Bizarre ESPN show pre-game show (1 Viewer)

[monessen]

For the first time this season, I saw the opening montage for the 11am Eastern ESPN pre-game show with Berman, Keyshawn, and company. Spliced in with clips of NFL action were excerpts of Berman, Jackson, Mortensen, etc., all with some sort of intense, grim gameface walking in slow-motion through a bright corridor, presumably to the desk/set of their program. If this is meant to be serious, it is seriously idiotic since the first thing they do is sit around and yuk it up during the early comments. If this is meant to be facetious, it is done way too subtly for most fans to get the joke.

Somehow, if this same approach had been done 35 years ago on CBS, I could not imagine Brent Musburger, Phyllis George, Irv Cross and Jimmy the Greek Snyder entering a studio with the same montage without generating ripples of laughter from viewers coast to coast, not to mention the network's offices.

Can someone clarify whether this ESPN opening is designed, perhaps unintentionally, as the pinnacle of pretentiousness or just a goofy inside joke? Thanks.

 

[Twilight]

It's purely tongue-in-cheek.

 

[blenderfrog]

It's ESPN... who really cares?

 

[zallen]

Lighten up, dude! It's just a bit of schtick. I can't believe you seriously said this:

Somehow, if this same approach had been done 35 years ago on CBS, I could not imagine Brent Musburger, Phyllis George, Irv Cross and Jimmy the Greek Snyder entering a studio with the same montage without generating ripples of laughter from viewers coast to coast, not to mention the network's offices.

All I can say to that is THANK GAWD ESPN doesn't try to emulate that era of unimaginative, stiff-collared sports coverage! That they insert a certain degree of levity into their production is one thing I particularly appreciate about ESPN.

 

[GiantsRule]

Lighten up, dude! It's just a bit of schtick. I can't believe you seriously said this:

Somehow, if this same approach had been done 35 years ago on CBS, I could not imagine Brent Musburger, Phyllis George, Irv Cross and Jimmy the Greek Snyder entering a studio with the same montage without generating ripples of laughter from viewers coast to coast, not to mention the network's offices.

All I can say to that is THANK GAWD ESPN doesn't try to emulate that era of unimaginative, stiff-collared sports coverage! That they insert a certain degree of levity into their production is one thing I particularly appreciate about ESPN.

Doing the opposite of the CBS Snooze Crew can only be seen as a good idea!

 

[Touchdown Syndrome]

It's ESPN... who really cares?

 

[Frostillicus]

 

[monessen]

Lighten up, dude! It's just a bit of schtick. I can't believe you seriously said this:

Somehow, if this same approach had been done 35 years ago on CBS, I could not imagine Brent Musburger, Phyllis George, Irv Cross and Jimmy the Greek Snyder entering a studio with the same montage without generating ripples of laughter from viewers coast to coast, not to mention the network's offices.

All I can say to that is THANK GAWD ESPN doesn't try to emulate that era of unimaginative, stiff-collared sports coverage! That they insert a certain degree of levity into their production is one thing I particularly appreciate about ESPN.

That "era of unimaginative, stiff-collared sports coverage" in question had a bookie (Jimmy the Greek) and a female reporter in prominent roles on that CBS show. You think Goodell or the whimsical fellows in Connecticut would want a bookie handicapping scores on a pre-game show? As for the ladies, the only ones on NFL coverage today are bundled up on a sideline at a stadium reporting on any injuries. They're treated as second-class. I think an Andrea Kremer would bring a lot more to a telecast in the studio than the yuk-yuk ex-jocks with nothing new to say. As far as Mortensen goes, I believe he gets his "scoops" on the phone from folks reading this Forum or Rotoworld. Clayton tends to have better info.But someone else said it best. It's ESPN, right? So who cares? They'll even stick a kvetching, redundant Tony Kornheiser in a Monday night booth to essentially repeat himself (The Steelers have trouble with NFC East teams; the Cardinals can still lose this game to San Francisco, etc.) all evening. I guess when Wilbon calls viewers knuckleheads, he is correct if we take anything they do seriously.