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An ESPN boycott [PERMALINK]
Tim Kawakami of the San Jose Mercury-News writes that he's boycotting ESPN -- for as long as he can.
"I'm boycotting ESPN because it's the only game in sports-TV journalism and, like all monopolies, has gotten bloated and maddeningly self-absorbed," he wrote in his column Thursday. "I'm boycotting ESPN because I want to know if I can. I'm boycotting ESPN because it has become as omnipresent and dangerous as Microsoft, and it takes a conscious effort to avoid the brand."
We've been talking about this stuff around these parts lately, to the point where one reader politely suggested: "Move on!"
But how can we? This column is about sports fandom, and for all but a few of us with nothing but time and disposable income, being a sports fan means having an intimate relationship with television. A thinking sports fan not talking about TV, even obsessing over it a little bit, would be like a skydiver never talking about parachutes. It's kinda central.
"ESPN has always had a split personality," Kawakami writes. "Good ESPN, with tremendous reporters, excellent game coverage and a sense of responsibility; and Bad ESPN, which believes that the only way to cut through the clutter is to SHOUT LOUDER AND LOUDER and produce dumber and dumber shows." He argues that the Bad ESPN has overtaken the Good ESPN.
Kawakami goes on: "Eventually, there will be major ESPN backlash, I don't know if it's coming yet, but I know I want to be out there first, because I want to be on the side with a soul." He writes that he'll let us all know when he relapses.
I'm unqualified to say whether ESPN really is as dangerous as Microsoft. I suspect not. But it's no secret I'm often unhappy with the ESPN approach. I'm not joining Kawakami's boycott -- he wrote that he's not interested in recruiting anyone to join him -- but I guess I already boycott most of ESPN anyway.
I have no time for its slew of silly game shows and yackfests, and nowadays I even skip "SportsCenter" unless some huge story is breaking, because I don't want to sit through the game shows and pointless yackfests that have been incorporated. That's not to mention the obnoxious "look at me!" routines of most of the anchors. I'm not interested in watching televised poker, so that's a de facto boycott of about 22 hours a day right there.
But ESPN does what it does well very well. It shows a lot of live ballgames, and, quibbles aside, it does an excellent job. The analysis shows are of varying quality, but that ranges all the way up to excellent, namely that football weekend preview show with Suzi Kolber and Ron Jaworski, the name of which changes with the sponsor from time to time. I like "Pardon the Interruption" because I just think Tony Kornheiser is a wacked genius, though of all the things he does -- columnist, TV host, radio host -- I think what he does best is radio, which he's quit doing.
If a boycott, however small, can get rid of the dross, the "Cold Pizza" and the Chris Berman and the Budweiser Hot Seat and the "Around the Horn," I'm all for it. I'm not holding my breath or anything.
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The Sports Daily Table Talk thread [PERMALINK]
Following in the footsteps of actually talented Salon columnists Cary Tennis and Heather Havrilesky, I've started a Table Talk thread that will serve as a discussion forum for this column.
Please stop by and offer your thoughts on the day's column, the day's sports events, the day's weather or anything else you want to talk about that day, up to and including Boots Day, Morris Day, Doris Day and "The Day the Earth Stood Still." But not Pat Studstill. We have standards.
In spite of that, I'll be dropping in when I can.
Previous column: "Moneyball" and the NBA
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About the writer
King Kaufman is a senior writer for Salon. Visit his column archive.
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