F... ESPN.com

It's called adblock plus and NoScript. Gets rid of all that BS.

ESPN, unlike MTV and music, is still about sports. And it's, more often than not, the first place people go to.

I think that's the point. If it is really is about sports then why all the junk? At some point the whiny internet crowd is not going to be just the whiny internet crowd anymore. In my opinion, and a lot of other people it seems, ESPN is headed the wrong direction.

I would argue that ESPN's focus is no longer sports. Their focus is story-telling using sports as the backdrop. They have to keep sports in the fore-front as much as they can but it is clear they consider the entertainment value of the story of the sports most important. They constantly highlight personalities and conflict. It seems very clear that ESPN "makes" stories. Not that they make them up but instead they turn what just 10 years ago would have been an afterthought into major strories. When you become the news maker and not the news teller you are on dangerous ground. Again, it really is the entire industry but ESPN, as far as sports goes is the leader in this regard.

I would argue that ESPN's focus is no longer sports. Their focus is story-telling using sports as the backdrop. They have to keep sports in the fore-front as much as they can but it is clear they consider the entertainment value of the story of the sports most important. They constantly highlight personalities and conflict. It seems very clear that ESPN "makes" stories. Not that they make them up but instead they turn what just 10 years ago would have been an afterthought into major strories. When you become the news maker and not the news teller you are on dangerous ground. Again, it really is the entire industry but ESPN, as far as sports goes is the leader in this regard.

I agree with this. It is clearly evident from shows like E:60, etc. ESPN tries to make stories compelling, overhype, etc. The thing is it may hurt their credentials with the hardcore sports fan, but for the casual fan I think it helps ESPN capture them.

IMO this is byproduct of ESPN's growth and domination of the sports world. Once the taste of success is there pursuing the goal of simply providing the best information ends and the goal of targeting different markets arises.

The changes to MNF and the rise of "Sunday" night football is also another example.

I think that's the point. If it is really is about sports then why all the junk? At some point the whiny internet crowd is not going to be just the whiny internet crowd anymore. In my opinion, and a lot of other people it seems, ESPN is headed the wrong direction.

I would argue that ESPN's focus is no longer sports. Their focus is story-telling using sports as the backdrop. They have to keep sports in the fore-front as much as they can but it is clear they consider the entertainment value of the story of the sports most important. They constantly highlight personalities and conflict. It seems very clear that ESPN "makes" stories. Not that they make them up but instead they turn what just 10 years ago would have been an afterthought into major strories. When you become the news maker and not the news teller you are on dangerous ground. Again, it really is the entire industry but ESPN, as far as sports goes is the leader in this regard.

The E does stand for Entertainment, but ESPN is still about sports, whether it's sports stories, sports scores, sports news, sports events, it's still about sports first and foremost

As for ESPN360.com, a few things

-No other place can offer the live sports content (legally) that ESPN360.com can, and to do that people expect to get paid (and I'm not talking about ESPN)

-Think of it not as some internet site, but a television network that just happens to be delivered via broadband. So just like you pay Comcast to have Style Network, you pay Verizon (among others) for ESPN360.com

-When you think of all the hidden fees that Comcast, and others charge and add each month the amount their customers would have to pay for 360 is such a non-factor

As for ESPN360.com, a few things

-No other place can offer the live sports content (legally) that ESPN360.com can, and to do that people expect to get paid (and I'm not talking about ESPN)

-Think of it not as some internet site, but a television network that just happens to be delivered via broadband. So just like you pay Comcast to have Style Network, you pay Verizon (among others) for ESPN360.com

-When you think of all the hidden fees that Comcast, and others charge and add each month the amount their customers would have to pay for 360 is such a non-factor

It really sucks ass that I can't get ESPN360 no matter what simply because Comcast is my lame ISP.

It really sucks ass that I can't get ESPN360 no matter what simply because Comcast is my lame ISP.

Don't piss me off and I'll tell you how to get it anyway... :)

Actually, you should have gotten it by now but a deal fell apart at the last minute. You will soon enough though

Don't piss me off and I'll tell you how to get it anyway... :)

Actually, you should have gotten it by now but a deal fell apart at the last minute. You will soon enough though

Awww, don't tease

Not sure what the big deal is because its a free site and thats the reason they have all these comercials. They have to pay for the site and its contents without charging.