The SkyCast version of the Ringo pick-six is sublime.
The way Gawd intended for us to enjoy that.
Honestly, I would pay extra for an ESPN SkyCast channel. I really would.
Category Archives: ESPN Is The Devil
Gotta do something.
You know what this means.
On Monday, Georgia won its first national title since 1980, which was watched by an average of 22.6 million viewers.
The good news for ESPN appears to be that ratings for Georgia’s 33â18 win over Alabama were up from last season’s title game. However, that matchup between Alabama and Ohio State produced the worst ratings of the playoff era with an average of 18.6 million viewers.
Monday’s national championship comes in as the second-lowest viewership of the playoff era, and the second-lowest title game viewership in 16 years.
Save us, expanded playoffs! You’re our only hope.
College football overlords are telling themselves that (so is ESPN) while conveniently ignoring recent history.
By comparison, the 2018 national championship between Alabama and Georgia drew 28.4 million viewers. Meanwhile, the SEC championship between the two rivals last month hit 17.9 million viewers, making it the highest rated non-bowl game this season, per Sports Media Watch.
The inaugural CFP national championship in 2015 between Oregon and Ohio State still holds the record for the highest viewership of the playoff era with an average of 34.2 million viewers.
Guess what? Those shiny new toys lose their shine. Meanwhile, the regional passions that have fueled the sport for decades remain strong.
Naturally, that means the idiots running the sport think the future is in watering down the postseason even further. I’d put up the “Bold strategy, Cotton, let’s see if it pays off for ’em” gif here, but I think we already know.
Filed under BCS/Playoffs, ESPN Is The Devil
Your national championship drinking game
Andy Staples ($$) outlines a list of prop bets for the game, but I think they serve just as well for the header’s purpose. They are:
- 1980, the last time Georgia won the national title game
- Second-and-26: Replays and mentions
- Nick Saban remains (nearly) unbeatable against his former assistants
- Nick Saban smiles ⌠during the game
- Mentions of Stetson Bennett as Baker Mayfield
- Cutaway shots to J.T. Daniels
- Tagovailoa-for-Hurts in 2018 (and vice versa the next season)
- In-game shots of Uga X
Bottoms up! (Add any additional suggestions that come to mind in the comments.)
Filed under Alabama, ESPN Is The Devil, Georgia Football
For your Monday night viewing pleasure
Here’s the ESPN viewing menu for the national championship game:
Nothing but Jimbo Fisher in the Film Room? Has ESPN listened much to the way Jimbo talks?
Filed under ESPN Is The Devil
Do the right thing.
Seriously, WTF is with ESPN’s sudden fixation with player opt-outs? First we had Herbie’s cranky “I just think this era of player doesnât love football” observation. In response to that, Desmond Howard offered this ($$):
âTheir whole mentality is all about the championship or the Playoff. Because of that, they donât value the bowl game. When we were coming up, Herbstreit and myself, going to a bowl game was a huge reward for a fantastic season. Thatâs what it meant. Your team played this well so youâre going to be rewarded with a bowl game, youâre going to get a ring, youâre going to get swag. Now, kids donât really care about that. They have a sense of entitlement. Itâs like, âIf weâre not going to the one that matters, it just doesnât have as much valueâ â like it did for us coming up.â
Thanks, Gramps.
But the topper came during last night’s Sugar Bowl, when Joe Tessitore felt compelled to share his thoughts on the matter after Matt Corral was knocked out of the game with a leg injury.
He’s doing it the right way, unlike those selfish kids who are depriving Joe Tessitore and his employer of their entertainment services during bowl season. Never mind that it’s Mickey who’s been feeding these players, along with the general public, a steady stream of bullshit about how it’s only the CFP that matters now.
It shouldn’t have to be said, but as long as a player is making a free career choice, there is no wrong way. And if ESPN isn’t commercially satisfied with that situation, it’s certainly free to make an offer to influence that choice. In the meantime, its talking heads can shove their moral judgments straight up their collective asses.
Filed under ESPN Is The Devil, It's Just Bidness
“Back in my day…”
Kirk Herbstreit professes to be ignorant about the motivations of today’s yoots.
It’s the air quotes around “meaningless” that really sells it. Dude, it’s your employer who drove the meaningless bus by promoting the CFP as the be all and end all of college football, and you ought to know that better than anyone, because it’s your ass they drag out for those meaningless — air quotes not provided — weekly selection committee shows that are nothing but broadcast fodder.
At least you know what Kirk’s gonna sound like in a couple of decades when he’s chasing the neighbors’ kids out of his yard.
Filed under BCS/Playoffs, ESPN Is The Devil
I got ‘yer guest picker right here.
ESPN steps up their GameDay game with this.
Filed under ESPN Is The Devil, Georgia Football
Battle of the titans
Confession time: I’m not getting all the angst over this. If you’re a YouTube TV “member” — WTF is with that anyway, Google? We’re customers, not club members — just cancel your subscription and take up with another streaming service. Easy peasy.
If any of y’all out there are contemplating such a move, or have already undertaken one, please share in the comments where you’ve been looking.
Filed under ESPN Is The Devil
Today, in the Herbstreit Doctrine
Shot.
Chaser.
You knew Herbie’s panties were going to be in a wad seeing Cinci make it into the CFP field and his beloved Buckeyes not, so the sarcasm falls especially flat.
Even better, he’s getting his ass owned all over social media right now. Too bad it won’t affect his influence.
Get The Picture 
You must be logged in to post a comment.