Outside Topic what happens to ESPN

Outside Topic what happens to ESPN - Printable Version

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RE: OT: what happens to ESPN - stupac2 - 03-13-2020

(03-13-2020, 07:33 AM)OutsiderFan Wrote: I was thinking about this yesterday.

What about The Athletic? At least ESPN can put people in a studio and talk. They can do remote interviews of people on Skype and phone, but The Athletic is mostly about writing stories that give insight into the games being played.

Although there is this story:
[tweet]https://twitter.com/TheAthleticSF/status/1238324898780475392[/tweet]

I imagine most subscribers are on a yearly subscription and won't bother canceling for what should be a temporary lapse in news (I certainly won't). And it's not like there won't be news, NFL free agency and the draft should still happen, even if it's in modified form.

RE: OT: what happens to ESPN - BostonCard - 03-13-2020

(03-13-2020, 08:21 AM)Phogge Wrote: Ted Kosinski would never have contracted the virus.

The coronavirus would have contracted Chuck Norris.

BC

RE: OT: what happens to ESPN - ColoradoTree - 03-13-2020

I think ESPN can serve an incredibly valuable function by communicating the rationales for these closures and cessations of play to its audience, which may or may not be the same people compulsively watching the news to try and stay as up to speed as possible on the coronavirus. Joe Rogan did a really informative podcast interview with an epidemiologist the other day, and while I don't listen to his podcast, he has a very large audience, so important information is reaching people that might not otherwise be getting much of it through the evening news. ESPN has a massive reach, and one hopes they use it to communicate important information to people that could save lives, while still covering sports (and the current absence of them) in a way that reinforces that information.

That events aren't being held is a massive story. And it's a story they'll cover. Not sure how many eyeballs they'll get for it, but they'll cover it.

Human interest stories about how sports communities are banding together to help their local cities and towns deal with the pandemic. Interviews with players and league officials about what they're doing and how they're going to get ready, etc. Stories about the Olympics and whether they'll be held (and if so, when). Stories about the economic impact to communities by sports not being played. No highlights shows, obviously, but it could mean ESPN looks more like Bob Ley in the next few weeks than Stephen A. Smith. And I'd sure as heck watch that.

RE: OT: what happens to ESPN - Mick - 03-13-2020

(03-13-2020, 09:10 AM)BostonCard Wrote:
(03-13-2020, 08:21 AM)Phogge Wrote: Ted Kosinski would never have contracted the virus.

The coronavirus would have contracted Chuck Norris.

BC

Chuck Norris is 80. This one time, the coronavirus might have held the upper hand.

RE: OT: what happens to ESPN - winflop - 03-13-2020

(03-12-2020, 04:16 PM)BostonCard Wrote: I wonder if Bob Iger is thinking to myslef "man did I time my exit!"

I'm guessing there will be a lot of ESPN Classic.

BC

They will have to rename all of their stations ESPN Classic

(03-12-2020, 09:38 PM)Phogge Wrote: All tourneys' up to The Masters. Probably won't happen but stuff shirts run Augusta so anything is possible.

Masters has now been delayed to a later date. Wise decision

RE: OT: what happens to ESPN - M T - 03-13-2020

(03-13-2020, 07:50 AM)JohnR34231 Wrote: I was in the Navy in San Diego when [Bill Walton] was a HS phenom and a freshman at UCLA. He was described as somewhat of a shy, not particularly worldly guy. Things have definitely changed.

I was talking to a friend that created a product that has been a household word around the world for a handful of years. He is a bit of a basketball geek and was honorary captain(?) and sat on the bench at one Stanford game this year. His statement: "People often ask me what has been the best thing I got out of inventing X. It has been meeting & becoming friends with Bill Walton." He is really impressed with Bill Walton.

RE: OT: what happens to ESPN - fullmetal - 03-13-2020

(03-13-2020, 07:32 AM)martyup Wrote: They can just put Bill Walton in front of a camera and let him talk. Call it "Deep Thoughts From Bill Walton." That would easily fill all of the airtime for 6 months.

I'm in. For humor, let Mike Leach do the same.

RE: OT: what happens to ESPN - MVCard - 03-14-2020

Go all-in on e-Sports. Every console and gaming PC in America is going to be busy with so many kids and college students staying home. Start with Rocket League Championship Series (there is a pro league for that). Whatever is cool today in the League Of Legends genre. Show sidelined soccer players battling each other in FIFA.

RE: what happens to ESPN - TreeWeird - 03-15-2020

I'm not a horseracing fan myself, but Golden Gate Fields and Santa Anita are still running, albeit with no spectators at the venues. I have to imagine that the minimum number of jockeys, trainers, grooms, officials, etc necessary to run a day of racing is well in excess of those needed to play a basketball game. Maybe the racing industry thinks their PR can't get any worse.

As to e-sports, I agree in general they will get a boost, although my 20-something son (who is scary knowledgeable in this area) tells me that the top pro tournaments require players and officials to be in one place at the same time to ensure a level "playing field" with respect to network capabilities and whatnot, as well as to deter cheating.

RE: what happens to ESPN - baymeadows3408 - 03-15-2020

(03-15-2020, 01:24 PM)TreeWeird Wrote: I'm not a horseracing fan myself, but Golden Gate Fields and Santa Anita are still running, albeit with no spectators at the venues. I have to imagine that the minimum number of jockeys, trainers, grooms, officials, etc necessary to run a day of racing is well in excess of those needed to play a basketball game.

I used to work in horse racing (including at Golden Gate Fields), so I'm going to share my take on the situation.

It does take a decent number of people to put on the show in horse racing, but most people are kept in groups that don't interact much with each other.

I'll start with track workers. The stewards (lead officials) and placing judges are isolated on the roof. The starting gate and track maintenance crews don't interact with other employees. You don't need concession workers and only need a small number of betting clerks (to take bets from trainers, owners, and grooms and hotwalkers).

The jockeys stay sequestered in the jockeys' room during the race card. They are only interacting with each other.

There is a decent amount of human interaction that goes into the daily care of the horses. Trainers oversee staffs consisting of assistants, foremen, grooms, and hotwalkers. However, this care must continue because the horses need to be fed and taken out of their stalls to exercise and their stalls need to be cleaned. These people must keep interacting with each other to do their jobs. Most grooms and hotwalkers live in dorms at the track, so it's a fairly enclosed ecosystem. If a trainer and a groom work with each other in the morning, then there is no additional risk to having them saddle a horse together for a race in the afternoon.

I think horse racing can be conducted safely if everybody goes to the track, does their jobs, and then goes home. Racing, however, has two major problems to confront. One: Public perception. Racing has been hammered by bad PR in the past year and it's not a good look to continue operations when everything else is shut down. Two: Although spectators have been barred from the track, people have still been able to bet on races at off-track facilities, which are now shutting down. The revenue stream is about to dry up, and online betting alone can't make up for that.

Things are about to get very interesting in horse racing, which has been in wobbly shape from an economic and PR standpoint. Will the Triple Crown races be held without spectators present? Will the Triple Crown races get pushed back, and what sort of impact will that have on the rest of the racing calendar? Will racing be suspended at tracks this week, and for how long? What will happen to the horses if there are no races being conducted and trainers and owners won't be able to earn purse money? In the worst-case scenario, I can see it getting really ugly for the animals.

RE: OT: what happens to ESPN - rudruff - 03-15-2020

(03-13-2020, 07:50 AM)JohnR34231 Wrote:
(03-13-2020, 07:32 AM)martyup Wrote: They can just put Bill Walton in front of a camera and let him talk. Call it "Deep Thoughts From Bill Walton." That would easily fill all of the airtime for 6 months.

Haven't seen Bill on the tube for quite a while but I certainly remember him as a guy who had an opinion on everything and loved to express it.
I was in the Navy in San Diego when he was a HS phenom and a freshman at UCLA. He was described as somewhat of a shy, not particularly worldly guy. Things have definitely changed.

What did you do in the Navy? I was Sub Supply Officer in Norfolk for 3 years.