After listening to your last few pods, I’ve come to the conclusion that the firing of Zach Lowe was completely rational.
ESPN is Disney. Disney is a tentpole business. Live sports events are Marvel and Star Wars. Stephen A is Robert Downey Jr. If you’re not at that level, driving the franchise, then you’re paid union scale just like the 3rd assistant gaffer or whatever.
Zach Lowe, much as we love him, is not driving eyeballs in big numbers, and his function can be replaced by Nekias Duncan at 10% of the cost. People who thrive in print media will need to work for outlets like the Athletic. And that’s OK.
Now, you can object and say that Disney is stupid and has driven Marvel and Star Wars into the ground, and you’d be right. But how much profit has the Athletic made?
Officially done listening to anything with Wos in it. His media takes are single lense (highly cynical corporate villainizing) with absurd amount of expressed confidence for someone who’s likely never been in a boardroom. To be interesting, you have to be somewhat surprising (ideally reasonably so). I don’t listen to his NBA thoughts, but his media (and political) thoughts are tired.
I was just thinking about how it’s been a while since HoS had a completely useless guest who repeats the most obvious observations as infinitum, glad that box got checked.
They were way off on College football. Think back to the under the table payments. Kids from NYC pick Kansas because the college experience there? There was no rules then and now. NCAA took the wrong positions for so long , they have been massacred in court. Leading to current environment. All, the hand wringing and doom saying has lead to record ratings, crowds and popularity. Legs getting broken? How about guys paying money going to jail and coaches getting the paid players having very little repercussions. Also back then players given under the table money then wanting to transfer were threatened with being reported. Is Sluka quitting because he never got everything in writing worse?
I don’t think it’s a big mystery why mid to late era Dwight Howard was not fully embraced by NBA locker rooms… and I don’t think it was his “silliness” ( in a non - euphemistic sense).
After listening to your last few pods, I’ve come to the conclusion that the firing of Zach Lowe was completely rational.
ESPN is Disney. Disney is a tentpole business. Live sports events are Marvel and Star Wars. Stephen A is Robert Downey Jr. If you’re not at that level, driving the franchise, then you’re paid union scale just like the 3rd assistant gaffer or whatever.
Zach Lowe, much as we love him, is not driving eyeballs in big numbers, and his function can be replaced by Nekias Duncan at 10% of the cost. People who thrive in print media will need to work for outlets like the Athletic. And that’s OK.
Now, you can object and say that Disney is stupid and has driven Marvel and Star Wars into the ground, and you’d be right. But how much profit has the Athletic made?
C'mon Ethan, we know he's gonna say some wild stuff but the politics can't not be commented on. Who cares what Wos has to say about Deion
Officially done listening to anything with Wos in it. His media takes are single lense (highly cynical corporate villainizing) with absurd amount of expressed confidence for someone who’s likely never been in a boardroom. To be interesting, you have to be somewhat surprising (ideally reasonably so). I don’t listen to his NBA thoughts, but his media (and political) thoughts are tired.
Norby Walters and Lloyd Bloom. Walters had significant ties to the music business and organized crime.
https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1988-08-25-sp-1341-story.html
https://youtu.be/bQGJySV7seg?si=XFlfK4a5fTgFP9R-
https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1993-08-27-sp-28451-story.html
I was just thinking about how it’s been a while since HoS had a completely useless guest who repeats the most obvious observations as infinitum, glad that box got checked.
They were way off on College football. Think back to the under the table payments. Kids from NYC pick Kansas because the college experience there? There was no rules then and now. NCAA took the wrong positions for so long , they have been massacred in court. Leading to current environment. All, the hand wringing and doom saying has lead to record ratings, crowds and popularity. Legs getting broken? How about guys paying money going to jail and coaches getting the paid players having very little repercussions. Also back then players given under the table money then wanting to transfer were threatened with being reported. Is Sluka quitting because he never got everything in writing worse?
"I kinda want to try my hand at it."
You saying this after explaining the latest FanDuel gimmick and why it's a bad idea cracked me up.
That and hearing ya'll try and pronounce a Cajun name in Coach O
Ftr, Dianna Russini's "sources" on the Saleh firing were technically Lebatard and Stugotz
So, is James Harden left-handed?
I don’t think it’s a big mystery why mid to late era Dwight Howard was not fully embraced by NBA locker rooms… and I don’t think it was his “silliness” ( in a non - euphemistic sense).
The SportsProg league, heh.