Instead of mulling over what was written today you may feel a bit nostalgic instead, because at some point in nearly every 20-30 something year old male's life Sportscenter staked a claim on your list of top 3 television shows. Which sounds weird because Sportscenter was never meant to be a traditional television show, instead it was the sports fan's nightly news. Your chance to catch up on what not only your local and/or favorite team had done, but also see what those teams in the same division had done. And on top of that, it would be presented to you with highlights of the game versus reading an article about the game in the paper or checking out a box score.
The format proved to be incredibly successful and with many airings per day, ESPN launched commercials asking the public which Sportscenter they watched and had your favorite athlete proclaiming which time slot he got his daily 'news' fix. I watched show after show soaking up all the statistics I could and was often disappointed when Dan Patrick and Keith Olberman, or whoever the night's anchors were, signed off.
The action of Sportscenter was unmatched by any other program and the shows success put ESPN on the map. It quickly became the worldwide leader in sports, obtaining the airing rights to every major sport in America and eventually branching out to other demographics with ESPN Deportes. But as ESPN expanded, the simple format previously employed by the company changed and slowly Sportscenter began morphing into a telecast more about the athletes and stories surrounding sports versus the actual games being played.
It now happens too often where Sportscenter is turned on and instead of seeing the action from a game (great or not) of the night from any number of sports, we as viewers are bombarded with stories about steroids, Terrel Owens, Spy Gate and such. I understand the need to report on said topics because they are extremely relevant. But when a show that is meant to document, report on, and show the public of the daily goings on in sports moves further and further away from the game, I take issue with that.
ESPN has numerous channels devoted to sports that air 24/7, 365 days a year, so finding another time slot for those sensational stories of the day should not be a problem. Give me the highlights and in depth analysis of EVERY game from the night. That is why i choose to tune into Sportscenter and what made it my favorite show for years while growing up, not because I must be updated every five minutes on whether or not Brett Favre is retiring or not.
I still remember those good old days, when the back drop at Sportscenter was a boring tan and the anchors gave me my HIGHLIGHTS from a boring simple set. I miss my old Sportscenter where anchors constantly made me laugh with witty catch-phrases as I watched in awe when, for example, Randy Johnson struck out 17 batters in a losing effort against the A's. The game was what mattered most and that was when Sportscenter was golden.
What changed? I don't know, maybe it was the internet? Maybe it was our demand? Advertising demands? Maybe it was a combination or other unseen forces? Regardless, it changed. And the change was/is not for the better.
Don't you miss that tan set with anchors who sat behind their desk for the entire show giving you not only information but highlights, the television's box score? I know I do.
The format proved to be incredibly successful and with many airings per day, ESPN launched commercials asking the public which Sportscenter they watched and had your favorite athlete proclaiming which time slot he got his daily 'news' fix. I watched show after show soaking up all the statistics I could and was often disappointed when Dan Patrick and Keith Olberman, or whoever the night's anchors were, signed off.
The action of Sportscenter was unmatched by any other program and the shows success put ESPN on the map. It quickly became the worldwide leader in sports, obtaining the airing rights to every major sport in America and eventually branching out to other demographics with ESPN Deportes. But as ESPN expanded, the simple format previously employed by the company changed and slowly Sportscenter began morphing into a telecast more about the athletes and stories surrounding sports versus the actual games being played.
It now happens too often where Sportscenter is turned on and instead of seeing the action from a game (great or not) of the night from any number of sports, we as viewers are bombarded with stories about steroids, Terrel Owens, Spy Gate and such. I understand the need to report on said topics because they are extremely relevant. But when a show that is meant to document, report on, and show the public of the daily goings on in sports moves further and further away from the game, I take issue with that.
ESPN has numerous channels devoted to sports that air 24/7, 365 days a year, so finding another time slot for those sensational stories of the day should not be a problem. Give me the highlights and in depth analysis of EVERY game from the night. That is why i choose to tune into Sportscenter and what made it my favorite show for years while growing up, not because I must be updated every five minutes on whether or not Brett Favre is retiring or not.
I still remember those good old days, when the back drop at Sportscenter was a boring tan and the anchors gave me my HIGHLIGHTS from a boring simple set. I miss my old Sportscenter where anchors constantly made me laugh with witty catch-phrases as I watched in awe when, for example, Randy Johnson struck out 17 batters in a losing effort against the A's. The game was what mattered most and that was when Sportscenter was golden.
What changed? I don't know, maybe it was the internet? Maybe it was our demand? Advertising demands? Maybe it was a combination or other unseen forces? Regardless, it changed. And the change was/is not for the better.
Don't you miss that tan set with anchors who sat behind their desk for the entire show giving you not only information but highlights, the television's box score? I know I do.
