It’s week two. Let’s get controversial. I think it’s time we hit ourselves where it hurts and have the gumption to discuss touchy matters.
Don’t be alarmed, but I’m reaching into a certain subject area that plagues the bulk of the male populace. It usually hits us at our early teenage years, at which point we embark upon a struggle that often permeates adulthood. But I’m afraid it’s getting worse in this technological age. This summer I witnessed this problem firsthand.
One day, I walked into a room and found a 14-year-old boy, whom I barely knew, amid this problem.
I didn’t say anything, and I wasn’t shocked … at first.
But without hesitation, he told me that this was his third time watching so far that day.
It was 10:30 a.m.
I could not believe he was already watching the same episode of “SportsCenter” for the third time. Not once or twice, but bloody thrice!
I can’t condemn this child, since I know I struggled with it when I was younger myself. But come on! Watching “SportsCenter” over and over is something you did when you stayed home from school and Bob Barker just wasn’t doing it for you that day.
I admit, Drew Carey never suffices these days, but my point is still strong. ESPN is a conspiracy. It consumes our minds to the point of dependency.
The network self-proclaims to be the worldwide leader in sports. And based on just about everything, it is. But I can’t stand it.
That’s not to say I don’t watch it — I just wish I didn’t.
Stick with me on this.
It’s clear that comparable competition for ESPN is nonexistent. “Fox Sports Net” and “Comcast SportsNet” try, but their efforts are abysmal, to be generous.
Back when “Best Damn Sports Show Period” was on air, I was periodically, on occasion, sometimes, sporadically, rarely able to watch a sports show that wasn’t on the ESPN network. Don’t get me wrong, because I liked that show. But there’s a reason why the country Greenland called itself Greenland instead of Iceland. Tom Arnold was no Chris Berman.
Like all the rest, “Best Damn’s” demise reiterates that unless something can garner more popularity than “SportsCenter,” nobody can compete with ESPN. Thus, ESPN maintains a stranglehold on the sporting world — and more importantly, on its spectators.
But ESPN abuses its power by telling the nation what to think about, and how to think about it. This is called agenda setting.
Since ESPN knows it’s the everlasting resource for fans, it decides what’s important. Consider this.
The minute after the Green Bay Packers won the Superbowl, the second item on “SportsCenter’s” rundown was “Forgetting Favre.” Please realize this was nationally televised.
Maybe people around here cared about shoving it in Brett’s face, but imagine a random 49ers or Panthers fan. Actually, think about someone who doesn’t follow the NFL but watched “SportsCenter” to see the result of the game. Imagine this person’s confusion about why someone who used to play on the winning team FOUR seasons ago is even noteworthy.
If ESPN hadn’t sensationalized Favre, nobody except people with feelings of misplaced hate and betrayal in one state out of 50 would have cared.
A competitive news source reports on reality. One without competition, however, creates reality. I obviously know how this works because I got an A in “Philosophy of Scandal Ethics in the Media” last semester.
If you watch “SportsCenter” on days when nothing big happens, you’ll understand how some of the dumbest ideas can seem like pressing issues. Only ESPN can make Maryland’s new football uniform permutations more important than the football.
We shrug off this codswallop because we’re addicted to ESPN. And we’re addicted to it because it is the opinion leader. And as the opinion leader, ESPN and its affiliates have all the good television contracts and licenses to maintain their power.
We can’t escape it, so we keep it going. It’s a vicious, gate-keeping perpetuation.
It’s ESPN’s world. We’re just watching it.
Over and over and over.
I must say, though, if there’s anyone out there who watches ESPN “First Take,” what’s wrong with you?