Hail Harbo

April 26th, 2017 at 3:06 PM ^

Or, most likely that he's a one trick pony.  After college football he's got nothing.  With this many layoffs of TV/Radio personalities, they'll want to keep around those that can speak intelligently about more than one subject and are a net profit center.  Kanell was likely neither.  Same with Jayson Stark.  Sure, he knows baseball, but that's about it.

MGoPoe

April 26th, 2017 at 2:27 PM ^

JP is closest to my heart too but I would extend that to Foster and quite a few other young men as well over the past year.  Multiple times Kannell gave out harsh criticism on air about Foster, had him on Tuesday's show and did not address any of it, and went back to stabbing the kid in the back as soon as he left the studio.  I understand they as personalities are supposed to do a bit of glad handling but what he is all about him.

 

That second sentence in his first tweet, all about sympathy for me.

SAMgO

April 26th, 2017 at 1:59 PM ^

Pleeeeeeease, this guy is the epitome of what's ruining modern sports TV coverage. He's all about creating controversy out of nothing and stirring up as much anger as possible to get himself views and clicks. I will happily dance on the proverbial grave of this self-serving prick.

MadMatt

April 26th, 2017 at 2:53 PM ^

Sounds like...everything I didn't like about Howard Cosell.  For those of a certain (decrepit) age, we all think of a single word (in Howard's nasal, New York broadcast voice) whenever we hear his name, "controversy!"

The art of made up drama to increase TV ratings is as old as the vacuum tube.

M Ascending

April 26th, 2017 at 3:25 PM ^

You are right that Cosell was a self promoter. But he was also smart, knew
his sports (especially boxing), was an exceptionally exciting broadcaster (Down goes Frazier!), and most importantly was willing to tackle issues of social importance that no other sportscasters of his era would ever touch. His relationship with Ali was incredible.

I would take Cosell 100 times over than any of today's talking heads.

ppToilet

April 26th, 2017 at 5:33 PM ^

ABC's Wide World of Sports in the hope of seeing Cosell and Ali banter - that was great television... I didn't care for him most of the time but Cosell was smart and had his moments...

Hail Harbo

April 26th, 2017 at 8:44 PM ^

Great for TV, great for boxing and football, and a great target for misguided hatred.  Seemed like everyone loved to hate on Howard.  I find it sad, though, that Ali didn't come to his defense when Cosell needed it.  Howard Cosell defended and helped promote Ali following his prison stint, but when ABC fired Cosell, Ali was a ghost.

DrMantisToboggan

April 26th, 2017 at 2:01 PM ^

Extremely disagree.

 

I think someone who has a wide-reaching voice as an employee of the primary sports news network using his voice to slander a young person before that person's future employers decide the fate of his career (potentially negatively influencing his draft position and therefore future salary) is a fireable offense. Whether ESPN had his name in the "lay off pile" to begin with or not, I think Kannell should have been fired for using his verified twitter account to slander a 22 year-old in front of scouts, GMs, etc. without a shred of evidence. That is extremely unprofessional and something that ESPN should not tolerate.

RoseBowlBound

April 26th, 2017 at 2:42 PM ^

Totally agree with media/slander as it relates to JP.  Sports are not just an athletic competition these days.  The NFL is selling entertainment and the player's character/image are all part of the entertainment.  Slandering an amateur or even a professional without recourse is wrong.  Even if the slanderer is doing it in his one self interest to "stir up" interest and clicks during their airtime, it is still wrong.

74polSKA

April 26th, 2017 at 2:59 PM ^

No. I'm equally offended by people employed in a visual medium who possess no discernable talent and are, by my estimation, not pleasing to the eye. Is the phrase "they have a face for radio" offensive? I don't think so. You may disagree with my assessment that she's unattractive, but that doesn't make me a mysogynist.