ESPN's Latest Sports Center Gimmick: "Mt. Rushmore of Sports"
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Ugh. ESPN has decided to once again has decided to add a fan-based, nonsensical feature to Sports Center. This winter, you'll be able to nominate individuals for something called the "Mt. Rushmore of Sports", and after Rick Reilly runs the segment into the ground on Sports Center daily, vote on the four people that should represent your state's make believe, Mount Rushmore. Via ESPN....
SportsCenter, ESPN’s flagship news and information program, and ESPN.com, the leading online sports destination, will combine to present a five-week, fan-based series to celebrate the sports icons from all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. The series, titled “SportsCenter Mount Rushmore of Sports,” will use fan-generated nominations on ESPN.com to identify the top four sports greats in each state/region, and online voting to select the state with the most impressive collection of sports luminaries worthy of being etched in the state’s Mount Rushmore of sports.Sorry for the length of that blockquote, but I thought it was necessary so you could understand the sheer nonsense of the idea. This is just like the annoying "Titletown" stunt, but with actual people instead of cities and towns. The fact that Rick Reilly is involved makes me dread it even that much more.
As part of the series, ESPN The Magazine and ESPN.com award-winning columnist Rick Reilly will host daily SportsCenter segments focusing on the top five states/regions selected by fans as having the most significant collection of sports icons Monday, Feb. 16 – Friday, Feb. 20, beginning daily at 9 a.m. ET. Reilly, who joined ESPN in June 2008 as a multimedia essayist and contributor to the network’s coverage of marquee events, will also pair with PTI co-host and Washington Post columnist Michael Wilbon, and a Associated Press writer (one per state/region) to pick the fourth “must have” luminary for each state/region.
Beginning Sunday, Jan. 18, fans can submit names of their top three athletes, coaches and/or team executives in their state by logging on to: http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/sportscenter/mtrushmore. To be eligible, the sports icons must be individuals who have made significant contributions to the world of sports in their respective states/regions (athletes, coaches, team executives, owners, media/commentators, et al).
During the week of February 2-7, ESPN.com will reveal the final four names for each state/region. Fans can log on and rank the top five states/regions. In addition, February 8-14, the site will include an online exclusive content featuring ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith and Steve Bunin discussing and debating the selections. On television February 16-20, Reilly’s “SportsCenter Mt. Rushmore of Sports” segments will profile the five finalists and argue the merits of each of the top five states/regions.
At the conclusion of Reilly’s segments on SportsCenter, fans can vote online for the top state/region Feb. 20-23, and the winner will be announced Tuesday, Feb. 24, on SportsCenter at 6 p.m.
18 Comments:
They stole this idea from Todd Wright's show on Sporting News Radio...
So "Who's Now?" wasn't the end of these ridiculous segments? Geeze.
Tom Brady, Tim Tebow, Derek Jeter, and Eddy Curry's penis.
They still have those same bunch of idiots working for them don't they?
If those two bastards can keep making stupid movies with "movie" in the title, then ESPN can keep making up their own stupid segments.
sports icons must be individuals who have made significant contributions to the world of sports
Well isn't that subjective! So not only do we have a bogus segment, ESPN will easily be able to dictate who actually gets in this contest.
Maine - Erin Andrews * 4
How about a Mt. Rushmore of ESPN personalities that made their station suck? I nominate Berman, Screamin' A. Smith, Bayless and Stuart Scott.
Like we'll be any bit surprised if it's Tom Brady, Tiger Woods, Lebron James, and A-Rod....
Gregg is on to something. You should set up a bracket with voting for the worst ESPN personalities. Obviously Berman would be a #1 seed but Pam Ward and Kornheiser deserve spots. Would a 16 slot playoff be big enough.
@RyanMcD29
I know it's hard to read and all, but the press release says there will be 4 from each state, not just 4 from the entire country.
If Visanthe Shiancoe's schlong doesn't make the top 4 in whateverstatehe'sfrom, I will be deeply disappointed.
todd wright?
Jody mac and Glen Macnow were doing "mt rushmore" every week on WIP in Philly at least 10 years ago.
Well then mark, I guess this would make ESPN's version of this gimmick sloppy thirds...
So since we know it'll either be Boston or NYC winning this thing, it's going to come down to:
Brady/Bird/Ted/Flutie
vs.
Jeter/DiMaggio/Mantle/Namath
I wonder what they're going to do with athletes would could conceivably be claimed by more than one locale (Ruth [NY/Bal], Barkley [Auburn/PHX], Walton [LA/Portland], Bettis [Pit/Det])
I can see the Disney CEO saying "We're paying this Reilly guy how much and he's writing about Beer Pong? Jeez, make him at least to do something on the Network!! We need to get something for our money.
If you're doing Boston and you leave out Bill Russell, you're a knucklehead. Russell, Orr, Bird, Brady. With no championships, Ted Williams is out of luck.
Make all the jokes you want, but you can have some real fun debates with this thing...
Like which 4 has had the biggest impact on Texas sports? Nolan Ryan? Lance Armstrong? Hakeem Olajuwon? Tom Landry? Doak Walker? Roger Clemens? Babe Didrickson? Tim Duncan?
This could be fun.
The Mt. Rushmore should include Tim Tebow, four times. with a little Thom Brennahman at the bottom