And Now For Some Super Bowl ESPN Bashing

It helps to have an editor so you don't fuck things like this up too badly:

Typical ESPN, one reporter tweets about tonight being the last game for Belichick and Brady, then Schefter goes on TV and says both will be back for 2018. #RightEitherWay #WhatAreYouActuallyReporting?

— Andy Hart (@JumboHart) February 4, 2018

UPDATE, 1:08 PM - Here's the tweet in question:

Right now on @espn NFL Countdown it’s brought to light about what many in the league have been hearing which this game could possibly be both Bill Belichick and Tom Brady’s final games. Both could be hanging it up. Post game could be incredible tonight if this becomes truth.

— Dianna Russini(@diannaESPN) February 4, 2018

ESPN - getting it wrong since DeflateGate!

Addition By Subtraction

For me, ESPN is ruined by the self-important, egotistical Sports Center characters like Stuart Scott, Kenny Mayne (a whole 'nother level of douchebaggery), Scott Van Pelt and this guy, who started it all. Enjoy your retirement.

It was one of those special nights, a reward for a job well done, a life well lived. Best known as “Boomer” to sports fans of America, Chris Berman had Citi Field box seats by the dugout for himself, his 30-year-old son Doug, and Doug’s fiancee Clare. It was the eve of Berman’s 62nd birthday and they were going to watch the Mets play the San Francisco Giants, his favorite team since his days as a boy in New York’s Westchester County.

It was Tuesday, May 9, and Berman, ESPN’s original franchise player, was enjoying the early months of a victory lap, accepting daily congrats after stepping down from his 31-year position as host of the network’s NFL game-day studio programming.

I Was Expecting Ten Columns By Now

Former Red Sox pitcher Curt Schilling, an ESPN baseball analyst, is now a former ESPN baseball analyst.

A couple of years ago, when ESPN2’s unctuous chat show, First Take, was finding itself in hot water on a weekly basis, a high-ranking ESPN official told me it was becoming too big a headache for the company and something needed to be done. This is often the ESPN way: There comes a breaking point for the company when the headache exceeds the value. First Take, because it makes the company millions of dollars (it’s cheap to produce given they own the studio space), was spared more drastic measures beyond additional executive oversight.

Curt Schilling was not as lucky.

On Wednesday evening, ESPN announced it had terminated the MLB analyst following repeated political discourse on his feed, which some tabbed as hate speech. Said the company in a statement: “ESPN is an inclusive company. Curt Schilling has been advised that his conduct was unacceptable and his employment with ESPN has been terminated.”

Inclusive - except when you have an opinion that's different from the corporate suits at ESPN, apparently.

Does Shank mount his Shetland pony on this one? I'm guessing no - hot potato!

We Can Hazard A Guess

So, Shank goes on ESPN, presumably to talk about the Patriots:

Going on outside the lines on espn2 at 530est

— Dan Shaughnessy (@Dan_Shaughnessy) September 10, 2015

Were the Shank comments positive or negative? Do I even have to ask?

If anyone saw it, please leave your impression in the comments. Thanks!

Things You Learn Every Day

Did you know you could search the ESPN website for Shank columns and appearances on certain ESPN media?

There are one or two links to Colin Cowherd's radio show that at some level involve Shank. I can't wait to miss that...