ChicagoSportsBlogs : Non Compete

Let's take a break from covering Chicago sports so that I can get up on my soap box to complain once again about the Oprah-fication of SportsCenter. I'm specifically talking about the new Make-A-Wish Foundation spots they are running. These stories pull at your heart strings like they were competing in the Strongest Man competition; tugging a 16-wheeler by your teeth. It's clear to me that Disney Corp. realized the majority of young males have been turning to blogs and the web in general to get their sports stories and scores. A fleeing audience doesn't do much for the bottom line. Especially with the advertisers. The logical solution to that problem (half your audience is going online), is to create content for the other half of the household. Namely my wife. In the grand tradition of LifeTime, the Oxygen Network and Lady-Foot Locker stores, you have hit new lows of demographic carving.

Why didn't you decide to go into the WWE direction to capture more male viewers? You know what I'm talking about. Show more bikini destinations-type programming rather than highlights of the WNBA All-Star game. I've got another gem of an idea to boost ratings, and therefore advertising revenue. I can admit my previous suggestion of more flesh in the broadcast might upset the Mickey Mouse boardroom at the parent company, so perhaps you can just add more violence to the broadcast. Show more hockey hits and bench clearing brawls. If that doesn't improve the male demographic in the ratings then perhaps product placements within Sports Center would do it. You'd have to push beer and cars for us to pay attention, and it would be good if you could have a hot model either holding the beer can or driving the truck in question.

I have to ask the obvious question. Is sports not enough for Sports Center? When will all this insanity end? At least tell me you guys are making a significant (millions) donation to the foundation. It's the least you can do. The problem is, I didn't see a URL or a phone number about donating. I also didn't hear any sound bites by your uber-talented talking heads pushing us to help the foundation. Call me cynical, but I hope you aren't exploiting the tough times some of these families are enduring only to tape them and lay down some soft string quartet background music to make us weep for your ratings.

I'm not attempting to turn a blind eye to the worlds problems. Trust me, I know how F'd up things are. I'm just a little put off that ESPN and Disney have to throw it in my face between highlights of the Western Open.


Filed under: Leftovers