RANT: Does ESPN think I'm deaf or dumb?

[Professor Frink]

First off, I can't stand the dumbing down of internet media recently, with many news outlets switching from typed stories to these damn videos, since people apparently haven't the attention span to read anymore. But at least with CNN you have to click on them. When I go to ESPN.com, their video player BLASTS whatever video they have cued up, which more often then not is a commercial for ESPN! Come on! At 6 am the last thing I need is 75 decibels of a freaking Peyton Manning commmercial.

 

[elkdog]

I completely agree. I go to sportsillustrated.com now, and also read Deadspin and a couple of other good blogs, just because ESPN got so annoying. Also, "Who's Now?" was the worst thing I've ever seen in sports media.

Enjoy Chapel Hill. I miss it.

 

[the_bird]

The worst thing I need at *WORK* is an ESPN commercial blaring at me!

 

[Liquidicem]

The worst thing I need at *WORK* is an ESPN commercial blaring at me!

Agreed! That's why I have pretty much stopped checking up on ESPN at work.

 

[Yooper]

I don't do it at home much anymore either- I found it way too annoying, unless I remember to turn my speakers off before clicking.

I also dislike the "video" part of our news websites. If I wanted to watch the video of the story, I'd turn on the TV. I like reading the headlines to get the jist, and then read the story if I'm interested. Even our local newspaper is online, and when you click on it, you get a very loud ad for a drugstore. That kind of stuff irritates the heck out of me.

 

[JustDave]

News sites are for reading text -- if I want video, I'll go to redtube.

The CNN Money page automatically plays video. Hey, thanks for that!

 

[Beerthoven]

Isn't there a way to disable automatic playing of videos in your webbrowser?

 

[david_42]

"ESPN, ESPN! You're the reason I'm single again. Life is for losers. Sports are your friend."

Modern Man, NY, NY

 

[kornkob]

I don't do it at home much anymore either- I found it way too annoying, unless I remember to turn my speakers off before clicking.

I also dislike the "video" part of our news websites. If I wanted to watch the video of the story, I'd turn on the TV. I like reading the headlines to get the jist, and then read the story if I'm interested. Even our local newspaper is online, and when you click on it, you get a very loud ad for a drugstore. That kind of stuff irritates the heck out of me.

I think there are certain stories which are conveyed more effectively using video but by in large that's not needed and certainly shouldn't be forced on anyone.

 

[Professor Frink]

"ESPN, ESPN! You're the reason I'm single again. Life is for losers. Sports are your friend."

Modern Man, NY, NY

"ESPN, ESPN! You're the reason I'm single again. Life is for losers. Sports are your friend."

Modern Man, Queens, NY

FTFY.

Just messing with my Mets brethren.

 

[c.n.budz]

I think there are certain stories which are conveyed more effectively using video...

Yeah, the ones involving hot chicks

ESPN and MLB both piss me off with the auto play videos, though when I was a manager in a formal office setting it was a clear indicator of who was slacking off...

 

[uglygoat]

firefox doesn't seem to play them unless i click on them, but i cannot remember if i fiddled with the settings.

 

[PseudoChef]

ESPN just sucks as a whole.

I won't elaborate because I don't have the strength, but yeah...I stopped tuning into them about 2 years ago.

 

[Bedlam]

Yeah, they've gone the same path as MTV, in my book. Very sleek and we're-cooler-than-you, but with little of substance.

I liked it much better when they had a lot of rugby or the old NFL films. Just too much noise nowadays.

(Gawd, I sound old.)