The Death of ESPN--NY Post

"MONDAY night on ESPN, the all- sports network that has quit on sports fans in favor of everyone and everything else...these days, ESPN's bus to Stupidtown - far, far from the game - leaves every few minutes. All aboard!

In the second quarter, ESPN's Steve Young,

• this week's special in-booth guest/needless distraction, was asked to assess Miami's QB situation. He suggested injured Dolphins QB Daunte Culpepper lacks dedication. "I see where he's been missing meetings," said Young.
• In the fourth quarter, after Culpepper, who heard Young's comment, confronted Young off-air to tell him that he doesn't know what he's talking (to a national audience) about - he had not missed any team meetings other than when he had knee surgery - Theismann issued a clarification on Young's behalf.

• That, too, is typical of the new ESPN, where ex-star players are hired by the ton, then thrown on national TV to say anything about anyone, no accountability needed,
• as if it's one big blog. Last year, Young declared that Chris Simms was disadvantaged by his soft upbringing, which not only enraged Chris's dad, Phil, it was a terrible guess presented as insight.

  ****But all of the above is representative of why ESPN is our TV Story Of The Year. What ESPN has long been moving toward -

• its self-destruction as a cherished sports network - was, in 2006, nearly completed."

(From Phil Mushnick's column, NY Post 12/29/06)

• FILLED WITH FACTUAL ERRORS WHICH ARE NEVER CORRECTED, BUT FOR WHICH SPONSORS AND VIEWERS HAVE PAID MILLIONS---VIEWERS WITH THE FINITE AND IRRETRIEVABLE HOURS OF THEIR LIVES---MUSHNICK SAYS ESPN IS LIKE "ONE BIG BLOG." HOW TRUE, EXCEPT ACTUAL 'BLOGS' OFTEN TAKE NO MONEY FROM ANYONE AND ARE CONCERNED WITH ACCURACY AND ACCOUNTABILITY ABOVE ALL.

ESPN IS ACCOUNTABLE TO NO ONE.

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