I'm over ESPN.
Fox Sports is too regional, and frankly, I can't remember what channel they are on DirecTV. Somewhere lost in the 500s or so. I remember Prime Sports as a kid, fondly, but I also remember when no Dodgers home games were on TV.
In my mind, watching an episode of Sportscenter is very educational on all New York and Boston. The unconditional love for Boston College, the Celtics, the Red Sox, Yankees, Mets, and Rutgers is enough to make me turn off the tube. The Lakers are leading the Pacific Division, but I have to endure a 20 minute vignette about how the Celtics are chasing history.
To be fair, New England is on a roll. With the Red Sox and Patriots atop their respective sports, and the Celtics doing well, I don't blame them entirely for the coverage. I also know it is ratings driven, and the Red Sox pull audiences like no other (save the Yankees or Dodgers).
If I were the head of ESPN, I would eliminate an episode or two of the late-night Sportscenters and replace them with a West Coast version. Imagine for a second, in depth coverage of the Kings, Sharks, Lakers, Dodgers, Angels, Chargers, and Diamondbacks. I would show the PAC-10 as often as ESPN shows the ACC and Big East. Mountain West games would actually be on TV, and perhaps with the influnence of watching great football programs like Utah, Air Force, and TCU, the MWC could become BCS. We would turn MWC basketball into something like the love affair ESPN has with the Ohio Valley.
Maybe the weather is too good, maybe there's too much to do. But the amount of talent that comes out of Oregon, Washington, California, and Arizona deserves to have more exposure. The type of baseball coming from the Dodgers-Giants, Dodgers-Padres, Angels-A's or Angels-Mariners deserves a home. The Raiders should be covered more along with the 49ers. The Chargers should be recongnized for thier gutsy GM who nobody liked until he turned the team into a perrenial contender. Instead of focusing on a quaterback who likes to be himeself.
And Russell Martin should have more endorsement deals.
