary guy said on air, "well thats shit." The BTN is bad. Any one in the Midwest probably feels the same way I do.
Now the major networks. CBS's pregame crew Marino, Sharpe, Boomer, JB, etc. Is horrible. JB was awesome on Fox (still an awesome pregame show) and he still is good but Shannon Sharpe is god awful. The man can't even speak. He doesn't seem that bad though because all the rest of them are terrible. They are about 5 seconds behind calling the highlight and they don't even know the players names. Its like they don't watch the games or have even seen the plays before they come on. They get names wrong more than they get them right.
ESPN, who usually has an excellent line up of people to give their 2 cents has hired Keyshawn Johnson onto their crew. The guy is horrible. He doesn't bring any thing to the table that a 20x better personality Tom Jackson brings. When Michael Irvin used to be on with that crew he was SO much better. Keyshawn needs to go. While he isn't as bad as the CBS crew he is absolutely worthless.
Comparing this to other coverage like TNT's coverage of the NBA. Charles Barkley is one of the most entertaining people in the industry. The team meshes well and they all know and bring something different to the table. Plus they can all take a joke and makes it entertaining to watch... well unless its half time and the Knicks are getting blown out by 50.
