ESPN & Amazon - A Match Made In ???

I'm not going to say I'm somewhat of a Nostradamus BUT in March of 2011 I did predict that the Big Ten would be moving to Fox.  And I think we'll have something new coming in the next 3 years or so.  

Amazon is getting big in to the NFL this coming year with the whole slate of Thursday Night Football, and went all in getting Al Michaels and Kirk Herbstreit in the booth.  They are going to have Yankees games on Amazon.  That will be just the start.  

Disney has been rumored lately to be looking to sell the World Wide Leader in Sports.  Why I'm not totallys sure.  Sports and live content is the main reason to have dish, cable or YouTubeTV.  And with sportsAmazon is wanting to go all in.  This would be a HUGE splash!  

Here is what I think should and could happen.

One thing I think that will maybe hurt Amazon is the baby boomer generation doesn't stream as much as the next generations.  Amazon doesn't have a "channel".  People don't like extreme change and I think this would help the gradual movement to streaming.  ESPN+ is a really good streaming network with great options for sports and entertainment, and has the name to go with it.  When you say Amazon you don't think sports, you think a place to get a mouse or airpods.      

So first move is that ESPN is sold to Amazon.  With that Amazon can then have the NFL stream on ESPN's channel for Thursday Nights and this would give them 2 NFL slots Thursday Night Football and Monday Night Football.  

NFL is king and right next to it is College Football.  ESPN already has the SEC rights, next would be the Big Ten.  Media rights are coming up for negotiation soon, and if I was ESPN/Amazon I would go all in on the Big Ten too.  Years ago they lost out to Fox and the Big Ten Network, and its becoming a bigger rift.  I would buy the Big Ten Network and all media rights from Fox and own the top 2 leagues.  The deal would have to be similar to the SEC though.  In doing this I would also not touch anything BTN wise, just let them operate as is.  They know what they are doing in Chicago, let them keep doing it.

After having those big 2, go all in on the College Football Playoff.  It will be expanded but will be HUGE money wise.  Go after it and get it.  

All the above would need to be done by 2023-24 season I think with the Playoff Expansion talks and then also the Big Ten next media deal.

The next would be to in 2032 get the NCAA Tournament from CBS.   Really want to be the world wide leader?  Get all the big gigs.  That would be the last one aside from the World Series and rotating Super Bowl.  And don't worry the World Series would be in the sights soon.  

Currently there are roughly 76 million subscribers to ESPN through cable, streaming, etc.  How many of us have enough streaming services to watch everything for shows and movies?  With Netflix, HBOMax, Apple+, Disney+, Prime, Peacock, Paramount+ if there is a movie or show out there we can find it and watch it.  

ESPN is currently roughly $10 on a cable bill.  You also get all those other channels you don't watch.  First off keep that, for now.  I would have the standalone ESPN app and all content on it be available for $20 a month.   Have it with ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPNews, SEC, ACC and the acquired BTN all there.  Then all the shows and ESPN+ content available.  I love the YouTubeTV service but I would drop it and just go to that content easy.  If half of the 76 million subscribers get it, and the other half stay with YouTubeTv or a service its 13.6 billion in revenue.  That's not even including the advertisement revenue, which was 2.3 billion in 2020.    

With the content listed above that number will go up.  That number will only increase as more cut to just the app.    That gives more revenue to buy more content.  And with that I think you'd get an ESPN3 to include more timing.  Thus keeping Big 12 in there, and then also the Pac 12.  You then OWN college football mainstays.  

Now with that content what would it look like say on a normal week?  College Football Saturday?  See Below.

That would be the main feed, and I would throw in alternative feeds on ESPN+ for the extra games. in the MAC, MWC, SunBelt, American and HBCU and FCS.  That would be a great day.  

College basketball would fill out in the weekdays.  Thursday Night and Monday Night are all NFL.  Keep Manning Night football available.  

Then what else is in sights?  As mentioned above Men's March Madness along with Women's March Madness.  What else? 

The NFL makes 10 Billion a year, could 1 entity buy up it all and show games on ESPN/ESPN2 regionally at 12/3 each and then Sunday Night Football?  

MLB needs to get out of the blackout life.  With ESPN+ you can throw every game on a stream.  This will grow the sport.  It's 2022 games not on live are a disappointment.  

Then you can be called the World Wide Leader.

ESPN has killed January 1st

January 1st used to be something HUGE and special to college football. Now though the teams are a little better, it’s just another December 27th, and that’s thanks to the Mothership.


Waking up on New Year’s used to be about watching the Rose Parade, eating a nice late breakfast, waiting for the ham and bean soup to be ready during the Rose Bowl, and also stacking four tvs on one another to make sure you didn’t miss all the action of every bowl. It was like an NFL Sunday for college fans. And when you woke up January 2nd you had a national champion and didn’t have to wait a week or 10 days later.

That feeling and excitement has now been killed by ESPN. Their greed to have control over every bowl game (but 2) and build in programming has diminished and a great college football tradition.

Back in the day (No I’m not that old) the lineup would be Fiesta, Rose, Cotton, Sugar, Orange all on the same day. Then add in the Gator, Outback and Capital One. Usually all the games had really good teams in them too so its not like you had a bad game. Sure there are some blowouts, it happens, but THAT was a great time. Flipping back and forth if you only had one tv or watching all of them with buddies. Heck it was March Madness for college fans.

Hell now its all on one or 2 channels, and not even broadcast channels or the same day. You get Rose at its traditional late start then another top tier game after it. Before the Outback and Cap1 and Gator all spread out on different Disney owned stations. I know they want all eyes on every game to maximize ratings and get a better ad buy rate, but how many people want to watch a Big East team? Or MAC team? FSU-NIU was close till the late 3rd quarter and then how many drifted off. Wouldn’t it have been nice to flip over to a different primetime game?

And then these games that are on the 3rd or 4th, how many people get those days off regularly to go to the games. January 1st is a norm. Add in the winter holidays and its great. The Orange Bowl even has said that the later games get played away from January 1st affects the actual attendance. So don’t move further away from the 1st, go back to it.

ESPN/ABC and Disney, along with Fox, have the ability to bring this great. FOX needs to be a player (and I think they will be) and get some more big time bowls and college football. They could compete with ESPN and battle back and forth. ESPN has 3 outlets that it can showcase games on. Who wouldn’t like to wake up and have this staring at them in the face?

You can fill in the Heart of Dallas or GoDaddy bowl there too. But that day would be great. Not everyone watches every NFL game. Not everyone watches every college bowl game. This would be a great day! I don’t care if you want to play the Championship Game on the 2nd, fine, but give us back January 1st!

Friday 6 Pack

1-Some guy named Webb Simpson won the US Open at +1 at the Olympic Club, did you enjoy watching the course destroy the pros?

Matt – The USGA seems to think they want to bring the golfers down, but I’m not sure that’s what fans want to see.  I like to see great golf shots not just long drives but they made it a little tougher then it needed to be.  Holes 1-6 just didn’t seem fair to the pros, I’d hate to see what they’d do to me as a golfer.

Wendt – I am not a big fan of -15 winning a tournament but watching a golf course completely destroy golfers is not good TV

Blake – Not particularly.  I don't enjoy watching golf the way I play it.  I want them to be good!

Majors – Yeah, it was kinda cool. Since my pick didn't make the cut, I guess I can take a mulligan on that one, right?

2-Dale Jr ended a 4 year streak winning at Michigan this weekend; Tiger Woods has won 2 golf tournaments this year....who is more back Dale Jr or Tiger?

Matt – 2000 Tiger will never be back.  The Olympic I don’t think set up the way Tiger plays for him to win, that being said he was in it going into the weekend.  He’ll win tournaments and I think another major or 2.  Dale Jr was due and he’s been so close this year.  I think he’s finished every lap of the year so far and all the races I saw he’s always in the Top 10.  I think he has a better team around him and car and think he’s more back than Tiger.

Wendt – Neither. One race or one tournament doesn't=being back. Neither will ever be as good as they were (but is anyone?)

Blake – Dale Jr. has never been as dominate in his respective sport as Tiger was, so not sure there's a correct answer here.  Both their sports need those guys to be competitive and get some wins.

Majors – I think Tiger will start being more consistent, but with so much young talent, the days of him winning everything under the sun are probably gone. As for Dale, I guess if you turn left over & over enough times, you find Victory Lane

3-Paul Rhodes broke out the handle bars this past week...better look for him, full beard, shaved or the bars?

Matt – The handle bars are nice…he’s got a little Hulk Hogan going on.  I liked on soundoff what Murphy said, if he keeps they handlebars into the season they are worth 3 points every game.

Wendt – I'm a little uncomfortable talking about another man's facial hair

Blake – I cannot believe the amount of coverage this got.  I guess either clean shaven or the beard

Majors – Bars, Fu, whatever you call it, they are awesome

4-ESPN is calling Lebron "The Closer" now after games 2 and 3 (Heat are up 2-1 as I write this), is he a closer now?

Matt – LeBron isn’ the closer.  He’s probably the best player (argue with Durant) on the court.  The Heat has figured out the last 2 games how to score, take it to the hole!  MJ is the best closer in the NBA’s history but last I saw Marino is the Closer.

Wendt – The media does an awesome job of over analyzing big events. The simple answer is no

Blake – He's been amazingly dominate in the playoffs.  He's finally made The Leap and understands what it takes to win in the Finals.  It's been amazing to watch...and I don't even like the guy.

Majors – Eh, the media being the media. if he misses the game winning shot in Game 4, he will be back to being a choker in the eyes of the Mother Ship. The dude is a stud, that is all that matters

5-Lance Armstrong is being accused of doping....again.  How many times can one guys piss be tested and will this be the time something sticks?  If something is found will your view of Lance change?

Matt – Nothing will stick, it hasn’t yet.  BUT if he is caught I’m not going to think any different.  It’s a sport where EVERYONE cheated!  Part of me thinks that this guy can’t be clean and beating enhanced guys for 7 years in a row?  So I won’t be shocked.

Wendt – Can I be honest for a second? I really don't care if he did or didn't cheat. Cycling is just as corrupt as boxing

Blake – This will ultimately go the way of Roger Clemons and Barry Bonds.  It will become common public opinion that he was dirty...and no one will care.  His accomplishments on the bike have allowed him to do great and wonderful things for society, and ultimately, that's more worth while than any race in France.  

Majors – Biking is a dirty sport, across the board. I bike pretty heavily, so follow it more than most. I don't think much will change in my eyes, IMO. I am so glad our Government is spending all of this money on the investigations of atheltes & doping, Clemens, McGwire, Bonds, Armstrong, since these are the most pressing issues facing our Country at the moment. {sarcasm}

6-Adam Sandler's "That's My Boy" opened to a disappointing 13 million this weekend.  He hasn't had a great movie since Big Daddy?  Should the Sandman take some time off?

Matt – I think that Sandler needs to make some changes.  He has the same crew in most of his movies so it seems like the same movie in a way.  And he’s picked a bad time to release a movie with Madagascar 3 out, Prometheus and blockbuster Avengers still bringing in almost the same amount now a month and a half since release. 

Wendt – I really liked Grownups, Just Go With It and Jack and Jill. I don't think he needs to go away and with the money studios will throw at him he won't. 70 million was a pretty large budget for "That's My Boy" though.

Blake – His schtick is older than Jamie Moyer.  He's actually pretty good in drama's, so maybe he should look at doing more of those for a while.

Majors – I like Sandler, it just seems like his movies are the same. I was interested in seeing this one, but to pay 40-50 bucks? Ehhhh, not so sure. That's alot of coin!  {for the record, saw Avengers yesterday...THAT movie was worth it}

2011 Fantasy Football Games

College Football Pick'em

Group - Wide Right

Password - beer

$5 Entry Fee - via pay pal : hawkeyemkn@gmail.com

Payouts - depending on number of entries

NFL PICK'EM

Group - Wide Right

Password - beer

$17 Entry Fee -  via pay pal : hawkeyemkn@gmail.com

Weekly winner gets $1 back - Pay out top 3

 

College Football Challenge - BIG TEN

Group - Wide Right

Password - beer

No Entry Fee

NFL Eliminator Challenge
Group - Wide Right
Password - beer
No Entry Fee

NFL GridIron Challenge

Group - Wide Right

Password - beer

No Entry Fee

College Showdown

Group - Wide Right

Password - beer

No Entry Fee

US Open Best Ball Challenge

ESPN US Open Best Ball Challenge

Group Name:Bushwood

Password:Beer





NCAA Tournament Games and More

Tis that time of year that ESPN puts out a lot of games!  And well I'm playing in most of them.  If anyone else wants to join, all these groups are FREE!  Yes I said the magic word, free.  If you are interested in a money pool for the NCAA, I can get you the info for that too.  Here are all the games!

NCAA Tournament Challenge - Classic Bracket

Group: Wide Right

Password: beer

NCAA Women's Tournament Challenge - Classic Bracket

Group: Wide Right

Password: beer

NCAA Tournament Round By Round Pick'em - Pick each game every round

Group: Wide Right
Password: beer

NCAA Tournament HardCourt Challenge 

Pick players from NCAA Tourney Teams, get pts by their performance

Group: Wide Right
Password: beer

MLB Baseball Challenge

Group: Major League
Password: beer

2010 Year in Review - Top 5 Sports Moments

I did this for my Sports Moments of the Decade last December and had fun with this, so I'm going to go ahead and do this for the year.  Now again these are what I think, so there will be a local flair and national flair. 

1-Northern Iowa upsets Kansas - The #1 seed gets sunk by Farokmanesh!  The Panthers were the best team in the State for the 2nd year in a row.  2 years ago Drake's Cinderella run was sunk on a last second 3.  Last year Northern Iowa was beat by Purdue in a close 1st round matchup.  In 2010 the Panthers beat UNLV in the first round to set up a matchup with #1 Kansas and lead damn near the whole game.  Ali sank a 3 and the rest is MARCH MADNESS HISTORY!  

They even landed on the cover of SI and even an ESPY.

2-Duke beats Butler in the Championship game after last second shot misses.  In the best championship game in memory.  The team that only had to go 5-15 mins from campus had a chance to win it all (hello college football) and missed out on beating one of the best programs in the world by an inch.  This is what makes sports great!

3-The Thomas family at the ESPYs  --  Ed Thomas was shot and killed by former player Mark Becker in 2009, but in 2010 ESPN honored his family and him and his legacy with the 2010 Arthur Ashe Award at the annual ESPY's.  Great moment for a great family.  Really shows what small town Iowa is.










4-Iowa State wins AT TEXAS - Yea it happened.  What Paul Rhoads has done with road wins at Nebraska last year and now Texas this year.  ISU has found a good coach.  Just needs talent.

5.  Iowa wins the 2010 Orange Bowl - Yea it seems like a year ago, it happened int he 2009 season, but still was in 2010. And it built up the hype machine for the 2010 season that has gone to 7-5 and an Insight Bowl Bid vs Missouri instead of a dream that many fans had of the National Championship or Rose Bowl.









So these are my moments from 2010, what are yours?

2010-11 College Bowl Pick'em!

2 Bowl Pick'em Groups for you to play in.  ESPN will allow you to create 3 entries, so you would be able to play in both of these. 

Confidence Points Bowl Pick'em
Group: Wide Right
Password: Beer

Straight Bowl Pick'em
Group: Just Win
Password: beer 

Future of the NFL on TV?

This year you saw the end of the BCS Bowl games on broadcast television. In 2010 the Sugar, Fiesta, Orange and BCS Title Game will be moving to ESPN. The Rose Bowl, on ABC - ESPN's parent network, negotiates their own contract. ESPN is the "Home of College Football" and broadcasts hundreds of college games on the family of networks. With what ESPN can do and who they have, one can think that ESPN will hold on to this contract longer than FOX. Maybe even with ESPN & Barack Obama's help, there would be a playoff.

Then you have the NCAA talking about putting the tournament from broadcast to cable Who would be there? ESPN. The mother ship broadcasts championship week on the family of networks already, ESPN has the power to do it. And instead of only broadcasting one game to homes, with ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU and ESPN Classic, four pod sites could all be broadcast on the air.

Now to the NFL. Right now games are broadcast on NBC, CBS, FOX, NFL and ESPN. The NFL is America's game. We can't get enough football! Check out the ratings. ESPN and NBC have the premiere contracts (Sunday & Monday Night) but ESPN can't get a Super Bowl broadcast.

The NFL Network was born and has the late season Thursday Night and Sunday Night Broadcasts, and with it being their network, and no chance of a Super Bowl Broadcast, wouldn't you think that somewhere down the line it is coming?

The one issue with the NFL Network is it's not on all cable providers and its in a lot less homes, but this maybe a calling card to get the network on all cable providers.

So when the next contract comes up, what will happen? Will companies losing money on broadcast television want to anti up even more money in the economy? NBC was just sold to Comcast, and also has a big Notre Dame contract to mess with. Other sports are creating their own channels (Golf, Speed, BIG TEN Network), and succeeding also.

I think you will see ESPN get more than just Monday Night. I think they will take both the NFC and AFC contracts. They have the best morning show with Berman, Ditka, TJ and the receivers. They have the 2 networks (ESPN/ESPN2) to broadcast AFC and NFC games. They can rope in Classic also to broadcast games. I think you'd see broadcast teams from the 2 networks move to ESPN too and build a great relationship with the NFL.

I think you will see Comcast keep NBC in the fray and continue with NBC Sunday Night Football. Michaels and Collinsworth and that broadcast team are great!

Finally the NFL Network will keep the late season Thursday games and Saturday Night games, but will also have something written into their contract to get more games later in the contract and then also a Super Bowl.

ESPN is the world wide leader in sports, they have the BCS, they will get the NCAA tourney and they will get more NFL.

You read it here first.

SEC Love Fest needs to leave College Football!

The love fest for the SEC has to stop. Seriously. I know ESPN now has thrown a bunch of money at them, and so has CBS but really, are they that great? Florida has won with the help of a 12th man (SEC officials) and Tim Tebow should be no where near the top 3 on ANY Heisman ballot but his own that he votes for. Alabama needed 2 blocked fgs to beat Tennessee, who was beat by UCLA who is 0-4 in the Pac-10.

Iowa has the best schedule strength in the nation. Beaten Wisconsin, Penn State, & Michigan State all on the road. Only other team to do that...1997 Michigan, a National Championship team. Iowa's opponents opponents have a .633 winning percentage (38-22). Florida's opponents are 26-24 (.520), same as Texas'. Alabama's opponents are 28-29 (.491).

How is Iowa needing 2 fgs blocked to beat in state rival UNI different from Alabama needed 2 fgs bloked to beat Tennessee?

How is Iowa winning ugly different from Florida winning ugly?

Iowa's beaten more BCS-conference opponents with winning records (7-1 Penn State, 5-2 Wisconsin, 5-2 Arizona, 5-3 Iowa State and 5-3 Michigan).

Did you know??? Ricky Stanzi has more TDs and passing yards then SEC God Tim Tebow

The human stupidity of voters needs taken out of the bcs poll. Get an RPI for the BCS, you need to play somebody and win.

Why I think Dan Patrick left ESPN.

It’s been about a year now that DP has left the world wide leader to go off on his own. The move was dubbed by Rick Reily (one of DP’s friends) one of the worst moves in broadcasting history up there with Katie Couric leaving NBC Today show for CBS Evening News. And in that time he was replaced in the 12-3 time slot by Mike Tirico and Scot Van Pelt. Now they aren’t DP, but they’ve brought something fresh to that slot that DP was lacking his last few years.
Thinking bout it and looking at it where he was when he left, and now where he is. I think he made a mistake, but I think he was losing ground at ESPN, and now losing where he is at anyway. So there are a few reasons I think he left.

1-The time slot
2-The rise of Mike & Mike and Colin Cowherd
3-The loss of Rob Dibble
4-The failure of the Big Show Hour

The Time Slot.
Look where he is now. 9-11 cst. Where was he at ESPN, 12-3. He’s 3 hours earlier. He’s not in the afternoon when more work in the offices is usually being done. He’s not on the #3 tier on ESPN where what he says is being repeated for the 3rd time now. He was becoming old stale news we already heard about. This is combined with #2, but we hear a lot from Mike & Mike, Colin or local people, hearing a 4th take on something gets old. Do we need to hear another persons take on Manny, Brett Favre or Tom Brady? No. Where’s he’s now, he is usually after someone local. He’s the 1st national guy now and is more relevant but not since he’s not on ESPN.

The rise of Mike & Mike and the Herd.
Mike and Mike were big but they are bigger now. They are becoming Giants of sports radio. But they are usually over when some people get into the office. The big hurt came when Colin Cowherd came to ESPN radio replacing Tony Kornheiser. The Herd brought a new approach to the 9-12 slot and something completely opposite of Tony. Tony wasn’t all about sports, he was about life. So going Tony to DP was something fresh and not recycled. Now the Herd is there, he’s the new kid, the lil brother rising up and taking the head of the pack. When you got to DP, you heard Colin’s more definitive take and usually a take that is what the normal sports fan is thinking. I think when DP left and still now, Colin was on top of Dan.

The loss of Rob Dibble
Batman can survive with out Robin, but DP took a bit hit when he lost his sidekick. Dibble was that awkward, dumb funny guy who still knew his stuff. Dibble was one of the reasons to listen. When he was gone, the show was missing something. Phil the Showkiller couldn’t fill it himself. Dibble was as much of the show as DP was. With him gone, it was almost boring to listen to just Dan. And that brings us to….

The failure of the Big Show Hour
DP and ESPN Radio tried to recreate the sidekick part with ole buddy Keith Olberman, but Keith was no DP. Granted it was still good and for nostalgia fun to get the 2 back together. But Keith wasn’t the Keith from his ESPN Days. He’s moved on. Kinda like how Craig Kilborn has moved on. It was “cute” but it’s nothing that could have built the show back to what it was.

I think that SVP and Tirico are good replacements and SVP is just hilarious. It’s something new, and fresh, and fun. They are giving us something that the other 2 shows aren’t which makes listening to ESPN Radio fun now. You never know what is going to go on. Like SVP, Tofoya and Timmy Kurtjen talking about the Bear on the golf course at the senior open or talking about video games.