The award for the most ridiculous, self-absorbed, overzealous all sports entertainment network in the world goes to...
ESPN, for the 10th year running.
They have once again proven that outside the 4 major sports, Tiger Woods, and the Williams sisters, you're really not much of an athlete. Unless you count token consideration of Cael Sanderson and -ahem- Sarah Hughes (don't even get me started on figure skating).
No offense to college athlete of the year Sue Bird (UConn BB) but a certain swimmer from Cal who set at least 6 AR and 1 WR over the short course season would have had my vote.
Anyone else? Natalie Coughlin, female college athlete of the year as awarded by the USMS discussion crew?
-RM
Parents
Former Member
aqua,
the TV bosses don't know much about sports, but decide the sports shows anyway based on the local sterotypes of a place, and overwhelm the population with their cliches, then care about resulting ratings and commercial revenue; the population follows gullibly; I lived in Romania for 18 years, France for 11, Canada for 6 and US for 6, and saw it being done in each country to the level of the local popular culture of a few decision makers for TV.
A good example is the 2000 US Olympic Trials in swimming, a poorly made ESPN program, which for example was showing from the 14.59.xx in 1500 free by Erik Vendt just a few finishing strokes. All athletes who prepared it, stepped on the blocks and raced it from start to finish, were't shown, and this is the fault of the TV commentator, who knows better than the ESPN bossses since is a famous swimmer, but didn't stand up to educate the ESPN bosses and defend swimming for a better prepared coverage.
aqua,
the TV bosses don't know much about sports, but decide the sports shows anyway based on the local sterotypes of a place, and overwhelm the population with their cliches, then care about resulting ratings and commercial revenue; the population follows gullibly; I lived in Romania for 18 years, France for 11, Canada for 6 and US for 6, and saw it being done in each country to the level of the local popular culture of a few decision makers for TV.
A good example is the 2000 US Olympic Trials in swimming, a poorly made ESPN program, which for example was showing from the 14.59.xx in 1500 free by Erik Vendt just a few finishing strokes. All athletes who prepared it, stepped on the blocks and raced it from start to finish, were't shown, and this is the fault of the TV commentator, who knows better than the ESPN bossses since is a famous swimmer, but didn't stand up to educate the ESPN bosses and defend swimming for a better prepared coverage.
