Sportscenter obsession with pro wrestling

[scotty0330]

I don't get why the world wide leader is covering wrestlemania like its some major sporting event. I mean I watched wwe when I was like 10-12 but don't understand why all of a sudden this has become an event worth analyzing and covering for ESPN.

 

[navery12]

Personally I don't find it entertaining at all and have never watched. But it does require a ton of athletic ability and there's a huge fan base who is interested

 

[Husky25]

Personally I don't find it entertaining at all and have never watched. But it does require a ton of athletic ability and there's a huge fan base who is interested

Outcome = predetermined =/= sport.

It was a knob-polishing money grab

 

[August_West]

Bunch of jabronis in this thread.

 

[MattMang23]

Athletic people acting out a planned routine. Not sports but definitely takes athleticism. Lots of the guys on the roster are usually former college athletes. It's basically professional movie stuntmen. But it should probably be on a channel other than ESPN.

 

[junglehusky]

SportsCenter aiming more for casual fans. Have you noticed how much time they spend talking about social media?

 

[CAHUSKY]

This thread made me realize I haven't seen sportscenter in years.

 

[Jimmy Serrano]

Bunch of jabronis in this thread.

Don't be such a mark.

 

[August_West]

Don't be such a mark.

I'm a smark.
I keep kayfabe

 

[intlzncster]

This thread made me realize I haven't seen sportscenter in years.

It's all about entertainment now. Not sports. ESPN tries to get Hollywood involved at any juncture.

 

[Husky06]

ESPN is partnered up with wwe soooooooo there's a big push on their programming to report and "sell" it. I think one of their on air guys "coach" got his start in the businesses too..for what it's with it is entertainment and tonight is their biggest night of the year.

 

[CardiacKemba]

ESPN found out recently that there was a pretty big crossover between their audience and the WWE audience, especially on social media.

Why ESPN is featuring WWE on SportsCenter

 

[Jimmy Serrano]

I'm a smark.
I keep kayfabe

I worked at WWE out of college for a few years. I'm well versed in the carney talk that goes on in wrestling circles. It took me a few years after leaving to stop talking like that. To this day I still use the word "gimmick" way out of context way too often.

 

[August_West]

I worked at WWE out of college for a few years. I'm well versed in the carney talk that goes on in wrestling circles. It took me a few years after leaving to stop talking like that. To this day I still use the word "gimmick" way out of context way too often.

Oh man I want to hear stories and that's a shoot!

 

[storrsroars]

ESPN found out recently that there was a pretty big crossover between their audience and the WWE audience, especially on social media.

Why ESPN is featuring WWE on SportsCenter

That is also Trump's voter base, which explains his presence there.

I never knew you could actually bet on a soap opera though.

 

[August_West]

@Jimmy Serrano . I'm of the opinion, dead serious, That hogan and bubba the love sponge just pulled off the greatest real life work of all time with the gawker thing. Pro wresting culture is that of a con game where the workers are smart and the marks are dumb and that their whole lives are geared toward that fact and ( you know probably as well as anyone) that the arrogance and just plain conditioning of that life often creeps to the real world. They think they can get away with anything because is their job to do just that.

 

[Jimmy Serrano]

@Jimmy Serrano . I'm of the opinion, dead serious, That hogan and bubba the love sponge just pulled off the greatest real life work of all time with the gawker thing. Pro wresting culture is that of a con game where the workers are smart and the marks are dumb and that their whole lives are geared toward that fact and ( you know probably as well as anyone) that the arrogance and just plain conditioning of that life often creeps to the real world. They think they can get away with anything because is their job to do just that.

Yeah you saw that in the trial when Hogan kept saying that he and Terry Bollea were 2 different people. He said Hulk Hogan has a 9 inch piece but Terry Bollea does not.

 

[intlzncster]

@Jimmy Serrano . I'm of the opinion, dead serious, That hogan and bubba the love sponge just pulled off the greatest real life work of all time with the gawker thing. Pro wresting culture is that of a con game where the workers are smart and the marks are dumb and that their whole lives are geared toward that fact and ( you know probably as well as anyone) that the arrogance and just plain conditioning of that life often creeps to the real world. They think they can get away with anything because is their job to do just that.

I love what happen to gawker there. They are far, far below pro wrestlers on the 'intlzncster hate scale'. Pro wrestlers are basically harmless, discounting PED stuff.

Gawker is sub life form stuff.

 

[huskyinfl]

Espn has become a parody of itself. The sportscasters want to be the story and insert themselves into everything. Gonzo style.

 

[Chin Diesel]

This thread made me realize I haven't seen sportscenter in years.

I can't remember the last time I watched Sports Center. I don't watch any ESPN show other than an actual sporting event.

If I want to see highlights I go to the webpage, pull up the game I am interested in finding out info about and watch the highlights.

 

[Chin Diesel]

ESPN found out recently that there was a pretty big crossover between their audience and the WWE audience, especially on social media.

Why ESPN is featuring WWE on SportsCenter

I graduated high school with Glenn Jacobs. Nice kid, couldn't play a lick of sports but was always interested in the coaching and the logistics side of things. I think he started working at ESPN before he graduated college. Funny to see his name in the news.

 

[StoweD210]

ESPN found out recently that there was a pretty big crossover between their audience and the WWE audience, especially on social media.

Why ESPN is featuring WWE on SportsCenter

Thanks for posting that. I could see the benefit from the WWE's standpoint (who's going to argue with positive coverage from a company like ESPN,) but couldn't think of the motivation from ESPN's side.

 

[Jimmy Serrano]

I graduated high school with Glenn Jacobs. Nice kid, couldn't play a lick of sports but was always interested in the coaching and the logistics side of things. I think he started working at ESPN before he graduated college. Funny to see his name in the news.

You sure that's the same Glenn Jacobs? The Glenn Jacobs mentioned in that article is a wrestler who goes by Kane.

 

[intlzncster]

Thanks for posting that. I could see the benefit from the WWE's standpoint (who's going to argue with positive coverage from a company like ESPN,) but couldn't think of the motivation from ESPN's side.

It's money dude. Always money.

 

[Chin Diesel]

You sure that's the same Glenn Jacobs? The Glenn Jacobs mentioned in that article is a wrestler who goes by Kane.

From the linked article, I'm referring to this Glenn Jacobs.

Glenn Jacobs, senior coordinating producer of ESPN’s New & Next Group (a 25-30-person group that focuses on new content plays for the company), said his staff has spent a lot of time researching what ESPN viewers are paying attention to on social media. They found that ESPN viewers are very interested in WWE content. For example: Last Monday’s WWE Raw, which airs on USA Network, was the most-talked about topic among SportsCenter’s nearly 26 million Twitter followers (The ESPN researchers look at hashtags and key words). WWE content, in fact, drew three times as many as mentions as the second-most talked about topic that night: LeBron James. Jacobs said WWE Raw has been a top five talked-about topic over the last five weeks among SportsCenter followers on Twitter and a top 10 topic for 15 straight weeks.

Here's his full bio from ESPN. He graduated from Rockville High in 1988 (Same year and school as Mike Ferrell from football recruiting sites).


Glenn Jacobs - ESPN MediaZone