We live in a very “look at me”, “listen to me”, instant gratification, politically polarized society. Everybody wants their opinions heard and validated. This is magnified by Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, texting, etc. Sadly, all the noise and politics has seeped in to sports.
I don’t know about you, but when I turn on ESPN, ESPN2 or ESPN The OCHO, I want sports. I want to watch Wilbon and Kornheiser talk about what’s going on in the world. I want the Around The Horn gang to talk….sports! I want to watch college football or basketball on ESPN and Fox. When Sports Center comes on I want to watch highlights, interviews, and learn about what happened in the sporting world. Who got traded? Which coach got fired?
To the disappointment of many, ESPN sounds more like MSESPN. I am a conservative but I don’t want ESPN to be a combo of Fox News and ESPN either. Sports is a release for a lot of us. We work long hours and some of us have two or even three jobs. When we come home we want to plop down on the couch, hit channel 140, and watch ESPN. The new “SC6” on ESPN pushed me over the edge. I was already tired of hearing anchors talk about politics, movies, etc. The new show with Michael Smith and Jemele Hill is exactly why myself and millions of others have said enough. At times the 6pm Sports Center is anything but. (Granted, their target demo is not me) Millions of people have stopped watching ESPN except for football and basketball, or have cut the cord completely and don’t even have the Mother Ship as an option.
I am the Program Director for a couple country radio stations in west Texas. If I started programming rap or metal along with the country music people would be upset and would call the station to complain. If I began airing the Michael Savage talk show or a liberal talk show along with the country music not only would people complain they would throw rocks at my house. People know when they turn on KVRP 97.1FM or KBPC 95.3FM they are getting country music. Radio is a release to listeners the same way sports is. Why do ESPN and Fox Sports mess with their successful formula?
Leave the politics to news channels. Leave the movie reviews and music interviews to the entertainment channels. Let sports be sports!
