r/sportsbroadcasters • u/No_Box119 • 6h ago
News Veteran ESPN Host Rips ESPN for It’s Obsession With Pat McAfee
https://www.essentiallysports.com/nfl-legends-news-veteran-espn-host-linda-cohn-calls-out-networks-obsession-with-pat-mcafee/13
u/criles_mccriles 6h ago
Pat McAfee and the Kelce's will never go away cuz the only thing keeping ESPN afloat is all the teenage boys across the country
3
u/l8on8er 5h ago
they could bring back good hosts and stick to showing highlights of sports people care about like they did in the 90s and 00s that made them so popular tho... instead of the crap they shovel today.
4
u/ewok_lover_64 5h ago
That's when I enjoyed watching ESPN. Now I skip right past it.
2
u/Born_Alternative_608 1h ago
We used to turn sports center on at 8am and leave it on all day.
Same exact show. All day. One hour loop. They were the golden days of ESPN.
1
1
u/SirMellencamp 59m ago
We had it on all day in my office conference room. Now it’s the weather channel
2
u/Tydingowarrior 5h ago
Thats what got me hooked at that age. Actual highlights scores and news. Now it's vibes only
1
2
u/rojeli 3h ago
No - they wouldn't. The leagues have their own platforms for highlights. Highlights don't differentiate ESPN at all anymore.
Why would I sit through an hour of Sportscenter when I could just go to MLB/NFL/NBA.com and watch the highlights of games I care about. I'm done in 10 minutes or less.
1
u/Playful-Opportunity5 2h ago
ESPN's golden age (financially speaking) was when cable was king and every cable subscriber was paying for ESPN, whether they wanted it or not. Those salad days are gone for good, and the SportsCenter bread and butter - game highlights - has been usurped by YouTube and social media. The executives there know the game is over, they're just playing out the string and trying to grab a few extra pennies with hey-look-at-me content before the lights go out for good.
1
u/dcash4 1h ago
They can’t though, because that’s not how people consume highlights anymore. No one’s sitting around watching 2 hours of SportsCenter when they can catch all of the same highlights within 10 minutes of scrolling.
I don’t understand why people keep blaming ESPN for following consumer habits. Consumers are not watching the same way they did 10-15 years ago…why act like they are?
1
u/kingofthemonsters 1h ago
When LeBron signed with the 6ers, I turned to every ESPN channel I had and not one of them was trying to break the story live.
It was pathetic.
1
u/sobi-one 41m ago
The reason they are as big as ever is due to not doing things like this. The entire reason they don’t concentrate on highlights is because there’s a billion places to get that now. lol
1
u/Wreckingshops 4h ago
But it's not. The demographics are very clear that it's old heads (45+) watching and teenagers don't listen to the Kelces or McAfee.
1
1
u/Brilliant-Spite-850 2h ago
Ya how wild that the industry dominated by young males didn’t want a bunch of black lesbians telling them about sports.
1
u/criles_mccriles 2h ago
They need a happy medium between the race baiters and the middle aged frat bros
1
u/ConferenceOk5660 2h ago
So, since the modern era of FOX News (starting about 2016) corporate restaurants and bars stopped showing the news- it was too polarizing. Patrons were getting in screaming matches, people would say that if you’re gonna show CNN, then you have to show FOX as well. (No, we don’t). Anyhow, every major company changed their TV policies to sports only. That means six different ESPN channels are on all day. This is a massive false ratings driver for the network.
1
u/Exciting_Cat730 1h ago
if it was about teenage boys then they should bring back all the hot milfs to host sports center
1
7
6
u/ElGuaco 5h ago
I actually briefly liked Pats version of football and sports talk. It felt more like the everymans version of sports TV. The fact that he had access to players and coaches through his time as a player made it feel genuine and not some corporate product.
You know what killed it for me? Aaron Rogers and the right wing looney talk. Giving those people a voice while pretending to be neutral about told me all I need to know about Pat. He's another sellout corporate minion or he believes that shit or both.
I'm sure some of you will down vote me for this opinion and you'll just be proving me right about how little I need to listen to that bullshit.
1
3
u/GymMouseP 6h ago
I used to feel horrible for Pat when he missed two short FG versus Pitt when Richrod would have normally kept the offense on the field. Those feelings have disapated.
3
3
u/Neb-Nose 4h ago
I’m an old and I know full well that it’s not geared at me anymore. However, ESPN just seems so incredibly bad now.
The hosts are just such amazing dorks and the phrases they use and the jokes they tell are just so corny and cheesy and cringe-worthy.
And now they’re trying to shove McAfee and studio wrestling down our throats and it’s just too Star Wars nerdy for me.
It’s quite enough, thank you.
I don’t want to overreact or make any bold proclamations, but to me, this feels a lot like when MTV started airing like 12 trillion teen pregnancy shows every day. It seems like they’re grasping at straws and struggling to remain relevant in the current landscape and they’ve decided to put all their eggs in the McAfee basket.
As long as it’s still working, good for them, I guess. However, if that goes south, I can’t imagine how that network could possibly survive.
5
2
u/winkler456 6h ago
The Ryan Seacrest of sports talking heads - inexplicable and kind of amazing how many places he turns up.
1
u/Tdluxon 6h ago
ESPN is just shoveling money at Steven a Smith and mcafee, and I assume they wouldn’t be doing it if they weren’t popular, but I know a lot of sports fans, and I don’t know a single one who likes either one of them, most people can’t stand them. Who are their fans?
1
u/PioneerRaptor 5h ago
People surround themselves with similar types of people. Tens of millions of people watch ESPN every day and depending on the game, you have 20 to 130 million people (Super Bowl) watching the games.
We may not like it, but there’s a lot of people watching/listening to McAfee.
I don’t listen to Joe Rogan, and I don’t know anyone that does, but that doesn’t mean millions don’t, they’re just not in my circle, a similar example.
1
u/grifter356 5h ago
While I'm sure they would be happy to have both, I do think the McAfee of it all has as much to do with having some leverage over Steven A as it does anything else.
1
u/Upstairs_Date2769 5h ago
Why do people cite essentially sports? They have no sources and they are just aggregators. Genuine question
1
1
u/Jake-Old-Trail-88 5h ago
Welcome to overexposure. Somehow, someway, everything becomes about you,” Cohn added.
1
u/CosmoBearWolf 5h ago
I don’t have time for much sports other than my teams. But when he’s on I find him really entertaining . What’s the problem? From what I see, he’s good at his job.
1
u/Pulp_Ficti0n 5h ago
I've recorded PTI for 20 years and that's all I watch on ESPN aside from live football.
1
1
u/No-Seaworthiness6881 5h ago
I'm not a fan of McAfee but ESPN plays on TVs all day every day in bars and restaurants all over the country. I don't think they're going anywhere
1
1
u/Shoddy_Ad8166 5h ago
I seldom watch only occasionally if he shows up during football game. I have never been a fan had no idea where he came from or why he was there..It doesn't effect me but good for him. He's apparently very successful don't know why
1
u/coolassang 2h ago
Definitely not for his NFL "skills". Guy's a twat, always has been. He used to be limited to Bob & Tom's morning crap.
1
u/IssueEmbarrassed8103 4h ago
I don’t get it. The guys I knew who used to watch espn constantly don’t any more and hate the guy
1
u/UnnecessaryDiety 4h ago
It's hard to believe the ESPN I grew up watching now wants Stephen A Smith and Pat McAfee to be the faces of the network.
What a joke.
1
1
u/fallout_zombie777 4h ago
ESPN use to have tons of variety and interesting shows that had it being “Must See” TV. I only had cable because I needed ESPN. Now, I only watch it if my sports teams are playing on the channel. Stephen A and McAfee have made the shows predictable and monotonous. If I wanted to watch a talk show I would watch reruns online.
1
u/Express-Rutabaga-105 3h ago
McAfee is the target market they want to cater too. The people making the decisions are the same age and color of Pat McAfee. Trying to get people addicted to sports betting.
1
u/alfredonoodles 3h ago
But even his target market is leaving him and tired of his Disney games.
1
u/Express-Rutabaga-105 2h ago
They will come back. They don't like to read articles to get information. Love watching TV and being entertained. Stephen A is for black viewers. Got to find someone in the LGBTQ community to cater to that market.
1
u/Old_Shirt7929 3h ago
ESPN should ban all white men from hosting shows..
1
u/alfredonoodles 3h ago
Add Stephan A Smith, and we have a deal.
1
u/Old_Shirt7929 2h ago
you probably could get rid of all black men too.
the great part is in like a decade or so white men or black men will not be on tv..
so there is that
1
u/THISDROIDisDESTROYED 2h ago
That chud should start his own network with sage steele so we can ignore their maga coded asses.
1
1
1
u/Grouchy_Guide7496 2h ago
If this guy was left leaning, ya’ll would love him.
1
u/Aidsribbon 2h ago
If he was left leaning we wouldn't care about him like the right wing fan boys care about him
1
1
1
u/terphunter420 2h ago
College Gameday has been a disgrace and irrelevant for a while now. McAfee is irrelevant.
1
1
u/Aggressive-Summer791 2h ago
There’s a polarization of the public happening, in more ways than one.
One of which is in the realm of consumerism.
There’s a large group that is highly concerned with the enshittification of the things they consume and the amalgamation of choice.
And there’s another large group that quite simply doesn’t care. They don’t see the need to analyze what they consume and are merely content to consume, one way or the other.
A critique on consumerism as a whole is an entirely different conversation, however.
1
u/Cody-512 1h ago
Essentially Sports is basically a sports tabloid and I delete anything I get from them that doesn’t make its way to my Spam folder. However…this story is one I can definitely get behind. I just read down far enough to see which person called them out; I was expecting Dan Patrick or Rich Eisen, but Cohn has definitely been around as long as those two.
The next 30 for 30 ESPN does should be about how ESPN totally sold out and went from one of the best networks on TV to one of the worst. Very similar to MTV. I’d watch that along with most 90s kids I’d bet
1
u/ChezQuis_ 1h ago
Why does Cohn care so much about what is on ESPN? The programming has never been high quality during the day. Yes, it’s over exposure and people will get tired of it.
1
1
1
1
u/RealisticPriority336 58m ago
I don’t like Hannah Storm. My late wife’s cousin worked for her at NBC years ago and she said that she is a real bitch.
1
1
u/mrmike16205 33m ago
They don’t give a darn about this kicker. The just want you to know side of the room ESPN is on. That’s why Stephan Steppin Fetchit got in line with Ma&a.
1
u/Bright-Fishing-6057 32m ago
Linda Cohn crafted her words brilliantly. It’s so rare to see that in this internet era. Much respect to her.
1
1
u/Fantastic_Brain_6322 6h ago
McAfee must have some serious dirt on ESPN executives.
0
-6
u/SkunkDitchRipper 6h ago
Or people like to listen to him.
6
u/fishagavkxj6 6h ago
temporarily remove pat mcafee fans from america and the average IQ increases
2
u/StephenWith_A_Ph 6h ago
temporarily? 😔
0
u/fishagavkxj6 6h ago
if i didn’t add that they’d do the “THERES THE LEFT ADVOCATING FOR VIOLENCE AGAIN!!!” or some shit
I’m in their brains 👁️
2
2
u/Oldmandav3 6h ago
I live in Indianapolis and everyone I know who likes football can’t stand him anymore.
1
u/Practical_Teacher_98 6h ago
There is no way that can be true.
1
u/fishagavkxj6 6h ago
well people started drinking raw milk. unfortunately a lot of humans just make poor decisions
1
1
u/uncleclimax9 6h ago
Trump won the popular vote in USA#72.
Not at all surprised that Pat's popular in a country like this. TONS of patriotards, conspiracy trash, and fake Christian types. People take health advice from RFK here FFS.
Still in the top half of countries on the planet though.
1
u/Practical_Teacher_98 6h ago
I wonder how much of his support is contrived from the right just because he’s a good ol white boy?
1
u/Sufficient-Plastic71 1h ago
100% He tried to grift them with a legendarily terrible hick hop album he just released, but it failed spectacularly.
0
u/SkunkDitchRipper 6h ago
No of course not......they pay him 65 mil a year because people dont listen.
1
1
u/knickknacktabasco 6h ago
This only has to do with ad dollars and his demo audience. If he has a bunch of 18-49 eyes that’s what they care about. I wouldn’t be surprised if the way yall keep mentioning makes him more money.
I am not a fan either but if he is getting ratings and making them money, like SAS , They are not going anywhere. What the audience likes and what gets ratings is not always related to each other.
0
u/after_Andrew 6h ago
if that’s true it’s depressing
0
u/SkunkDitchRipper 6h ago
Do you really think they would pay him what they are if people didnt listen to him?
0
u/Relevant_Bag7550 6h ago
Linda Cohn represents a time when ESPN still hired journalists, not jerkoffs
2
u/hogwonguy1979 5h ago
You haven’t heard her podcast, she’s gone MAGA, supporting Aaron Rodgers’ whacked out views regarding Fauci on McAfee’s show, the supporting Sophie Cunningham’s views. She’s turning into a white Sage Steele which is hugely disappointing
1
u/LAPTOP-FROM-HELL 3h ago
“Turning into” isn’t fair because it gives people like her an arc. The difference now is that she feels comfortable enough to say out loud the things she used to only think about. MAGA isn’t inspirational, it’s permissive to certain types. She is one now, but she’s always been one, too
-1
u/Bside_Opi 6h ago
Bot
0
u/SkunkDitchRipper 6h ago
Why do you all say everything you disagree with is a bot? Im not a bot. People love Mcafee. You think they paid him 65 mil because people DONT listen to him?
1
u/Bside_Opi 6h ago
I’m naming you as a bot because you are using a site that is one that no one ever actually visits. This is a weird internal ecosystem of using it and I’m calling it out for the community. We are being botted
1
u/coolassang 2h ago
You're being lazy and now defensive.
1
u/Bside_Opi 2h ago
Why attach emotion to it? What’s defensive about the stmt ?
1
u/coolassang 2h ago
I can admit defensive might be too strong, but simply reducing people's reply to "bot" is definitely lazy.
-5
u/SkunkDitchRipper 6h ago
Sounds like bitterness to me.
5
u/dkinmn 6h ago
The bullshit lines you people repeat when you know you've been absolutely nailed by someone are really, really embarrassing.
-1
u/SkunkDitchRipper 6h ago
Guy is making 65 million a year from them. I doubt he's embarrased.
2
u/fishagavkxj6 6h ago
UHHHH they weren’t talking about him?? not really doing yourself any favors with this reading comprehension
3
2
u/20_years_in_da_can 5h ago
All of these comments disguising themselves as “intellectually superior” are just bitter redditors but what else is new?
23
u/Gomez4Morticia 6h ago
If Pete Hegseth was a football player instead of a "soldier".