ESPN's Sports Nation To Be Turned Into A Radio Show

Friday, October 19, 2007


This is one of those ideas that could go great, or horribly bad. ESPN is turning its Sports Nation Chat Room into its own radio show. ESPN Radio is bringing on John Seibel and Orestes Destrade to air a program unlike any other from 4-6:30pm. The two of them are going to let the listeners/Sports Nation voters and chatters steer the show.....

SportsNation on ESPN Radio will tie into ESPN.com’s “SportsNation” page, the site where sports fans discuss the day’s issues and vote on topical polls. Prior to their show, Seibel and Orestes will “chat” with listeners who will help format each afternoon’s program by telling the co-hosts what they feel are the hot topics of the day. During the show, the daily SportsNation on ESPN Radio poll on the ESPN.com “SportsNation” page will be updated and discussed, as will other poll results and fan feedback on the page. (ESPN)
Seems like a logical progression right and not a bad idea right? Well not so fast. If you're a normal working human being on the East Coast what are you doing from 4:00 to 6:30pm? You're driving and if you're like me you're stuck in traffic. Well if that's the case....HOW THE HELL AM I GOING CONTRIBUTE FROM MY CAR?!?!?!

I don't have a PC on my steering wheel. And if you say well they'll have the West Coast A) I don't really even believe the West Coast exists (neither does ESPN) and B) They'll all still be working and most jobs don't let you play streaming audio. This whole thing kicks of October 23rd, but I don't know how I'm going to get my PC into my car.

I truly like the idea, but that's just not going to work when the only time slot you can put it in is Late Afternoon Drive.

Update: So apparently the chat doesn't go on as the same time of the show. John and O are on Sports Nation from 2-3pm to chat with folks and ask the what they want them to talk about on the show. Well that's even more ridiculous than they way I originally took the idea. So were basically they're going to be taking about the Yankees and Red Sox every single day because Sports Nation is doing their show prep for them? Just dumb. I'm sorry....wait until Buzz here's about this.

P.S.- There wasn't anyone else available besides Orestes? Really???

Posted by Awful Announcing- at 11:11 AM

15 Comments:

AA wrote: "This is one of those ideas that good go either great, or horribly bad."

Don't you mean: "COULD" go either great?

Anonymous said...
Oct 19, 2007, 11:41:00 AM  

AA, they are going read what is on Sports Nation then chat from 2-3pm Eastern then set the show line-up, so all of the East coasters can drive the rest of us crazy by setting the show line-up. Read all your press material, thanks

Unknown said...
Oct 19, 2007, 12:17:00 PM  

Okay Rob....that's even more ridiculous. That's just show prep then. How is that interactive at all? That's even more dumb.

Thanks.

Oct 19, 2007, 12:24:00 PM  

John Seibel fucking sucks.

Anonymous said...
Oct 19, 2007, 12:47:00 PM  

I never said it was a good idea and ESPN radio is awful after 3pm Eastern anyway. Seibel is just awful because all he wants to talk about is the Bengals and I guess Orestes can talk about baseball and nothing else.

Unknown said...
Oct 19, 2007, 12:55:00 PM  

Okay...point taken.

Oct 19, 2007, 1:07:00 PM  

It's not a superlatively dumb idea in the grand scheme of things. It's just a show, not the best radio show idea in the history of this or any other universe and not promoted that way, so it's tough to rag on it too heavily.

It's most likely not going to be good, and SportsNation may be the biggest collection of boobs i've come across in a long time (save some Rivals boards), but it's a show idea that may be able to address the problems plaguing ESPN's nightly radio lineup...insufferable boredom.

It will be a niche show, mainly because ESPN affiliates in bigger markets aren't going to dump their cashcows w/r/t their afternoon drive shows.

I won't be listening, but it's not a terrible idea. It's a natural progression from the call-in radio world to something offering a little more.

But that doesn't mean it won't be brutal, hopefully in wonderfully hilarious ways.

Christo P. Ney said...
Oct 19, 2007, 1:17:00 PM  

Hey, ndub, go eff yourself. I'm usually the first one to say "Jon Seibel fucking sucks" on this site.

GMoney said...
Oct 19, 2007, 3:56:00 PM  

ESPN has come up with 10,000 worse ideas than this. It's mid-to-late afternoon radio, which has sucked on ESPN Radio for quite some time, anyway. I'd give this a chance.

Scrappled said...
Oct 19, 2007, 4:38:00 PM  

...adding, at least they're trying something moderately interactive and innovative instead of just plugging in Generic ESPN Radio Personality in there for 3 hours to run his mouth.

Scrappled said...
Oct 19, 2007, 4:39:00 PM  

i miss Gameday with Doug Brown. How many YEARS has that been off the air now?

odessasteps said...
Oct 19, 2007, 5:47:00 PM  

WHY do you people listen or watch ESPN?
ALL of their hosts openly admit they talk endlessly about the Yankees and Red Sox to drive ratings. They claim those are the only items which move the ratings. When in reality, they just want to sell ads to NY-based businesses.
Do like me --- don't watch or listen to ESPN. There's plenty of other places to get sports info and other channels which carry sporting events. Unless you like watching Arena Football. LOL

Anonymous said...
Oct 19, 2007, 9:20:00 PM  

OK, this sounds dumb, but it is made even dumber by the fact that they chose ORESTES DESTRADE!?!?!?! to host the show. WTF????!!!! Seriously, that is possibly the worst decision ever. First, all he knows is baseball, so he'll be useless for everything else (except the show will be probably 99% Yanks/Sox anyway). He's not even a good baseball analyst anyway, and they want him to talk about other things??? The only good thing is that maybe this will get him off ESPN for good. They have been slowly weeding him out I think. Baseball Tonight-->LLWS--> This crap show-->Fox Sports.

Anonymous said...
Oct 19, 2007, 11:23:00 PM  

Let me guess ... at some point, John Seibel will firmly declare that the NFL is king, the true national pastime, the only really relevant sport there is. And he'll do it with no discernable personality, insight, or humor. And the next day, he'll say the same thing. Just like they told him to in the ESPN production meetings.

Seibel reminds me of that tool we've all worked with who has never had an original idea, has all the personality of a dead fish, and is the first guy in line to apply for a promotion for himself. But he's a yes man, he toes the company line unfailingly, he doesn't rock the boat, and he kisses the right backsides, so the company loves him. When he keeps getting promoted, clients and co-workers scratch their heads and say, "How did HE get that gig?"

Glad to see John Seibel got another gig. Long live homogenized mediocrity. Now let's talk some National Football League ...

Anonymous said...
Oct 21, 2007, 1:12:00 AM  

Thank god I live in Pittsburgh, where we have Mark Madden on from 3-7. He hates baseball (barely any Yankees/Red Sox talk) and loves talking football and hockey (Steelers and Penguins respectively). He has no fear in making fun of callers. He is the Super Genius (tm) and as controversial as some of the stuff he says is, he's usually right. Thank GOD I don't have the hear the Worldwide Leader's national dribble. I get to hear a regular host with a personality who can plan his own show. Thank you WEAE for renewing Mr. Madden's contract. If I had to hear one minute of the national crap that ESPN puts out, I'd never listen to it ever again.

Anonymous said...
Oct 21, 2007, 9:51:00 PM  

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