2013 NFL Season Thread

[HC]

The biggest problem with ESPN is that they've turning into TMZ for sports. I don't care about the exploits of Johnny Manziel. Just give me highlights! Everything is also LA and NY-centric, regardless of how bad many of those teams are. I hear more about the Lakers being mediocre than the Pacers having the best record in the league. All of their shows(excluding PTI and Around the Horn) are just plain awful. First Take is arguably the worst thing I've ever seen. Even SportsNation, which was quite fun for a while, is now terrible with the new hosts.

This is dead on. ESPN is sports TMZ. They'll talk more about Tim Tebow not playing football than anyone who actually is.

This reminded me that they actually devoted airtime to analyzing Tebow's first day on the job in the National Championship game. I learned that he was off on his game prediction by one point. Some real hard-hitting news right there.

I still watch a few shows, although I tend to stay away from most of it when possible for the reasons discussed above. Olbermann's show is pretty decent if you can get past his general smugness.

[Plubby]

I'm going to regret asking this, but where do you read stuff instead?

There are millions of places. What do you mean by 'read stuff'? As in what is happening in the world of sports? There is NBC Sports, Fox Sports, or you can go to the individual league pages (www.nba.com or www.nfl.com etc.). In fact, I follow Notre Dame football religiously and ESPN is always at least hours behind information I hear elsewhere. And they even have a blogger dedicated to just Notre Dame football.

ESPN has become beyond bias, especially when it comes to college football, thanks to their deal with the SEC. That's the main reason I gave up on them because I got tired of everybody on ESPN slurping down Southeastern Cocks.

The biggest problem with ESPN is that they've turning into TMZ for sports. I don't care about the exploits of Johnny Manziel. Just give me highlights! Everything is also LA and NY-centric, regardless of how bad many of those teams are. I hear more about the Lakers being mediocre than the Pacers having the best record in the league. All of their shows(excluding PTI and Around the Horn) are just plain awful. First Take is arguably the worst thing I've ever seen. Even SportsNation, which was quite fun for a while, is now terrible with the new hosts.

This is dead on. ESPN is sports TMZ. They'll talk more about Tim Tebow not playing football than anyone who actually is.

I meant specifically sports analysis stuff. Ie - for Hockey I read Puck Daddy and a few team-specific blogs. Most US sports I read Grantland. Cricket I read the writers on Cricinfo - etc. For news I generally just follow a bunch of journalists on twitter.

[Szumi]

Yeah, Around the Horn and PTI continue to be the only fun things on ESPN, although I'll watch ESPNFC as well.That's kind of a completely different thing though, as it's a specialty show.

[ThaBoss18]

Yeah, Around the Horn and PTI continue to be the only fun things on ESPN, although I'll watch ESPNFC as well.That's kind of a completely different thing though, as it's a specialty show.

Yeah that's the only ESPN shows I watch now ATH and PTI and First Take is hit and miss Skip and Smith arguing is sometimes good but gets tiring after a while

Edited January 13, 2014 by ThaBoss18

[VerbalPuke]

I hate the fucking "Heat Index" more than I should. I dont know if everybody knows what it is, but espn.com has a page dedicated to the Miami Heat in the same way they have a page dedicated to the NBA or NFL.

I also hate when they show highlights of a game between say the Milwaukee Bucks and the Lakers. If the Bucks win its mostly a Lakers highlight reel with a quick mention that the Bucks won.

[gunnar hendershow]

Heat Index is annoying only because it treats the Heat as a separate entity than the rest of the league. Obviously they have the best player in the NBA, are the most interesting team in the NBA right now, and have won back-to-back titles. They have earned the right to have a ton of coverage because it's interesting to a huge number of people. Something like a dedicated Miami Heat page would make sense, but they already have that. As does every other team. Branching it out into the Heat Index makes it seem like ESPN is rooting for the Heat (and they are since they want to keep that contract with the NBA so they're never gonna say anything bad about the league's cash cow).

The only time ESPN's coverage is really solid is when they don't have the sport under contract. As soon as they need to hype up a sport they go right into big markets, big personalities, and making everything sound like it's wonderful. They won't risk blowing their lucrative college football, NBA, baseball, or Monday Night Football deals. They give those leagues exactly what they want, an advertising platform.

[Lint]

Rooting for Carolina and Denver tonight. Don't want the Chargers anywhere near the Superbowl, Philip Rivers annoys the shit out of me.

[gunnar hendershow]

I like how CBS was just like "you know? fuck it" and tried to keep a cam on Rivers the entire game.

[Meacon Keaton]

Rooting for Carolina and Denver tonight. Don't want the Chargers anywhere near the Superbowl, Philip Rivers annoys the shit out of me.

Is he saying, "Mabba-dadda-woo"?

[Maxx]

I've got to give the early edge to whatever team emerges from the NFC. Both teams have the kind of fantastic defense that can win a title, but both also have much better offenses than fantastic defensive teams usually have.

If its Seattle vs Denver, I have a hard time seeing the Broncos win that game. I give them a better chance against San Francisco. If New England gets in, which would be so very UGHHHHH, who the hell knows, on paper they shouldn't beat either NFC team, but I won't be surprised to see them dink and dunk their way to a title.

[livid]

I'm going to give the early, not-so-early and incredibly late edge to the NFC. Seriously, the AFC is garbage and either team that comes out of it is just going to be hit in the mouth so hard and often that they won't know what to do.

The NFC Championship is gonna be a tough game but I think the 49ers can pull out the win. They've been playing too well lately for me to think that they'll get overmatched against Seattle like they did at the beginning of the year. Should be a tough, close game though.

[Meacon Keaton]

I want Denver/Seattle just for the old AFC West flashbacks.

[gunnar hendershow]

Guy on the left = NFL Quarterback

Guy on the right = Challenger ranking in League of Legends

[thatshortguy]

Guy on the left = Teen Wolf

Guy on the right = Michael Richards

Regardless, I think Indy has nothing to be ashamed of. This can still be a scary team in '14 or '15.

[HC]

Whisenhunt took the Titans gig. Condolences to VP.

[livid]

Whisenhunt took the Titans gig. Condolences to VP.

To add insult to injury, the Lions apparently sent out the Fords private jet to pick him up.

[HC]

Wow. I would've taken the Detroit job, honestly. All the offensive building blocks are already in place. I don't know. He's from Georgia, so maybe he wanted to be closer to home in Tennessee or was offered more control in the organization.

[Mofoticon]

Lions are apparently focusing on Jim Caldwell now

Adam Schefter ‏@AdamSchefter 17m

Lions have spent day in talks with Ravens HC Jim Caldwell and Detroit has been focusing on him, via @mortreport and me.

Was very unimpressed with him as Colts HC...not sure why he'd get another job.

[livid]

Wow. I would've taken the Detroit job, honestly. All the offensive building blocks are already in place. I don't know. He's from Georgia, so maybe he wanted to be closer to home in Tennessee or was offered more control in the organization.

Yeah, I don't get it. I don't even really care about Stafford or Bush, the possibility of coaching an offense around Megatron is ridiculously enticing.

[gunnar hendershow]

Haha Schefter called him the Ravens HC.