Matt Feeney writes on the turn of SportsCenter in not-so-flattering terms:
It’s strange that ESPN added Dream Job to its lineup since they already have a show in which aspirants compete, with an irritating surfeit of eagerness and theatrical sarcasm, to capture the singular vibe of Dan and Keith. It’s called SportsCenter.
Feeney goes on to contrast the current anchors with the legendary Dan Patrick/Keith Olbermann duo. Strangely, in diagnosing the current SC cast’s shortcomings, Feeney omits who in my view is one of the worst anchors, the ironically casted host of Dream Job, Stuart Scott, whose “hip” gibberish can be hazardous to your vocabulary.
Apart from the anchors, SportCenter–and much of ESPN for that matter–has gotten far too cute and full of itself. Outside of football season, I usually find it a chore to watch the show for more than a couple of segments. Guess I’ve developed the short attention span and can’t handle much more. Ironic, given that that’s the type of viewer ESPN apparently targets.
Oh, to return to the days of Olbermann, Patrick, Kilborn, Gardner, Mees, “Boomtime”, and Ley. They ranged from serious to comical, but they were always excellent sports anchors. Those times have since departed.