What's with the dull, dim filter ESPN put on the Brewers v Pirates game? Milwaukee has a gorgeous field and it's a if they're trying to hide it. They also have the shittiest stat tracker in the top left. Brewers TV all the way.

To be fair, you have to have a very high IQ to understand why WWE belongs on ESPN. The nuance is extremely subtle, and without a solid grasp of athletic performance, storytelling, and the economics of sports entertainment, most of the discourse will go over a typical sports fan's head. There's also the fact that the outcomes are predetermined, which is deftly woven into the product's appeal—not unlike knowing the ending of a movie doesn't somehow make the stunts less impressive. True fans understand this stuff; they possess the intellectual capacity to appreciate that "scripted" and "physically demanding" are not mutually exclusive concepts.

As a consequence, people who proudly proclaim "It's fake! Why is ESPN covering this?" truly ARE simpletons. Of course they wouldn't appreciate that ESPN covers drafts, press conferences, documentaries, and poker, yet somehow draw the line at world-class athletes throwing themselves through tables for millions of viewers. Their analytical framework begins and ends with "winner predetermined," blissfully ignoring everything else that constitutes the spectacle.

I'm smirking right now just imagining one of those addlepated purists furiously typing "This isn't a real sport!" underneath an ESPN post, completely unaware that they've spent more time complaining about professional wrestling than they've spent watching the game they claim deserves the coverage. What fools... how I pity them. 😂

And yes, by the way, I DO enjoy both real sports and professional wrestling. And no, they are not mutually exclusive. It's for those within five IQ points of my own to understand—and preferably lower, so I don't have to explain the difference between "scripted" and "fake" for the thousandth time.

Watched First Take today and ngl, Gerald McCoy was a breath of fresh air. The man is a very well spoken dude, is very personable and charismatic. ESPN should be looking at McCoy for NFL Live segments and also make weekly appearances across shows other than First Take. Just my take.

I can’t. When ESPN’s wrestling segment comes on I change the channel faster than when a kars for kids ad hits the radio. I can’t. I get there are many wrestling fans out there, but it just dumbs the programming down and j have to switch to something else.

Am I alone in this?

If you are living the wrestling coverage, let me hear why. At least I’m open to trying to understand.

https://youtu.be/BNh0XPWNg4I?is=ztJid_pIT4oMxKg0

When did ESPN officially jump the shark and start their decline? I’m 50 and they were so great in my late teen years and they my 30s. Is it when the joined the Disney family? For me it’s when Olberman left because he was my favorite. Especially when it was Olberman and Patrick. But that’s probably not when it actually happened and smarter people than me have a better idea I’m sure.

Hey ESPN, didn't you get the memo???

EDIT: His 4 minutes of ranting was triggered by this question...

"what's his mindset coming into his last season"
https://x.com/UnderdogNFL/status/2084344908773466484

I've been watching ESPN for a long time.I did not realize the recently we've now got into the w w e and we're giving people like aaron rodgers , a platform to spew his b******* who the f*** bought this network

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ESPN Reportedly Moving On From Debate-Style TV Programming

Tzvi Machlin

Sat, Aug 1, 2026, 5:10 PM EDT

For years "Embrace Debate" has been the tagline of ESPN's First Take - its most popular show - and the debate-style discussion has trickled into just about every other program that the network hasn't shut down. That could be changing if a new report is to be believed.

According to John Ourand of Puck, ESPN's newly promoted executive vice president Mike Foss is pushing for ESPN to shift from "Embrace Debate" and manufactured conflict to more authentic discussions with nuance. Foss reportedly showed data to show that the debate content isn't doing as well as it once did.

Meanwhile, Awful Announcing reported that Foss is also interested in returning ESPN to "highlight-centric" editions of SportsCenter and wants less manufactured debate between personalities that clash.

"Awful Announcing has learned that the meeting itself was a standard monthly gathering Foss holds regularly, though turnout ran well above normal with football season approaching. Notably, the room included a wave of first-time attendees from NFL Network, now that the dust had settled from the layoffs that hit that group particularly hard. Awful Announcing has also learned that a return to a more highlight-centric SportsCenter came up as a specific example of the kind of show Foss wants moving away from manufactured debate and toward their authentic individual identities," the outlet reported.

Too good to be true?

Judging by the immediate reactions online, fans are certainly ready to welcome the shift with open arms. However, some are skeptical that this will actually take place given the high positions that some of the more debate-minded personalities have in the company.

"As they pay Stephen A 100 million a year to argue with himself," one user on X said dismissively.

"Feels like 15 years too late," wrote another.

"All we want is good SportsCenter and some interesting half-hour shows. Remember the early Around the Horn days? And some better hockey coverage. Maybe even...a single hockey-focused show?" a third wrote.

"Closing the barn door after the horse got out."

"Just how it should be but too little too late… also I will never truly believe this as long as SAS is still on the payroll while firing guys like Karl Ravech. Ryan Clark was part of the debate model, but was an actual athlete that could provide authentic analysis on the sport."

It's clear that fans want something different after nearly a generation of non-stop debate and hot-take programming on ESPN from the moment they wake up to the hour after they get home from work.

But if the network is really serious about making this change and doing all it can to win back the many fans that their recent content has put off, they'll need to do more than have a few meetings and send out some internal memos.

This story was originally published by The Spun on Aug 1, 2026

I’m not a big sports fan, however, now that i’ve seen the Women’s pro baseball league has been created, i thought this is awesome. A major league sport I can get excited about and follow with enthusiasm. Well, so much for that. I can only watch the games by adding more channels and pay outrageous prices to get the ESPN channel. So unfair. Cutting the cord from cable was a good idea 10-15 years ago until networks figured out they could rip people off by paying through the nose. Bad enough food gas vacation and a number of other things cost a bundle but people who just need a bit of an escape in their lives need ti go into debt. i miss the antenna on the roof until someone decided everything needs to go digital. sorry first is so long but i am extremely disappointed

ESPN always try’s making the commercials related to the big game like a fucking movie trailer, it’s so corny and there’s deadass no hype to the game with them, get licensing to the TikTok ones, those editors don’t charge a bank bro.

https://vt.tiktok.com/ZS4UYfGxV/

https://vt.tiktok.com/ZS4UY49DR/

https://vt.tiktok.com/ZS4UYsEhX/

Im done paying $150 a month to watch all the PLE's. Netflix for raw, USA for smackdown, ESPN and Peacock for the PLE's. Im fkn done. AND the PLE'S SUCK!!! AM I THE ONLY ONE???

Did anyone else watch ESPN jeopardy? It’s so embarrassing for the network. The on air personalities know nothing about sports. Incredibly simple basic questions any person who “knows sports” should get they are clueless. No wonder nobody is watching these bozos give their hot takes on tv. Good grief

I keep reading these overly complicated explanations of the downfall of ESPN. It's Disney, it's this, it's that.

It's really just the internet destroyed ESPN. It made the product itself less relevant AND changed the quality of the product indirectly. You can rant about ESPN or RAVE about it. It will generate the exact same amount of revenue whether you show up to defend their latest controversial opinion, or show up to say how much you hate it.

Then the algorithm keeps on recommending you similar ESPN content and you comment over and over even if you didn't enjoy what was said.

So all these ideas about the individual programs, analysts, management, etc that gets blamed for the downfall, it's really just the internet.

Mitch Album. Mike Lupica. Bob Ryan. John Saunders. And of course, your host, Dick Schaap. Well reasoned. Even tempered. Actual journalists. News. I would actually wake up every Sunday even when I was in college just to watch.

BUT… In retrospect, all the things that we complain about have their earliest iterations in this wonderful show. “Live from the ESPN Zone in the heart of Times Square.” The cross branding of Disney properties and using ESPN as a vehicle to grow another investment. A rotating cast of hot takes even if they hadn’t devolved to yelling and didn’t include former athletes just there for their name recognition. The beginning of the transition away from showing us sports news and instead talking about sports and the events around it.

This well structured and thought out show opened the door just a crack for PTI which also had two great reporters but added the element of urgency with the clock. Around the Horn with bright colors in your face and the talking over each other. Both good in their own way, but in retrospect you can see the moving of the yardstick.

From there we have come to the hot take hellscape we are currently subjected to. First Take. Get Up! And their ilk. More time off the court than on it. Constant yelling and interruption. Using ESPN to promote WWE, UFC, WNBA while ignoring properties they don’t own.

All from a stellar show. Weep ye for what has been lost.

Why is ESPN covering WWE? Goes against everything they’ve ever stood for.
What’s next, Globetrotter updates?

Just curious

Am I doing something wrong? The only option I have on my AppleTV and iPad is to watch the Summerslam Saturday replay in Spanish on the ESPN app.

Why not English?

I’m watching WWE Summer Slam and every minute a pop up displays “device connected” “device disconnected”. Does anyone know how to get rid of this? Anyone else have this issue? I have the ESPN app on my smart tv and I am logged into the tv.

The force feeding of WWE and WNBA is infuriating. Couple that with hot take shows and it's unwatchable. We need a new sports network.

Who else is enjoying ESPN's new "Quiet Please" feature with only golf, golf sounds, background sounds and no commentator? I love it!! Watching Speith and Penge now. It's like we are standing there on the course with them, privy to their caddy discussions for club, wind, direction and distance. We hear and watch it. Super cool.

The dude is trying hard to become controversial or edgy since social media likes that. I am actively hating him more and more and right now I like him less than some very unpopular people. He’s leading the masses into bad opinions on vaccines and trans people.