ESPN, Two Weeks Ago: Like It Or Not, ESPN Is Not "Sticking to Sports"

"How'd it go?," asks @omni_ceren as he retweets this bit of corporate dick-wagging.

Their "Public Editor" (or ombudsman; the NYT is the only prominent outlet tat calls the position "Public Editor," which gives you a clue into what ESPN considers its model of journ0lism) says ESPN is doubling down on Social Justice Warrioring.

NB: He is writing specifically about ESPN's website talking more about politics -- and while that's what he's specifically addressing, everyone knows that the ESPN's main product, its repetitive and meatheaded television channel of regurgitated clips and pre-chewed sports "wisdom" -- is just as guilty.

"Hey, ESPN: Stick to sports."
I've read thousands of social media posts and reader emails about ESPN over the past 15 months. If there's one phrase that tends to surface most frequently, it's that chestnut suggesting the network’s only proper place is in the athletics lane.
Yes, when it comes to ESPN -- the self-proclaimed "Worldwide Leader in Sports" -- the concern of many fans is that it's no longer focused enough on sports. Some complain too much focus has been placed on culture and politics, with the most fire directed at FiveThirtyEight, The Undefeated, the new SC6 show and even one of the network's graybeards, Outside the Lines, the title of which describes exactly the coverage some would like to see less of.
As I wrote in November, the desire to draw a boundary between sports, culture and politics is a fool's errand. Sports has always intersected with culture and politics...
ESPN, in fact, just removed any question about the sports-politics-culture intersection when it released new political guidelines that loosen the restraints on commentary about politics and culture, though stressing that such discussion should connect to sports whenever possible.
Whatever one thinks of the revised guidelines, one thing appears beyond dispute: The volume of non-sports content within ESPN's empire has increased significantly in recent years....
The existence of these sites might seem odd to those who pine for the days of ESPN being all sports all the time. But media is growing more disaggregated by the day, leading more and more cable subscribers to cut the cord, a trend that has significantly affected ESPN's once-impenetrable broadcast business....
ESPN President John Skipper has endorsed these efforts....
...
One thing is clear: Those of you who have not held your tongue about ESPN's move away from an all-sports-all-the-time mantra also should not hold your breath waiting for a change.
ESPN has made it clear: It's not sticking to sports.

I bolded that one part because it jibes with a comment offered by TheJamesMadison, who said ESPN was already beginning to fail as a business model even before the all-SJW-all-the-time format, and that this emphasis on SJW leftwingery is not the cause of the problem so much as it is ESPN's effort to fix the problem.

He didn't explain, but here's my guess as to his thinking:

In the old says, a big hit show was one that garnered a 30% market share. 30% of all TVs in America in use would be turned to MASH or All in the Family.

In an age of increasing market fragmentation, no one even thinks about a 30% market share. Now a tv show is a hit if it has something like a 6% or 8% market share.

Now add into that the increasing partisanship of the country: Bush proved -- through most of his term -- that you didn't need all of the country to support you if 40% of the country strongly supported you, and 10% were indifferent. (At the end of his term, when the financial crisis hit, he also proved you definitely needed more than 29% support.)

Obama took that lesson and ran with it. Obama was the most divisive and partisan president in several lifetimes -- Nixonian in his scheming, Carteresque in competency -- and spent the bulk of his presidency in the 44-46% approval range.

But the bulk of that approval was strong approval from intense partisans, who saw them as their avatar in the unending Culture Wars, and quite possibly an actual Messiah or Buddha sent down by Heaven to redeem that part of humanity that lived in the better zip codes of at least a dozen coastal US cities.

In an age where more people are tuning out ESPN's main product, they may have decided they don't need viewers so much as they need emotionally-invested political supporters

FoxNews is the biggest cable news channel -- but most of the country doesn't watch it, or outright hates it. But that doesn't matter -- you don't need all of the people, you just need a lot of the people to be strong supporters who will tune in just out of a sense of loyalty.

ESPN may have looked into its future, a future filled with bloated, paid-way-too-much-for-way-too-little loss leader costs for broadcast rights to sports, at the same time its subscriber base was falling every single year (and usually -- every single month), and may have decided that at some point they will have to jack up the mandatory cable subscription rates through the roof to cover costs, and to get the cable channels to agree to that, they're gonna need a lot of intensely-loyal Obama-style partisans telling cable companies "Yes, by all means, agree on $15/month for the right to carry ESPN."

We may be in the age where our commercial television entertainments must be turned into Cultural/Political/Quasi-Religious Crusades in order to hold on to a small number of nigh-religiously-devoted zealots to have any kind of market viability at all.

Given that, ESPN may have decided that it would gladly alienate all the conservative men its audience -- a larger chunk of its audience, or at least a larger chunk of its previous audience -- in order to secure the passionate partisan followership of a smaller but louder audience that will bully cable companies into mandating that anyone who wants cable has to pay $15 per month to ESPN, or else they'll cry "Racism!"

ESPN's positioning of itself as Black Lives Matter/Social Justice Warrior central may be some clever maneuvering to play the Racism! card when they start seeking higher rents from more unwilling citizens.

This may be ESPN's cynical effort at creating a devoted followership that will permit it to achieve the dream of every socialist enterprise -- simple rent-seeking, compelling unwilling citizens to pay a tax to subsidize you in your dream-quests to reshape humanity.

And you know what?

It just might work.

Unless a nearly equally furious revolt develops that demands that they be allowed to choose which services and which speech they wish to subsidize with their money.

The left and right have always been engaged in an asymmetrical type of warfare -- the left is always demanding the right subsidize it, and the right does not make any equal demand that the left subsidize it. At most, we simply object to being made to subsdize the left, which is not an equal-and-opposite reaction. When the left demands they take a dollar from you and put it into their own pockets, that's a net gain for the left.

The right tends to merely argue against such schemes -- at best, we'll come out net zero in the battle. At best, the left comes out +$1 and you come out -$1; but at best, the right comes out at +$0 to either party.

And we don't even come out of things at that net zero level, because we're just not vigorous enough in defending our own interests. We don't even think about taking money from the left to put into our own pet projects, and we barely even fuss ourselves about the left's effort to take our money to fund theirs.

They demand they take a dollar from us to devote to a leftwing cause; we compromise, and give them fifty cents.

Every time.

We need to make the right more aware of this dynamic and more insistent -- much more insistent, including mass boycotts -- that we have had it up to our necks with it and simply will not give a single slim dime more.

And then maybe we can start making our own demands of wealth-transfers from the left into our own pockets and see how they like walking in those shoes for a long frog-march through the institutions.

Posted by: Ace at 03:07 PM

Comments

(Jump to bottom of comments)

1 The fact that it's 3:21 and no one's posted a comment tells me nobody really gives a shit about ESPN and its problems.

Posted by: Noam Sayen at April 26, 2017 03:12 PM (611Lm)

2 Content

Posted by: Village Idiot's Apprentice at April 26, 2017 03:13 PM (J+eG2)

3 Let the pummeling continue!!

Posted by: tu3031 at April 26, 2017 03:13 PM (qJhUV)

4 ESPN is now in the business of layoffs.

Posted by: Dang at April 26, 2017 03:14 PM (8b+oT)

5 Yo!

Posted by: Yo! at April 26, 2017 03:14 PM (GwIKd)

6 Willowed:

"Also it's not my fault whatever it is."

I'm still blaming you.

Posted by: *Mikey NTH - Join the Conspiracy of the Month Club at the Outrage Outlet! Flavored Tinfoil in May! at April 26, 2017 03:14 PM (hLRSq)

7 ESPN: Code Pink Slips!

Posted by: Dang at April 26, 2017 03:15 PM (8b+oT)

8 NOOD !

Posted by: Yo! at April 26, 2017 03:15 PM (GwIKd)

9 Bag o Dicks & ESPN= Some assembly required

Posted by: CSMBigBird at April 26, 2017 03:15 PM (jsWA8)

10 I welcome ESPN's further demise by sticking to left-wing politics.

It will hasten the fall.

Posted by: Bea Arthur's Dick at April 26, 2017 03:16 PM (0xzXo)

11 Leftists don't stick to anything but politics

Posted by: Skip at April 26, 2017 03:16 PM (Ot7+c)

12 So who is Fen upset at?

Posted by: Village Idiot's Apprentice at April 26, 2017 03:16 PM (J+eG2)

13 Getting ugly.

Posted by: Mr Aspirin Factory at April 26, 2017 03:16 PM (cBECC)

14 I'm not worried about ESPN until they start showing underwear ads during commercial breaks.

Posted by: L' Ohnoes at April 26, 2017 03:16 PM (hWGif)

15 "ESPN has made it clear: It's not sticking to sports."

Then it should have the decency to off itself outside where the mess can be hosed off.

Posted by: *Mikey NTH - Join the Conspiracy of the Month Club at the Outrage Outlet! Flavored Tinfoil in May! at April 26, 2017 03:16 PM (hLRSq)

16 At this point in society, perhaps the only option is to work towards preserving a remnant while concomitantly seeking to accelerate the self-destruction such that those Proggies who are seeking to "burn it to the ground" get burned hard...

Posted by: The Political Hat at April 26, 2017 03:17 PM (rUIbB)

17 Back, back, back, back, back, back, back, back, back.....

Posted by: Chris Berman at April 26, 2017 03:17 PM (cBECC)

18 ESPN: That E is not for Employment!

Posted by: Dang at April 26, 2017 03:18 PM (8b+oT)

19 as he retweets this bit of corporate dick-wagging.
====

I keep trying to quit this place. I try and try.

Posted by: Mortimer - Finish Her! at April 26, 2017 03:18 PM (awqUF)

20 Yes, when it comes to ESPN -- the self-proclaimed "Worldwide Leader in Sports" -- the concern of many fans is that it's no longer focused enough on sports.

Hello MTV!

Posted by: rickb223 at April 26, 2017 03:18 PM (rvtDF)

21 Chani: Paul will you dink the SJW-Kool-Aid-of-life?

Paul: The sleeper must awaken - i ain't woke enuf yet.

Posted by: Fox at April 26, 2017 03:18 PM (DVC2D)

22 ""ESPN has made it clear: It's not sticking to sports."

You mis-spelled "MSM" and "the truth".

Posted by: Village Idiot's Apprentice at April 26, 2017 03:18 PM (J+eG2)

23 They're not going to change.

Same with all the dinosaur newspapers, they know dropping all pretense of objectivity has cost them readers and they are on borrowed time, but they simply view themselves as political activists with bylines who only have the goal of influencing elections.

Posted by: Maritime at April 26, 2017 03:18 PM (uvyU0)

24 My only regrets in this matter:

1. The only sporting event I ever gave a wet fart about is MSU Spartans football on AM radio
2. I haven't had cable in about three years

I wish I could send a profound and poignant message to ESPN about the direction of their programming, but neither my heart nor wallet are really in it.

Posted by: hogmartin at April 26, 2017 03:18 PM (8nWyX)

25 ESPN has made it clear: It's not sticking to sports
-----------------------
Oh, back to the entertainment part.

Posted by: Undocumented at April 26, 2017 03:19 PM (SsblQ)

26 >>>>>disaggregated
.
.
.
.Is that even a legitimate word?

Posted by: The Great White Scotsman at April 26, 2017 03:19 PM (le7jz)

27 Obama took that lesson and ran with it. Obama was the most divisive and partisan president in several lifetimes -- Nixonian in his scheming, Carteresque in competency -- and spent the bulk of his presidency in the 44-46% approval range.

But the bulk of that approval was strong approval from

the free shit army.

Posted by: rickb223 at April 26, 2017 03:19 PM (rvtDF)

28 Just took a look at some of the layoffs...not a good time to be a white guy at ESPN.

Posted by: Diogenes at April 26, 2017 03:19 PM (0tfLf)

29 Three letters NFL.

The sports you carry and report on lost ratings. I sure as hell turned them off every time someone took a knee.

Posted by: SmileyNh at April 26, 2017 03:19 PM (zJycq)

30 As I wrote in November, the desire to draw a boundary between sports, culture and politics is a fool's errand. Sports has always intersected with culture and politics...

Really? Well, you're not going to intersect with my wallet.

How does that grab you?

And since when do liberals eschew fool's errands? They should right be right in the liberal wheelhouse.

Posted by: Deplorable Jay Guevara at April 26, 2017 03:19 PM (SRKgf)

31 The Left is getting very close to the old saw about Islam... "The only thing that they will understand is Death".

Posted by: Hikaru at April 26, 2017 03:19 PM (XMDuf)

32 Is that even a legitimate word?

It tried to be, but the effort just sort of fell apart.

Posted by: Blanco Basura at April 26, 2017 03:20 PM (YEelc)

33 Soooo, you don't need a round table of all the diversity check boxes to discuss every frikkin play of the game?

Who knew?

Posted by: Bruce at April 26, 2017 03:21 PM (8ikIW)

34 "We may be in the age where our commercial television entertainments must be turned into Cultural/Political/Quasi-Religious Crusades in order to hold on to a small number of nigh-religiously-devoted zealots to have any kind of market viability at all."

Or blogs that go into 'clickbait' all panic all the time to keep their readers. At some point it becomes wearying and turns people away, and upping the dosage only works for so long - only so many times can you scream "Injustice!" and "The End is Here!" before more and more people realize that no, it isn't.

Posted by: *Mikey NTH - Join the Conspiracy of the Month Club at the Outrage Outlet! Flavored Tinfoil in May! at April 26, 2017 03:21 PM (hLRSq)

35 And then maybe we can start making our own demands of wealth-transfers from the left into our own pockets and see how they like walking in those shoes for a long frog-march through the institutions.

Posted by: Ace at 03:07 PM

Yeah, that's not going to happen, evah!
This little group called "the right" isn't wholly anything, much less organized. Even much less than that, willing to act as a bloc (collectively) for their gain.

The Arc of History that leftists claim is inevitable probably is, right up to the point of social upheaval.
Then it's anyone's guess what happens next, other than it'll be ugly.

Posted by: OneEyedJack at April 26, 2017 03:21 PM (z79tQ)

36 Yahoo will broadcast sports events over iphones and ipads and people will have forgotten TV sports in about 10 years.

Posted by: Adirondack Patriot at April 26, 2017 03:21 PM (4AVeu)

37 A little more graft to the Republicans will insure the status quo.

Posted by: Grump928(c) at April 26, 2017 03:22 PM (QQ+il)

38 1 The fact that it's 3:21 and no one's posted a comment tells me nobody really gives a shit about ESPN and its problems.
Posted by: Noam Sayen at April 26, 2017 03:12 PM (611Lm)

You are correct. ESPN can go FVCK itself blind. I'm cutting the cord in 10 months, and will be using Sling without ESPN. I haven't had enough time to process my RAGE at the delay in the building of the the wall, and at numerous other disappointments in the news today.

Posted by: Ladylibertarian at April 26, 2017 03:22 PM (TdMsT)

39 ESPCNN.

Blah.

Posted by: Witchdoktor, AKA VA GOP Sucks at April 26, 2017 03:22 PM (eytER)

40 I, for one, do not like seeing words being deligitimzed on this blog.

Words are power, and powerful words drive this blog. Without words where would we be? We would be reduced to pictures, and we all know where that leads.

Posted by: L' Ohnoes at April 26, 2017 03:22 PM (hWGif)

41 Maybe this should have gone in the old thread.

But, it's Trump.

About the wall.

http://www.weaselzippers.us/?p=336041

Posted by: Village Idiot's Apprentice at April 26, 2017 03:22 PM (J+eG2)

42 I don't remember the great commentators of the past discussing politics except maybe the dream team beating the commies.

Posted by: SmileyNh at April 26, 2017 03:23 PM (zJycq)

43 "28 Just took a look at some of the layoffs...not a good time to be a white guy at ESPN."

It sucks for the few remaining guys that covered the NHL for ESPN, but hopefully they can move to an employer that actually wants and cares for their input. And ESPN can use that 3 seconds a day it spent on the NHL Playoffs for more Lebron/Curry coverage.

Posted by: Benji Carver at April 26, 2017 03:23 PM (OD2ni)

44 I plan on disaggregating my cable TV dollar from ESPN's unwatchable crap.

Posted by: Jeffersonian at April 26, 2017 03:23 PM (+ttLq)

45 Obama was definitely the first President in my lifetime that I felt NEVER tried to go outside his base. In fact he went out of his way to piss on any semblance of centrism.

Most of Bush's agenda was "bipartisan" even though he wasn't particularly popular and it got him absolutely nothing.

Posted by: Maritime at April 26, 2017 03:23 PM (uvyU0)

46 The problem is, conservatism by its very nature is not an inherently activist philosophy.

Posted by: Bat Chain Puller at April 26, 2017 03:24 PM (Yi9Gb)

47 Words are power, and powerful words drive this blog. Without words where would we be? We would be reduced to pictures, and we all know where that leads.

Leads to fapping. .

Posted by: rickb223 at April 26, 2017 03:24 PM (rvtDF)

48 but does the demo they're seeking to attract have the means to afford their service? Or maybe they're all bootlegging.

I heard Robin Lundberg got a pink slip...so happy about that one. He couldn't believe that Brady and Belichik supported Trump right before the election. He actually crowed that Trump was lying about it.

Posted by: kallisto at April 26, 2017 03:24 PM (gssPL)

49 We need to make the right more aware of this dynamic and more insistent
-- much more insistent, including mass boycotts -- that we have had it
up to our necks with it and simply will not give a single slim dime
more.

or establish the lines just outside of the "good zip+4 codes" and let the urban cannibal army eat the Management Class.

Posted by: DaveA at April 26, 2017 03:25 PM (FhXTo)

50 35 Yeah, that's not going to happen, evah!
This little group called "the right" isn't wholly anything, much less organized. Even much less than that, willing to act as a bloc (collectively) for their gain.

The Arc of History that leftists claim is inevitable probably is, right up to the point of social upheaval.
Then it's anyone's guess what happens next, other than it'll be ugly.

Posted by: OneEyedJack at April 26, 2017 03:21 PM (z79tQ)

The reason it's so much easier for the Left to be in lockstep all the time, is because the endgame for the left is always about hurting (ie : financially bleeding somebody dry until they either submit or end up homeless and destitute) or even killing people.

It's All Revenge, All The Time.

Posted by: Hikaru at April 26, 2017 03:25 PM (XMDuf)

51 I'm gaining more viewers.

Posted by: TV Antenna at April 26, 2017 03:25 PM (bc2Lc)

52 The fact that it's 3:21 and no one's posted a comment tells me nobody really gives a shit about ESPN and its problems.

Posted by: Noam Sayen at April 26, 2017 03:12 PM (611Lm)

Heh.

Posted by: Grump928(c) at April 26, 2017 03:25 PM (QQ+il)

53 Cable cutters: what's your setup?

I have asked before but I am genuinely curious.

Dish + DSL?

Satellite + Fiber?

I have tried various combinations. Loved streaming and Roku back from version 1.0.

Then came the content threats and they insisted on having my real IP , banned my VPNs and demanded unfettered access to my home network.

Sorry. Not gonna do it.

Posted by: Mortimer - Finish Her! at April 26, 2017 03:25 PM (awqUF)

54 I don't disagree on most of what Ace has been writing about ESPN.

But it's not true that ESPN has a failing business model. It had 97 million subscriber three years ago, which dropped to 92 million a year ago, and it's now at 92 million. FFS ESPN2 has 89 million. And revenue is up. Go look at Disney's 10-Ks. Took me five minutes.

And canning 100 people including writers and other staff was around a $20 million cut at a place with an annual budget in the billions. The mothership wanted a pruning. For all I know the people put in body bags weren't the SJWs.

But ESPN is an example of how consolidation has created oligopolies and monopolies that don't give a shit about customers (United), and many have been subverted by SJWs, like ESPN.

But we're not going to wish them into failing

Posted by: Ignoramus at April 26, 2017 03:25 PM (SIY7D)

55 "Yahoo will broadcast sports events over iphones and ipads and people will have forgotten TV sports in about 10 years."

Can't be. Uber lib Dan LeBatard was gloating last month that ESPN is too big to fail due to bundling and conservatives can suck it if they don't like it.

Posted by: Benji Carver at April 26, 2017 03:25 PM (OD2ni)

56 Is it a cynical ploy to stay afloat with a Fox News type strategy - cater to a small handful of zealots who will pay bigly instead of catering to the largest possible audience - or is Disney just willing to eat a loss if it means "being on the right side of history"?

Obviously, they'd prefer to be both profitable and churn out leftist social agenda drivel, but if they can only choose one, why am I thinking they'll pick the latter?

Posted by: broseidon being a capitalist pigdog (yknow, working) at April 26, 2017 03:26 PM (oZ6kz)

57
I hate sports journalists.

Not good enough atheletes to play the game.

Not good enough of a journalist to read the news.

Substandard wannabe hanger ons. Fuck em.

Posted by: fixerupper at April 26, 2017 03:26 PM (8XRCm)

58 These fools could occasionally discuss culture and politics if they could be the least bit even handed about it, but every ESPN take on every subject is absurdly left wing. Sports Illustrated isn't much better, which proves that sports reporters are as partisan and dumb as any brand new J school grad know nothing

Posted by: UGAdawg at April 26, 2017 03:26 PM (6mYpq)

59 Not for nothing, but most of the guys I know who are religious about watching ESPN are black guys. Maybe ESPN has actual hard data that jibes with my anecdotal experience.

Posted by: JoeF. at April 26, 2017 03:26 PM (7uYFy)

60 I prefer to actually do sports instead of watching them on tv. Haven't had espn in 15 years probably.

Posted by: NCKate at April 26, 2017 03:27 PM (Lgbif)

61 "Tat"?

I think you need a better editor.

Posted by: Marcus T at April 26, 2017 03:27 PM (h5F/r)

62 And so the Gramscians successfully complete their 80-yard drive through the institutions.

Posted by: zombie at April 26, 2017 03:28 PM (DQ4Fv)

63 53 Cable cutters: what's your setup?

Mine's nice and simple. Mohu flat-wave antenna for local broadcast stations and some other random junk, and high-speed internet for everything else.

Hulu and Netflix on the Blu-Ray.

Posted by: WhatWhatWhat? at April 26, 2017 03:28 PM (ul9CR)

64 One thing we will always have against us is the people that are attracted to "media" and want to work in that space are around 99% die hard liberal.

No matter what sort of incentives or structure changes, the people that run it are wired that way, and always will be.

I have a few friends that work in Hollywood on the business side and it's not even contained how hostile and left-wing that culture is. Even outside the "talent" part.

Posted by: Maritime at April 26, 2017 03:28 PM (uvyU0)

65 Probably already mentioned: Sports commentators are always quick to declare a coach needs to be fired*, so it's hard to feel sorry for these guys.

*Or in the case of the Patriots, quick to declare cheating.

Posted by: Lizzy at April 26, 2017 03:28 PM (NOIQH)

66 58 These fools could occasionally discuss culture and politics if they could be the least bit even handed about it, but every ESPN take on every subject is absurdly left wing. Sports Illustrated isn't much better, which proves that sports reporters are as partisan and dumb as any brand new J school grad know nothing

Posted by: UGAdawg at April 26, 2017 03:26 PM (6mYpq)

Sports reporters were never anything BUT J-school failures who weren't good enough to get the high-profile politics gig.

Posted by: Hikaru at April 26, 2017 03:28 PM (XMDuf)

67 Cable cutters: what's your setup?

Posted by: Mortimer - Finish Her! at April 26, 2017 03:25 PM (awqUF)

Fiber, exclusively. There's a mudflap OTA antenna, but it doesn't get much use.

Posted by: hogmartin at April 26, 2017 03:28 PM (8nWyX)

68 58; no surprise, they were all spawned in the same cesspool.
see queef olberman.

Posted by: chavez the hugo at April 26, 2017 03:29 PM (KP5rU)

69 Posted by: Ignoramus at April 26, 2017 03:25 PM (SIY7D)

Is there ratings data?

I think the bundling scheme of cable television inflates the subscriber base - a good chunk of those subscribers, I think, subscribe because they have no other choice if they want to get HGTV or whatever.

To me the ratings ESPN is getting would be important in concert with the subscribers you mention.

Posted by: Witchdoktor, AKA VA GOP Sucks at April 26, 2017 03:29 PM (PFy0L)

70 And then maybe we can start making our own demands of wealth-transfers from the left into our own pockets and see how they like walking in those shoes for a long frog-march through the institutions.

Locally, guys in the trades charge twice when a Virtue Signaler books them for a service. That's why those "hate has no home here (except for Trump voters" lawn signs can be valuable to our fellow travelers.

Posted by: kallisto at April 26, 2017 03:29 PM (gssPL)

71 Anyone like me who cut the cable, doesn't care what ESPN does. Of course I had cable up until last year and watched it. But if I never had cable, it would be a non event for me. And now I don't really care what they do anymore.

Posted by: Colin at April 26, 2017 03:29 PM (3p0yu)

72 The smart move for ESPN would be to split off two (or more channels) using the same content, one left, one right, and one sports-focused. It's not just gigantic-scale A-B testing, it puts them above the politics and allows them to split the cost of licensing among three different revenue streams.

Posted by: BravoRomeoDelta at April 26, 2017 03:30 PM (nF4Jh)

73 "Cable cutters: what's your setup?

I have asked before but I am genuinely curious.
"

GE Attic mount antenna.

Small, directional, fits between the rafters and up against the park of the roof.

Coax run down to the basement to an RCA 4 tap signal splitter/amp.

Back up and inside the walls to traditional wall mount coax junctions.

35 channels, Baltimore and DC.

Roku through FIOS 50/50MPS internet.

Hulu, Netflix and Amazon Prime.

During football CBSSI online to watch Navy football at $10.00 per month.

There is nothing that I miss, and too much to watch.

Posted by: Village Idiot's Apprentice at April 26, 2017 03:30 PM (J+eG2)

74 Cable cutters: what's your setup?

DVDs - Everything is on DVD/BlueRay

Posted by: L' Ohnoes at April 26, 2017 03:30 PM (hWGif)

75 ESPN in 2379 A.D.:

"Looks like Kirk is exercising his White Privilege against the Gorn! Stay tuned!"

Posted by: zombie at April 26, 2017 03:30 PM (DQ4Fv)

76 Fuck sports and fuck ESPN.

Posted by: Insomniac at April 26, 2017 03:31 PM (0mRoj)

77 It sucks for the few remaining guys that covered the NHL for ESPN, but
hopefully they can move to an employer that actually wants and cares for
their input. And ESPN can use that 3 seconds a day it spent on the NHL
Playoffs for more Lebron/Curry coverage.

Tonight on 30 for 30. The Shame of the NHL. "Only The Puck Was Black".

Posted by: tu3031 at April 26, 2017 03:31 PM (qJhUV)

78 75 ESPN in 2379 A.D.:

"Looks like Kirk is exercising his White Privilege against the Gorn! Stay tuned!"
Posted by: zombie at April 26, 2017 03:30 PM (DQ4Fv)

His magic white skin will protect him.

Posted by: Insomniac at April 26, 2017 03:31 PM (0mRoj)

79 >>This may be ESPN's cynical effort at creating a devoted followership
that will permit it to achieve the dream of every socialist enterprise
-- simple rent-seeking, compelling unwilling citizens to pay a tax to
subsidize you in your dream-quests to reshape humanity.

And you know what?

It just might work.

Did the NFL viewership drop ever fix itself at the end of last season?
I honestly don't know, because I didn't watch football last year except for the Super Bowl, and only then because of the Pats.

Posted by: Lizzy at April 26, 2017 03:31 PM (NOIQH)

80 Here's a business model for them: extend ESPN from sports and SJW shit to include true crime stories. It's a natural progression given NBA and NFL players.

Posted by: Deplorable Jay Guevara at April 26, 2017 03:33 PM (SRKgf)

81 "In an age where more people are tuning out ESPN's main product, they may have decided they don't need viewers so much as they need emotionally-invested political supporters"

Not quite. The left is not comprised of producers, but consumers. It infiltrates existing institutions and then eats them from the inside out to fuel its own agendas. As those institutions begin to fail, a certain panic sets in as none of the leftists in the institution know how to fix the problem. The need to consume as much as he can before the organization collapses grows.

Ultimately, that's what you're seeing here. As ESPN collapses, every leftist there knows that they will be without a job. It's vitally important they signal to other leftist institutions just how reliably and unflappably leftist they are so they have a new ship to jump to. That means the institution becomes more and more shrill as it sheds profitability, eventually exploding in a supernova of progressivism, seeding other ideologically-close organizations with new material and leaving only a dark shell of failure behind.

It's a fine strategy as long as the left infiltrates faster than it kills; plenty of fish in the sea and all that (how many metaphors have I mixed so far? I've lost count.). But, if the right starts hardening its institutions against that, the left dies.

Which is why it's vitally important that no business ever think of taking a stand against a leftist cause. So bake me a cake.

Posted by: JSchuler at April 26, 2017 03:33 PM (YsGL+)

82 Some cable companies now do bundles without ESPN at all...I've been quite happy with my ESPN-less bundle and haven't really missed the channel at all. Still plenty of football, hockey, basketball, baseball, golf, ice skating, Olympics, college sports, etc (you get my drift) on network channels b/c ESPN kinda stopped showing sports most of the day years ago...

My new bundle saved me $40/months off my old cable tv package (I did have to lose some HD channels that now I accept standard, too...but not a big loss)...

Posted by: kk at April 26, 2017 03:34 PM (5WKRz)

83 >>Here's a business model for them: extend ESPN from sports and SJW shit
to include true crime stories. It's a natural progression given NBA and
NFL players.

Merge with MSNBC and then update MSNBC's "Lock Up" series to focus on jailed NFL players. You're welcome, ESPN!!

Posted by: Lizzy at April 26, 2017 03:34 PM (NOIQH)

84
Did the NFL viewership drop ever fix itself at the end of last season?
I honestly don't know, because I didn't watch football last year except for the Super Bowl, and only then because of the Pats.

Posted by: Lizzy at April 26, 2017 03:31 PM (NOIQH)

same.....

Posted by: phoenixgirl... at April 26, 2017 03:34 PM (0O7c5)

85 OK I keep repeating myself, but it's just because it seems like such a big freakin' deal: cable is doomed. It's a dead man walking. ALL OF IT. The generation that was born after the Millennials doesn't watch television.

Posted by: Max Power at April 26, 2017 03:34 PM (q177U)

86 The problem isn't that they didn't "stick to sports" but that they went radical leftist, determined to be "transgressive" and transformative, with constant slanderous insults to the opinions of the vast majority of sports fans. Any kind of normal political/cultural commentary, reflecting the views of normal people, with normal differences of opinion, would have been fine.

Posted by: Alec Rawls at April 26, 2017 03:34 PM (AphMS)

87 There have always been cable monopolies, but it's increasingly becoming an obsolete concept. I'd feel more and more comfortable with the government overtly promising free or subsidized broadband: far cheaper than welfare, and would be the final nail in the coffin of cable companies that force product on conservatives.

In the meantime: cut the cord, and make sure theyknow why.

Posted by: trev006 at April 26, 2017 03:35 PM (PV68n)

88 "I think the bundling scheme of cable television inflates the subscriber base - a good chunk of those subscribers, I think, subscribe because they have no other choice if they want to get HGTV or whatever."

You're absolutely right. And it should cost ESPN and its Disney parent, but right now it hasn't (at least not enough for Disney management to be forced to make changes).

Disney bought CapCities decades ago and got ESPN as a door prize before ESPN hit its huge growth spike. At one point a third of the value of Disney was in ESPN. No more, but you can't say it's a failing business model

Posted by: Ignoramus at April 26, 2017 03:35 PM (SIY7D)

89 Cable cutters: what's your setup?

________

Mine is pretty "weak" because I have a wife and daughters that refuse to join my "starve the beast" ideology, but finally was able to cut Cable TV out after my bill creeped up to around $170 a month for basic cable and internet

Now I have:

High speed internet (around $70 a month)
Over the Air Antenna with a Lifetime Tivo (free)

Shared Netflix account. (so like $6 a month)

Playstation VUE for my wife (around $30 a month, decent substitute but if it was up to me, I would drop it)

BitTorrent for anytime I want to see a movie or TV show (like $2 a month for a VPN service to hide my IP address)

Kodi for streaming (free)

Micca Speck USB Thumbdrive player to play what I download on my big TV from a thumbdrive

All of this is still WAY under $170 a month and I get far more content.

I'm not paying for channels I don't use and basically have zero commercials.

Posted by: Maritime at April 26, 2017 03:35 PM (uvyU0)

90 I would joke that ESPN should just split into ESPN-White and ESPN-Black, but The Undefeated actually *is* ESPN-Black, so again, reality trumps satire.

Posted by: broseidon being a capitalist pigdog (yknow, working) at April 26, 2017 03:35 PM (oZ6kz)

91 Sarah Hoyt had a post up awhile back about how going hard Left is usually a sign that a business is in its death throes. This is along that same lines and strikes me as at least an interesting way to view the matter.

Posted by: alexthechick - rrraaawwwrrr at April 26, 2017 03:36 PM (mf5HN)

92 "75 ESPN in 2379 A.D.:

"Looks like Kirk is exercising his White Privilege against the Gorn! Stay tuned!"

LOL. They would spend a whole week about the triggering caused by Squire Trelaine calling Uhura a nubian prize.

Posted by: Benji Carver at April 26, 2017 03:37 PM (OD2ni)

93 I don't remember the great commentators of the past discussing politics except maybe the dream team beating the commies.

Posted by: SmileyNh at April 26, 2017 03:23 PM (zJycq)

-----

Oh.... theyre just like their real journalist bretheren.

"They just want to change the world".

Posted by: fixerupper at April 26, 2017 03:37 PM (8XRCm)

94 "The generation that was born after the Millennials doesn't watch television."

You may be right.

They watch moving images.
But a television doesn't seem to be the preferred device to do so.

Little VIA (18 y/o) very seldom watches an actual television set.

But, will spend hours streaming to his smart phone using the home wi-fi.

And most of his friends are the same way.

Posted by: Village Idiot's Apprentice at April 26, 2017 03:37 PM (J+eG2)

95 51
I'm gaining more viewers.

Posted by: TV Antenna at April 26, 2017 03:25 PM (bc2Lc)

We have gone from cable to a combination of broadcast and ROKU with Sling. You'd be surprised how many stations are broadcasting now and they are all in HD. There aren't just four station anymore like the old days. I get something like 18 stations where I live with a good antenna.

Posted by: Agent Cooper at April 26, 2017 03:38 PM (1zARK)

96 haven't seen the espn clownshow in years. i guess i just don't care at all about them live or die, no thing to me.

Posted by: chavez the hugo at April 26, 2017 03:38 PM (KP5rU)

97 Sarah Hoyt had a post up awhile back about how going hard Left is usually a sign that a business is in its death throes. This is along that same lines and strikes me as at least an interesting way to view the matter.

JC Penny, Target, Starbucks.
At least until they realize it and start tacking back to center.

Posted by: rickb223 at April 26, 2017 03:39 PM (rvtDF)

98 Ace, you seem to think they went left to gain impassioned viewers but most sports fans are passionate and most sports fans are male, who lean right. If ESPN wanted to increase it's viewership it should have moved right, but I believe today's corporate culture(see Disney) precludes that.

Posted by: Dr Spank at April 26, 2017 03:39 PM (4e+hS)

99 Mmmm...nubian fries.

Posted by: Homer at April 26, 2017 03:39 PM (f7W3D)

100 ESPN hosts talk more about fashion than they do about sports. I watch most sports with the sound turned off and my music playing.
They have "broadcasters" like Rick Sutcliffe who never shuts up about what's going through the mind of the athletes during a game. I can see explaining strategy, but some of his comments are so afield of what's taking place, it's superfluous!

Posted by: very irredeemably undude at April 26, 2017 03:39 PM (2X7pN)

101 Here's a business model for them: extend ESPN from sports and SJW shit
to include true crime stories. It's a natural progression given NBA and
NFL players.

Hey, I have to admit that thing they did on OJ WAS pretty good.

Posted by: tu3031 at April 26, 2017 03:39 PM (qJhUV)

102 Did the NFL viewership drop ever fix itself at the end of last season?
I honestly don't know, because I didn't watch football last year except for the Super Bowl, and only then because of the Pats.
Posted by: Lizzy at April 26, 2017 03:31 PM (NOIQH)

I think it did as it got closer to the playoffs, especially with the Cowboys in the mix.
I was one who didn't blame the NFL declining simply on Crapperdick. I think that there are just so many ways to keep tabs on scores and player info (for fantasy and gambling) that the need to sit and watch a game is not as great as it used to be. But interest in watching games becomes greater when playoffs start.
Why do you think every major sport expands playoffs? That's what gets people interested.

Posted by: JoeF. at April 26, 2017 03:39 PM (7uYFy)

103 ESPN? Never heard of them.

Posted by: Charlie Gibson at April 26, 2017 03:40 PM (8iiMU)

104 lol

ESPN chose death, by bunga bunga!

Posted by: flounder, rebel, vulgarian, deplorable, winner at April 26, 2017 03:40 PM (GX63o)

105 I have a small Winegard antenna on the back deck up at the roof line. A amplifier at the antenna and another where the coax enters the house. (I have a rather long run of cable) I get about 25 channels which includes The Home Shopping Network, QVC and several religious channels. A Roku inside gives me more than enough channels to watch.....no ESPN!

Posted by: Colin at April 26, 2017 03:40 PM (3p0yu)

106 I've long thought an abortion tax equal to the average amount of taxes a citizen would pay over his or her lifetime (Frobes estimates $355,366) would be a great way to end the abortion debate.

After all if Obamacare is a tax, this is fully constitutional right?

Posted by: 18-1 at April 26, 2017 03:40 PM (aZq03)

107 Of course it's likely true that broadcast TV is a dying industry - but it'll take a long time to die IMO. It'll hold on for a few more decades.

Posted by: broseidon being a capitalist pigdog (yknow, working) at April 26, 2017 03:40 PM (oZ6kz)

108 ESPN = Expressing Stupid Political Nonsense

Posted by: ESPNIC at April 26, 2017 03:40 PM (QOogv)

109 ESPN: We're Sticking It To Sports

Posted by: ESPN at April 26, 2017 03:41 PM (2z74n)

110 I for one am proud to contribute to the death of ESPN, by ardently not giving a single shit.

Posted by: Alcoholic Asshole Shut In at April 26, 2017 03:41 PM (CPk08)

111 Wot?

Posted by: very irredeemably undude at April 26, 2017 03:41 PM (2X7pN)

112 I bolded that one part because it agrees with a statement offered by a commenter, who said ESPN was already beginning to fail as a business model even before the all-SJW-all-the-time format, and that this emphasis on SJW leftwingery is not the cause of the problem so much as it is ESPN's effort to fix the problem.

==============

Hey! That was me!

Yay!

Posted by: TheJamesMadison at April 26, 2017 03:41 PM (BjrOM)

113 I have Xfinity and I had enough. I'm going to cut cable soon by the end of the week. Don' try to talk me out of it.

Posted by: dantesed at April 26, 2017 03:41 PM (88xKn)

114 LOL. They would spend a whole week about the triggering caused by Squire Trelaine calling Uhura a nubian prize.
___
Isn't the nubian river in Austria?

Posted by: Some SJW at April 26, 2017 03:42 PM (aZq03)

115
You want to stop all this happy programming horeshit.

Cable channel selections ala carte.

Posted by: fixerupper at April 26, 2017 03:42 PM (8XRCm)

116 I mean, if radio is still managing to survive in an era of Spotify, I think TV can last for a bit longer.

Posted by: broseidon being a capitalist pigdog (yknow, working) at April 26, 2017 03:42 PM (oZ6kz)

117 ESPN- Especially Stupid Ponce Nancys.

Posted by: Eromero at April 26, 2017 03:42 PM (zLDYs)

118 Just a helpful cable-cutting hint: Most flat-wave (or "mudflap") antennas, even the expensive ones, usually come with a length of crap cable. Throw it out and get a length of good quad-shielded cable.

Posted by: WhatWhatWhat? at April 26, 2017 03:42 PM (ul9CR)

119 Eiger, the guy that runs Disney is no dummy.

He's going to sell ESPN. He actually already has a target buyer in mind. He's creating the conditions to make the sale attractive to the target buyer. Its not going to be a value buy, it'll be an emotional buy. Someone with more money than he needs in search of a foothold on the culture.

It'll be some liberal multibillionaire who already has either a toe in media, or wants to get into media badly. Soros - nah, Buffett - nah, Murdock - nah, doesn't need it, . . . who

Posted by: simplemind at April 26, 2017 03:42 PM (xVRrG)

120 ESPN : If you're not paying us, you're a transphobic racist.

Posted by: Hikaru at April 26, 2017 03:42 PM (XMDuf)

121 Cable cutters: what's your setup?

Flat antenna downstairs, DIY fractal antenna upstairs.

Roku and "smart" (Hah!) DVD player on segregated subnet.

Posted by: Blanco Basura at April 26, 2017 03:42 PM (4WhSY)

122 I read Oprah will be doing the play by play on the ESPN Transgender Games.

Posted by: Roland THTG at April 26, 2017 03:43 PM (oR5ks)

123
So, in essence, this is about the Border Wall, the Overton Window and Thatcher's Ever-Leftward Ratcheting effect.

Just how DO we force them to pay for our shit?

Posted by: J.J. Sefton at April 26, 2017 03:43 PM (mbhDw)

124 Sarah Hoyt had a post up awhile back about how going hard Left is usually a sign that a business is in its death throes. This is along that same lines and strikes me as at least an interesting way to view the matter.

Posted by: alexthechick - rrraaawwwrrr at April 26, 2017 03:36 PM (mf5HN)

M'aiq remembers this.

"Roll hard left and die," or, when your (publishing/media) business starts to fail, you begin virtue signaling like mad to ensure that you will be hired after you fail by like-minded people. Add to this a "martyr mentality" where you blame your failure on a decadent and/or Neanderthal audience.

So there are both practical and ideological reasons for such a turn.

Posted by: M'aiq, Dark Lord of the Sith at April 26, 2017 03:43 PM (wB8Tg)

125 That means the institution becomes more and more shrill as it sheds profitability, eventually exploding in a supernova of progressivism, seeding other ideologically-close organizations with new material and leaving only a dark shell of failure behind.

So WIRED magazine, then?

Posted by: Max Power at April 26, 2017 03:43 PM (q177U)

126 119 Eiger, the guy that runs Disney is no dummy.

He's going to sell ESPN. He actually already has a target buyer in mind. He's creating the conditions to make the sale attractive to the target buyer. Its not going to be a value buy, it'll be an emotional buy. Someone with more money than he needs in search of a foothold on the culture.

It'll be some liberal multibillionaire who already has either a toe in media, or wants to get into media badly. Soros - nah, Buffett - nah, Murdock - nah, doesn't need it, . . . who

Posted by: simplemind at April 26, 2017 03:42 PM (xVRrG)

Jeff Bezos.

Posted by: Hikaru at April 26, 2017 03:43 PM (XMDuf)

127 NBA runs ads from BlackPeopleMeet, a dating service for, you know, black people. (I don't know where they draw the cutoff; e.g. the average Puerto Rican is 15% i think.)

I thought that was interesting since I don't think there exists an equivalent service for whites. not that I would join such myself, not least because *that* cutoff probably wouldn't admit me, either.

Posted by: Boulder terlit hobo at April 26, 2017 03:43 PM (pLj6K)

128 "I think it did as it got closer to the playoffs, especially with the Cowboys in the mix."

Yeah, the Packers/Cowboys playoff game drew ridiculous ratings. Of course, it was a compelling game in the sweet time slot for viewers.

Posted by: Benji Carver at April 26, 2017 03:43 PM (OD2ni)

129 Disney bought CapCities decades ago and got ESPN as a door prize before ESPN hit its huge growth spike. At one point a third of the value of Disney was in ESPN. No more, but you can't say it's a failing business model
Posted by: Ignoramus at April 26, 2017 03:35 PM (SIY7D)

Thanks for that, I was trying to remember if Disney bought ESPN for the rights it had or if ESPN bought the rights with the Mouse Money and Mouse Money it is.

I think the rise of the dedicated sports networks (MLB, NBA, NHL, NFL) also contributes to the ESPN ratings losses, not subscription losses as those also impact the sports networks.

If you're interested in a specific sport, you can better and more insightful discussions on the dedicated network than ESPN. MLB Tonight is far superior to ESPN's baseball coverage, for example. Now, this might be chicken and egg since MLB got the people ESPN let go awhile back, I think, but still.

I have Tennis Channel for tennis, MLB Network for baseball, NFL Network for semi-pro football and the SEC Network for pro football. I'm all set

Posted by: alexthechick - rrraaawwwrrr at April 26, 2017 03:43 PM (mf5HN)

130 I boycott Espn, all pro sports, FB, twatter, google, MS, Apple, Target, Starbucks, kellogs, pepsico, Tesla, ... short list that comes to mind.

Posted by: Under Fire at April 26, 2017 03:43 PM (UOJLJ)

131 I was one who didn't blame the NFL declining simply on Crapperdick. I think that there are just so many ways to keep tabs on scores and player info (for fantasy and gambling) that the need to sit and watch a game is not as great as it used to be. But interest in watching games becomes greater when playoffs start.
Why do you think every major sport expands playoffs? That's what gets people interested.
Posted by: JoeF.

______

Probably not, but you'd be amazed how emotional these decisions becomes when the straw finally breaks the camel's back.

Just as an anecdote, my father had subscribed to the local newspaper for 30+ years without a break. (AZ Republic owned by Gannett)

He noticed the newspaper had become more and more left-wing, but kept subscribing.

Then they endorsed Hillary Clinton, and he finally dropped the paper like the next day. So did a lot of longtime subscribers, it was a bloodbath for them financially.

I see ESPN/Sports/NFL the same way, people sick of their high cable bill and then something comes along that pisses them off enough to not be so lazy and formally cut them out.

Posted by: Maritime at April 26, 2017 03:43 PM (uvyU0)

132 The company building its award winning headquarters means "sell your stock now."

Posted by: *Mikey NTH - Join the Conspiracy of the Month Club at the Outrage Outlet! Flavored Tinfoil in May! at April 26, 2017 03:44 PM (hLRSq)

133 This all started when they didn't cover my bracket.
Just sayin...

Posted by: AKA Barry Soetoro at April 26, 2017 03:44 PM (qJhUV)

134 They would spend a whole week about the triggering caused by Squire Trelaine calling Uhura a nubian prize.

-----

pfft..... Abe Lincoln called her a charming Negress in the Savage Curtain.

Posted by: fixerupper at April 26, 2017 03:44 PM (8XRCm)

135 113 I have Xfinity and I had enough. I'm going to cut cable soon by the end of the week. Don' try to talk me out of it.
Posted by: dantesed at April 26, 2017 03:41 PM (88xKn)

Hey, man don't go off half cocked. ... Wait, you want to stop putting money in the pockets of people who hate you? Never mind: swing away.

Posted by: Aetius451AD at April 26, 2017 03:44 PM (+c7tK)

136 ESPN is essentially 24 hrs of fags watching the Top Gun Volleyball Scene over and over - punctuated by the occasional lesbian rant re: wimmens basketball /soccer.

Posted by: garrett at April 26, 2017 03:44 PM (f7W3D)

137 It'll be some liberal multibillionaire who already has either a toe in media, or wants to get into media badly. Soros - nah, Buffett - nah, Murdock - nah, doesn't need it, . . . who

Posted by: simplemind at April 26, 2017 03:42 PM (xVRrG)

Jeff Bezos.
Posted by: Hikaru

Beat me to it.

Posted by: rickb223 at April 26, 2017 03:44 PM (rvtDF)

138 Cable cutters: what's your setup?

Digital antenna for local broadcasts.

High speed internet.

Netflix streaming and Amazon prime on PS3s.

Building a https://osmc.tv/ box from old computer parts and some large drives to rip a huge collection of DVDs and place all my music on for streaming to any connected TV, which is all of them.

And AoSHQ.

Posted by: flounder, rebel, vulgarian, deplorable, winner at April 26, 2017 03:44 PM (GX63o)

139 Trump's tax cut is out of control !!! This is not the peeples money because it is the US Governments funding to help persins of coler, gays and lesbians, and other people that have suffered under Reagan and Bush. We do not like this and is another reason to impeach that idiot Trump !!!!!!!!!!!!!

Posted by: Mary Clogginstien from Brattleboro, VT at April 26, 2017 03:44 PM (WmgTn)

140 mean, if radio is still managing to survive in an era of Spotify, I think TV can last for a bit longer.
Posted by: broseidon being a capitalist pigdog (yknow, working) at April 26, 2017 03:42 PM (oZ6kz)

They are surviving on advertising revenue. I can't even listen to the radio anymore. Big blocks of commercials bookended by the same shit they've been playing for 40 years. If I hear "Bohemian Rhapsody" or "Hotel California" one more time....

Posted by: JoeF. at April 26, 2017 03:44 PM (7uYFy)

141
Ajit Pai (sp) at the FCC I think has the stones to push a la carte subscriptions and destroy ESPN, as well as CNN and MSLSD.

I wish he would, especially since his boss PDT keeps railing, and justifiably so, against fake news.

Posted by: J.J. Sefton at April 26, 2017 03:44 PM (mbhDw)

142 "Yahoo will broadcast sports events over iphones and ipads and people will have forgotten TV sports in about 10 years."

Yahoo will be gone in one year

Posted by: TheQuietMan at April 26, 2017 03:45 PM (493sH)

143 123
So, in essence, this is about the Border Wall, the Overton Window and Thatcher's Ever-Leftward Ratcheting effect.

Just how DO we force them to pay for our shit?

Posted by: J.J. Sefton at April 26, 2017 03:43 PM (mbhDw)

Nobody wants to hear it, but it's probably going to have to involve violence.

Posted by: Hikaru at April 26, 2017 03:45 PM (XMDuf)

144 "It's not me, it's you."

Posted by: Michelle, Fry's girlfriend from 1999, now interim CEO of a crumbling sports empire at April 26, 2017 03:45 PM (wx6iv)

145
Two things kind of stand out to me. One, ESPN is specifically, by their own admission, increasingly focused on talking about politics and culture, and THEN making the connection to sports. That's a big flip-flop.

Second is that the words "advertiser" and "advertising" never came up. Fact is, TV networks only provide content in order to attract an audience so that they can fulfill their main financial function which is to SELL ADVERTISING. The audience is the product that advertisers are purchasing. Piss off the audience and you degrade your most important product.

Posted by: IllTemperedCur at April 26, 2017 03:45 PM (XWkhW)

146 >>I thought that was interesting since I don't think there exists an
equivalent service for whites. not that I would join such myself, not
least because *that* cutoff probably wouldn't admit me, either.

Farmer's Only dot com!

Posted by: Lizzy at April 26, 2017 03:45 PM (NOIQH)

147 >>>But, will spend hours streaming to his smart phone using the home wi-fi.

My kids prefer Youtube to TV. It's not even close.

Posted by: Max Power at April 26, 2017 03:46 PM (q177U)

148 143
Nobody wants to hear it, but it's probably going to have to involve violence.
Posted by: Hikaru at April 26, 2017 03:45 PM (XMDuf)

I abhor violence in media.

Posted by: J.J. Sefton at April 26, 2017 03:46 PM (mbhDw)

149
Die, motherf*ckers, die!

Posted by: ...and so began the donnybrook at April 26, 2017 03:46 PM (+fNrM)

150 I'm not at the cord cutting stage yet, but FUBOTV had an interesting lineup and at the time a free 7 day trial.
I was able to watch some UEFA qualifiers I wouldn't have been able to with just my Dish setup.
FUBOTV while claiming to be a Sports Network Streaming, oddly has no ESPN channels.
I think in another two years, there will be viable options for cord cutting.
But I also see the networks trying to get their cable fees directly from the consumer, like CBS is trying with their online service. Which could lead to a Pay-Per-View/Show/Game type of ecosystem.

Posted by: Iblis at April 26, 2017 03:46 PM (9221z)

151 Good stuff today ace.

En fuego, even.

Posted by: eleven at April 26, 2017 03:46 PM (qUNWi)

152 138 Cable cutters: what's your setup?

Digital antenna for local broadcasts.

High speed internet.

Netflix streaming and Amazon prime on PS3s.

Building a https://osmc.tv/ box from old computer parts and some large drives to rip a huge collection of DVDs and place all my music on for streaming to any connected TV, which is all of them.

And AoSHQ.

Posted by: flounder, rebel, vulgarian, deplorable, winner at April 26, 2017 03:44 PM (GX63o)

==============

And books.

Read more books.

Posted by: TheJamesMadison at April 26, 2017 03:46 PM (BjrOM)

153
You have chosen Slow and Horrible.

Have a nice day.

Posted by: ESPN in the Suicide Booth at April 26, 2017 03:46 PM (QQ+il)

154 "127 NBA runs ads from BlackPeopleMeet, a dating service for, you know, black people. (I don't know where they draw the cutoff; e.g. the average Puerto Rican is 15% i think.)"

And Fox News runs ads for Farmersonly.com. And William Devane hawking gold.

Posted by: Benji Carver at April 26, 2017 03:46 PM (OD2ni)

155 pfft..... Abe Lincoln called her a charming Negress in the Savage Curtain.
Posted by: fixerupper at April 26, 2017 03:44 PM (8XRCm)

Lol. I hate Star Trek and probably watched one episode in my entire life....and THAT was the one. She was insulted by old Abe when he said that....

Posted by: JoeF. at April 26, 2017 03:46 PM (7uYFy)

156 "I have Tennis Channel for tennis, MLB Network for baseball, NFL Network for semi-pro football and the SEC Network for pro football. I'm all set

Posted by: alexthechick - rrraaawwwrrr at April 26, 2017 03:43 PM (mf5HN) "

IT'S FUNNY BECAUSE ALABAMA PAYS ITS PLAYERS MORE THAN THE BROWNS DO

Posted by: BEN ROETHLISBERGER at April 26, 2017 03:47 PM (oZ6kz)

157 >>Cable cutters: what's your setup?

I usually just use a pair of dikes.

Posted by: garrett at April 26, 2017 03:47 PM (f7W3D)

158 Oh, and I see cable providers shifting more to broadband internet and less actual TV.

Posted by: Iblis at April 26, 2017 03:47 PM (9221z)

159 A lot of rabid fan interest, especially among the young, has moved to the Fantasy Leagues.

MLB has been making some interesting moves in new media. Otherwise it has bad demographics.

Posted by: Ignoramus at April 26, 2017 03:47 PM (SIY7D)

160 Taking this theory of ESPN to its logical conclusion, the content could shrivel to non-stop showing of only things unrelated to sports-- replication of the worst delusional leftist screeching from CNN and MSNBC, Communist Chinese war films from the 1950s, the movie "Ass," whatever... and as long as ESPN is bundled, anyone who wants cable will be forced to pay for it.

The full version of the theory should expand to apply to the entire nation -- a national takeover by purveyors of shit who have a hardcore brainwashed segment cadre of followers who insist that shit is good.

Posted by: Semi-Literate Thug at April 26, 2017 03:47 PM (aCcv2)

161
I think I spend as much time at AOSHQ as I did watching TV in the 70s.

Boob Tube is now Elbows and Flaming Skulls Tube.

Posted by: J.J. Sefton at April 26, 2017 03:47 PM (mbhDw)

162 155
Lol. I hate Star Trek and probably watched one episode in my entire life....and THAT was the one. She was insulted by old Abe when he said that....
Posted by: JoeF. at April 26, 2017 03:46 PM (7uYFy)

==============

No she wasn't. She says so explicitly that she's not offended by words.

Posted by: TheJamesMadison at April 26, 2017 03:47 PM (BjrOM)

163 >>It'll be some liberal multibillionaire who already has either a toe in
media, or wants to get into media badly. Soros - nah, Buffett - nah,
Murdock - nah, doesn't need it, . . . who

...or Jay Z?

Posted by: Lizzy at April 26, 2017 03:47 PM (NOIQH)

164 Violence has no place in MMA.

Posted by: Grump928(c) at April 26, 2017 03:47 PM (QQ+il)

165 When I turned my cable boxes in, I kind of lied, I said that I was renting my house and the renters didn't want cable. The lady said nothing, just went on the computer and cancelled..(Time Warner at that time) I didn't want her to try and sell me something, and I had no contract.

Posted by: Colin at April 26, 2017 03:48 PM (3p0yu)

166 If I hear "Bohemian Rhapsody" or "Hotel California" one more time....
Posted by: JoeF. at April 26, 2017 03:44 PM (7uYFy)

-----

*clears throat*

♫ Ifffff I le-e-e-eave here tomorroooow....

woodju stillllll rememberrrrr me......♫

Posted by: fixerupper at April 26, 2017 03:48 PM (8XRCm)

167 I haven't even watched the TV in over a year.

All internet now. Halleluyah. The idea of watching a commercial seems archaic to me now.

Posted by: eleven at April 26, 2017 03:48 PM (qUNWi)

168 This has to be the most significant post on this site for at least the year

Posted by: Islamic Rage Boy at April 26, 2017 03:48 PM (GaIDK)

169 "My kids prefer Youtube to TV. It's not even close."

Yup.

His circle of friends do the same as well.

Posted by: Village Idiot's Apprentice at April 26, 2017 03:48 PM (J+eG2)

170 136 ESPN is essentially 24 hrs of fags watching the Top Gun Volleyball Scene over and over - punctuated by the occasional lesbian rant re: wimmens basketball /soccer.
Posted by: garrett at April 26, 2017 03:44 PM (f7W3D)

Not true!

They've got women's softball too.

Posted by: Deplorable Jay Guevara at April 26, 2017 03:48 PM (SRKgf)

171 Building a https://osmc.tv/ box from old computer parts and some large
drives to rip a huge collection of DVDs and place all my music on for
streaming to any connected TV, which is all of them.

Thanks, might make osmc a new toy for the weekend time waster.

Posted by: Blanco Basura at April 26, 2017 03:48 PM (4WhSY)

172 NBA runs ads from BlackPeopleMeet, a dating service for, you know, black
people. (I don't know where they draw the cutoff; e.g. the average
Puerto Rican is 15% i think.)

I thought that was interesting since I don't think there exists an
equivalent service for whites. not that I would join such myself, not
least because *that* cutoff probably wouldn't admit me, either.

You people can meet at the KKK meetings at the ballgame! Enjoy spraying your swastickers in the street!

Posted by: The Incredibly Stupid Sarah Silverman at April 26, 2017 03:48 PM (qJhUV)

173 ESPN is following the tried and true MTV model of abandoning their core mission.

Posted by: Iblis at April 26, 2017 03:49 PM (9221z)

174 We should do another annual pinup calendar with more Amy Schumer. Doubling down on ideologues whose semi-religious feelings are antithetical to the culture of your enthusiasts, and at best alien to people who can afford your product in general, just screams winning.

Posted by: Pirelli Tire at April 26, 2017 03:49 PM (wx6iv)

175 "Yahoo will broadcast sports events over iphones and ipads and people will have forgotten TV sports in about 10 years."

Yahoo will be gone in one year
Posted by: TheQuietMan

_______

Did you see where Marissa Mayer will supposedly get like $168 million from the sale to Verizon. For a failed and essentially bankrupt Yahoo she drove into the ground.

I wouldn't mind seeing Trump throw a little shade at out of control CEO compensation just to watch these left-wing oligarchs scream a little.

Posted by: Maritime at April 26, 2017 03:49 PM (uvyU0)

176 oh, right, the Farmer dating service, for Colorado Boers. that is probably it.

although there is a risk there that the doorbell rings and a llama answers the door

Posted by: Boulder terlit hobo at April 26, 2017 03:49 PM (pLj6K)

177 No she wasn't. She says so explicitly that she's not offended by words.
Posted by: TheJamesMadison at April 26, 2017 03:47 PM (BjrOM)

She wasn't taken aback? I seemed to remember she everyone else looking at her as though she would be insulted...

Posted by: JoeF. at April 26, 2017 03:49 PM (7uYFy)

178 164 Violence has no place in MMA.
Posted by: Grump928(c) at April 26, 2017 03:47 PM (QQ+il)

"You can't fight here! This is the War Room!"

Posted by: Deplorable Jay Guevara at April 26, 2017 03:49 PM (SRKgf)

179 162 155
Lol. I hate Star Trek and probably watched one episode in my entire life....and THAT was the one. She was insulted by old Abe when he said that....
Posted by: JoeF. at April 26, 2017 03:46 PM (7uYFy)

==============

No she wasn't. She says so explicitly that she's not offended by words.
Posted by: TheJamesMadison at April 26, 2017 03:47 PM (BjrOM)

Isn't that the episode where Bones says: "Except for the missing hole in his head, I can't prove he ISN'T Lincoln."

Posted by: Aetius451AD at April 26, 2017 03:49 PM (+c7tK)

180 As soon as the NHL Playoffs are over, I am dumping my satellite tv.

Posted by: garrett at April 26, 2017 03:50 PM (f7W3D)

181 "I usually just use a pair of dikes."

Scissoring through the cable?

Posted by: Village Idiot's Apprentice at April 26, 2017 03:50 PM (J+eG2)

182 Just read that libs are shocked! Shocked I tell ya! that Barry would accept $400,000 for a speech.

Posted by: bicentennialguy at April 26, 2017 03:50 PM (vg8iE)

183 I was watching old "Star Trek" episodes on Netflix and noticed that the average episode is somolike 51-52 minutes while most new programs are 42-43 minutes.

Posted by: Islamic Rage Boy at April 26, 2017 03:50 PM (GaIDK)

184 Mama, just killed a man
Put a gun against his head
Pulled the trigger
Now he's dead

Posted by: rickb223 at April 26, 2017 03:50 PM (rvtDF)

185 She wasn't taken aback? I seemed to remember she everyone else looking at her as though she would be insulted...
Posted by: JoeF. at April 26, 2017 03:49 PM (7uYFy)

-----

Nope.

"But why should I object to that term, sir? You see, in our century we've learned not to fear words"

Posted by: fixerupper at April 26, 2017 03:50 PM (8XRCm)

186 I hope they hang on long enough to take Disney down with them.

Posted by: Cloyd Freud, Unemployed at April 26, 2017 03:50 PM (97XyN)

187 This strategy might work, but they're going to have to cut way back on the price they demand from cable companies, and all their ancillary stations - ESPN2, ESPN News, ESPNU, ESPN Classic - will get dropped down to second and third tiers of cable and satellite packages, which will cost them even more money, and ultimately more employees.

You can make it work, but you have to understand you're a niche product, and you have to spend accordingly. But their problem then will be, what niche are we filling? If they have to cut back, can they afford NFL, NBA, and MLB rights? If they can't, are they back to the tractor pull days?

I get your general argument that you can't be all things to all people, and you don't need to be all things to all people to be successful anyway. But do they really want to be MSNBC, with a couple lightly watched shows on weeknights, and weekends full of prison lockup shows?

Posted by: Ted K. at April 26, 2017 03:51 PM (7RqXg)

188 IT'S FUNNY BECAUSE IF ESPN WAS LESS QUEER MORE MiNORITIES WOULD WATCH.

Posted by: BEN ROETHLISBERGER at April 26, 2017 03:51 PM (UOJLJ)

189 "Isn't that the episode where Bones says: "Except for the missing hole in his head, I can't prove he ISN'T Lincoln."

Also has the classic "Spock, help me Spock."

Posted by: Benji Carver at April 26, 2017 03:51 PM (OD2ni)

190 You can't hate Star Trek here.

I won't allow it.

Posted by: eleven at April 26, 2017 03:51 PM (qUNWi)

191 14 years without cable now. Still don't miss it.

Posted by: Jean at April 26, 2017 03:51 PM (TVGgO)

192 Colorado Boers

I guffawed out loud.

Posted by: Grump928(c) at April 26, 2017 03:51 PM (QQ+il)

193 182 Just read that libs are shocked! Shocked I tell ya! that Barry would accept $400,000 for a speech.
Posted by: bicentennialguy at April 26, 2017 03:50 PM (vg8iE)

Yeah, I don't have the words to express my level of shock.

Posted by: Aetius451AD at April 26, 2017 03:51 PM (+c7tK)

194 171
Building a https://osmc.tv/ box from old computer parts and some large

drives to rip a huge collection of DVDs and place all my music on for

streaming to any connected TV, which is all of them.

Thanks, might make osmc a new toy for the weekend time waster.

Posted by: Blanco Basura at April 26, 2017 03:48 PM (4WhSY)

Here is a guy (quirky but lovable) that got it running in a pretty straightforward way on a Raspberry Pi single board computer. If you don't like that, the vid does give a good overview of the interface. OSMC is a pretty mature project.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-9vgJ4u4saI

Posted by: flounder, rebel, vulgarian, deplorable, winner at April 26, 2017 03:51 PM (GX63o)

195 I object to the use of "Crusade" instead of "jihad", but other than that, I agree.

Posted by: josephistan at April 26, 2017 03:51 PM (7HtZB)

196 173 ESPN is following the tried and true MTV model of abandoning their core mission.
Posted by: Iblis at April 26, 2017 03:49 PM (9221z)

===================

Like Coke deciding that pissing off it's core customers would be a great idea.

It's called a New Coke.

Posted by: TheJamesMadison at April 26, 2017 03:51 PM (BjrOM)

197 121 Cable cutters: what's your setup?

I probably shouldn't admit this in a public forum, but...I have successfully "hacked" cable. I.e. I get cable Tv at my house now, and pay $0 for it.

Funny part is, I barely even ever use it. I on;ly watch a very highly specific selection of shows on just a handful of channels, maybe 4 hours per week.

Yeah, you might think this is "illegal," but if you CAREFULLY read the laws about this and the fine print, it actually isn't illegal. Federal states that the signal itself in theory is freely accessible to all. Where the companies get you is in the ability to descramble it.

Theoretically, even the "experts" will tell you that it is basically impossible to now hack cable -- they changed the system in recent years specifically to make it un-descramblable.

But after and immense amount of research (that included auto-translating technical articles from Dutch and German), and serendipitously stumbling upon the missing piece of technology at a yard sale, I pieced it all together and tried it out -- and it worked. To my shock. The people at the hacker forum were stupefied.

Posted by: zombie at April 26, 2017 03:51 PM (DQ4Fv)

198 >>ESPN is following the tried and true MTV model of abandoning their core mission.

And TLC. Went from The Learning Channel ---> Circus Sideshow Freaks Channel

Posted by: Lizzy at April 26, 2017 03:51 PM (NOIQH)

199 I remember when all across ESPN there was discussion about "locker room talk" and how all the ex-players employed by ESPN never talked in such a manner in the locker room, kinda missing the point that "locker room talk" is an expression.

Posted by: Dr Spank at April 26, 2017 03:52 PM (4e+hS)

200 Did you see where Marissa Mayer will supposedly get like $168 million from the sale to Verizon. For a failed and essentially bankrupt Yahoo she drove into the ground.

I wouldn't mind seeing Trump throw a little shade at out of control CEO compensation just to watch these left-wing oligarchs scream a little.
Posted by: Maritime at April 26, 2017 03:49 PM (uvyU0)

Apparently she initiated a blood bath among men at Yahoo, and replaced them with persons of cooch. I read somewhere that top executives at Yahoo went from something like 80% male to 80% female in a year or two.

Posted by: Deplorable Jay Guevara at April 26, 2017 03:52 PM (SRKgf)

201 177 No she wasn't. She says so explicitly that she's not offended by words.
Posted by: TheJamesMadison at April 26, 2017 03:47 PM (BjrOM)

She wasn't taken aback? I seemed to remember she everyone else looking at her as though she would be insulted...
Posted by: JoeF. at April 26, 2017 03:49 PM (7uYFy)

==============

And then she says, "Nope! I'm good!"
(paraphrase)

Posted by: TheJamesMadison at April 26, 2017 03:52 PM (BjrOM)

202 although there is a risk there that the doorbell rings and a llama answers the door

But llamas are numero uno!

- Just the punchline

Posted by: Blanco Basura at April 26, 2017 03:52 PM (4WhSY)

203 183 I was watching old "Star Trek" episodes on Netflix and noticed that the average episode is somolike 51-52 minutes while most new programs are 42-43 minutes.
============

That was to accommodate the commercials that are currently run during programs when the re-ran the remastered episodes.

Posted by: bicentennialguy at April 26, 2017 03:52 PM (vg8iE)

204 179
Isn't that the episode where Bones says: "Except for the missing hole in his head, I can't prove he ISN'T Lincoln."
Posted by: Aetius451AD at April 26, 2017 03:49 PM (+c7tK)

===============

It very well might be. I really hope he said it, although I don't remember it.

Posted by: TheJamesMadison at April 26, 2017 03:52 PM (BjrOM)

205 198 >>ESPN is following the tried and true MTV model of abandoning their core mission.

And TLC. Went from The Learning Channel ---> Circus Sideshow Freaks Channel
Posted by: Lizzy at April 26, 2017 03:51 PM (NOIQH)

History channel FTW!

Posted by: Deplorable Jay Guevara at April 26, 2017 03:52 PM (SRKgf)

206 IT'S FUNNY BECAUSE ALABAMA PAYS ITS PLAYERS MORE THAN THE BROWNS DO
Posted by: BEN ROETHLISBERGER at April 26, 2017 03:47 PM (oZ6kz)

Well, to be fair, 'Bama has more first round players on its roster than the Browns do.

Posted by: alexthechick - rrraaawwwrrr at April 26, 2017 03:53 PM (mf5HN)

207 183 I was watching old "Star Trek" episodes on Netflix and noticed that the average episode is somolike 51-52 minutes while most new programs are 42-43 minutes.
Posted by: Islamic Rage Boy at April 26, 2017 03:50 PM (GaIDK)

===============

I think the show suffered for the longer run times.

There's a lot of padding in pretty much every episode.

Posted by: TheJamesMadison at April 26, 2017 03:53 PM (BjrOM)

208 Aw jeez. Youtube made me look at an add for the newest Handmaid's tale because I recognized Yvonne Strahovinski.

Posted by: Aetius451AD at April 26, 2017 03:53 PM (+c7tK)

209 ESPN grew out of the idea of doing a 24-hour a day version of ABC's old Wide World of Sports (a creation of Roone Arledge, the best TV progammer ever), with a one-hour highlight reel that was Must Watch Appointment TV.

It's lost its way, but there's no substitute for what it was, more's the pity. So it won't go out of business

Posted by: Ignoramus at April 26, 2017 03:53 PM (SIY7D)

210 What does the S in ESPN stand for?

Posted by: Lurking Moron at April 26, 2017 03:54 PM (1L9V9)

211 186 I hope they hang on long enough to take Disney down with them.

Posted by: Cloyd Freud, Unemployed at April 26, 2017 03:50 PM (97XyN)

Not gonna happen as long as Disney keeps pumping out Marvel movies.

Posted by: Hikaru at April 26, 2017 03:54 PM (XMDuf)

212 182 Just read that libs are shocked! Shocked I tell ya! that Barry would accept $400,000 for a speech.
Posted by: bicentennialguy at April 26, 2017 03:50 PM (vg8iE)

=============

Wait until they find out that Bernie Sanders owns 3 homes.

Posted by: TheJamesMadison at April 26, 2017 03:54 PM (BjrOM)

213 I was watching old "Star Trek" episodes on Netflix and noticed that the average episode is somolike 51-52 minutes while most new programs are 42-43 minutes.

-----

I have all three seasons on DVR. Over twenty episodes EACH SEASON.

**looking at you TWD, Vikings, and The Strain. What 8, maybe ten a season. Pffffft. Pikers.

Posted by: fixerupper at April 26, 2017 03:54 PM (8XRCm)

214 ESPN is following the tried and true MTV model of abandoning their core mission.

And TLC. Went from The Learning Channel ---> Circus Sideshow Freaks Channel
Posted by: Lizzy at April 26, 2017 03:51 PM (NOIQH)

And Bravo went from opera and classical music to ALL GAY ALL THE TIME....

Posted by: JoeF. at April 26, 2017 03:54 PM (7uYFy)

215 It'll be some liberal multibillionaire who already has either a toe in media, or wants to get into media badly. Soros - nah, Buffett - nah, Murdock - nah, doesn't need it, . . . who

Posted by: simplemind at April 26, 2017 03:42 PM (xVRrG)

Jeff Bezos.
====================\

We have a winner.

Posted by: simplemind at April 26, 2017 03:54 PM (xVRrG)

216 195 I object to the use of "Crusade" instead of "jihad", but other than that, I agree.
Posted by: josephistan at April 26, 2017 03:51 PM (7HtZB)

Oddly, as I have gotten older I have objected to the Crusades less and less.

Posted by: Aetius451AD at April 26, 2017 03:54 PM (+c7tK)

217 ""But why should I object to that term, sir? You see, in our century we've learned not to fear words"

Oddly enough, that is a century which also apparently contains no followers of Islam.

Posted by: Village Idiot's Apprentice at April 26, 2017 03:54 PM (J+eG2)

218 I'm partial to the Revisionist History channel myself.

Posted by: Under Fire at April 26, 2017 03:54 PM (UOJLJ)

219 They would spend a whole week about the triggering caused by Squire Trelaine calling Uhura a nubian prize.

-----

pfft..... Abe Lincoln called her a charming Negress in the Savage Curtain.

Posted by: fixerupper at April 26, 2017 03:44 PM (8XRCm)
..............

If I thought you'd last 2 minutes with me Abe, I'd give you a shot.

Posted by: Uhura's thighs at April 26, 2017 03:55 PM (HgMAr)

220 The audience is the product that advertisers are purchasing. Piss off the audience and you degrade your most important product.

Posted by: IllTemperedCur at April 26, 2017 03:45 PM (XWkhW)

In a free market economy you would be right, but that's not the way it works now.

That's why the masses are clamoring for ala carte, and the media conglomerates are pushing bushels of money at politicians to see that it don't happen.

My money is on Big Money. We don't matter.

Posted by: OneEyedJack at April 26, 2017 03:55 PM (z79tQ)

221 When I turned my cable boxes in, I kind of lied, I said that I was renting my house and the renters didn't want cable. The lady said nothing, just went on the computer and cancelled..(Time Warner at that time) I didn't want her to try and sell me something, and I had no contract.
Posted by: Colin

I just stopped paying and left it on the porch.

Posted by: Jean at April 26, 2017 03:55 PM (TVGgO)

222 I think they could solve a lot of their problems by hiring Chelsea Clinton as a commentator. They can pay her $600,000 per year. She can give tips on healthy eating through spinach pancakes. She can also do some reporting on dealing with family members who have brain damage and alcohol intake problems. I'm sure all of that can be connected to sports.

Posted by: nerdygirl at April 26, 2017 03:55 PM (+lVUW)

223 I hate sports journalists.

Not good enough atheletes to play the game.

Not good enough of a journalist to read the news.

Substandard wannabe hanger ons. Fuck em.

Posted by: fixerupper

-----

This. Real bottom of the barrel people repeating the same shit over and over and over. Also doesn't say much for the people who watch that crap.

Posted by: Dang at April 26, 2017 03:55 PM (8b+oT)

224 History channel FTW!

You have a problem with Hitler?

Posted by: Little Gray Aliens with Big Eyes at April 26, 2017 03:55 PM (QQ+il)

225 210 What does the S in ESPN stand for?
Posted by: Lurking Moron at April 26, 2017 03:54 PM (1L9V9)

=============

Social-Justice

Posted by: TheJamesMadison at April 26, 2017 03:55 PM (BjrOM)

226 I have all three seasons on DVR. Over twenty episodes EACH SEASON.
============

Perry Mason seasons were typically 26 - 28 episodes.

Posted by: bicentennialguy at April 26, 2017 03:55 PM (vg8iE)

227 ESPN grew out of the idea of doing a 24-hour a day version of ABC's old Wide World of Sports (a creation of Roone Arledge, the best TV progammer ever), with a one-hour highlight reel that was Must Watch Appointment TV.

It's lost its way, but there's no substitute for what it was, more's the pity. So it won't go out of business

ESPN was the brainchild of Rasmussen. Yes, THAT Rasmussen.

Posted by: Ignoramus at April 26, 2017 03:53 PM (SIY7D)

Posted by: JoeF. at April 26, 2017 03:55 PM (7uYFy)

228 I have directv and honestly its used half the year when college football starts, rest of the time I am binge watching Midsomer Murders on Netflix.

Posted by: IC at April 26, 2017 03:55 PM (a0IVu)

229 197 Zombie -

I would like to subscribe to your newsletter and learn more

Posted by: bensdad00 at April 26, 2017 03:56 PM (XxHwx)

230 Isn't that the episode where Bones says: "Except for the missing hole in his head, I can't prove he ISN'T Lincoln."
Posted by: Aetius451AD at April 26, 2017 03:49 PM (+c7tK)

===============

It very well might be. I really hope he said it, although I don't remember it.
Posted by: TheJamesMadison at April 26, 2017 03:52 PM (BjrOM)

I was being funny, but I think he says something along the lines of: "He appears to be a man with the level of growth and nutrition of an 1800's white male." Something like that.

Posted by: Aetius451AD at April 26, 2017 03:56 PM (+c7tK)

231 222 I think they could solve a lot of their problems by hiring Chelsea Clinton as a commentator. They can pay her $600,000 per year. She can give tips on healthy eating through spinach pancakes. She can also do some reporting on dealing with family members who have brain damage and alcohol intake problems. I'm sure all of that can be connected to sports.
Posted by: nerdygirl at April 26, 2017 03:55 PM (+lVUW)

I think she's already been sown up by the Goodness Gracious network.

Posted by: Deplorable Jay Guevara at April 26, 2017 03:56 PM (SRKgf)

232 210; spunk

Posted by: chavez the hugo at April 26, 2017 03:56 PM (KP5rU)

233 Here is a guy (quirky but lovable) that got it running in a pretty
straightforward way on a Raspberry Pi single board computer. If you
don't like that, the vid does give a good overview of the interface.
OSMC is a pretty mature project.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-9vgJ4u4saI

I was thinking of trying it on a RasPi...

OK, you, get out of my head!

Posted by: Blanco Basura at April 26, 2017 03:56 PM (4WhSY)

234 213 I have all three seasons on DVR. Over twenty episodes EACH SEASON.

**looking at you TWD, Vikings, and The Strain. What 8, maybe ten a season. Pffffft. Pikers.
Posted by: fixerupper at April 26, 2017 03:54 PM (8XRCm)

===============

Well, it's different when you're trying to tell one narrative over a few episodes.

*knows that fixerupper was being sarcastic...continues*

It's hard to maintain a narrative over about 30 episodes a season.

Posted by: TheJamesMadison at April 26, 2017 03:56 PM (BjrOM)

235 History channel FTW!
Posted by: Deplorable Jay Guevara at April 26, 2017 03:52 PM (SRKgf)

You shut your whore mouth, Ancient Aliens starts a new season soon and I'm very excited about that.

Posted by: alexthechick - rrraaawwwrrr at April 26, 2017 03:56 PM (mf5HN)

236 Hey, I gotta say I'm impressed with all of the cable cutting set ups. Very techie and inspiring.

What would a more basic set up be, LOL.

Posted by: Max Power at April 26, 2017 03:56 PM (q177U)

237 And how do we know that Chelsea would be good for the job? Because she is an incredibly talented broadcast journalist, unlike all those nobodies who work their asses off to make it in the tv broadcast industry.

Posted by: nerdygirl at April 26, 2017 03:57 PM (+lVUW)

238 "209 ESPN grew out of the idea of doing a 24-hour a day version of ABC's old Wide World of Sports (a creation of Roone Arledge, the best TV progammer ever), with a one-hour highlight reel that was Must Watch Appointment TV."

I enjoyed the roller derby league that ESPN used to run in the 80's as sort of competition for the WWF complete with heels and faces. One of the "evil" managers was a lady named Miss Georgia Haas who was hilarious and would just insult the announcers during interviews.

Posted by: Benji Carver at April 26, 2017 03:57 PM (OD2ni)

239

You shut down speakers, you nourush radicalism

We are in for some dark dark shit

Posted by: ThunderB at April 26, 2017 03:58 PM (qzt3j)

240 But after and immense amount of research (that included auto-translating technical articles from Dutch and German), and serendipitously stumbling upon the missing piece of technology at a yard sale, I pieced it all together and tried it out -- and it worked. To my shock. The people at the hacker forum were stupefied.
==========================
So basically you're like the professor from Gilligan's island.

Posted by: simplemind at April 26, 2017 03:58 PM (xVRrG)

241 You shut your whore mouth, Ancient Aliens starts a new season soon and I'm very excited about that.

==========

I secretly enjoy it, too. I've always loved shit like that.

Posted by: bicentennialguy at April 26, 2017 03:58 PM (vg8iE)

242 Well let me know how it goes, BB. I haven't figured out the storage aspect of doing such, but it would be nice to have the RasPi as a noiseless small footprint media center box.

Posted by: flounder, rebel, vulgarian, deplorable, winner at April 26, 2017 03:58 PM (GX63o)

243 I have it on an old Xbox, haven't updated it in a long time. Moved the content to dnla nas and the TV hosts Netflix and YouTube now. ATv was always separate.

Posted by: Jean at April 26, 2017 03:58 PM (TVGgO)

244 And TLC. Went from The Learning Channel ---> Circus Sideshow Freaks Channel
Posted by: Lizzy at April 26, 2017 03:51 PM (NOIQH)

How its Made was their best show!

One of the reasons I haven't totally cut the cord is for live stuff and a few TV shows, but I'm getting close. Some people talk about using KODI or KODI type boxes, to get free live stuff, but it can be of questionable legality, and its a PITA to try to set up. Although its so rampant in the UK that they had to stop going after individuals and just go after Pubs!

Posted by: Iblis at April 26, 2017 03:58 PM (9221z)

245 Nourish

Posted by: ThunderB at April 26, 2017 03:58 PM (qzt3j)

246 My wife and I always laugh at the little drive through Japanese steakhouse places being manned entirely by Hispanics.

That's where ESPN is headed, isn't it? Women talking about sports played by black men to an audience of white people?

Posted by: Moron Robbie at April 26, 2017 03:58 PM (fD1ST)

247 Everyone who is cutting the cord - how are you getting your high speed internet?

Posted by: josephistan at April 26, 2017 03:59 PM (7HtZB)

248 "Hey, I gotta say I'm impressed with all of the cable cutting set ups. Very techie and inspiring.

What would a more basic set up be, LOL."

Very techie?

Hell, the hardest part of mine was buying the flexible 54 inch bitt to drill through the wall footers and top caps to fish the coax to the basement.
And making the cable lengths with coax compression fittings.

The rest was idiot level.

And trust me.... I know Idiot level.

Posted by: Village Idiot's Apprentice at April 26, 2017 03:59 PM (J+eG2)

249 Great points and well said but...

Obama was the most divisive and partisan president in several lifetimes -- Nixonian in his scheming, Carteresque in competency -- and spent the bulk of his presidency in the 44-46% approval range.

Its adorable you think approval rating polling is remotely accurate or even meaningful.

Posted by: Christopher R Taylor at April 26, 2017 03:59 PM (39g3+)

250 Wait until they find out that Bernie Sanders owns 3 homes.

Had some dipshit on Fb try to argue he didn't.
I just posted the bing results page. LOL

Posted by: rickb223 at April 26, 2017 03:59 PM (rvtDF)

251 What would a more basic set up be, LOL.

Rabbit ears, Super 8 projector.

Posted by: Blanco Basura at April 26, 2017 03:59 PM (4WhSY)

252 247
Everyone who is cutting the cord - how are you getting your high speed internet?

Posted by: josephistan at April 26, 2017 03:59 PM (7HtZB)

Comcast residential.

Posted by: flounder, rebel, vulgarian, deplorable, winner at April 26, 2017 03:59 PM (GX63o)

253 Tonight :
7PM : Dodgers v. Giants
10PM : Lesbian Fast Pitch Softball
11:30PM : 30 for 30 Special : Kaepernick, Hero or Messiah
2AM : Outside The Lines : Your Junk Don't Own You

Posted by: ESPN at April 26, 2017 04:00 PM (4e+hS)

254 Are there any straight people left on HGTV?

Posted by: Under Fire at April 26, 2017 04:00 PM (UOJLJ)

255 "224 History channel FTW!

You have a problem with Hitler?
Posted by: Little Gray Aliens with Big Eyes"

Hitler jumped networks. He now appears on American Heroes Channel (formerly Military channel). Channel 287 on DirecTV. Check your listings.

Posted by: Benji Carver at April 26, 2017 04:00 PM (OD2ni)

256

Espn should carry the Bill Nye show

Posted by: ThunderB at April 26, 2017 04:00 PM (qzt3j)

257 cooking with kaepernick

Posted by: phoenixgirl... at April 26, 2017 04:00 PM (0O7c5)

258
osmc :

I have an old XT box that has a TV board in it. I used it to capture video off satellite before the dvr was invented. Then I got a cheap dvr that itself is now obsolete. The bootleg dvds that I burned won't play on the newer codecs (audio is out of sync). All my hacking skills are out of date, and I no longer have the motivation.

Sad, really. Time has passed me by.

Posted by: L' Ohnoes at April 26, 2017 04:01 PM (hWGif)

259 They might be right.

They may be able to cow enough idiots to protest in their favor when they want to jack up the prices from the cable companies.

Short-term win.

That's only part of their revenue.

They still have to sell ads.

They still have to perform in the ratings; especially demographics.

You're not going to sell Ford trucks advertising on ESPN when the only people watching are SJW. No matter how many boycotts they've won.

Posted by: RoyalOil at April 26, 2017 04:01 PM (ZQpd0)

260 people still watch television?

who knew...

Posted by: redc1c4 at April 26, 2017 04:01 PM (R3LP4)

261 I watch American Hero Channel all the time

Posted by: ThunderB at April 26, 2017 04:01 PM (qzt3j)

262 You shut your whore mouth, Ancient Aliens starts a new season soon and I'm very excited about that.

==========

I secretly enjoy it, too. I've always loved shit like that.
Posted by: bicentennialguy

I just wish, one time, they'd actually find something. Real proof, beyond a doubt.

Posted by: rickb223 at April 26, 2017 04:01 PM (rvtDF)

263 Instead of John and Kate Plus 8, ESPN is giving us Bruce and Caitlyn Minus 3

Posted by: Ted K. at April 26, 2017 04:01 PM (7RqXg)

264 247 Everyone who is cutting the cord - how are you getting your high speed internet?
Posted by: josephistan at April 26, 2017 03:59 PM (7HtZB)

Optimum aka Cablevision(although not a total cord cut yet) but Verizon FIOS keeps teasing that they'll start laying fiber again. But then the town demands a TV studio to approve it so....

Posted by: Iblis at April 26, 2017 04:02 PM (9221z)

265 254
Are there any straight people left on HGTV?

Posted by: Under Fire at April 26, 2017 04:00 PM (UOJLJ)
the world is ghey......

Posted by: phoenixgirl... at April 26, 2017 04:02 PM (0O7c5)

266 You shut your whore mouth, Ancient Aliens starts a new season soon and I'm very excited about that.
Posted by: alexthechick - rrraaawwwrrr at April 26, 2017 03:56 PM (mf5HN)

It's been renamed "Senior Undocumented Future Citizens."

Posted by: Deplorable Jay Guevara at April 26, 2017 04:02 PM (SRKgf)

267 I have switched to watching e-sports anyway.

E-league Counter Strike. I have no idea why I find it entertaining, but I do. I think it's the Australian accent of the broadcasters. And the occasional swearing fits.

Posted by: TexasDan at April 26, 2017 04:02 PM (yL25O)

268 247 Everyone who is cutting the cord - how are you getting your high speed internet?
Posted by: josephistan at April 26, 2017 03:59 PM (7HtZB)

Fairpoint DSL.

In my case the cable was cut by a tree falling on it during an ice storm. Since I wasn't a subscriber the cable company refused to reconnect it to the house, and I was not the least bit upset by that.

Posted by: moon_over_vermont at April 26, 2017 04:02 PM (kUmUV)

269 253 Tonight :
7PM : Dodgers v. Giants
10PM : Lesbian Fast Pitch Softball
11:30PM : 30 for 30 Special : Kaepernick, Hero or Messiah
2AM : Outside The Lines : Your Junk Don't Own You
Posted by: ESPN at April 26, 2017 04:00 PM (4e+hS)

================

The advantage of having a bad, small market team as a favorite?

They're rarely on ESPN and since I don't have cable, I can watch almost every game, even on weekends, through MLB.tv.

Posted by: TheJamesMadison at April 26, 2017 04:02 PM (BjrOM)

270 I just wish, one time, they'd actually find something. Real proof, beyond a doubt.
=============

Hahaah! One would think after all these years of watching shows about Bigfoot, Atlantis, Loch Ness Monster, etc. that I would realize that they ALWAYS come up empty-handed, yet I still watch.

Posted by: bicentennialguy at April 26, 2017 04:02 PM (vg8iE)

271 >>And how do we know that Chelsea would be good for the job? Because she
is an incredibly talented broadcast journalist, unlike all those
nobodies who work their asses off to make it in the tv broadcast
industry.

Already on the board of directors at internet/media conglomerate IAC, produced a documentary, and received top billing as one of Variety's NYC Movers and Shakers for her media savvy.

Goodness gracious, it's amazing how *overqualified* she is!!

Posted by: Lizzy at April 26, 2017 04:02 PM (NOIQH)

272 The NASA channel used to be good until they cut the feeds every time a flying saucer scooted by.

Posted by: Under Fire at April 26, 2017 04:02 PM (UOJLJ)

273 Tonight :
7PM : Dodgers v. Giants
10PM : Lesbian Fast Pitch Softball
11:30PM : 30 for 30 Special : Kaepernick, Hero or Messiah
2AM : Outside The Lines : Your Junk Don't Own You
Posted by: ESPN at April 26, 2017 04:00 PM (4e+hS)

-----

You forgot "KC Royals Get Their Asses Kicked Again" at 7:15

Posted by: fixerupper at April 26, 2017 04:03 PM (8XRCm)

274 I only have anything to do with ESPN when it's college football season and specifically SEC football.

Posted by: Pecan Scandi at April 26, 2017 04:03 PM (0tp/U)

275 254 Are there any straight people left on HGTV?

I've wondered that. It's invariably on in the locker room at the gym. From it I've learned that apparently everyone in Canada is queer.

Posted by: Deplorable Jay Guevara at April 26, 2017 04:03 PM (SRKgf)

276 pfft..... Abe Lincoln called her a charming Negress in the Savage Curtain.
...........

That beard looks kind of ticklish Abe, here let me sit on your face. Dr. McCoy can fix your jaw after.

Posted by: Uhura's thighs at April 26, 2017 04:03 PM (HgMAr)

277 So maybe some suggestions from the horde.

Fortress VIA has a DVD library of over 500 DVDs.

Any way to go to a Hard Drive/SSHD based storage and play system, and ditch the disks?

Posted by: Village Idiot's Apprentice at April 26, 2017 04:03 PM (J+eG2)

278 I'm partial to the Revisionist History channel myself.

Posted by: Under Fire at April 26, 2017 03:54 PM (UOJLJ)

I was going to ask if there was anything "historical" still on the History Channel.

Guess not.

Posted by: Tim in Illinois at April 26, 2017 04:03 PM (d76uN)

279 254 Are there any straight people left on HGTV?

Posted by: Under Fire at April 26, 2017 04:00 PM (UOJLJ)

The Gaines. But the SJWs so want to crush their show.

I'm actually surprised HGTV has any content left. They've basically had every gay person in North America on at least one of their shows by now.

Posted by: Iblis at April 26, 2017 04:04 PM (9221z)

280

Cotton McKnight: We haven't seen Average Joe's yet. They haven't made it to the court. It could be a psychological ploy, or something worse.

Pepper Brooks: They're definitely not on the court, Cotton. Their absence is noticeable.

Posted by: ESPN 8 - the Ocho! at April 26, 2017 04:04 PM (awqUF)

281 The full version of the theory should expand to apply to the entire nation -- a national takeover by purveyors of shit who have a hardcore brainwashed segment cadre of followers who insist that shit is good.

Posted by: Semi-Literate Thug at April 26, 2017 03:47 PM (aCcv2)

A good summation of current pop-culture is ever I saw one.

Posted by: OneEyedJack at April 26, 2017 04:04 PM (z79tQ)

282 Are there any straight people left on HGTV?

Posted by: Under Fire at April 26, 2017 04:00 PM (UOJLJ)

----

The Fixerupper people.

But they are under assault.

Posted by: fixerupper at April 26, 2017 04:04 PM (8XRCm)

283 Espn should carry the Bill Nye show

Posted by: ThunderB at April 26, 2017 04:00 PM (qzt3j)

I sure everyone wants to watch Bill Nye and the singing vaginas. I guess Netflex carries his show. The singing vaginas are on YouTube...rather sick, if you can stomach to watch it.

Posted by: Colin at April 26, 2017 04:04 PM (3p0yu)

284 271 >>And how do we know that Chelsea would be good for the job? Because she
is an incredibly talented broadcast journalist, unlike all those
nobodies who work their asses off to make it in the tv broadcast
industry.

Already on the board of directors at internet/media conglomerate IAC, produced a documentary, and received top billing as one of Variety's NYC Movers and Shakers for her media savvy.

Goodness gracious, it's amazing how *overqualified* she is!!
Posted by: Lizzy at April 26, 2017 04:02 PM (NOIQH)

She would be good doing the color commentary on horse racing.

Posted by: Deplorable Jay Guevara at April 26, 2017 04:04 PM (SRKgf)

285 Say, speaking of leftist TV disasters, has anybody seen Bill Nye the Mechanical Engineering Guy self-immolate on his new Netflix series "Skeletor the Pervert?"

Like Icarus, he flew too high...

Posted by: Semi-Literate Thug at April 26, 2017 04:04 PM (aCcv2)

286 274 I only have anything to do with ESPN when it's college football season and specifically SEC football.

I believe the SEC channel is owned by ESPN, so you might be contributing there as well.

Posted by: Ted K. at April 26, 2017 04:04 PM (7RqXg)

287 I secretly enjoy it, too. I've always loved shit like that.

I recently watched a program on anti-Ancient Aliens. They went after von Däniken and his assertions about alien technology required to build pyramids and such. It was semi-interesting. Finding Bigfoot, or Killing Bigfoot, or F*cking Bigfoot . . . not so much. I do think being a field caller might be kinda kewl, if they provided Val-U-Rite!

Posted by: very irredeemably undude at April 26, 2017 04:05 PM (2X7pN)

288 High speed internet - $74/month

Antenna
Netflix
Hulu
Amazon Prime
Redbox

I've found very quickly over the last few years that all that "Must See TV" was sitting in my DVR cache and never getting watched fully.

There seldom is ever Must See TV these days when your only choice is live...I've got better things to do.

Posted by: H Badger at April 26, 2017 04:05 PM (n/0Nw)

289 I was going to ask if there was anything "historical" still on the History Channel.
==============

Yeah, because nothing screams history! like Ice Road Truckers.

Joke of a channel.

Kinda like TLC. It used to be "learning," now it's dysfunctional reality TV.

Posted by: bicentennialguy at April 26, 2017 04:05 PM (vg8iE)

290 I bolded that one part because it jibes with a comment offered by TheJamesMadison, who said ESPN was already beginning to fail as a business model even before the all-SJW-all-the-time format, and that this emphasis on SJW leftwingery is not the cause of the problem so much as it is ESPN's effort to fix the problem.

===============

Stealth edit!

I like it!

Posted by: TheJamesMadison at April 26, 2017 04:05 PM (BjrOM)

291 You play to win the game, and spout nonsense.

Posted by: ESPN at April 26, 2017 04:05 PM (4e+hS)

292 I secretly enjoy it, too. I've always loved shit like that.
Posted by: bicentennialguy

I just wish, one time, they'd actually find something. Real proof, beyond a doubt.
Posted by: rickb223 at April 26, 2017 04:01 PM (rvtDF)

I am agnostic on the whole did aliens do it part, I mean, sure why not, though I do kind of hope they find real proof just because that would be awesome.

What I really enjoy about it is the travelogue aspect. It's all of these places and myths and cultural legends that I didn't know about before. Yes, it's being shown through a filter but it's still being shown. That's awesome.

We know so little about our own history as a species. I saw something the other day that estimates we've only found 1/3 of the pyramids in Egypt because the rest are buried under the sand.

Posted by: alexthechick - rrraaawwwrrr at April 26, 2017 04:05 PM (mf5HN)

293 "274 I only have anything to do with ESPN when it's college football season and specifically SEC football."

Paul Feinbaum turned me into an SEC hater. I happily rooted for Clemson.

Posted by: Benji Carver at April 26, 2017 04:05 PM (OD2ni)

294 There was a brief story on MSN.com revisiting the "Servant Girl Annihilator" murders from the 1880s. Checking out the comments, half were screaming about racism, and one was something-something Trump. I hate the internet.

Posted by: josephistan at April 26, 2017 04:06 PM (7HtZB)

295 You're not going to sell Ford trucks advertising on ESPN when the only people watching are SJW. No matter how many boycotts they've won.

Posted by: RoyalOil at April 26, 2017 04:01 PM (ZQpd0)

It would be fun to pay attention to the change in advertising.

"Dr. Pepper presents the Outback Bowl! No, We Mean the Car This Time!"

Posted by: Moron Robbie at April 26, 2017 04:06 PM (fD1ST)

296 As said earlier, streaming comes in through Verizon FIOS 50/50.

Then it's ether netted from the Verizon modem over to a three terabyte Apple Time capsule/watchacall-it that is also a wi-fi router.

From there, everything is wireless.

Posted by: Village Idiot's Apprentice at April 26, 2017 04:06 PM (J+eG2)

297 Right about all of it Ace.

I recall reading that Mr. Belvedere in the 80's when it ranked 12th in the country had more viewers that #1 Big Bang Theory today. That was when the US had 100 million less population and thus potential viewers.

Honestly, I'm not sure how the networks are staying in business, but I bet if you follow the money you'll find some back door government subsidies.

Posted by: MAGA at April 26, 2017 04:06 PM (LQ1Q3)

298 Any way to go to a Hard Drive/SSHD based storage and play system, and ditch the disks?

Convert them to .mkv or similar and use Plex.

https://www.plex.tv/

Posted by: Grump928(c) at April 26, 2017 04:07 PM (QQ+il)

299 247 Everyone who is cutting the cord - how are you getting your high speed internet?
Posted by: josephistan at April 26, 2017 03:59 PM (7HtZB)

Pretty soon, google fiber. Wheeee.

Posted by: TexasDan at April 26, 2017 04:07 PM (yL25O)

300 Everyone who is cutting the cord - how are you getting your high speed internet?

Posted by: josephistan

AT&T

Posted by: rickb223 at April 26, 2017 04:07 PM (rvtDF)

301 Any way to go to a Hard Drive/SSHD based storage and play system, and ditch the disks?
Posted by: Village Idiot's Apprentice at April 26, 2017 04:03 PM (J+eG2)

Redfox's AnyDvD will give you the codecs you need. They're very up to date. You have to buy it, but they have a lifetime license, so it lasts forever.
Virtual Clone Drive is free and lets you mount ISOs.

For Playback, VLC. DVD is fine, Blu-Ray is serviceable, but it needs tweaks.

Posted by: Iblis at April 26, 2017 04:08 PM (9221z)

302 i guess the technical term for a ballad by singing vaginas is a "lay".

Posted by: Boulder terlit hobo at April 26, 2017 04:08 PM (pLj6K)

303 Honestly, I'm not sure how the networks are staying in business, but I bet if you follow the money you'll find some back door government subsidies.
===============

Because of international markets and the fact that they own a lot of shit outside entertainment.

Just look at what Philip Morris owns or what PepsiCo owns.

Posted by: bicentennialguy at April 26, 2017 04:08 PM (vg8iE)

304 299 247 Everyone who is cutting the cord - how are you getting your high speed internet?
Posted by: josephistan at April 26, 2017 03:59 PM (7HtZB)

Pretty soon, google fiber. Wheeee.
Posted by: TexasDan at April 26, 2017 04:07 PM (yL25O)

Meet the new boss, same as the old boss.

Posted by: josephistan at April 26, 2017 04:08 PM (7HtZB)

305 As a pre-cable TV survivor, I remember when ESPN was all-sport-all-the-time to the point that you honestly never knew what would be on there when you turned to it. I remember watching badminton, Jai alai, curling, and other "outside the lines" sports that made the channel fascinating.

While it's certainly a different market, it's possible the geniuses watched MTV survive the transition from music-all-the-time to reality show trash programming and assumed nothing could do them in.

Posted by: MSTisdale at April 26, 2017 04:08 PM (g9d8D)

306 298 Any way to go to a Hard Drive/SSHD based storage and play system, and ditch the disks?

Buy a Synology or similar NAS - network attached storage device.

You can actually set up your own http address and stream your data to yourself wherever you have internet connection.

I'm about to list my gently used one if you're interested. 12 TB of disks in a self healing Raid 5 array. Yields just under 8 TB of storage iirc.

Posted by: TexasDan at April 26, 2017 04:09 PM (yL25O)

307 "I recall reading that Mr. Belvedere in the 80's when it ranked 12th in the country had more viewers that #1 Big Bang Theory today. That was when the US had 100 million less population and thus potential viewers."

Mr. Belvedere was great as the flaming director in The Producers. Not so great as Tattoo's replacement.

Posted by: Benji Carver at April 26, 2017 04:09 PM (OD2ni)

308 I was going to ask if there was anything "historical" still on the History Channel.

Did they ever find Hitler?

Posted by: tu3031 at April 26, 2017 04:09 PM (qJhUV)

309 Pretty soon, google fiber. Wheeee.

==========

You should check in with some welfare recipients about the quality. After all, remember that Barry gave it free to the pooooooor. I forget where, but I certainly remember it.

Posted by: bicentennialguy at April 26, 2017 04:09 PM (vg8iE)

310 Spectrum for my internet.

Saving roughly $1400/yr this year with the cut.

Posted by: H Badger at April 26, 2017 04:09 PM (n/0Nw)

311 Everyone who is cutting the cord - how are you getting your high speed internet?

Posted by: josephistan
...........

Starbucks.

Posted by: Hipster Douchebag at April 26, 2017 04:09 PM (HgMAr)

312 Sports has always intersected with culture and politics...
---
wasn't there a poast here about "intersectionality" last week?

it's the latest leftard buzzword, IIRC. everything is linked to everything, and thus political.

what a great way to ruin the simple things in life.

Posted by: redc1c4 at April 26, 2017 04:10 PM (R3LP4)

313 And we are totally willing to pay for it with our employees jobs and Disney shareholder's money

Posted by: ESPN Management at April 26, 2017 04:10 PM (DpOmP)

314 we get our internet via Dish.

Posted by: redc1c4 at April 26, 2017 04:10 PM (R3LP4)

315 Everyone who is cutting the cord-how are you...
I Jack my liberal neighbors open AP/router.

Posted by: Under Fire at April 26, 2017 04:10 PM (UOJLJ)

316 We know so little about our own history as a species. I saw something the other day that estimates we've only found 1/3 of the pyramids in Egypt because the rest are buried under the sand.

I like the line drawings that form designs in deserts and on tp of mountain plateaus that can't be determined from ground level by people who didn't have the wheel yet were supposed to have made.

Posted by: rickb223 at April 26, 2017 04:11 PM (rvtDF)

317 312 Sports has always intersected with culture and politics...
---
wasn't there a poast here about "intersectionality" last week?

it's the latest leftard buzzword, IIRC. everything is linked to everything, and thus political.

what a great way to ruin the simple things in life.
Posted by: redc1c4 at April 26, 2017 04:10 PM (R3LP4)

==============

Politics is personal.

Ugh.

The people who lead lives digging through every action around them in search for political implications must be two things:

1) Miserable

and

2) Very busy with nonsense

Posted by: TheJamesMadison at April 26, 2017 04:11 PM (BjrOM)

318 I like the line drawings that form designs in deserts and on tp of mountain plateaus that can't be determined from ground level by people who didn't have the wheel yet were supposed to have made.
=========

The Nazca Lines. Also something leftist environmental groups destroyed in recent years.

Posted by: bicentennialguy at April 26, 2017 04:11 PM (vg8iE)

319 I have switched to watching e-sports anyway.

E-league Counter Strike. I have no idea why I find it entertaining, but I do. I think it's the Australian accent of the broadcasters. And the occasional swearing fits.
Posted by: TexasDan at April 26, 2017 04:02 PM (yL25O)

I adore Twitch. The Counter Strike tourney players have super human reflexes, dear heavens.

I've been watching tons of PUBG and it's awesome because, yes, you have to be skilled but the random nature of the loot adds so much uncertainty that merely being a top sniper doesn't mean squat. You still can get run over by a Jeep.

I kind of want to get PUBG just to see if I would ever make it over being like the 93rd person alive.

Posted by: alexthechick - rrraaawwwrrr at April 26, 2017 04:11 PM (mf5HN)

320 IF you can get 4 bars, this Sprint Deal from Calyx might be of interest.

https://www.calyxinstitute.org/

Posted by: Grump928(c) at April 26, 2017 04:12 PM (QQ+il)

321 Paul Feinbaum turned me into an SEC hater. I happily rooted for Clemson.

Posted by: Benji Carver

* * * * * *

I actually think he prefers to be called Pete Feinbaum.

Posted by: MSTisdale at April 26, 2017 04:12 PM (g9d8D)

322 Any way to go to a Hard Drive/SSHD based storage and play system, and ditch the disks?

Posted by: Village Idiot's Apprentice at April 26, 2017 04:03 PM (J+eG2)

I don't know if I would do SSDs, since storage prices are so much cheaper for rotating disks.

If I were looking for an easier way, I would probably get a NAS from Synology (I have one and am pleased) and activate the DLNA services and receive it at your various DLNA capable devices.
Fill it up with hard drives, drop it on the network, rip the discs, and start watching. Those NASs are quiet and small footprint.

Posted by: flounder, rebel, vulgarian, deplorable, winner at April 26, 2017 04:12 PM (GX63o)

323 Everyone who is cutting the cord - how are you getting your high speed internet?

Pringles can, neighbor's unsecured wifi, some assembly required.

Posted by: Blanco Basura at April 26, 2017 04:12 PM (4WhSY)

324 ABC's Wide World of Sports.....the good old days watching that guy fly off the ramp into the beyond.

What in the wide wide world of sports is
a-goin' on here?! I hired you people to try to get a little track laid,
not to jump around like a bunch of Kansas City faggots!

Posted by: Colin at April 26, 2017 04:12 PM (3p0yu)

325 "Because of international markets and the fact that they own a lot of shit outside entertainment."

Yes. The alphabet networks exist purely for corporate promotion.

ABC: promote Disney
NBC: promote Comcast/Universal.
CBS: promote Viacom.

Posted by: Benji Carver at April 26, 2017 04:12 PM (OD2ni)

326 Any way to go to a Hard Drive/SSHD based storage and play system, and ditch the disks?

Posted by: Village Idiot's Apprentice at April 26, 2017 04:03 PM (J+eG2)

Makemkv and handbrake. I like vidcoder (uses handbrake as engine) for batch processing, too, but I think that's just my preference for the interface.

Posted by: Moron Robbie at April 26, 2017 04:12 PM (fD1ST)

327 I was going to ask if there was anything "historical" still on the History Channel.

Did they ever find Hitler?

There's some channel, AHC(American Heroes Channel), where it's all Hitler, all the time.

Posted by: very irredeemably undude at April 26, 2017 04:13 PM (2X7pN)

328 85 OK I keep repeating myself, but it's just because it seems like such a big freakin' deal: cable is doomed. It's a dead man walking. ALL OF IT. The generation that was born after the Millennials doesn't watch television.
Posted by: Max Power at April 26, 2017 03:34 PM (q177U)

A lot of millennials don't watch either.

Posted by: Ladylibertarian at April 26, 2017 04:13 PM (TdMsT)

329 "I'm about to list my gently used one if you're interested. 12 TB of disks in a self healing Raid 5 array. Yields just under 8 TB of storage iirc."

Can you translate this to idiot-speak, cause I may be interested.

But I don't know if it plays videos, or slices and dices vegetables.

Posted by: Village Idiot's Apprentice at April 26, 2017 04:13 PM (J+eG2)

330 I Jack my liberal neighbors open AP/router.

Posted by: Under Fire

* * * * *

Sounds good. Let's get a string going. Under Fire's neighbor log on pls.....

Posted by: MSTisdale at April 26, 2017 04:13 PM (g9d8D)

331 ESPN not "Sticking to Sports"?

Why stick to sports when you can stick it to The Man.

Posted by: Duncanthrax at April 26, 2017 04:13 PM (DMUuz)

332 The Nazca Lines. Also something leftist environmental groups destroyed in recent years.
Posted by: bicentennialguy

Those. Thank you. I read a paperback about them when it came out in the 70's. The pics were astounding.

Posted by: rickb223 at April 26, 2017 04:13 PM (rvtDF)

333 I am picturing in my mind a Venn diagram of Avid Sports Watchers, Passionate Leftists and Willing to Pay 15 dollars a month for Sports not already available elsewhere.

Not a very big intersection, the way I see it.

Posted by: JB1000 at April 26, 2017 04:13 PM (16OL0)

334 But I don't know if it plays videos, or slices and dices vegetables.

You're gonna love his nuts.

Posted by: rickb223 at April 26, 2017 04:14 PM (rvtDF)

335 70 And then maybe we can start making our own demands of wealth-transfers from the left into our own pockets and see how they like walking in those shoes for a long frog-march through the institutions.

Locally, guys in the trades charge twice when a Virtue Signaler books them for a service. That's why those "hate has no home here (except for Trump voters" lawn signs can be valuable to our fellow travelers.
Posted by: kallisto at April 26, 2017 03:29 PM (gssPL)

I'm swooning! This is perfect!

Posted by: Ladylibertarian at April 26, 2017 04:14 PM (TdMsT)

336 I think TheJamesMadison is correct, but I'm not going to be certain until I know what Masturbatin' Pete thinks.

Posted by: Furious George at April 26, 2017 04:14 PM (j+dfT)

337 While it's certainly a different market, it's possible the geniuses watched MTV survive the transition from music-all-the-time to reality show trash programming and assumed nothing could do them in.
Posted by: MSTisdale at April 26, 2017 04:08 PM (g9d8D)

The sad truth is that there IS logic to MTV abandoning music. See this funny YouTube video bit for the reason why: (WARNING: NSFW, loaded with profanity)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ysyZF-DZFY

Posted by: Curmudgeon at April 26, 2017 04:14 PM (ujg0T)

338 ABC's Wide World of Sports.....the good old days watching that guy fly off the ramp

on his ass.

Posted by: rickb223 at April 26, 2017 04:15 PM (rvtDF)

339 Yeah, cable. Comcast says Hearst is still out and I have to write my Dem rep in Congress, Ami Bera, about it.

In California.

I may cut costs and dump Comcast. No brag just fact.

Posted by: 80's music fan at April 26, 2017 04:15 PM (MA3nK)

340 Cut cable the day after the 2012 election.

Amazon prime free movies, currently watching episode 4 of Bonanza. 418 more episodes to go.

Sports gets watched at the local bar when the local team plays. Keeps the money local too.

Haven't missed the crap they spew since the day we dropped it.

Posted by: Derak at April 26, 2017 04:15 PM (JO8tG)

341 333 I am picturing in my mind a Venn diagram of Avid Sports Watchers, Passionate Leftists and Willing to Pay 15 dollars a month for Sports not already available elsewhere.

Not a very big intersection, the way I see it.
Posted by: JB1000 at April 26, 2017 04:13 PM (16OL0)

================

I remember seeing a Facebook post of a person who wanted to know what charity to donate to because they had bought a single pack of Barilla pasta and the company had said that they wouldn't allow gay couples in their ads.

This person wanted to donate $1.xx.

They're dumb with money, I'm betting that there will be some.

Not enough, of course, but some who will signal their virtue the hardest.

Posted by: TheJamesMadison at April 26, 2017 04:15 PM (BjrOM)

342
277 So maybe some suggestions from the horde.

Fortress VIA has a DVD library of over 500 DVDs.

Any way to go to a Hard Drive/SSHD based storage and play system, and ditch the disks?

Posted by: Village Idiot's Apprentice at April 26, 2017 04:03 PM (J+eG2)

I'm using a WD TV box on the network to access my media on the 4TB WD Cloud drive that's also on the network.

The Cloud drive is great, extremely reliable. The WD TV box is kind of clunky though. The media library does some really weird shit when they do an update, like double-count about 1/3 of the files. And I can't access Amazon on the WD, which pisses me off because I already have the Amazon Prime account.

I'm a big fan of WD for their drives and such, but the TV box is kind of a lemon.

Posted by: IllTemperedCur at April 26, 2017 04:15 PM (XWkhW)

343 324 ABC's Wide World of Sports.....the good old days watching that guy fly off the ramp into the beyond.
==========

Ha! I remember that as a kid....the voiceover right then was "and the agony of defeat." I'll never forget it. I also liked (I think his name was) Dick Schaap on ABC news doing the sports.

Posted by: bicentennialguy at April 26, 2017 04:16 PM (vg8iE)

344 rickb: I was just reading some comments by a medieval-period historian of Isfahan in Iran, name of Hamza. he said the locals had uncovered a house full of old parchment documents. some of it was in Greek and Middle Persian, so it took awhile for the locals to find anyone in Islamic Iran who could still read any of that. and some of it, NOBODY could read anymore.

...Elamite maybe?

this is in Parvaneh Pourshariati, Hamza al-Isfahani and Sasanid Historical Geography, Res Orientales 17 (2007)

Posted by: Boulder terlit hobo at April 26, 2017 04:16 PM (pLj6K)

345 12 TB of disks in a self healing Raid 5 array. Yields just under 8 TB of storage iirc.

Currently two TB USB external drives are less then $80 bucks plus shipping. I think 4TB internal drives are available, but I've not priced them.

Posted by: L' Ohnoes at April 26, 2017 04:16 PM (hWGif)

346 Everyone who is cutting the cord - how are you getting your high speed internet?

Posted by: josephistan

==

This is kinda what I was trying to confirm. In most cases, I suspect that you're not cutting the cable as much as just dropping the tv option - but still paying CABLECORP for the bandwidth.

We are down to a couple of shows. FixerUpper is one, FOX News, FBN that you just can't get anywhere but cable.

As I said previously , I tried to go streaming but before long the "content providers" insisted on banning VPNs. Even when I was in an approved country ( ridiculous!) The antennae idea is a good one though.

Thanks for the responses. Horde wisdom is impressive.

Posted by: Mortimer - Finish Her at April 26, 2017 04:16 PM (awqUF)

347 Convert them to .mkv or similar and use Plex.

Hard (but not impossible) to do with the ARccOS protection on some disks.

Posted by: moon_over_vermont at April 26, 2017 04:16 PM (kUmUV)

348 The only value ESPN brings to our home is during college football season - they give away free replays of the day's games in the WatchESPN app. Hopefully that'll be the only light they leave on when the doors close.

Posted by: MSTisdale at April 26, 2017 04:16 PM (g9d8D)

349 Hey Ace.

Boss... looking at all the comments, could there be a chance of a Home system/cable cutting, how to you watch your movies type thread?

Lot's of Morons with really good ideas and suggestions. And apparently, I need to learn what a NAS is.

Sort of like a gun thread.
But, no guns.

Posted by: Village Idiot's Apprentice at April 26, 2017 04:17 PM (J+eG2)

350 I like the line drawings that form designs in deserts and on tp of mountain plateaus that can't be determined from ground level by people who didn't have the wheel yet were supposed to have made.
Posted by: rickb223 at April 26, 2017 04:11 PM (rvtDF)

With the rise of Google Earth and other satellite imaging, there have been a ton of geoglyphs found that no one knew were there because they were so large.

See these:

http://www.livescience.com/47953-geoglyphs-in-kazakhstan-photos.html

Posted by: alexthechick - rrraaawwwrrr at April 26, 2017 04:17 PM (mf5HN)

351 We would be reduced to pictures, and we all know where that leads.

Leads to fapping. .
Posted by: rickb223 at April 26, 2017 03:24 PM

Let's not forget video.

And, if I may remind you, Girls is in its last season, so get ~~crack~~fapping.

Posted by: Lena Dunham at April 26, 2017 04:17 PM (DMUuz)

352 339 Yeah, cable. Comcast says Hearst is still out and I have to write my Dem rep in Congress, Ami Bera, about it.

In California.

I may cut costs and dump Comcast. No brag just fact.
Posted by: 80's music fan at April 26, 2017 04:15 PM (MA3nK)

You have Commie Bera as your Rep? I have Doris Matsui, who seems to be impregnable until death due to the Widow's rule of Congress seats.

And just a stone's throw to the north and I could be in Tom McClintock's district. He is the Last California Patriot, or hopefully the first of their return assuming CA goes Galt.

Posted by: Curmudgeon at April 26, 2017 04:18 PM (ujg0T)

353
Google fiber is freaking fast.

I get 250 up and down on a regular basis over WiFi on MY CELL PHONE.

Over 900 up and down on my gig capable lap top.

zoooooooom

Posted by: fixerupper at April 26, 2017 04:18 PM (8XRCm)

354 338 ABC's Wide World of Sports.....the good old days watching that guy fly off the ramp

on his ass.
Posted by: rickb223 at April 26, 2017 04:15 PM (rvtDF)

And Israelis getting butchered in Munich. But the games must go on! said Lord Killanen. Feh.

Posted by: J.J. Sefton at April 26, 2017 04:18 PM (mbhDw)

355 229 197 Zombie -

I would like to subscribe to your newsletter and learn more
Posted by: bensdad00

Well, it goes like this:

The previous owner of the domicile where I live had cable TV. When I moved in, I never ordered it. However, because of the previous owner, there was a still a cable coming off the street line onto the property, where it just dead-ended. There's no reason for the cable company spend the money and energy to remove it, since doing so gains them nothing, and eventually (they reason) someone at that address will sign up for cable again, so leave the physical cable in place. There no risk in it, since it signal in the cable is scramble in a way that it undescramblable without our equipment.

Ah, but it is that last assumption where they are wrong.

Anyway, in every cable wire -- even a "dead" one going to a nonsubscribing address -- the signal is always there. There's no way to "turn off" a signal in a wire. So if you have a cable-company cable going onto your address, you DO have the signal coming to you -- if only you knew how to descramble it.

Now, interestingly, the law says that the cable companies have no right to dictate (or even be aware of) what you do in your own home. If the cable company wants to make absolutely sure you aren't using their signal, then all they have to do is simply remove the cable coming on to your property. But if they (as they always do) lazily leave the physical cable in place, then hey -- the homeowner can do whatever they want with it.

The only way that "stealing cable" becomes illegal is if you actually string the wire to your property without the company's permission. But if they string to wire to your home, then that's on them.

Anyway, the cable companies "solved" the "problem" by fairly recently setting up a system whereby the signal seems to be essentially undescramblable -- the company needs to send a code down the wire that matches the serial number of a box they rent to you, for the signal to become descrambled. And since a person can neither get the box from anywhere but the company itself, nor can a person cause the unlocking signal to be sent, there's a double-guarantee that you can't descramble it. Many have tried -- many have failed.

As far as I know, I am the only person in the last three-to-five years who has figured out how to do it.

Posted by: zombie at April 26, 2017 04:18 PM (DQ4Fv)

356 In the "blue state" mind, they support the "red states." Even though they created the government programs that the red states would get rid of.

Posted by: goodluckduck at April 26, 2017 04:19 PM (yqvys)

357 rickb: I was just reading some comments by a medieval-period historian of Isfahan in Iran, name of Hamza. he said the locals had uncovered a house full of old parchment documents. some of it was in Greek and Middle Persian, so it took awhile for the locals to find anyone in Islamic Iran who could still read any of that. and some of it, NOBODY could read anymore.

...Elamite maybe?

this is in Parvaneh Pourshariati, Hamza al-Isfahani and Sasanid Historical Geography, Res Orientales 17 (2007)
Posted by: Boulder terlit hobo

That would be soooo cool. Someone has to be able to figure it out. Hell, we figured out hieroglyphics.

Posted by: rickb223 at April 26, 2017 04:19 PM (rvtDF)

358 Mea maxima culpa, I have never been interested in sports. Ever. The only exception was back in the "Luv Ya Blue" days of the Houston Oilers, which was back in the late 1970s/early 1980s (you would have had to be living in the Houston area back then to understand).

While I've not had cable in years, I have been ponying up for satellite TV all these years, although I never watched the vast majority of the channels they offered, least of all ESPN.

To be sure, I was expected to pay for all of them, whether I watched any of them or not. (One thing I really loved about the old C-band satellite system I had back in the '90s was that I could indeed "a la cart" which channels I paid for on that setup.)

For several years I had DirecTV, but finally dumped them, because after they were bought out by AT&T their prices got ridiculous, especially given that I was not buying any of the "extra" channels like HBO/Showtime/etc. Right now I'm using Dish, but even then out of the couple hundred channels I'm paying for, I only watch routinely a handful, TCM, Spike (I like watching "Cops"), Velocity and the Science channel. And that's it. And yes, I can set up my program guide on the receiver to only list those channels I'm interested in watching, blocking all others.

They do offer a sort of quasi-a la carte thing, where they offer packages with limited channels, which is the route I took. I had quite the discussion with them about going a la carte, but they insisted they are not allowed to do that, because their programming providers will not allow it, because they know that if a la carte services were allowed, most of the crap they offer would never be watched, and they'd go out of business, which is as it should be.

But as soon as I can find an online a la carte service via the Internet, you can bet I'll be on it, and Dish can go pound sand as well. It is truly unbelievable how much bandwidth is wasted on leftist dreck, and I'm damned if I'll pay for it if I can find a way out.

Posted by: The Oort Cloud - No-Longer-Deplorable Source of all SMODs at April 26, 2017 04:19 PM (T1H5V)

359 With the rise of Google Earth and other satellite imaging, there have been a ton of geoglyphs found that no one knew were there because they were so large.

There's a show, "What On Earth", that finds anomalies in satellite imaging and then investigate the locations.

Posted by: very irredeemably undude at April 26, 2017 04:20 PM (2X7pN)

360 356 In the "blue state" mind, they support the "red states." Even though they created the government programs that the red states would get rid of.
Posted by: goodluckduck at April 26, 2017 04:19 PM (yqvys)

==============

I got into a Twitter spat with someone from San Fran. He gave that line. "We pay for the red states, and they want to cut the funding!"

My response: "Well, then you should be happy and help them."

He said he was happy for them to lose the benefits but wasn't going to help. He then complimented me on my intelligence and said that I should realize that we have a Living Constitution. I laughed.

Posted by: TheJamesMadison at April 26, 2017 04:21 PM (BjrOM)

361 Doesn't Google fibre sniff your traffic for marketing info, unless you pay a premium?

Posted by: goodluckduck at April 26, 2017 04:21 PM (yqvys)

362 The first round of layoffs were leaked and announced near the end of March. If they're continuing on their current course, I'm done.

I'll no longer "tolerate" those who find me "intolerant".

Posted by: Slapweasel, (Cold1) (T) at April 26, 2017 04:21 PM (6gk0M)

363 Convert them to .mkv or similar and use Plex.

Hard (but not impossible) to do with the ARccOS protection on some disks.
Posted by: moon_over_vermont at April 26, 2017 04:16 PM (kUmUV)

-----

Damn.

In my day we just pushed "play".

Posted by: fixerupper at April 26, 2017 04:22 PM (8XRCm)

364 363 Convert them to .mkv or similar and use Plex.

Hard (but not impossible) to do with the ARccOS protection on some disks.
Posted by: moon_over_vermont at April 26, 2017 04:16 PM (kUmUV)

-----

Damn.

In my day we just pushed "play".
Posted by: fixerupper at April 26, 2017 04:22 PM (8XRCm)

===============

"In my day, we just poked grandpa until he woke up and told us a story by fire light!"

Posted by: TheJamesMadison at April 26, 2017 04:22 PM (BjrOM)

365 What is this "Sports"?

Is it a formidable craft?

Posted by: Master Bra'tak of Chulak at April 26, 2017 04:23 PM (/kbT+)

366 Your Kulaks will gladly pay for your vanity pogroms by sacrificing their livelihoods...

Posted by: Ioseph Stalin at April 26, 2017 04:23 PM (DpOmP)

367 There's a show, "What On Earth", that finds anomalies in satellite imaging and then investigate the locations.
Posted by: very irredeemably undude at April 26, 2017 04:20 PM (2X7pN)

Yup, I watch that all the time.

Twitch is running the old Cosmos programs right now and it makes me angry about how much the new Cosmos sucked.

Posted by: alexthechick - rrraaawwwrrr at April 26, 2017 04:23 PM (mf5HN)

368 It's not going to work, as OTC has said time and again, ESPN has gotten itself into way too many bad contracts to be able to survive losing 10,000+ subscribers a day indefinitely.

OTC says ESPN won't be profitable by 2021, the way they are doing their damnedest to accelerate their subscriber loss they may not even be in business by 2021.

Posted by: deepelemblues at April 26, 2017 04:23 PM (osJSG)

369 With the rise of Google Earth and other satellite imaging, there have been a ton of geoglyphs found that no one knew were there because they were so large.

See these:

http://www.livescience.com/47953-geoglyphs-in-kazakhstan-photos.html

Posted by: alexthechick

Tends to make one think aliens. But, no proof.

Posted by: rickb223 at April 26, 2017 04:23 PM (rvtDF)

370 349

Lot's of Morons with really good ideas and suggestions. And apparently, I need to learn what a NAS is.

Posted by: Village Idiot's Apprentice at April 26, 2017 04:17 PM (J+eG2)

Take a look at this to learn what a NAS is and what it can do for you.

https://www.synology.com/en-us/products/DS216play

I have an earlier version of this one, it sounds like TX has a bit more, and if the price was right, I might consider it. A noob might want factory new handholding though.

Posted by: flounder, rebel, vulgarian, deplorable, winner at April 26, 2017 04:23 PM (GX63o)

371 "(At the end of [Bush's second] term, when the financial crisis hit, he also proved you definitely needed more than 29% support.)"

The other lesson from Dubya and the financial crisis is that if you have such a crisis, having Goldman Sachs insiders making consequential decisions at the top level inside the administration isn't going to work out well for you politically.

Though it will work out great for them personally and financially.

What's the first thing Trump does? Ignores this obvious and pointed lesson, and stuffs his own administration with Goldman Sachs vampire squids.

Posted by: torquewrench at April 26, 2017 04:23 PM (qJjMA)

372 ATT now has unlimited data from your car using their Mobly OBD-2 box. There is already a hack OBD-2 power supply that fools it into thinking your in a car. $10 a month and $100 for the Mobly box.

Posted by: Under Fire at April 26, 2017 04:23 PM (UOJLJ)

373 Gosh, where is commenter 'gm' ???

There is much to be concerned with here.

Very much indeed.

Posted by: Mortimer - Finish Her at April 26, 2017 04:24 PM (awqUF)

374
349 Hey Ace.

Boss... looking at all the comments, could there be a chance of a Home system/cable cutting, how to you watch your movies type thread?

Lot's of Morons with really good ideas and suggestions. And apparently, I need to learn what a NAS is.

Sort of like a gun thread.
But, no guns.

Posted by: Village Idiot's Apprentice at April 26, 2017 04:17 PM (J+eG2)

Network Attached Storage

Basically, imagine a big honkin' USB thumb drive with a built in ethernet card. And with room to plug in more thumb drives as you need for expansion.

A horrible oversimplification, but that's the essence.

Posted by: IllTemperedCur at April 26, 2017 04:24 PM (XWkhW)

375 He then complimented me on my intelligence and said that I should realize that we have a Living Constitution. I laughed.
Posted by: TheJamesMadison at April 26, 2017 04:21 PM (BjrOM)

I could just sense the SF man's torn anus and sphincter when he tweeted about a "Living Constitution".

Posted by: Curmudgeon at April 26, 2017 04:24 PM (ujg0T)

376 The sad truth is that there IS logic to MTV
abandoning music.
Posted by: Curmudgeon

* * * * * * *

Yeah, that's funny but the argument doesn't make sense. So people watched MTV to BUY music? That would have to be true in order to make the point behind "your generation stole music" and that is why MTV went to trash programming. The purchase of music is separate from the watching of videos. I can very easily imagine MTV going the other route and expanding on their music platform and remain focused there even with the new technologies in both creating and selling music.

Posted by: MSTisdale at April 26, 2017 04:25 PM (g9d8D)

377 "But it's not true that ESPN has a failing business model."

Disagree. They way, way overpaid in rights fees and are bleeding thousands of subscribers every day. It's really that simple.

Their day of reckoning will come, and it will be sooner than they think.

Posted by: Bea Arthur's Dick at April 26, 2017 04:25 PM (0xzXo)

378 And apparently, I need to learn what a NAS is.

Network Attached Storage. Small server with a stripped down OS and a bunch of disk behind it.

Posted by: Blanco Basura at April 26, 2017 04:25 PM (4WhSY)

379 The secrets of the solar powered flying machines are in the still buried pyramids.

Posted by: Bertram Cabot, Jr. at April 26, 2017 04:25 PM (IqV8l)

380 In my day we just pushed "play".
Posted by: fixerupper at April 26, 2017 04:22 PM (8XRCm)

===============

"In my day, we just poked grandpa until he woke up and told us a story by fire light!"
Posted by: TheJamesMadison at April 26, 2017 04:22 PM (BjrOM)

-----

Are. You. Mocking. Me. son??

And get off my lawn.

Posted by: fixerupper at April 26, 2017 04:25 PM (8XRCm)

381 375
I could just sense the SF man's torn anus and sphincter when he tweeted about a "Living Constitution".
Posted by: Curmudgeon at April 26, 2017 04:24 PM (ujg0T)

==============

I've never gotten around to asking anyone about it, but if we have a "Living Constitution", what the hell is Article V doing there?

Posted by: TheJamesMadison at April 26, 2017 04:25 PM (BjrOM)

382 As I wrote in November, the desire to draw a boundary between sports, culture and politics is a fool's errand. Sports has always intersected with culture and politics...

"Fuck you and your ignorant opinions, peasant consumer" has never been known to be a winning formula in any large business, even elitist globalist mass media

Posted by: kbdabear at April 26, 2017 04:25 PM (AOrEZ)

383 "They demand they take a dollar from us to devote to a leftwing cause; we compromise, and give them fifty cents. Every time."

This is exactly what Glenn Beck used to point out in his blackboard days.

Why "compromise" is bullshit.

Posted by: Miley, the Duchess at April 26, 2017 04:26 PM (tHwdc)

384

Ok.

I got my NOS hooked up to my server....

now what?

Posted by: fixerupper at April 26, 2017 04:26 PM (8XRCm)

385 380
Are. You. Mocking. Me. son??

And get off my lawn.
Posted by: fixerupper at April 26, 2017 04:25 PM (8XRCm)

==============

Oneupmanship?

Posted by: TheJamesMadison at April 26, 2017 04:26 PM (BjrOM)

386 Tends to make one think aliens. But, no proof.
Posted by: rickb223 at April 26, 2017 04:23 PM (rvtDF)
---------
I'm not saying it's aliens. But it's aliens.

Totally.

Aliens.

Posted by: Weasel at April 26, 2017 04:26 PM (Sfs6o)

387 Can you translate this to idiot-speak, cause I may be interested.

But I don't know if it plays videos, or slices and dices vegetables.
Posted by: Village Idiot's Apprentice at April 26, 2017 04:13 PM (J+eG2)

Sorry for the late reply VIA. Work.

NAS are a form of a server, or a "smart" external HDD.

They are a compact form factor box, and you just plug hard drives in the front. Western Digital makes specific hard drives that are rated for these units, but I suppose you can use anything.

You connect the box to your home network via an ethernet cable, and then you can access the controls to the box by typing in an IP address from another computer on the network.

The box comes with software that allows it to do the things I described--I cannot actually speak to storing DVD's on it, but I know it's routinely used for that purpose.

You also then can set up the NAS box to have a specific web address, and therefore you can have access to it from anywhere you have internet. And can stream your own data, e.g. view your DVD's, anywhere you have an internet connection. Depends a bunch I suppose on your upload speeds for your home internet.

Others willing to chime in?

The stuff about the RAID array boils down to that the server is setup, automatically, that the information is redunant across all the hard drives. You can have a drive crash, and simply hot-swap the drive. The system then "heals" itself by copying the necessary data from the other drives so you are back to good.

So you don't get a system equal to the storage capacity of all the drives added together, but you get a decent level of protection against drive failure.

Posted by: TexasDan at April 26, 2017 04:26 PM (yL25O)

388 A few months ago, the NBA held their all-star game in New Orleans. That was the game that was moved away from NC over the whole trannies in the bathroom thing, with ESPN leading the cheers.

Fvck the NBA, and fvck ESPN.

Posted by: George Tirebiter at April 26, 2017 04:26 PM (/zyrl)

389 Outkick The Coverage is the bomb. Been reading that guy since Ace turned us on to him years ago. Not even his wacky Volunteers fandom has steered me away.

Posted by: MSTisdale at April 26, 2017 04:27 PM (g9d8D)

390
Their day of reckoning will come, and it will be sooner than they think.

Just saw a guy on TV say we can't have tax cuts because the deficit is too high and we will soon crash.

They have been saying that for over 30 years.

Posted by: Bertram Cabot, Jr. at April 26, 2017 04:27 PM (IqV8l)

391 I got my NOS hooked up to my server....

Now hit the TURBO button.

Posted by: goodluckduck at April 26, 2017 04:28 PM (yqvys)

392 Yeah, that's funny but the argument doesn't make sense. So people watched MTV to BUY music? That would have to be true in order to make the point behind "your generation stole music" and that is why MTV went to trash programming. The purchase of music is separate from the watching of videos. I can very easily imagine MTV going the other route and expanding on their music platform and remain focused there even with the new technologies in both creating and selling music.
Posted by: MSTisdale at April 26, 2017 04:25 PM (g9d8D)

Sorry, but the original MTV network WAS there to promote, i.e., sell, records and tapes, and later CDs. In the first half dozen or so years or more, it did not even have commercials. All money earned then was record company money.

And now the Internet allows artists to build up a fan base, and for free, with no need, or much less of a need, to sell themselves to the record companies.

Posted by: Curmudgeon at April 26, 2017 04:28 PM (ujg0T)

393 I got my NOS hooked up to my server....

now what?

Posted by: fixerupper at April 26, 2017 04:26 PM (8XRCm)

Turn on the bottle, hand beer to onlookers, and floor it.

Posted by: flounder, rebel, vulgarian, deplorable, winner at April 26, 2017 04:28 PM (GX63o)

394 Silly rabbits, I control the electrons.

Posted by: Strobe at April 26, 2017 04:28 PM (gbWkA)

395 I got my NOS hooked up to my server....

Now hit the TURBO button.

Posted by: goodluckduck at April 26, 2017 04:28 PM (yqvys)

----

Dont I have to vent it first to get the air out of the lines??

Posted by: fixerupper at April 26, 2017 04:29 PM (8XRCm)

396 It's not going to work, as OTC has said time and again, ESPN has gotten itself into way too many bad contracts to be able to survive losing 10,000+ subscribers a day indefinitely.

OTC says ESPN won't be profitable by 2021, the way they are doing their damnedest to accelerate their subscriber loss they may not even be in business by 2021.

Posted by: deepelemblues at April 26, 2017 04:23 PM (osJSG)

I keep wondering when this whole Ponzi scheme comes crashing down.

Sports franchises are spending money hand over fist on contracts to players, based on the billions of dollars in cable money they're going to be getting.

Call me a cold-hearted bastage, but I long for the day when pro athletes have to sell insurance or real estate in the off season.

And stadiums are not measured in the billions that rich owners can milk from cities, but the thousands of dollars the owners have to ensure, so when the stands burn down, they have just enough cash to rebuild them in a couple weeks.

Posted by: BurtTC at April 26, 2017 04:29 PM (TOk1P)

397 Based on my experience, avoid WD's MyCloud products. The unit is fine and the interface is okay, but you have to transfer everything onto it wirelessly (on your own network) before streaming it to your other devices.

I worked around it by daisychaining it through another router plugged directly into my desktop, but it's too much of a PIA to recommend. Thankfully I found my 2tb model for $40 or so at Walmart, so it was not too much of a loss when I unplugged it.

Posted by: Moron Robbie at April 26, 2017 04:29 PM (fD1ST)

398 In my day we just pushed "play".
Posted by: fixerupper at April 26, 2017 04:22 PM (8XRCm)

===============

"In my day, we just poked grandpa until he woke up and told us a story by fire light!"
Posted by: TheJamesMadison

====

We used to dream of having a fire.

Posted by: Mortimer - Finish Her at April 26, 2017 04:29 PM (awqUF)

399 >>>46 The problem is, conservatism by its very nature is not an inherently activist philosophy.
Posted by: Bat Chain Puller at April 26, 2017 03:24 PM (Yi9Gb)

Problem?

Posted by: m at April 26, 2017 04:29 PM (Gqgs8)

400 362 The first round of layoffs were leaked and announced near the end of March. If they're continuing on their current course, I'm done.

I'll no longer "tolerate" those who find me "intolerant".
Posted by: Slapweasel, (Cold1) (T) at April 26, 2017 04:21 PM (6gk0M)

Well fuck.

Posted by: Insomniac at April 26, 2017 04:29 PM (0mRoj)

401 Tends to make one think aliens. But, no proof.
Posted by: rickb223 at April 26, 2017 04:23 PM (rvtDF)

I tend to think that prior civilizations were more advanced than we know and the reason that there's not more tangible proof of that is due to prior disasters (flood, meteor strike, volcanic eruption).

My Great Courses series on the Etruscans was very good indeed and it really made me think about how arrogant we are to presume this culture will be remembered at all 400 years hence.

Posted by: alexthechick - rrraaawwwrrr at April 26, 2017 04:29 PM (mf5HN)

402 398 In my day we just pushed "play".
Posted by: fixerupper at April 26, 2017 04:22 PM (8XRCm)

===============

"In my day, we just poked grandpa until he woke up and told us a story by fire light!"
Posted by: TheJamesMadison

====

We used to dream of having a fire.
Posted by: Mortimer - Finish Her at April 26, 2017 04:29 PM (awqUF)

You had dreams? Luxury!

Posted by: Insomniac at April 26, 2017 04:30 PM (0mRoj)

403 VIA if you are interested in the one I have for sale, hit me up at dgrant dot age dot se at gmail.

I bought it in 2013 and used it for a year for my small business. It's been parked since 2014.

Posted by: TexasDan at April 26, 2017 04:30 PM (yL25O)

404 "Well fuck."
-Posted by: Insomniac at April 26, 2017 04:29 PM (0mRoj)

*Puts Foot Down*

Posted by: Slapweasel, (Cold1) (T) at April 26, 2017 04:31 PM (6gk0M)

405

Shit.

And my wife wont let me throw out her collection of VHS movies.

We dont even have a VHS player anymore.

Posted by: fixerupper at April 26, 2017 04:32 PM (8XRCm)

406 *Puts Foot Down*
Posted by: Slapweasel, (Cold1) (T) at April 26, 2017 04:31 PM (6gk0M)

*shakes it all about*

Posted by: alexthechick - rrraaawwwrrr at April 26, 2017 04:32 PM (mf5HN)

407 Re Cord cutting setup..

I bought a cheap refurb I5 from NewEgg ( 150 bucks delivered with Win7 pro loaded!)

Put a couple of 6TB drives in it..

Kodi with Tvaddons

Netflix, Amazon. Cough cough.. Popcorntime and Exodus..

For NFL.. Reddit NFL Streams and follow directions..

I am a Pirate, I am.. Arrrgg..

The thing that makes it all work though is really this:

http://tinyurl.com/kqh96d4

It is cool little keyboard that doesn't eat batteries that makes surfing the pc easy and kodi simple.

Posted by: catman at April 26, 2017 04:32 PM (5jdSv)

408 I think sports should be sold on a pay-per-view basis directly from the teams/schools. You could of course have season tickets, as it were, or multi-game packages.

They can sell some ads. They could have local radio-TV peeps do the tech stuff.

Posted by: Margarita DeVille at April 26, 2017 04:32 PM (0jtPF)

409 *Puts Foot Down*
Posted by: Slapweasel, (Cold1) (T) at April 26, 2017 04:31 PM (6gk0M)

*shakes it all about*
Posted by: alexthechick -

That's what it's all about!

Posted by: rickb223 at April 26, 2017 04:33 PM (rvtDF)

410 388 A few months ago, the NBA held their all-star game in New Orleans. That was the game that was moved away from NC over the whole trannies in the bathroom thing, with ESPN leading the cheers.
-
Wait, you mean the NBA that makes women play in a completely separate league?

Posted by: Moron Robbie at April 26, 2017 04:33 PM (fD1ST)

411 *Does the Hokey-Pokey and turns-self myself about*

Posted by: Slapweasel, (Cold1) (T) at April 26, 2017 04:33 PM (6gk0M)

412 382 As I wrote in November, the desire to draw a boundary between sports, culture and politics is a fool's errand. Sports has always intersected with culture and politics...

"Fuck you and your ignorant opinions, peasant consumer" has never been known to be a winning formula in any large business, even elitist globalist mass media
Posted by: kbdabear at April 26, 2017 04:25 PM (AOrEZ)

I take it that means they're doing reports on why there are so many thugs in the NFL and NBA and looking deeper than head injuries as the reason. I also take it that means they are examining why conservative athletes tend to be quieter about their political beliefs than progressives.

Posted by: Northernlurker at April 26, 2017 04:33 PM (hJrjt)

413 Based on my experience, avoid WD's MyCloud products. The unit is fine and the interface is okay, but you have to transfer everything onto it wirelessly (on your own network) before streaming it to your other devices.

I worked around it by daisychaining it through another router plugged directly into my desktop, but it's too much of a PIA to recommend. Thankfully I found my 2tb model for $40 or so at Walmart, so it was not too much of a loss when I unplugged it.
Posted by: Moron Robbie
_______

I have that model also, for what I need from it, it works ok. For streaming something like a movie, I don;t recommend it, but it does work

It's sort of old school, but what I do is put movies or shows on a thumb drive and then use a $40 thumb drive player. It's pretty bulletproof.

If you're not technical and want a DVR type machine, I would just buy a used Lifetime TiVo on Ebay for like $250 and hook it to an antenna.

Way easier than some sort of homebrew option where you are using a PC.

Posted by: Maritime at April 26, 2017 04:33 PM (uvyU0)

414 And now the Internet allows artists to build up a fan base, and for free, with no need, or much less of a need, to sell themselves to the record companies.

Posted by: Curmudgeon at April 26, 2017 04:28 PM (ujg0T)

In theory, maybe, but in practice the music industry is a sick as other entertainment. You have a handful of large corps that dominate sales, and while there are nearly countless "artists" who have access to online money from downloads, they're getting pennies compared to the big corp record labels.

You still need fans to know who you are, and the record companies still have the juice to push their product.

Posted by: BurtTC at April 26, 2017 04:34 PM (TOk1P)

415 Forty-Eight hours without sleep gets you that typo at #411.

Posted by: Slapweasel, (Cold1) (T) at April 26, 2017 04:34 PM (6gk0M)

416 "The left and right have always been engaged in an asymmetrical type of warfare -- the left is always demanding the right subsidize it, and the right does not make any equal demand that the left subsidize it. At most, we simply object to being made to subsdize the left, which is not an equal-and-opposite reaction. When the left demands they take a dollar from you and put it into their own pockets, that's a net gain for the left.

The right tends to merely argue against such schemes -- at best, we'll come out net zero in the battle. At best, the left comes out +$1 and you come out -$1; but at best, the right comes out at +$0 to either party.

And we don't even come out of things at that net zero level, because we're just not vigorous enough in defending our own interests. We don't even think about taking money from the left to put into our own pet projects, and we barely even fuss ourselves about the left's effort to take our money to fund theirs.

They demand they take a dollar from us to devote to a leftwing cause; we compromise, and give them fifty cents.

Every time.

We need to make the right more aware of this dynamic and more insistent -- much more insistent, including mass boycotts -- that we have had it up to our necks with it and simply will not give a single slim dime more.

And then maybe we can start making our own demands of wealth-transfers from the left into our own pockets and see how they like walking in those shoes for a long frog-march through the institutions."

Damn man, that's some good insight there, Ace.

Posted by: Mark Andrew Edwards at April 26, 2017 04:34 PM (6KsvZ)

417 In addition to the clowning in the NFL, I wonder if college football has contributed a bit to the decline. I personally don't watch many games anymore. 1) instant replay is ruining the viewing experience, 2) targeting penalties are ruining the game, 3) scandals at schools and realizing that the college admins are insane and no college is immune, so why do I care so much?

There is still a lot of good with coaches and players lifting up players from tough circumstances, but even that has to be glossed over because it's Christian and must be excised from the broadcast.

Posted by: goodluckduck at April 26, 2017 04:35 PM (yqvys)

418 We used to dream of having a fire.

Og have fire. Fire good.

Posted by: rickb223 at April 26, 2017 04:35 PM (rvtDF)

419 You had we?

Posted by: Strobe at April 26, 2017 04:35 PM (gbWkA)

420 And stadiums are not measured in the billions that
rich owners can milk from cities, but the thousands of dollars the
owners have to ensure, so when the stands burn down, they have just
enough cash to rebuild them in a couple weeks.

Posted by: BurtTC at April 26, 2017 04:29 PM (TOk1P)

Tell us about it. We're still paying for a stadium and the friggin' team left town.
- St. Louis taxpayers.

Posted by: Tami at April 26, 2017 04:35 PM (Enq6K)

421 I'm going to laugh loudest when ESPN shuts its doors, and then the overpaid SWJ athletes who were counting on salaries supported by the planned ESPN money find out what the invisible hand feels like.

Posted by: Vashta Nerada at April 26, 2017 04:35 PM (7ZVPa)

422 ESPN wants alienate over 1/2 their audience....good business model.

Posted by: Nevergiveup at April 26, 2017 04:35 PM (SjImc)

423 I've heard from a lot of conservatives that Fox News is the only reason they're still willing to pay extortion racket rates for their cable, and many of them are only sticking to Fox for the conservative prime time lineup.

Bill O'Reilly still has an almost cult like following and many of them may be telling their cable/dish reps "I don't feel like watching tv enough to hock my jewelry for anymore"

ESPN is trying to win SJW points with the #BlueCheckMarkMafia and snowflakes on Twitter who don't watch a great deal of sports anyway.

Posted by: kbdabear at April 26, 2017 04:36 PM (AOrEZ)

424 Fire BAAAD!!

Posted by: Frankenstein at April 26, 2017 04:36 PM (yqvys)

425 OK; now you techies are just making words up!

Posted by: Strobe at April 26, 2017 04:36 PM (gbWkA)

426 And now the Internet allows artists to build up a
fan base, and for free, with no need, or much less of a need, to sell
themselves to the record companies.

Posted by: Curmudgeon

_ _ _ _

That's what I'm saying - - if they indeed were so one-dimensional, ie, "we promote labels and that's it," I can imagine a different route that doesn't involve turning to trailer trash shows. Why not stay in music: develop into concerts, artist interviews/specials, music streaming (whoops, they missed that one), and still have videos a large part of what they do. You may be right it just seems they dropped it quickly, and I believe that started before the whole internet thing was in full swing with napster, et al.

Posted by: MSTisdale at April 26, 2017 04:36 PM (g9d8D)

427 418 We used to dream of having a fire.

Og have fire. Fire good.
Posted by: rickb223 at April 26, 2017 04:35 PM (rvtDF)

That why Thag wife leave Thag for Og. Thag kill Og.

Posted by: Thag at April 26, 2017 04:36 PM (0mRoj)

428 Years ago I had let my subscription to Sports Illustrated lapse, and considered re-upping. Which is when they did a cover article on Global Warming. Haven't looked back.

Posted by: waelse1 at April 26, 2017 04:37 PM (CXw5L)

429 We're still paying for a stadium and the friggin' team left town.
- St. Louis taxpayers.

-----

Well.... the Rams really werent that much of a team...so...

Posted by: fixerupper at April 26, 2017 04:37 PM (8XRCm)

430 The unfortunate thing...this is a great opportunity for Fox Sports but they suck big time and the few ESPN "Stars" they stole away from ESPN are left wing and BLM assholes also

Posted by: Nevergiveup at April 26, 2017 04:37 PM (SjImc)

431 So, OT, are we going to war with NK??

Posted by: IC at April 26, 2017 04:37 PM (a0IVu)

432 As far as I know, I am the only person in the last three-to-five years who has figured out how to do it.
Posted by: zombie at April 26, 2017 04:18 PM (DQ4Fv)

Tease

Posted by: Mark Andrew Edwards at April 26, 2017 04:37 PM (6KsvZ)

433 In theory, maybe, but in practice the music industry is a sick as other entertainment. You have a handful of large corps that dominate sales, and while there are nearly countless "artists" who have access to online money from downloads, they're getting pennies compared to the big corp record labels.

You still need fans to know who you are, and the record companies still have the juice to push their product.
Posted by: BurtTC at April 26, 2017 04:34 PM (TOk1P)

Nevertheless, the point stands: the Labels are NOT willing to underwrite elaborate videos (meant to sell records, tapes and later CDs) anymore, because they no longer drive sales in the way that, say promotion on the Disney conglomerate does.

MTV's lame series featuring vapid young people have incredibly low production costs, and people tune in to mock the people on them, getting lots of commercials and a leftist brainwashing in the process, ugh, but I digress.

Posted by: Curmudgeon at April 26, 2017 04:37 PM (ujg0T)

434 ""But it's not true that ESPN has a failing business model."
Disagree. They way, way overpaid in rights fees and are bleeding thousands of subscribers every day. It's really that simple.
Their day of reckoning will come, and it will be sooner than they think."

Disney's Cable segment -- which is mostly ESPN --had nearly $900 million in operating profit last quarter, which was down 11% but is still a fuckload of profit -- it's a run rate of over $3 billion for a year. Subscriber attrition at ESPN seems to be leveling off. Declines may now have more to do with young people not buying cable than with anything ESPN-specific. If they overpaid for rights, they'll pay less when they renew. Parent Disney's stock price has been rocking since the election.

Yes, ESPN has business issues. But the facts belie that ESPN is failing. That's a canard on it's way to being a falsehood

Posted by: Ignoramus at April 26, 2017 04:37 PM (SIY7D)

435 We're still paying for a stadium and the friggin' team left town.
- St. Louis taxpayers.

---

That's nothing - Seattle only recently paid off a stadium that was demolished years ago.

Posted by: Vashta Nerada at April 26, 2017 04:38 PM (7ZVPa)

436 Sort of like a gun thread.
But, no guns.
Posted by: Village Idiot's Apprentice at April 26, 2017 04:17 PM

Look, VIA, we've just stood down from DRESSCON 5 a week or two ago.

Don't be giving the 'ettes any ideas, unless you want to be responsible for the Shoecalypse.

Posted by: Duncanthrax at April 26, 2017 04:38 PM (DMUuz)

437 Well.... the Rams really werent that much of a team...so...

Neither was the Cardinals football, but still...

Posted by: rickb223 at April 26, 2017 04:38 PM (rvtDF)

438 So, OT, are we going to war with NK??
Posted by: IC at April 26, 2017 04:37 PM (a0IVu)

Why? You own a Hyundai or samsong?

Posted by: Nevergiveup at April 26, 2017 04:38 PM (SjImc)

439 Look, VIA, we've just stood down from DRESSCON 5 a week or two ago.

Don't be giving the 'ettes any ideas, unless you want to be responsible for the Shoecalypse.

Posted by: Duncanthrax at April 26, 2017 04:38 PM (DMUuz)

Or Hairmageddon.

Posted by: Insomniac at April 26, 2017 04:39 PM (0mRoj)

440 Well.... the Rams really werent that much of a team...so...

Posted by: fixerupper at April 26, 2017 04:37 PM (8XRCm)

Very true but....eff their owner and the tax bill the citizens are left with.

Posted by: Tami at April 26, 2017 04:39 PM (Enq6K)

441 That's what I'm saying - - if they indeed were so one-dimensional, ie, "we promote labels and that's it," I can imagine a different route that doesn't involve turning to trailer trash shows. Why not stay in music: develop into concerts, artist interviews/specials, music streaming (whoops, they missed that one), and still have videos a large part of what they do. You may be right it just seems they dropped it quickly, and I believe that started before the whole internet thing was in full swing with napster, et al.
Posted by: MSTisdale at April 26, 2017 04:36 PM (g9d8D)

They have a channel for that--it's called VH-1. :-)

Posted by: Curmudgeon at April 26, 2017 04:39 PM (ujg0T)

442 Fox Sports but they suck big time
Posted by: Nevergiveup

* * * *

Dude - *fist bump*

Where does the line form to punch Joe-f-cking-douchebag-Buck in the head?

Posted by: MSTisdale at April 26, 2017 04:39 PM (g9d8D)

443 It doesn't matter any more who wins elections or who is in a leadership position. The Democrat party is in command.

Posted by: BeckoningChasm at April 26, 2017 04:39 PM (MZcWR)

444 Posted by: BurtTC at April 26, 2017 04:29 PM (TOk1P)

Tell us about it. We're still paying for a stadium and the friggin' team left town.
- St. Louis taxpayers.

Posted by: Tami at April 26, 2017 04:35 PM (Enq6K)

It'll be interesting to see what happens with this lawsuit.

I mean, the city/save-our-team folks have a case. Kronky was NEVER going to stay in St. Louis, and there's a trail of comments that verify it. So... who is liable for the millions spent trying to keep the team?

It might not break Stan, but I think he's going to have to pay. And the league too.

Unless the courts are rigged, in which case... no, that's not possible! Not the courts.

Posted by: BurtTC at April 26, 2017 04:39 PM (TOk1P)

445 "The left and right have always been engaged in an asymmetrical type of
warfare -- the left is always demanding the right subsidize it, and the
right does not make any equal demand that the left subsidize it"

The Right is simply not serious.

We do not recognize that the Left does not JUST hate our morals and institutions, but that it subverts those institutions and plays Calvinball with the Law.

Oh, we make lip noises about it, but we don't call for concrete solutions, we don't hold our politicians accountable for enforcing the law, and we certainly don't punish our politicians when they actively backstab us. Oh no, that might upset the neighbors' feel-feels.

The FIRST thing we must do is to identify the Left as an active security threat to this country ( as well as globalism and Islamism); we then demand that those politicians and security people ( the ones that actually are patriotic) act on their own oaths to defend the Constitution.

We have to make specific legal definitions about what exactly security threats are, and what can and can not be done about those threats.

But the rot has to be cleaned out before that can be done honestly or efficiently.

Anything else is just mental masturbation...self-congratulatory noises about what great people we are. You know, the same thing we mock the Left for...

And I will continue to beat my own dead horse here...you keep a boot on the neck of the Left or they will, sooner rather than later, put one on yours.

Posted by: Grad School Fool at April 26, 2017 04:40 PM (swEzU)

446 Disney's Cable segment -- which is mostly ESPN --had nearly $900 million in operating profit last quarter

--

I'm thinking the Disney Channel might disagree

Posted by: Vashta Nerada at April 26, 2017 04:40 PM (7ZVPa)

447 ESPN is moving away from sports because more and more former fans are becoming disenchanted with sports. With the NFL hemorrhaging due to... well, due to just about everything the NFL does these days, a lot of people are just deciding they have better things to do than spend the afternoon watching football.

Coming soon to the ESPN lineup:

"America's 100 Best Super Bowl Commercials: A Retrospective"
"Colin Kaepernick's America"
"Concussions: The Epidemic We Can't Whine About Enough"
"America's Most Wanted: Dallas Cowboys Edition"
and my personal favorite:
"Hanging Out With Aaron Hernandez"

Posted by: Qoheleth at April 26, 2017 04:40 PM (iIzG7)

448 Unless the courts are rigged, in which case... no, that's not possible! Not the courts.
Posted by: BurtTC at April 26, 2017 04:39 PM (TOk1P)

Justice has her jaundiced eyes wide open and a finger on the scale.

Posted by: Insomniac at April 26, 2017 04:40 PM (0mRoj)

449 Neither was the Cardinals football, but still...

Posted by: rickb223

* * * * * *

Ahem......hey, flying down south has helped the red birds a little.

Posted by: MSTisdale at April 26, 2017 04:41 PM (g9d8D)

450 TexasDan. Thank you for asking but i think i need to become more conversant with the technology before i make a move. But, im learning a lot just with this thread.

Posted by: Village Idiot's Apprentice at April 26, 2017 04:41 PM (Sk4Oe)

451 We're still paying for a stadium and the friggin' team left town.

- St. Louis taxpayers.

Hey! You won a Super Bowl!! You should be thanking us for the opportunity!!!

Posted by: The NFL at April 26, 2017 04:41 PM (qJhUV)

452 Is there any organisation that has no slide to the left? My thoughts tend to "no" every organization will tend to drift left over time. How do we stop this?

Posted by: USNtakim at April 26, 2017 04:42 PM (hMqvx)

453 Quote the Ravens; yeah we're moving.

Posted by: Strobe at April 26, 2017 04:42 PM (gbWkA)

454 411 *Does the Hokey-Pokey and turns-self myself about*
Posted by: Slapweasel, (Cold1) (T) at April 26, 2017 04:33 PM (6gk0M)

Slap: you were missed yesterday. Can't remember which thread. Maybe ONT?

Posted by: Ladylibertarian at April 26, 2017 04:42 PM (TdMsT)

455 Posted by: BurtTC at April 26, 2017 04:34 PM (TOk1P)

Nevertheless, the point stands: the Labels are NOT willing to underwrite elaborate videos (meant to sell records, tapes and later CDs) anymore, because they no longer drive sales in the way that, say promotion on the Disney conglomerate does.

MTV's lame series featuring vapid young people have incredibly low production costs, and people tune in to mock the people on them, getting lots of commercials and a leftist brainwashing in the process, ugh, but I digress.

Posted by: Curmudgeon at April 26, 2017 04:37 PM (ujg0T)

I'm not talking about the music video/MTV part of it, I'm talking about WHO is actually selling music.

If the big record companies don't need video anymore, that's fine, but they still have a corner on sales. It doesn't matter how easy it is to record and post music to the various download sites. It's still the big record companies who are doing all the selling.

Posted by: BurtTC at April 26, 2017 04:42 PM (TOk1P)

456 Sling TV comes in 2 flavors. Basically there is with ESPN/ABC/Disney and without.

The one with cows $5 more a month.

I would like to see their subscription numbers.

Posted by: blaster at April 26, 2017 04:43 PM (iba46)

457 Nood Ivanka

Posted by: IC at April 26, 2017 04:43 PM (a0IVu)

458 Ace, the plan turn ESPN into a noticeably left-wing/SJW site is probably a move to save the owners, not the product. By virtue signalling, they let rich lefties know that they're one of them and that the rich lefties oughta put them into whatever businesses they've got going when ESPN goes dark. This is not a move to save whatever parts of ESPN are failing.

Posted by: Editor at April 26, 2017 04:43 PM (7zhdJ)

459 443 It doesn't matter any more who wins elections or who is in a leadership position. The Democrat party is in command.
Posted by: BeckoningChasm

See last thread.

Posted by: rickb223 at April 26, 2017 04:43 PM (rvtDF)

460 Well, she is not actually nude, but the nood about her.

Posted by: IC at April 26, 2017 04:43 PM (a0IVu)

461 We keep getting told (even by Republicans) that taxpayer funded stadiums more than pay for themselves by creating zillions of restaurant and hotel jobs.

Posted by: Bertram Cabot, Jr. at April 26, 2017 04:44 PM (IqV8l)

462 "I'm thinking the Disney Channel might disagree"

"The Chicago Tribune reports that ESPN is now charging distributors $7.21 per month per subscriber. That's more than five times the next highest national channel, Fox News, which charges carriers a monthly rate of $1.41 per subscriber."

ESPN has been a huge money maker that has seen its best days. But it's nowhere close to failing.

Once again, a canard on its way to a falsehood

Posted by: Ignoramus at April 26, 2017 04:46 PM (SIY7D)

463 439 Look, VIA, we've just stood down from DRESSCON 5 a week or two ago.

Don't be giving the 'ettes any ideas, unless you want to be responsible for the Shoecalypse.

Posted by: Duncanthrax at April 26, 2017 04:38 PM (DMUuz)

Or Hairmageddon.

OMG!!! Fashion! Dresses and shoes! Please get the other 'Ettes!

Posted by: Ladylibertarian at April 26, 2017 04:46 PM (TdMsT)

464 It started with Playmakers. When it came out, I wondered if ESPN would become like MTV and stop being a sports channel.

Posted by: MikeN at April 26, 2017 04:46 PM (o/eHL)

465 OT, are we going to war with NK??
----------

Trump, and the US, can't be the one to bring North Korea down. It has to be China, and China doesn't want to give up the advantage a belligerent North Korea gives them. A bellicose North Korea lets China play the 'good cop' to NK's 'bad cop'.

I can't imagine the Korean war starting up again, and if it does, I can't imagine China not being on the side of the North.

If Trump fires the first shot, it will be a disaster, and I can't imagine NK firing the first shot without China's approval.

Posted by: L' Ohnoes at April 26, 2017 04:46 PM (hWGif)

466 450
TexasDan. Thank you for asking but i think i need to become more
conversant with the technology before i make a move. But, im learning a
lot just with this thread.

Posted by: Village Idiot's Apprentice at April 26, 2017 04:41 PM (Sk4Oe)

The storage (NAS) and the delivery vehicle (the media server on the NAS or OSMC or others mentioned here are half the problem).

The other half is getting the discs ripped in a proper format for your devices. The PS3 is notoriously finicky. Other more modern devices might be more forgiving.
I am going with a computer with storage and media server software on it, because I want the device attached to a TV for playback, but I also want storage and ability to serve up over my network to other devices (kind of like my own netflix).
There are lots of canned options out there, too. But you'll still have need for ripping and storing about 2 TB of movies for 500 DVDs.

Posted by: flounder, rebel, vulgarian, deplorable, winner at April 26, 2017 04:47 PM (GX63o)

467 Eiger is going to sell ESPN.

however, Bezos is going to get a really good deal on it . . .

Then it'll be on Amazon prime. The cable companies will be decimated.

And in Five years Bezos will have . . .

Posted by: simplemind at April 26, 2017 04:48 PM (xVRrG)

468 We need a fucking sports channel with a Conan mindset.

Posted by: Widespread Pepe, MGTOW at April 26, 2017 04:49 PM (2qHjF)

469 456 - real cows or virtual moos? Because if it is real cows.. well beef is expensive!

Posted by: catman at April 26, 2017 04:49 PM (5jdSv)

470 Posted by: Village Idiot's Apprentice at April 26, 2017 04:41 PM (Sk4Oe)

All good. Would not want to push you into something.

Posted by: TexasDan at April 26, 2017 04:52 PM (yL25O)

471 468
We need a fucking sports channel with a Conan mindset.

Posted by: Widespread Pepe
-------------------------------

As long as we're talking Conan the Barbarian, replete with lamentations of the women, YES!

Posted by: Darth Chipmunk at April 26, 2017 04:54 PM (t41dG)

472 Television?
Wasn't that what Grandma used for internet?

Posted by: jbspry at April 26, 2017 04:59 PM (4kpbt)

473 You know what would destroy ESPN? Get a rumor spread that ICE is looking at cable subscriptions...

Posted by: MikeN at April 26, 2017 05:05 PM (o/eHL)

474 "Subscriber attrition at ESPN seems to be leveling off."

What numbers are you looking at because that simply isn't true. After a slight subscriber increase in August-September 2016 ESPN's subscriber loss resumed and has neither stopped nor leveled off.

Posted by: deepelemblues at April 26, 2017 05:36 PM (osJSG)

475 Ace, ESPN's business models is broken because they are locked into long term contracts with sports leagues while their customers are on month to month. ESPN are cultural Marxists because Disney and the Hollywood kulture is as well. Disney also sucks as a Company when it comes to creating truly new things. ESPN was the bank that allowed Diseny to buy Pixar, Marvel and LucasFilm/Star wars rights.
Disney is a great company when it comes to managing theme parks and squeezing out money from franchises created by others.
Don't give ESPN any credit on thinking that way down the line, PC will protect it's business model.
FNC creates it's content, it also has no real competition because the rest of the media pretends it's unbiased and objective. FNC can exist via cable or streaming. Any sports league that wants to do streaming as the choice to cut out ESPN and go directly. Media providers may overpay leagues to keep that from happening, but it will be harder and harder to justify paying for all those channels you never watch.
FNC has elbowed it's way to the top of Cable partially because USA, TBS, TNT,TNN, CNN and most of the other channels have declined in viewership as people have left cable. For much of the past decade, after ESPN's channels it was USA, TNT,TBS, Discovery and History as the big popular cable channels.
FNC has passed by them all but it still trails ESPN's aggregate viewership by a considerable margin.

Posted by: standfast24 at April 26, 2017 05:37 PM (PNFIr)

476 "What numbers are you looking at because that simply isn't true."

I looked at Disney's 10-K annual reports, including the latest which got filed in Nov 2016, which had ESPN at 92 million subscribers, the same as the prior year. There had been declines in prior years.

Posted by: Ignoramus at April 26, 2017 05:45 PM (SIY7D)

477 I've read many an article that says half the cable channels would disappear tomorrow if we had an a al cart menu. Most of those channels spout liberal crap.

Listen, either cable companies offer channels al la cart or we watch them over the internet, a la cart. They do realize their business model, by being such dickwads, it going to collapse, and soon?

Posted by: George Orwell's Ghost at April 26, 2017 05:52 PM (UgF8H)

478 I'm sorry. rechecked. 90 million in Nov 2016, 92 million in Nov 15, both domestic.

International ESPN was up a lot, from 127 mm to 141 mm subscribers over the same period.

It's true that Disney blamed ESPN for being down 11% in its operating income in the most recent quarter. It's still a cash cow and should be for some time.

Rumors of its demise are overwrought

Posted by: Ignoramus at April 26, 2017 05:53 PM (SIY7D)

479 Imagine if books were sold the way cable is:

"I'd like to buy this auto mechanics book."

"That will be...$150"

"Sheesh, that is expensive..."

"Well, to get that book, you have to agree to take these three others....romance novels."

"But I don't want those other books."

"That's okay. You don't have to want them, or read them, you just have to take them..."

Posted by: George Orwell's Ghost at April 26, 2017 05:55 PM (UgF8H)

480 "It's true that Disney blamed ESPN for being down 11% in its operating income in the most recent quarter. It's still a cash cow and should be for some time.

Rumors of its demise are overwrought."

The problem has been ESPN has been vastly overpaying for both talent and sports. When you spend $4 billion for the rights to broadcast the NFL, you need a lot of subscribers to cover that.

Posted by: George Orwell's Ghost at April 26, 2017 05:57 PM (UgF8H)

481 "The problem has been ESPN has been vastly overpaying for both talent and sports. When you spend $4 billion for the rights to broadcast the NFL, you need a lot of subscribers to cover that."

Yes, and they have been getting their operating income decline because of it, and it may go down even more. But they'll pay less on renewal, especially if ratings go down.

Disney's cable networks segment (which is mostly ESPN) had over $16 billion in revenue last year.

It's too big too fail.

Don't get me wrong. ESPN has been badly mis-managed and could have a fatter milkier cash cow, but it ain't going away any time soon. Other media properties including cable channels are at higher risk.

Ace doesn't like ESPN, fine. But he and others keeps saying its failing, which is a canard

Posted by: Ignoramus at April 26, 2017 06:07 PM (SIY7D)

482 The New ESPN: Extremely Specious Propaganda Network. It will be to sports what MTV is to music these days. In fact, they've already made their first hire to replace their staff cuts today:

http://2waken.team-awakening.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/C0OIIUzUcAAX2Ma.jpg

Posted by: Richard McEnroe at April 26, 2017 06:35 PM (6wURk)

483 OTOH, i used to know a girl who could have put herself through college by charging people to watch her eat an ice cream cone. Ah, the memories... I'll be in my bunk.

Posted by: OCBill at April 26, 2017 07:36 PM (df+Zi)

484 if conservatives were serious about cutting the power of media and entertainment, they would push for increased piracy.

I find that conservatives are some of the last people to engage in piracy.

Posted by: anon at April 27, 2017 11:57 AM (d/PqM)

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