ESPN’s Michael Wilbon calls out own network for Dallas Cowboys coverage

Thursday’s hour-long edition of Pardon The Interruption posed a question to Tony Kornheiser and Michael Wilbon about the NFL season opener. Which team are they more interested in watching? The Dallas Cowboys or Philadelphia Eagles.

Wilbon went first, asking if a “trick question” was being asked. He went with the Eagles but before then, had a go at ESPN for hyping up the Cowboys this offseason. In fact, Wilbon does not believe Dallas should even be the NFC East team playing in the game vs. Philadelphia.

“One of them, I don’t give a damn about seeing,” Wilbon said. “The Dallas Cowboys. That’s just pumped-up, falsely inflated hype. Starting at this network and extending out to all the networks and all the people and all the websites and social media who pump the Dallas Cowboys full of air for no reason. There’s a championship team out there. And the Cowboys shouldn’t even be the opponent. The Commanders ought to be the opponent tonight in Philadelphia, not the Cowboys.”

The supposed “hype” for the Cowboys still comes just days after the team traded away Micah Parsons to the Green Bay Packers. Parsons will instead be preparing to face off against the Detroit Lions. Week 4 will be one to circle when a reunion takes place inside AT&T Stadium.

But Wilbon continued his rant about Cowboys-Eagles, saying the most interesting aspect of Dallas is no longer even there. You can probably guess who he picked to win the game as well.

“Their most exciting player, they don’t even have,” Wilbon said of Parsons. “The Cowboys don’t have that guy. So I’m looking for a team that’s going to get drubbed. I’m looking at a team that I expect to get beat down tonight.”

From a monetary standpoint, the Cowboys are the biggest brand in all of sports. Ratings from ESPN, FOX, CBS, and NBC will tell a similar story. The Worldwide Leader will get Dallas twice in a three-week span, going up against the Arizona Cardinals and Las Vegas Raiders.

Wilbon appears to be sick of it all. His attention will solely be on the Eagles and what they are able to accomplish on Thursday night. One where a Super Bowl banner will be unveiled from Lincoln Financial Field, honoring last season’s team. And many in Philadelphia will be hoping that head coach Nick Sirianni is able to lead them to another championship.