I think the ESPN 'Spurs Ban' is a real thing...

[carina_gino20]

Orr would be crazy to fly more missions and sane if he didn't, but if he were sane he had to fly them. If he flew them he was crazy and didn't have to; but if he didn't want to he was sane and had to.

[PublicOption]

they and complain about the spurs. but come apart at the seams to throw many at the college team 90 miles north???

ing weird.

[manufan10]

The journalistic media has an obligation to be honest.

Omitting the best team in the NBA from discussions consistently for increased $$ is patently dishonest and fraudulent.

Stop watching and listening to ESPN, and everyone else. Start demanding a much better product that isn't geared towards the suckers.

all the sports stations suck. Local broadcasts of the game by Fox or Kens are always 100 million times better, for example. 10x more replays, the commentators actually talk about the current game and the players almost exclusively, and no political NBA mumbo jumbo for the re ed casual fan.

The incredulous lack of replays on the major networks so they can pimp their commentators' personalities and sponsors is laughable, yet everyone just keeps drinking it up like they actually bring something cutting edge.

Reminds me of the NBA forum. Mostly stupid trolls and shticks that tons of idiots actually buy into, laugh at, and get offended by without ever realizing the reality of the situation.

+1

As for the bold part, I hate that when there is a questionable call, neither TNT or ESPN will show the replay. I'm left wondering whether it was a good call or not. More often than not, FSN will show numerous replays and angles to give us a better view of what happened on the questionable call, and we as fans can determine whether it was a good call or not.

[Bito Corleone]

The good people over at ESPN do everything in their power not to show any Spurs highlights, but I find it hilarious that when they are showing highlights of almost any other team they have no problem digging through the footage to make sure it is against the Spurs. At least the Spurs find their way on to ESPN in one way or another.

[jimo2305]

lol this is what i've been saying for the longest but ppl were saying i was full of back then.. it's so obvious it's not only ESPN.. i kid you not.. i actually get shocked / surprised when theres footage of a spurs player in a highlight reel not being dunked on or crossed over..

but with all that said.. ive come to learn i'd have it no other way.. our team goes out there and wins games.. we dont need all that national spotlight hooplah distracting us and what not.. i know those teams respect us on the court and give us their best shot.. and that's where it should end

[TampaDude]

ESPN crew just told Skip Bayless that since they couldn't mention the name Spurs, perhaps they could call them the "San Antonio Skips."

Laughter.

Jay Crawford tells Skip the "SA Skips" has a nice ring to to it.

"About five rings to it," replies a smiling Skip.

[UnWantedTheory]

ESPN crew just told Skip Bayless that since they couldn't mention the name Spurs, perhaps they could call them the "San Antonio Skips."

Laughter.

Jay Crawford tells Skip the "SA Skips" has a nice ring to to it.

"About five rings to it," replies a smiling Skip.

[LoneStarState'sPride]

ESPN crew just told Skip Bayless that since they couldn't mention the name Spurs, perhaps they could call them the "San Antonio Skips."

Laughter.

Jay Crawford tells Skip the "SA Skips" has a nice ring to to it.

"About five rings to it," replies a smiling Skip.

This is ing GOLD.

+5

[vander]

I can't stand their NBA coverage. Actually, other than the Spurs I truly hate the NBA. I hate everything about it and it's flash over substance at ude.

Hear, hear

watching the likes of Lebron or Melo (or Shaq back in his day) play basketball is almost painful. watching highlights of dunks is about as exciting as watching highlights of home runs

[ShoogarBear]

Mike and Mike

There's your problem, and it has nothing to do with the Spurs.

I haven't listened to them in about three years, but unless they've changed their m.o., Mike and Mike are the absolute worst sports show on the air when it comes to the NBA. 95% of all their reporting on it has always been negative ("oh, the ratings suck!", "oh, it's unwatchable!"), and then they'd go back to talking about baseball and football for the rest of the show. Those assholes regularly used to bring in VITALE as their NBA "expert".

If they're talking about the league, I guarantee it's only because big market Chicago and New York have become relevant again.

[ALVAREZ6]

There's your problem, and it has nothing to do with the Spurs.

I haven't listened to them in about three years, but unless they've changed their m.o., Mike and Mike are the absolute worst sports show on the air when it comes to the NBA. 95% of all their reporting on it has always been negative ("oh, the ratings suck!", "oh, it's unwatchable!"), and then they'd go back to talking about baseball and football for the rest of the show. Those assholes regularly used to bring in VITALE as their NBA "expert".

If they're talking about the league, I guarantee it's only because big market Chicago and New York have become relevant again.

lol

M&M is definitely the absolute worst sports show period, not just the NBA. But like you, I also have not watched in quite some time...probably at least 3 years.

[Darkwaters]

ESPN is all about the money. They're not a non-profit sports reporting agency. They don't care about the truth. They care about:

A) What is popular.
B) What they can popularize.

Just watched the highlights of the Thunder/Clippers game from last night. It went something like this:

"Blake Griffin, Blake Griffin, alley oop to Griffin, Blake Griffin, Blake DUNK!!!!1!!!, Blake Griffin, Blake <ejaculation> Griffin, Blakkkkkkkke. Thunder win 111 - 88"

Same story. the four letter.

[greyforest]

Spurs are the only team that could be the underdog AND have the best record.

[howbouthemspurs]

ESPN is gay

[Man In Black]

PTI yesterday questioned if NBA players left Small Markets for Large Markets, if that's bad for the NBA? Do Wilbon & Kornheiser talk about it, with Wilbon saying that teams like Utah, Portland, & San Antonio are good for the NBA, that they are what makes the league so compe ive. It's 5 minutes of straight NBA talk where Kornheiser at the end says, and I quote,

"Teams in the NBA better start looking at the Minnesota TWINS model of building a team of solid players who make it to the playoffs year after year."

So they talk hoops for 5, but he ends it by using a BASEBALL team, when we all know there is a team in South Texas that multiple ORGANIZATIONS in the league are trying to emulate.
you 4-letter and the people you give mouthpieces to who can't do anything other than parrot your craving for ratings.

[PublicOption]

The good people over at ESPN do everything in their power not to show any Spurs highlights, but I find it hilarious that when they are showing highlights of almost any other team they have no problem digging through the footage to make sure it is against the Spurs. At least the Spurs find their way on to ESPN in one way or another.

I have noticed that too,

[4down]

NPR just joined the fray guys - A 2 minute segment on basketball, and all it was was the Melodrama, MIami, Boston, LA, and NY. They talk about how NFL and MLB have nine champs each since 2000 and NO MENTION of the SPURS!!! WHATSOEVER!!! Time to fire off some angry emails to Renee Montagne!!!!!

[GrandeDavid]

If the Spurs keep up their dominance these jabbering talkers will eventually be forced to give them props. But as a fan, I think its awesome because, here we go again, the Spurs are somewhat flying under the radar.

[Obstructed_View]

Four les, three hall of famers, and the best record in the NBA doesn't get them props, or even a mention, so unless they win the next two or three in a row, don't hold your breath.

[gospursgojas]

If yall watched the OTL peice on Gary Neal, after the segment Bob Ley had chris mannix on and talked a little spurs...
It went kinda like this:

BL: "why dont the spurs get more attention? Will they finally get thier due if they win a championship this season?"

CM: "I think they have to win one more championship. They...."

BL: "THEY'VE WON 4 CHAMPIONSHIPS!"

CM: cliche small market excuse

[mingus]

a couple hours ago on first and ten they had Terry Porter on and he mentioned the Spurs when the host was basically trying to direct the basketball talk to LA.

the host asks Porter "who do you think are the top teams in the West blahblah Lakers blahblahblah Lakers blahhh?" and Porter goes on to talk about the Spurs. before they let Terry go the host says," well, it looks like it's going to be Lakers vs. Boston again" when Terry didn't even say that. all he said was LA was the team to beat until someone knocks them off.

i don't care though. the Spurs win and they're in the mix year after year proving everybody wrong. basically everyone at ESPN is a Lakers fan, whatever. The hate for SA runs deep in every Lakers fan, as demonstrated by posters on this site, and it's no different for the guys over at ESPN. If the Spurs beat LA this year, it'll get even worse. i doubt the guys at ESPN next year will even mention them 1/2 as much as they have this year, which is close to nothing.

[mingus]

the Spurs dont need press. they have the banners and that's all that matters.

[jimo2305]

one of the topics on sportsnation just now was 'are the spurs wildly underrated'

mic e colin and chris broussard (ya i know) discuss about it..

i'll paraphrase:

chris says: spurs are old, boring to watch and thats why they're not getting much interest from fans in the media.. also goes on to say duncan has declined and manu has been struggling lately..
colin for the most part agrees..
mic e defends us slightly by saying we've still got the best record or something like that..

they go to the polls and 68% says yes we're underrated..

meh..

[jimo2305]

one of the topics on sportsnation just now was 'are the spurs wildly underrated'

mic e colin and chris broussard (ya i know) discuss about it..

i'll paraphrase:

chris says: spurs are old, boring to watch and thats why they're not getting much interest from fans in the media.. also goes on to say duncan has declined and manu has been struggling lately..
colin for the most part agrees..
mic e defends us slightly by saying we've still got the best record or something like that..

they go to the polls and 68% says yes we're underrated..

meh..

[BlackBellamy]

The good people over at ESPN do everything in their power not to show any Spurs highlights, but I find it hilarious that when they are showing highlights of almost any other team they have no problem digging through the footage to make sure it is against the Spurs. At least the Spurs find their way on to ESPN in one way or another.

Exactly! When we are presented, it is rarely as the heroes. Every storyline needs it's foil, it's heel, and the Spurs seem to fulfill that role, at least as far as ESPN is concerned.