Is EPSN Anti-Yankees?

[Westlake]

Your quote was "If they both started winning multiple championships? Absolutely."

By "both," I assume you mean New York and Boston, right?

Nope, I was actually talking about the White Sox and Cubs.

[digglahhh]

Well, okay, let me pose an alternative question:

Is ESPN2 anti-Yankees?

[Westlake]

Well, okay, let me pose an alternative question:

Is ESPN2 anti-Yankees?

I thoroughly believe that ESPN classic has a west coast bias. Today I saw an old USC football game and a Laker playoff game. But then again, they were against BC and the Celtics, respectively.

ESPN has a bias against states that aren't near the ocean.

ESPN has a bias towards water. People that work at ESPN drink water. I'm slowly piecing this together.

[mojorisin71]

Nope, I was actually talking about the White Sox and Cubs.

Maybe you should have said "either" instead of "both."

[Westlake]

Maybe you should have said "either" instead of "both."

Why? I meant both.

[cardsfanatic]

ESPN is pro-interesting. Period.

Teams that win, get coverage. Teams that lose, don't. Simple as that. And it's the same in every sport. The Cowboys and Patriots get tons of press on ESPN. When those franchises were in the pits, most of america didn't even know the Patriots existed. The Cowboys were, well, still the Cowboys. So even when they suck, they're news. "We can't believe how much they suck!"

The Lakers in the NBA gets tons of coverage. It's just the way ESPN operates. Their job is to sell stories and make people interested and watching. If they did hour long tributes to the Texas Rangers history once a week, no one would tune in to watch. Even the people whining about it wouldn't tune in to watch it.

I just saw a Cubs vs Dodgers game on ESPN last night. Someone must have messed up in Bristol, don't they know they can only show Yankee and Redsox games?

As far as this question goes, yes, ESPN comes off as more Redsock fan than Yankee fan. However, I don't think it's some grand conspiracy. Once again they're just playing to what most people want to see. The Redsox, despite monsterous payrolls and building their world series teams via free agency _FAR_ more than the Yankees ever did, have managed to paint themselves as David vs Goliath. The Yankees no doubt have the biggest fan base of any team but they also have the biggest hater base, too. By a long shot. ESPN just plays into this.

The Bosox, the underdog, vs Yanks, the evil empire. Even if the majority of the people don't necessarily want to see the Redsox win, the overwhelming majority wants to see the Yankees lose. So, Redsox win = bad for the Yankees, which means it's a good thing.

It's all about fan interest. That story right now sells. How else can you explain the massive rate in which ESPN has grown lately? It'd be nice if they would acknowledge other teams more often... but what you guys fail to realize, you're just adding to the problem. They won't stop force feeding Sox/Yanks to you until YOU, the consumer, quit watching. Only then will they change their programming.

[cardsfanatic]

I couldn't vote for either option. I think ESPN is pro-Yankees, but they are not team-neutral. They are slanted to coverage of East Coast teams in general.

In baseball, perhaps. In Basketball? Hardly.

[steve rogers]

You know what channel has terrible bias? E! It's all Britney and Angelina, meanwhile Phillip Seymour Hoffman has a VORP like 20 points higher than both of them. Lindsay Lohan's mom's WHIP is like 2.03 and they give her her own show. Daniel Day Lewis has a WHIP of .56 with a career ERA+ of 197 and he hardly ever gets mentioned.

Scott

[digglahhh]

Just for the record, there is a chicken and egg dynamic here.

They give what we are interested in because we develop interest in what they give us.

Unless of course I was unable to perceive the omnipresent and burgeoning desire for increased coverage of poker all these years.

[cardsfanatic]

Just for the record, there is a chicken and egg dynamic here.

They give what we are interested in because we develop interest in what they give us.

Unless of course I was unable to perceive the omnipresent and burgeoning desire for increased coverage of poker all these years.

Not true for me. If I don't find something interesting I won't watch it. ESPN can throw poker on the tube 24/7 but I won't watch it. I'd rather read a book or ride my bike than sit and watch people play poker. Same goes for when ESPN tried to promote golf. Am I the only one that remembers that? They tried everything to market it but it flopped because no matter what they did, no one would watch it.

ESPN, while entertainment, is still governed by the laws of supply and demand. If people won't watch their product they have no choice but to change it. If people continually tune in to ESPN only to bitch about their incessant love affair with the Sox/Yanks, then guess what... you're still watching. They don't really care _why_ you're watching, just that you're watching. Not to jump off base here too much but it's sorta like what happened with Howard Stern in the 90's. His viewership was insane because half the people tuned in just so they could get offended and complain about his crude shows. It was counter-productive, though. All it did was make him richer and his show _harder_ to get off the air. So, my only advice to people that are upset with all the Sox/Yanks stuff? Quit watching. If enough people do that, they'll have to change their programming.

[BlueBlood]

ESPN is totally biased towards east coast sports. Their televised baseball games begin with an intro (the baseball card one) that ends with modern world champions. However, the only ones it seems to show are the Yankees/Red Sox.

[SHOELESSJOE3]

Good post, Scott. It's allllll about the money (as it should be, it's a business) -- anyone who doesn't believe that is kidding themselves. Red Sox fans hating on the Yankees? That's flimsy. Popular teams will always get the bulk of the coverage. If the Cubs and ChiSox start winning, are we going to hear about a Midwest bias?

Right on it, I posted long ago.
Whats with all the back and forth, hate this team, they favor that team, we're sick of seeing the Yanks and Bosox so much.
Well for those who loath can't stand one or both of those teams............ the rest of the country wants to see them. I'm sure that last line will bring on more ire, it's the truth. What might one of you do if you ran ESPN$$$$$$$$$. It's business.

[digglahhh]

Not true for me. If I don't find something interesting I won't watch it...

Yeah, I don't really watch the channel much either. My underlying point is that there is an inherent relationship between exposure and tolerance, and then often times, appreciation.

Think of songs that "grew on you" or the first time you drank a beer...

[NJMetfan4life]

no one outside of New England could care less what happens in Boston.

What if it gets hit by a bomb? What if a hurricane comes? What if Ted Williams ghost comes and teaches everybody how to hit .400?

Also. Why do you say in the poll, "Everyone on ESPN is wearing Red Sox". What if they're wearing a suit? That would be very embarressing. Why can't they like any other of the 29 teams? Why must they hate the Yankees, because they don't have 50 games on ESPN anymore?

[Colorado Express]

this is a loaded poll


you are asking if ESPN is anti-Yankees, but yet the choices are prefer Red Sox or team neutral.

1) ESPN is not team neutral
2) ESPN may prefer the Red Sox, but they are not anti-Yankee

Exactly... ESPN certainly is not anti-Yankees, in fact, I would say they are pro-Yankees.

Now, do they favor the Red Sox more thatn the Yankees? Absolutely!!!