[ssharp]

Having to fill up 24 hours of daily airtime, across multiple channels (how many do they have now? four -- espn, espn2, espnu, espn classic?) has to require thinning out the content.

I'm mostly like you. Sportscenter is largely useless with highlight available on-demand, and the only time I've watched it over the past few years was when major events happened around a team I like. I think that was twice -- Lebron James coming back to the Cavs and the Cavs winning the championship.

There is so much garbage content and I can't imagine spending an entire Sunday morning watching their NFL pregame shows. They are so bad and rehash the same things over and over again. None of their content is any better. PTI set the standard for what a lot of their programming has morphed into, but PTI worked because the guys on it were smart, took interesting angles, and the show was novel. Now that there are 50 other programs just like it, the novelty has worn off and the hosts are largely "hot take" machines.

Really, besides their national NBA game broadcasts or college football, I can't think of any reason why I'd watch ESPN on a routine basis any more. There are sports podcasts that are far better and don't require my full attention than the studio shows ESPN produces.

[noxToken]

> PTI set the standard for what a lot of their programming has morphed into, but PTI worked because the guys on it were smart, took interesting angles, and the show was novel.

Slightly off-topic. I didn't watch a lot of ESPN when I had cable. When I did, it was mostly SportsCenter and PTI. Are you saying that PTI marking the beginning of ESPN's programming declination or that other opinion shows failed to capture what made PTI good. It really doesn't matter, but I'm genuinely interested in your opinion here.

[mcgrath_sh]

Not the OP, but I think (and I agree) he or she is stating that other shows failed to capture what made PTI good. When there were a couple of shows like PTI or Around the Horn it was great. Now there is basically national, local sports talk radio. Except with none of the fans, just yelling journalists. At least with local sports talk some of the redemption is that they are fans. I cut out sports talk radio almost a decade ago for podcasts. And I cut out ESPN about 3-4 years ago when I could get what I wanted elsewhere and none of what I didn't want. I am a sports person. However, I will not watch ESPN unless it is for a game. I just don't get any value.