ESPN Cancels Grantland
ESPN has decided to cancel Grantland.
Seth's Tweet summarizes my feelings...
The monopolistic boondoggle by which we forced the market to consume our trash is crumbling. Cancel the good stuff!
https://t.co/sYVP8OGdxc
— Seth M. Fisher (@Misopogon) October 30, 2015October 30th, 2015 at 2:45 PM ^
October 30th, 2015 at 2:45 PM ^
October 30th, 2015 at 2:49 PM ^
Why does ESPN believe that I wish to be pissed on with more, increasingly vapid hot takes which do nothing other than continually confirm that very few people - if any - in their stable of "stars" have actually watched a game in any sport on more than a summary level? Why do they believe that this is what I desire?
I will miss Grantland and its vast array of talented contributors. That was some good reading between and sometimes during meetings.
October 30th, 2015 at 3:42 PM ^
Because stupidity drives traffic too. I've never watched First Take, but every time Stephen A or Skip says something especially stupid (vs their regular stupidity), I see it featured prominently on Twitter, Facebook, sports blogs, etc, and I end up clicking over to see what the fuss is about. Maybe I'm following the wrong people on twitter (my own fault for following Awful Announcing and Deadspin), but fake outrage/stupidity seems to outnumer quality writing at least 3:1
October 30th, 2015 at 2:50 PM ^
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October 30th, 2015 at 2:51 PM ^
This sucks. But maybe now Lowe can join Simmons for his new podcast/show with HBO
October 30th, 2015 at 3:18 PM ^
October 30th, 2015 at 4:10 PM ^
As a member of the MGoBlog working class, I like to do what I can to bring The Man down. Please join me, fellow members of the proletariat, in denying pancakes to this would-be aristocrat!
October 30th, 2015 at 4:35 PM ^
October 30th, 2015 at 3:02 PM ^
Just goes to show that most people in this world (and especially this country) are stupid. You make money by catering to the tastes and wants of stupid people. The culture of "tl;dr" makes ESPN what it is. If it can't fit in a 30-second video clip, most of the jackasses out there just ignore it.
October 30th, 2015 at 3:03 PM ^
The real problem is their ability to capture value from customers that actually care, like me. When customers that don't care are able to quit paying, they will!. The answer is not to cancel good programming, but to make sure people that care can pay and get a customer surplus from it.
ESPN should offer better services to the passionate fans and find a way to charge crazy fans for them that are not ads. I would love to pay $5 per month to see the "all 22 video" of college football games and I bet many others would as well.
Instead, ESPN is going to just start to suck. Sounds like a good startup media opportunity!
October 30th, 2015 at 3:06 PM ^
I haven't visited ESPN's website or watched anything other than a game in at least a year.
October 30th, 2015 at 3:08 PM ^
October 30th, 2015 at 3:31 PM ^
October 30th, 2015 at 4:35 PM ^
I liked Grantland - a lot. But I've never understood the ESPN bashing. Between ESPN, 2, U, News, and the immense number of games you can stream for free on ESPN3 (only way to find CMU games), they are a very necessary part of my life. Not to mention using them as a resource for scores, schedules, standings and live gametracking is top-notch.
Yes, Skip Bayless and Stephen A. are idiots looking to rile up the lowest common denominator. First Take or Cold Pizza or whatever nonsense they attempt to add as entertainment filler is just noise. And it's usually recycled or repackaged every couple of years because it's trash. I don't pay attention to it because I don't care and I don't miss it.
But look at all of the frothing mouths in here about Gameday coming to Ann Arbor two weeks ago. That's ESPN, people. There is no equal. There is no alternative.
I'll miss Grantland. I'm disappointed it's gone. And I'll still watch or click on ESPN every single day without thinking twice because they're the best in the biz at covering sports - and it's not even remotely close.
October 30th, 2015 at 4:59 PM ^
October 30th, 2015 at 6:38 PM ^
I mean, their in-game analysts are generally pretty decent, but everything else is horrible.
This is the kind of top-end analysis you can expect after games: "People don't really know how huge momentum is -- momentum is huge." Thanks, Ray Lewis.
October 30th, 2015 at 7:22 PM ^
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October 30th, 2015 at 3:10 PM ^
1.) live sports
2.) 30 for 30
3.) grantland content
Guess it is now down to 2
October 30th, 2015 at 3:10 PM ^
Although the loss of Simmons diminished the quality of Grantland in my eyes, it was still a superb site.
If I maintained a Colbert style "list" I think this would put ESPN up a few more notches. Way past Shelties even (don't ask).
Grantland was one of the few things ESPN did really well. And it can't have cost that much to keep running.
I hope someone sponsors Simmons, gives him a long leash, and he puts together somthing epic and profitable.
October 30th, 2015 at 4:34 PM ^
You're probably right. This is the beginning of the downfall. This news indicates that ESPN is going to cut small potatoes to keep corporate salaries fat and juicy. That's always the beginning of the end. Fox sports is about to make a serious run for growth and Rome....er....ESPN is crumbling
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October 31st, 2015 at 1:23 AM ^
October 30th, 2015 at 3:12 PM ^
always wipe out creative talent first. It's always the way things go. The dumbazz who is in charge has his azz covered from the gate and the rest just get swept out with the trash at killing time. It's why Bernie Sanders message resonates but will never fly because those with the gold whether they squander it or not, own the airwaves and message massage.
Grantland in print and digital digestion is better than the video enterprise and all its iterations on ESPN's umpteen channels. The only bad thing about ESPN shrinkage is it keeps useless on-air talent and cuts the good stuff.
October 30th, 2015 at 5:01 PM ^
Sanders has more than enough ability to spread his message through television and social media. People receiving his message is not an issue.
People don't like the guy because of his political beliefs.
October 30th, 2015 at 5:37 PM ^
October 30th, 2015 at 3:12 PM ^
What will Skip and Steven say about this!?!?! My loins are quivering in anticipation!!!
October 30th, 2015 at 3:14 PM ^
No Grantland? Back to Candyland for me I guess . . . I need my daily dose of things that are land.
October 30th, 2015 at 3:31 PM ^
Bless you!
October 30th, 2015 at 3:31 PM ^
First, Black Grantland, now this!
October 30th, 2015 at 4:01 PM ^
Yes, the site still had some good writers, but the overall editorial plan seemed to be a mess with no cohesive vision. I will read Steve Hyden, Rembert Browne, Bill Barnwell, and Mark Titus wherever they end up (even though Titus is a Buckeye).
October 30th, 2015 at 4:36 PM ^
SEC/Longhorn network will save ESPN.
/s
October 30th, 2015 at 4:51 PM ^
October 30th, 2015 at 4:55 PM ^
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October 30th, 2015 at 4:56 PM ^
Is this like the cool trend now. Obviously their SEC shilling, trite programming, robotic announcers, annoying talking heads, wait...where was I going?
But in all seriousness, they created a TV genre (sports all day) that we all love and consume like crack. They helped make college football an every Saturday event with Gameday. There's plenty to complain about, with its current monopolistic status and recent lack of innovation, but it also helped bring constant sports to the masses, for which I think many of us are grateful.
A solid competitor has not surfaced (Fox Sports, Conference/Sport/Team specific networks,etc). Perhaps its not as easy as we all think it is to remain relevant and interesting 24 hours a day.
Also, in fairness, as others have alluded to, they discovered and gave opportunities to many talented journalists and announcers over the years that may never have had such exposure otherwise. Unfortunately, they've also provided a platform for many annoying, shallow, and untalented talking heads as well...see Jemelle Hill, Steven A Smith, Skip Bayless, etc.
October 30th, 2015 at 5:00 PM ^
October 30th, 2015 at 7:25 PM ^
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October 31st, 2015 at 4:43 AM ^
Games, stats, ESPN classics, documentaries are all great to have access to. I don't read their content or watch anything besides SportCenter or Pregame shows, and maybe they have tried to be everything to everyone with some crappy shows and ESPN magazine going after Sports Illustrated. I just think the ESPN hate parade has gotten a bit absurd.
October 31st, 2015 at 11:17 AM ^
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October 31st, 2015 at 11:53 AM ^
October 30th, 2015 at 5:05 PM ^
popular. Perhaps some of the writers themselves can reform as an sports version of the Algonquin Round Table on the internet.
October 30th, 2015 at 5:49 PM ^
October 30th, 2015 at 6:04 PM ^
Aw, hope Holly Anderson and Matt Hinton find new work soon.
I blame Weinreb.
October 30th, 2015 at 6:05 PM ^
October 30th, 2015 at 6:37 PM ^
ESPN isn't just cutting Grantland, they're adding 20 staffers to "The Undefeated".
It doesn't make much sense to me that they would abandon Grantland but hold on to Black Grantland, the one that has cost a fortune to build, is about as boom or bust as you can get and already missed it's launch date because they hired Jason Whitlock to run it then fired him.
October 31st, 2015 at 4:48 AM ^
Grantland has probably already hit its ceiling...still dumb to kill it, but upside probably isnt there.
Black grantland invenstment is a sunk cost at this point, so they have to at least launch it and see if it takes off. They also run the risk of a cultural/racist backlash narrative if they cancel black grantland before it even launches. If it just fails, its much easier to cut for economic reasons then never actually running it to begin with.
October 30th, 2015 at 6:54 PM ^
October 30th, 2015 at 7:25 PM ^
ESPN is quickly devolving into a mainstream pop culture/TMZ type "news" service. It has become a complete joke and is only getting worse. The only thing left worth watching is Bob Ley and "Outside the Lines".