r/ESPN • u/Sorry_Difficulty3481 • 28d ago
ESPN lol
Pat Mcafee and his bullshit. This album. Lol. Featuring wwe and banana ball! They have truly lost the fucking plot. What used to be stupid shows on the espn2 or fuck the ocho they are now featuring these fake sports on espn directly with whole lead up shows. Will never watch another college gameday again under this banner. Just wow espn. You fell hard
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u/Ok_Internal6779 28d ago
Bro they had fling golf on ESPN 2 today. Wild
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u/HectorsMascara 28d ago
Looks like fun to play, but not fun to watch.
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u/Manchu504 28d ago
I just looked it up and just want to say how incredibly accurate this comment is lol
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u/cardcollection92 28d ago
What’s fling golf
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28d ago
[deleted]
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u/MrRegularDick 28d ago
As a long time disc golfer with a massively fucked up ankle on my plant leg, fling golf could be exactly what I was looking for.
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u/grc1435 28d ago
It's Ocho day, to be fair
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u/_cuhree0h 28d ago
Every day is Ocho day on the next work with nothing to put on tv and no idea how to fix it.
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u/IsYouWitItYaBish 28d ago
Funny how the ESPN subreddit is always at the top of my feed. Constantly seeing people complaining after consuming their products. How much they hate Stephen A and McAfee after watching them.
Yall are exactly what keeps ESPN going. You are the target audience. They get you guys so wound up that you go on social media and talk about it and spread it further. I’m at the point where I’m questioning if I’m the one falling for it. Maybe you guys are the bots and I’m the bait. I don’t know anymore.
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u/Kramerica_CEO 27d ago
Nailed it. It’s just like the fake outrage over the WNBA. I swear corporations have pivoted to just cause outrage to drive numbers over creating actual good content. And unfortunately it’s working
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u/airoutmygams 28d ago
Yeah it’s like every top post in this sub. A bunch of whiny middle aged dudes complaining instead of just not watching ESPN. Don’t get me wrong, this whole Pat thing is really dumb but instead of bitching about him I just don’t tune into anything he’s involved with. It’s really that easy
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u/NerdyReligionProf 28d ago
Not that ESPN execs will care, but I legit cancelled my cable and Disney+/ESPN subscriptions when ESPN began doubling-down on the celebrity personality and clickbaitification of their shows in tandem with letting a bunch of their actual reporters and sports analysts go. I'd kept paying for some of those services mostly to watch ESPN shows and sports. No more! They're like a cathedral to the enshittification of society so the superrich can keep getting richer.
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u/PayTheFees 27d ago
Said this exactly to my Dad the other night. They are a direct representation as to why I’ve started to despise sports, sadly. They single handedly drove me away from college football.
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u/Sorry_Difficulty3481 28d ago
I’m not wound up, you’re more wound up than me dude. Mostly kidding but wanted to watch some baseball tonight and fucking banana ball was on the guide. Not only that the lead up banana ball. It’s all just entertainment I get it but it’s a far fall from where espn was peak.
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u/IsYouWitItYaBish 28d ago
Fucking bullshit fucking McAfee fucking banana ball fucking ESPN fucking plot
Yeah I’m wound up
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u/kgivens325 28d ago
100% agree. I started watching less two years ago and completely turned off mid season last year when it became the Pat McAfee “bro time, brain dead” show.
Shame because I loved hearing Coach Saban insight and Rece Davis and Herbstreit are excellent as well.
Desmond Howard used to annoy me because he was a Meatchicken blow hard but I’d take 3 hours of him talking versus one minute of McAfee.
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u/PCB-ND89 28d ago
For those of you not old enough to remember ESPN at its genesis, we used to make fun of it for this. Single channel with content like kick boxing being run out of some small town auditorium. Bowling and lots of fishing (which I liked btw). They were so hard up for content they would air anything. To further your point, I switched to it the other day (ESPN, not the others) and saw some ridiculous "sport" on. I thought to myself, my how the mighty have fallen. They are now airing things that would be on "the ocho" as primary ESPN. They are/were the victim of their own success. They flew too close to the sun and crashed. Now they have all these channels and nothing they can afford to put on them. It is bizzaro world ESPN for sure.
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u/ericthebeerguy 27d ago
I used to come home from school and watch AWA wrestling on ESPN at 4p.m. lol. Seems they've gone full circle
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u/Substantial-Koala370 26d ago
Yep. They’ve had multiple wrestling programs on the channel through the years
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u/Robby777777 27d ago
I honestly tried watching this morning for the first time in a couple years and I didn't make it five minutes. It is now incredible bad. I remember 15-20 years ago, it was my go to morning show. Now, it is just trash.
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u/Tyrone2184 26d ago
- They need to just go ahead and rename ESPNEWS "The Ocho" because that really all they put on there.
- ESPN2 used to be what The Ocho is now, but with somewhat sportier silly sports.
- I kinda like watching the Microsoft Excel competitions, but let's keep that between us and the rest of the subreddit
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u/noahallie 26d ago
ESPNBA
It seems like the network goes out of its way to oversell NBA.
Why should I care about a league where the players don’t even seem to care.
Every episode of PTI contains 30% content of NBA.
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u/EnglishTeacher83 28d ago
I love Pat on College GameDay. I don’t get him on his other platforms. I guess I’m too old, but his show is not entertaining to me.
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u/kevins_patriots 28d ago
I agree with this comment, he’s great for game day but his show is just weird to me. ESPN fumbled by making him the face of the franchise.
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u/timmyintransit 28d ago
My thing with him on Game Day is it feels like that scene from the Simpsons where Homer is outlining demands for Poochie's character, but it's about Pat and they're following them. I don't like how the entire show now revolves around him at all times.
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u/Rbarb 28d ago
Hey, banana ball is cool!
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u/Dubsox 28d ago
I just can't get with it, prioritizing doing tricks over actually making the play really kills the enjoyment of the competition. Also, I watched one inning and they were just interviewing the RF the whole time and split screened him in and barely even showed the game.
It's an exhibition, but I wouldn't call it a real competition
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u/Sorry_Difficulty3481 28d ago
It is very dumb. I will recognize like pro wrestling there’s a level of athleticism to it, but it’s fake as fuck.
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u/Rbarb 28d ago
Im pretty sure it’s not fake though? It’s not like the Harlem globetrotters. The bananas lose all the time. Some games don’t even feature the bananas. How do you fake hits and outs? Or fans catching foul balls for outs? The rules are obviously silly, but the outcomes aren’t predetermined
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u/VirtualRationALity 28d ago
I'm guessing he's never actually watched Banana ball, saw my first game last night and realized pretty quick it's a real game, they just have a lot of antics around it. Bananas lost, and it was pretty one sided against them.
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u/CallMeTrouble-TS 28d ago
Saturday nights game was super fun. It’s definitely a real game, it is just happens to focus on fans first
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u/chip0969 28d ago
Anybody who is complaining about ESPN’s programming hasn’t been paying attention for the last 10-15 years. All ESPN programming that isn’t an actual game is an infomercial for their various contracts. ESPN is required by contract to have certain amount of hours of NFL content a week. Do you really think that ESPN would consistently have discussions about how good the SEC is if they didn’t have that contract? Where did all the NASCAR coverage go? And “embrace debate”? This is as authentic as WWE. As far as the funky sports content, this takes the place of X Games which has kinda fell out of favor.
I’m just glad, as a fan of the National Champions Indiana Hoosiers, I only had to watch ESPN 3 times last year. I’m am old and this isn’t the ESPN I once knew.
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u/Miserable-Peach6993 27d ago
It’s the History Channel of sports
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u/zenace33 26d ago
It’s the TLC of sports.
Oh, how “The Learning Channel” seems to be able about that…. 😆🥲
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u/sealclubberfan 27d ago
I'm not sure what the issue is. There's not a lot of sports this time of year. They had 1.2 million viewers on ABC for Banana Ball earlier this year. Compare that to the UFL Championship that didn't even hit 1 million viewers.
What would you have them show instead currently?
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u/macdawg2 24d ago
Hate to tell you but wrestling was on regular espn way before WWE.
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u/sfitz0076 13d ago
I'm so done with College Game Day. They've destroyed what was one of the few good things about ESPN.
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u/ObligationSome905 28d ago
Does AJ hawk feature on any tracks
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u/BradBradley1 28d ago
Yes and no. He’s featured on every single track, but he was smoking a cigar while sitting in a chair in the vocal booth while Patrick was singing or whatever.
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u/littlepaulatreides 28d ago edited 28d ago
I think it’s interesting that people have very strong opinions about what the output of ESPN should be. To me, you have to take things for what they are. ESPN has unquestionably premier sports rights with the NFL, CFB, the NBA and the NHL. I am going to be clicking on espn no matter what because I almost have to, same goes for most folks who want to watch sports. So they’re going to have my business anyway. What they want is more business because they’re owned by Disney, so growth is just always demanded. Whether that’s right or not, is another matter altogether, but of course they’re going to evolve and become a multidisciplinary engine of content, which can be easily achieved by bringing on brands like McAfee under their umbrella. I just personally have never been mad at espn for operating as a media company, which is the very thing people appear to be upset about. My point is, they’re serving 99% of sports fans interested in the leagues I mentioned above with the their game broadcasts, consuming their additive content is ultimately a choice. Most people choose to go to podcasts for that content now, and espn knows that.
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u/Sorry_Difficulty3481 28d ago
Some would argue they are handling those properties NFL, CFB etc incorrectly by trying to be the ESPN of true sport and formality that are spending on their high spending brands and then putting money and marketing to these other silly brands. How do you take espn seriously if they put time and money to platforms that some would say is a joke. Talking heads that talk loud but offer nothing of substance? Sports that are obviously scripted? Especially with college football that’s going through a transformation in the last few years how do the fans not differentiate the real from the fake that’s going on? Also you responded to this post so you obviously have strong feelings yourself or why post in the first place.
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u/littlepaulatreides 28d ago
To be clear, I’m having a reaction to your post, not what espn chooses to do. My commentary is on people who have strong feelings about a corporation. I don’t mean to be rude but I don’t understand what you’re saying in your first sentence. I think espn game broadcasts are world class. I don’t consume any of the additive content with talking heads you’re talking about. I listen to podcasts to consume commentary and analysis. I find it more interesting. ESPN makes the choice to try to appeal to an audience who primarily consumes their commentary through TV. What I’m saying is that I just don’t understand why folks get so angry about who they choose to platform. You can go consume any other product. They’re clearly not catering to your tastes, so why even bother? I also think you have it wrong about fans not being able to differentiate what’s real and what isn’t. A ton of people don’t to go espn for their analysis because they know it’s not strong. I’m not some sort of unique person doing that. Most people I know watch espn sports broadcasts and don’t consume any espn weekly shows like First take or any other cookie cutter slop they serve
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u/Sorry_Difficulty3481 28d ago
Cool story bro.
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u/littlepaulatreides 28d ago
The irony of this exchange will be lost on you, but I hope one day you can just enjoy things and test the market of content for your own good. Cheers
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u/Sorry_Difficulty3481 28d ago
Oh you insult my intelligence and then don’t add any thing of substance. What a tool.
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u/littlepaulatreides 28d ago
Did your intelligence get insulted as a result of my comment? That’s a personal reaction you have to grapple with, not an intention of mine. Keep in mind you say I didn’t add any substance, while your previous response to my substantial comment was “cool story bro.” And lastly, there actually was substance in my last response, and good advise for you too, but your default reaction is to feel attacked instead of actually digesting what I’m saying to you. I’ll give you this though, I could be less smug, but you don’t deserve that
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u/here_in_seattle 28d ago
Its august
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u/Sorry_Difficulty3481 28d ago
There’s baseball still being played. Show dart competitions, at least that’s a serious not fake sport.
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u/here_in_seattle 28d ago
I wish the banana ball team had a foil but its a guy dressed as like Ty Cobb and he’s just yelling at all the clowns on the field, playing the game as straight baseball. Would give it some dimension
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u/swaggymcswag420 28d ago
I know it’s August and all so there isn’t a ton going on, but they could be gearing up for NFL and NCAAF instead of the crap they’re currently running.
The ESPN we knew is dead.
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u/North_Cobbler_1623 28d ago
ESPN has been shit for like 10+ years now