ESPN gives Kenny Mayne the pink slip... his Buffalo visit was memorable

[Gugny]

6 hours ago, BruceVilanch said:

Oh yeah, I still watch Rich, I just meant every person from ESPN. Is Linda Cohn still around?

 

I haven't watched SportsCenter in years, but I googled and she is still with ESPN.

 

That Scott Van Pelt guy gives me the willies.  Not sure what it is about him, but I can't stand to look at/listen to him.

 

Kind of like when Sean Salisbury used to stare into my soul through the television.  I'm still scarred from that.

[RiotAct]

Kenny, mayne!!!

[BillsShredder83]

9 hours ago, BruceVilanch said:

Man, I'm in 36 and now every anchor I grew up watching is gone. 

Yeah I thought "my childhood is fully dead" over there

[oldmanfan]

ESPN figured out what they were doing right, then fixed it.

[Ridgewaycynic2013]

16 minutes ago, oldmanfan said:

ESPN figured out what they were doing right, then fixed it.

Looking at some of my previous employers, I just found my new favourite saying! 😁

[dollars 2 donuts]

9 hours ago, Royale with Cheese said:

And yet, the girl who went to my high school that I used to be friends with was promoted to the 6:00 pm show.

A non-name drop, name drop.

 

Nice!

 

Classy, because it’s like my friend Bruce Willis used to tell me, “Never name drop.”

Edited May 11, 2021 by dollars 2 donuts

[ALLEN1QB]

Hopefully Keyshawn Johnson will be next. He comes across as extremely arrogant refuse to listen. Bring back Mike Golic please!

Edited May 11, 2021 by ALLEN1QB

[CSBill]

4 minutes ago, ALLEN1QB said:

Hopefully Keyshawn Johnson will be next. He comes across as extremely arrogant refuse to listen. Bring back Mike Golic please!

 

No judgment on him as a person, but I cannot listen to him on the radio. It is just awful. I purposely listen to something else on my morning commute.

 

In the words of Elvis Costello: "I've tried and I've tried and I'm still mystified, I can't do it anymore and I'm not satisfied!"

[Gordio]

10 hours ago, Augie said:

 

I like that they are making it a clean sweep getting rid of everyone who was any good whatsoever. A few more to go. Mike & Mike was the best thing they had left. 

 

Hoping they hold onto Booger since he so convincingly described how the clean Cody Ford block was clearly a penalty in the Houston playoff game. 

 

 

.

 

 

Totally agree, ESPN is good for one thing & one thing only and that is they still offer an abundant of live college football and college basketball games.  I guess you could throw the NBA in there to but I havent watched an NBA game in years so that is irrelevant to me.   There opinion talk shows suck.  Not sure why anyone would care to listen to Stephon A Smith and Max Kellerman.  I do like Jay Greenburgh.

[zonabb]

People watch ESPN? I can barely stomach 5 minutes of sports talk radio, be it WGR or ESPN. The constant need to scream takes makes it a cartoon profession. And ESPN basically turned into a giant ad for the NBA, primarily, and NFL secondarily. They minimized baseball and hockey and that cost them audience. They're biggest problem is, they de-professionalized what they do. They perpetually aim for 18-24 year old males and pop/hip hop culture, which excludes many people. So by trying too over tune for a specific young demographic, they turn off many sports fans who don't need or want to be shouted at by Stephen A. Smith of any of the other idiots on those shows. When screaming and talking over each other became the focus of their shows, it was over for me. Stuart Scott, rest his soul, and Berman, started the cartoonish nature of sports and ruined it for me. I watch more English Premier League stuff than NFL stuff by a mile. Guess I'm the bad guy for wanting intelligent, reasoned, analytical, detailed takes by people who know the game inside and out between the lines. Premier League pregame shows, halftime shows, and broadcasts put any show and league broadcast in this country to shame. 

 

Old media is old media... it's dying and I'm here for it.

 

[Gordio]

8 hours ago, The Dean said:

 

 

I thought his "humor" was wanting. I felt like he was insulting my intelligence just about every time he opened his mouth. I know some others who feel similarly. But apparently some found him humorous. 

 

 

Agreed, didn't think he was funny at all.  He was fine on the earlier sportscenters but his role there now was downright miserable to watch.

[Gordio]

7 minutes ago, zonabb said:

People watch ESPN? I can barely stomach 5 minutes of sports talk radio, be it WGR or ESPN. The constant need to scream takes makes it a cartoon profession. And ESPN basically turned into a giant ad for the NBA, primarily, and NFL secondarily. They minimized baseball and hockey and that cost them audience. They're biggest problem is, they de-professionalized what they do. They perpetually aim for 18-24 year old males and pop/hip hop culture, which excludes many people. So by trying too over tune for a specific young demographic, they turn off many sports fans who don't need or want to be shouted at by Stephen A. Smith of any of the other idiots on those shows. When screaming and talking over each other became the focus of their shows, it was over for me. Stuart Scott, rest his soul, and Berman, started the cartoonish nature of sports and ruined it for me. I watch more English Premier League stuff than NFL stuff by a mile. Guess I'm the bad guy for wanting intelligent, reasoned, analytical, detailed takes by people who know the game inside and out between the lines. Premier League pregame shows, halftime shows, and broadcasts put any show and league broadcast in this country to shame. 

 

Old media is old media... it's dying and I'm here for it.

 

 

 

Totally agree, sportcenter used to be much watch TV for me but I very rarely watch it anymore.  Their College Gamedays are terrific both for football and basketball.  I enjoy still watching them.  If live college sports was to abandon ESPN, I probably would not watch it at all.  I do watch PTI if I catch it when I flip thru the channels.  Wilbon & TK are still two of the best in the business.

[dpberr]

Kenny Mayne was the bizarre uncle of those early ESPN hosts.  When I hear his name anywhere, all I hear is his famous meats and cheeses line which always made me laugh.

 

 

[Steve O]

11 hours ago, Gugny said:

 

The brown bear is a large bear species found across Eurasia and North America. In North America, the populations of brown bears are called grizzly bears, while the subspecies that inhabits the Kodiak Islands of Alaska is known as the Kodiak bear.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PjroTXtMtIA

Couldn't resist linking this scene from strange wilderness...tells you all you need to know about bears

[stevewin]

8 hours ago, The Dean said:

 

 

I thought his "humor" was wanting. I felt like he was insulting my intelligence just about every time he his mouth. I know some others who feel similarly. But apparently some found him humorous. 

I liked Mayne and the other classic hosts "back in the day" - back then the format was more relaxed and focused on sports.  In the golden era SC the hosts injected humor and personality into the broadcast subtly, it seemed natural and not forced.  The opposite of the unwatchable trash that exists today. 

 

Nothing is worse to me than the insipid bantering between the male-female hosts on Sportscenter now.  I rarely watch anymore, and don't even know their names, but it seems every time I do turn it on to just catch some highlights I'm assaulted  by endless forced cringeworthy Good Morning America style 'energy"/"dialogue".  I almost always end up turning it off.  

 

 

[BobbyC81]

9 hours ago, Augie said:

 

Mike & Mike was part of my daily routine. I enjoyed the combo and the contrast. Greenie took a long sabbatical when they separated. That’s been a while, and I doubt I’ve seen/heard one hour of him since. ESPN misplayed this in every way possible. 

 

Greeny hosted the NFL Draft coverage.

[Royale with Cheese]

1 hour ago, dollars 2 donuts said:

A non-name drop, name drop.

 

Nice!

 

Classy, because it’s like my friend Bruce Willis used to tell me, “Never name drop.”

 

I'll give you a hint.  She's a minority.

[May Day 10]

11 hours ago, DrDawkinstein said:

 

It was a number of things. Kinda "Perfect Storm"ish.

 

1. Cord cutters hit them with a major blow.

2. And maybe even bigger, the NFL deciding to launch it's own network, and jack up the cost of licensing highlights pretty much took ESPN out at the knees. They had to cut NFL Primetime, and lots of other NFL content. And lets face it, NFL rules the sports news world.

3. Losing the NHL contract to NBC. Although I'm not sure how much they lost it as opposed to just let it go.

4. All those hits forced them to make major cost cutting moves, which meant all the good (high priced) on-air talent got axed. Which drove down program quality.

 

The only thing ESPN has going for it is College Football.

 

 

 

 

I dont have the numbers but I'd bet that Golic made far more money over his time at ESPN than he did as an NFL player. So can't really say Greeny hosed him. Plus, it feels like he's been ready to retire for a long time now but was hanging out because he had nothing else to do, the check was decent, and he was helping his kid get a foot in the door to easy money.

 

 

Its crazy to think about how much the sports broadcasting landscape has changed.  Honestly, Im not sure what ESPN could have done differently to be in a better place they are in now.

 

When I was a kid/high school student and even college from like the mid 80s to about 2000... ESPN was the one stop shop.  If I wanted to see the hockey highlights or baseball highlights, I would need to watch Sportcenter... and I would watch it multiple times on the loop (and still recall certain bits vividly).  NFL Game Day and NFL Prime Time were THE hubs for NFL coverage.  It was the only game in town other than the pregame shows on Network.  What they said about your team really mattered.  The had other shows like NHL 2 Nite and such which were unprecedented NHL access and coverage.

 

Regional sports networks started popping up in the mid-late 90s but really didnt hold a ton of original programming clout yet.  Then we got the sports packages that were very accessible.  Then we got competitors like OLN/Versus/NBC, Fox Sports, CBS Sports.... then the sports got their own networks!  Not to mention the miniaturizing of everything and the ability to have a supercomputer in your pocket that tethers you to any sports related content with a press of a touchscreen.  You have behemoths like Amazon getting into the rights game now.  

 

ESPN still does live sports better than anybody IMO.  Their College football coverage is great.  They do a great job with hoops and always did well with MLB.  Excited to see NHL hockey on there again.

[YoloinOhio]

36 minutes ago, Royale with Cheese said:

 

I'll give you a hint.  She's a minority.

Elle Duncan?

[John from Riverside]

I can’t remember the last time I watch ESPN 

[Dr. Who]

40 minutes ago, YoloinOhio said:

Elle Duncan?

She's from Atlanta and seems to be about the right age, so I surmise this is likely.

[Royale with Cheese]

1 hour ago, YoloinOhio said:

Elle Duncan?

 

Yep.  Her real name is Lauren.  In high school, she looked a lot different.  I dated her friend for awhile.

[Cheektowaga Chad]

His mayne event on nfl Sunday countdowns were always hilarious 

[Augie]

4 hours ago, ColeB said:

 

Greeny hosted the NFL Draft coverage.

 

My son got married that weekend, so I didn’t even see that. How was he at that? I tend to like Greenie, I just don’t like his new show. It’s the same formulas as all the others with a nicer backdrop. 

[YoloinOhio]

12 minutes ago, Augie said:

 

My son got married that weekend, so I didn’t even see that. How was he at that? I tend to like Greenie, I just don’t like his new show. It’s the same formulas as all the others with a nicer backdrop. 

I mostly watched NFLN draft coverage but I heard the espn version felt like an episode of Get Up — . For example Bears on the clock and they start talking about if Nagy is getting fired.  no real expertise on the players (except for kiper) 

[Rico]

15 hours ago, DrDawkinstein said:

 

It was a number of things. Kinda "Perfect Storm"ish.

 

1. Cord cutters hit them with a major blow.

2. And maybe even bigger, the NFL deciding to launch it's own network, and jack up the cost of licensing highlights pretty much took ESPN out at the knees. They had to cut NFL Primetime, and lots of other NFL content. And lets face it, NFL rules the sports news world.

3. Losing the NHL contract to NBC. Although I'm not sure how much they lost it as opposed to just let it go.

4. All those hits forced them to make major cost cutting moves, which meant all the good (high priced) on-air talent got axed. Which drove down program quality.

 

The only thing ESPN has going for it is College Football.

 

 

 

 

I dont have the numbers but I'd bet that Golic made far more money over his time at ESPN than he did as an NFL player. So can't really say Greeny hosed him. Plus, it feels like he's been ready to retire for a long time now but was hanging out because he had nothing else to do, the check was decent, and he was helping his kid get a foot in the door to easy money.

They may have lost the NHL contract, but I think they still have the National Spelling Bee FTW.

[Augie]

17 minutes ago, Rico said:

They may have lost the NHL contract, but I think they still have the National Spelling Bee FTW.

 

Which gave them something to replay during Covid. Hard to find more rousing content than an 8 year old spelling bee! 

[Chandler#81]

2 minutes ago, Augie said:

 

Which gave them something to replay during Covid. Hard to find more rousing content than an 8 year old spelling bee! 

1 e or 2? I think Canada just uses 1.. eh?

[Augie]

19 minutes ago, Chandler#81 said:

1 e or 2? I think Canada just uses 1.. eh?

They are just being cheap, like their dollar....

[Paup 1995MVP]

18 hours ago, DrDawkinstein said:

 

It was a number of things. Kinda "Perfect Storm"ish.

 

1. Cord cutters hit them with a major blow.

2. And maybe even bigger, the NFL deciding to launch it's own network, and jack up the cost of licensing highlights pretty much took ESPN out at the knees. They had to cut NFL Primetime, and lots of other NFL content. And lets face it, NFL rules the sports news world.

3. Losing the NHL contract to NBC. Although I'm not sure how much they lost it as opposed to just let it go.

4. All those hits forced them to make major cost cutting moves, which meant all the good (high priced) on-air talent got axed. Which drove down program quality.

 

The only thing ESPN has going for it is College Football.

 

 

 

 

I dont have the numbers but I'd bet that Golic made far more money over his time at ESPN than he did as an NFL player. So can't really say Greeny hosed him. Plus, it feels like he's been ready to retire for a long time now but was hanging out because he had nothing else to do, the check was decent, and he was helping his kid get a foot in the door to easy money.

Yes, ESPN college football has been awesome for decades.  I remember watching Ron Franklin and Mike Godfried doing Saturday Nite Football in the mid 80's in college.  Great stuff.  The anchors back in the day were tremendous.  Olberman and Patrick.  The late Tom Mees.  Mike Ley.  And remember the show w Roy Firestone years ago?  Tremendous stuff.  I remember an interview w Lyle Alzado about steroids before he died back in about 1991.

 

Now its a rag promoting a bunch of nonsense that has nothing to do w Sports.  

[YoloinOhio]

I feel old but I used to enjoy watching The Sports Reporters on Sunday morning. Of course they went away from the professional format of discussion and decided to run with the Stephen A Smith/Nick Wright model of yelling back and forth 🙄

[Mark Vader]

19 hours ago, DrDawkinstein said:

 

It was a number of things. Kinda "Perfect Storm"ish.

 

1. Cord cutters hit them with a major blow.

2. And maybe even bigger, the NFL deciding to launch it's own network, and jack up the cost of licensing highlights pretty much took ESPN out at the knees. They had to cut NFL Primetime, and lots of other NFL content. And lets face it, NFL rules the sports news world.

3. Losing the NHL contract to NBC. Although I'm not sure how much they lost it as opposed to just let it go.

4. All those hits forced them to make major cost cutting moves, which meant all the good (high priced) on-air talent got axed. Which drove down program quality.

 

The only thing ESPN has going for it is College Football.

 

 

 

 

I dont have the numbers but I'd bet that Golic made far more money over his time at ESPN than he did as an NFL player. So can't really say Greeny hosed him. Plus, it feels like he's been ready to retire for a long time now but was hanging out because he had nothing else to do, the check was decent, and he was helping his kid get a foot in the door to easy money.

That, and College Basketball. 

 

ESPN is still the best when it comes to college sports.

[Dukestreetking]

17 hours ago, That's No Moon said:

It's never iffy, if it's Griffey.

In same Sportscenter bit.

 

"(mic squawk) ahh, this is a non-chewing flight"

 

Comedy gold.

[Mark Vader]

27 minutes ago, YoloinOhio said:

I feel old but I used to enjoy watching The Sports Reporters on Sunday morning. Of course they went away from the professional format of discussion and decided to run with the Stephen A Smith/Nick Wright model of yelling back and forth 🙄

That was my Sunday routine.

 

Starting at 7am....Sportscenter recap of College Football followed by The Sports Reporters, followed by an abbreviated Sportscenter, followed by NFL Gameday.

 

Then switch to CBS or NBC, eventually it would be CBS or FOX and watch NFL Football all day.

 

Then back to ESPN for NFL Primetime. Then Sunday Night Football be it on TNT Sunday Nitro for the 1st half of the season then ESPN for the second half of the season.

 

Then back to Sportscenter with Dan Patrick & Bob Ley for the day's recap, followed by a replay of NFL Primetime. Then a football special from NFL Films.

 

SIGH.....Those were the days. 

 

Oh and this was after having spent the entire Saturday of watching College Football from sun up to sun down. I drove my parents and my sister crazy. 

[Dukestreetking]

6 hours ago, Royale with Cheese said:

 

Yep.  Her real name is Lauren.  In high school, she looked a lot different.  I dated her friend for awhile.

Props to @Dr. Who for the Holmes-ian deduction, and to RwC for, like, dating her friend. Tip o' the cap sir.

[goldenboy81]

1 hour ago, YoloinOhio said:

I feel old but I used to enjoy watching The Sports Reporters on Sunday morning. Of course they went away from the professional format of discussion and decided to run with the Stephen A Smith/Nick Wright model of yelling back and forth 🙄

Totally agree even the age thing ha

 

Only thing I even watch besides games is Jalen and Jacoby. No yelling

 

[Rochesterfan]

17 hours ago, NewEra said:

I like Jwill and Zubin. Keyshawn is one of the worst in espn history.  He’s really clueless when it comes to every sport that isn’t the NFL. Jwill carries

 

I think they are all terrible - can’t listen in my car anymore at all.

 

 

[Pete]

On 5/10/2021 at 8:48 PM, YoloinOhio said:

Kenny Mayne is an ESPN lifer, he did the famous bit with Marshawn/Applebee’s (that’s the link above)

 

he’s the latest of the ESPN layoffs - Mike Golic, Trey Wingo etc before him

***** ESPN.  They canned Schaub those *****.

 

I watched ESPN from its inception.  The first 20 years of ESPN was some of greatest TV imo.  I know many who agree.

 

It blows my mind how someone could ***** up such an incredible channel.  ESPN was such a juggernaut.  It seemed like an impossible task.  But Disney did it.

 

 

Yo Disney re ESPN- Keep It Simple Stupid

[machine gun kelly]

I miss the old days too.  For us it was me making breakfast for the little kids (now two of three in college) family catholic mass, my ex making her homemade sauce for macaroni and gravy for Sunday dinner,  football all day, family dinner and the boys climbing into bed at 7 pm for prime time with boomer and Jackson.

 

those were great days.  ESPN is a mess these days.  I can’t even watch anymore.  I won’t even watch the pre game on MNF anymore.  I’d rather listen to NFL radio or NFLN.

[dollars 2 donuts]

On 5/11/2021 at 8:52 AM, Royale with Cheese said:

 

I'll give you a hint.  She's a minority.

 

BTW, please my friend I hope you didn't take offense to my post.  I've known you around here for so long I just felt comfortable joking.  It is actually kind of a cool story. 

 

 

However, Royale, honestly I had to sit and think about this for awhile...I came to the realization that I truly have not watched ESPN for years.  If they weren't there before 4-5 years ago I don't know who they are, and anything less than a decade is a strain for me.

 

I mean I still love sports, but really I love football most and watch the NFL Network, moreso GMFB.  And the most grating thing to me, sports wise, is TV sports talk.  I actually don't mind sports talk radio, but I don't watch any pre-lead up on games on account of the fact that I find them so stupid.  Documentaries?  yes, I am all in, but the other stuff...

 

Media:  "So and so, you are so very great.  How did you get to be so great?!"

 

So and so: "Hard work."

 

Media: "ARE YOU S***TING US?! Unbelievable!  When we get back from the break we are going to crawl inside the mind of 43 year old Tom Brady, because we just don't know enough about him and need to find out what makes him tick!"

 

I mean for F*** sake.  🙄  I am closer to the end of my life than the beginning and I truly don't have time for that s*** anymore.

Edited May 13, 2021 by dollars 2 donuts