Typical ESPN coverage:

[xmas1997]

Most of the focus is on the hockey match up between the Kings and the Rangers more so than the classic repeat between the Spurs and the Heat.
Hockey! Of all sports no less. Who the hell gives a shit about hockey? Search me.
The NBA coverage focuses on TD's smack talking, as if what he said was smack talk. Ridiculous much ado about nothing.
And mostly on the Heat doing a three-peat, yet barely anything on the great unselfish team basketball of the Spurs.
Typical, expected snubs IMHO.
You can tell ESPN will be very very disappointed when and if the Spurs win #5.
It is very amusing at how they are spinning this. It has not surprised me at all.

[TheRemix]

Maybe ESPN is trying to focus on hockey more so its fans can stfu about not having enough coverage

[Spur|n|Austin]

I don't think there's much left to be said about the re-match that hasn't already been said in these days leading up to the game. Things will spark back up after Game 1.

I always wonder why people here bitch so much about ESPN, then continue to watch it and complain :lol

[xmas1997]

Maybe ESPN is trying to focus on hockey more so its fans can stfu about not having enough coverage

Who knows?
I think it has more to do with the N.Y./L.A. markets tbh.

[xmas1997]

I don't think there's much left to be said about the re-match that hasn't already been said in these days leading up to the game. Things will spark back up after Game 1.

I always wonder why people here bitch so much about ESPN, then continue to watch it and complain :lol

Bitching about it, and commenting about the obvious are two different things. If you find it per par and amusing, then you are not bitching. However if it pisses you off and offends you then you are bitching.
And the reason people watch it is because it is practically the ONLY coverage that there is on TV tbh.

[Jenks]

(There's a hockey game today and there isn't a basketball game)

[21209]

Even if the Spurs manage to win the title, all the talk will be about what Miami did wrong instead of what the Spurs did right.

We'll even be subjected to non-stop Heat talk all off-season, win or lose.

[boutons_deux]

NY vs LA, the two major TV markets' smack talking

[Horry Hipcheck]

Most of the focus is on the hockey match up between the Kings and the Rangers more so than the classic repeat between the Spurs and the Heat.
Hockey! Of all sports no less. Who the hell gives a shit about hockey? Search me.
The NBA coverage focuses on TD's smack talking, as if what he said was smack talk. Ridiculous much ado about nothing.
And mostly on the Heat doing a three-peat, yet barely anything on the great unselfish team basketball of the Spurs.
Typical, expected snubs IMHO.
You can tell ESPN will be very very disappointed when and if the Spurs win #5.
It is very amusing at how they are spinning this. It has not surprised me at all.

Game 1 of that series is tonight, and you've got two huge markets involved. LA v. NY is a historic rivalry so I'm not terribly surprised.


As as for other coverage, I actually think ESPN has covered both sides pretty well. The NBA page right now has two pieces on the "trash talking" (let's not kidd ourselves, TD's remarks were unusual coming from him and naturally ESPN is going to spin the hell out of that to help build intrigue), one about Parker's status for Game 1, a big section about Pop and TD's history and relationship, a piece or two about Wade's effectiveness after basically sucking last year, the Grantland Finals preview (which has the Spurs predicted to win) and various X Factor bits that discuss both teams to some extent. Overall, you may hear rumblings of the Heat's three peat more than the Spurs' title, and that's partially going to be due to the fact that the Heat are more marketable. Beyond that, though, threepeating is a tough gig and if the Heat pull it off it will speak volumes about their legacy and LeBron's status as a player, which was deeply in question during his Cleveland years. If the Spurs win, there will still be plenty said about Miami, but you're going to see a lot of talk about Duncan's legacy, the resiliency of the Spurs, redemption, etc.

[hooperflash]

I personally don't want our team to be covered by them. Nor do the Spurs players really.

[Amuseddaysleeper]

Stanley Cup starts today so of course they will be talking about that. NBA always gets more coverage on ESPN than NHL.

All the storylines for Heat/Spurs have been used already so after today they will go back to covering more basketball.

[doldrums]

All they do 5x an hour is talk about the Spurs and the Heat. It is refreshing when they talk about hockey when it normally gets so little attention. Plus the Kings/ Black Hawks series was one of the best ever, and the Rangers story and comeback is compelling. so its NY v La Tonight. that is why it is justifiably getting coverage. Heat spurs will get much more tomorrow. Plus the hockey ratings for the playoffs have been through the roof compared to prior years.

[doldrums]

I love how when someone doesn't follow a sport they imagine nobody does. Well look at this about the Playoffs hockey ratings
http://www.tvweek.com/blogs/tvbizwire/2014/06/conference-playoff-game-draws-.php

[phxspurfan]

The hockey is big b/c it's the NEW YORK Rangers. ESPN is based in NY's back yard and they're all rooting for the Rangers.

[benstanfield]

Just wait until the World Cup starts.

[Jimcs50]

Most of the focus is on the hockey match up between the Kings and the Rangers more so than the classic repeat between the Spurs and the Heat.
Hockey! Of all sports no less. Who the hell gives a shit about hockey? Search me.
The NBA coverage focuses on TD's smack talking, as if what he said was smack talk. Ridiculous much ado about nothing.
And mostly on the Heat doing a three-peat, yet barely anything on the great unselfish team basketball of the Spurs.
Typical, expected snubs IMHO.
You can tell ESPN will be very very disappointed when and if the Spurs win #5.
It is very amusing at how they are spinning this. It has not surprised me at all.


Stanley Cup starts today dude, chill out. Tomorrow, it will be all NBA coverage.

[313]

(There's a hockey game today and there isn't a basketball game)

[BillMc]

Maybe ESPN is trying to focus on hockey more so its fans can stfu about not having enough coverage

Your sig always cracks me up. It's so bizarre yet entertaining. :toast

[DisAsTerBot]

typical gnsf thread

[DMX7]

Who knows?
I think it has more to do with the N.Y./L.A. markets tbh.

Exactly

[TheGreatYacht]

NY/LA finals, those ratings whores can't resist themselves. And also there's not a lot to say during 4 days off, that's why they reach for shit like Duncan "talking smack"

Buuuuuuuut... They were really comparing the First 3 peat Bulls vs this Heat team... And they talk about the Heat like they 3 peated already :lmao

[Mugen]

:lol Hockey gets zero coverage during the regular season. Now, it's the Stanley Cup featuring the two biggest markets in the world....I would hope they get more media coverage.

The Spurs have gotten a lot more coverage since 2012, but there's only so much you can write about a team for over 15 years tbh :lol