ESPN's hate and NFL Network's love for the Hawks

[plyka]

I'm just wondering if anyone else has noticed this? ESPN absolutely gives the Hawks ZERO love. NFL Network on the other hand has completely come around. The analysts on NFL Network even love the HAwks.

On NFL network you have Deon (claims this is the best secondary ever assembled, even though he is the best corner who has ever played the game), Marshall Faulk used to be negative, but has done nothing but praise and heap love on the HAwks since the superbowl victory, and of course you have Michael Irvin who cannot stop gushing.

On the other hand you have ESPN, the polar opposite. They will not stop hating on the Hawks. Of course you have Skip Bayless and STeven Smith, who picked against the Hawks in every single playoff game. Ron Jawarski with his constant hate on Russell Wilson and the "random QB." Hoge, the guy who always picks against them. Just to put the ESPN hate in full view, on First Take yesterday they had 3-4 guys picking their top 5 biggest value contracts. Of course you would expect Sherman and Russell, both playing for $500k to be on the list. One guy had Russell and one guy had Sherman. But all had the Saints tight end above both. Then one guy said: "I was thinking about putting Russell on their since he only makes $500k, but then I though, he is not really a franchise QB, so I didn't include him." The entire show was about how Luck/Newton are so great, without a mention about Wilson.

I've noticed some major love on NFL Network and some major HATE on ESPN when it comes to the Hawks.

 

[entropyrulesall]

Here's a challenge: revel in it and hope the entire league remains ostrich-like, with their heads in the sand, while we rattle off 3 of the next 4 SB wins.... From this perspective all their antics go from annoying to laughable.

 

[Sarlacc83]

It won't change until Seattle has won 2 or 3 Super Bowls. No one cared about the Patriots before their wins, either.

 

[Missing_Clink]

Dude, we WANT them to feel disrespected. We know these guys are at their best with a chip on their shoulder. Let ESPN talk smack all offseason.

 

[kobebryant]

watch less tv

 

[chris98251]

Other then Chris Berman it is known that most ESPN analysts and hosts seem to have a bitch with the Seahawks. This is not news maybe a late observation on the OP's part.

 

[plyka]

Guys, take a deep breath. No one here is complaining about the coverage. I was pointing out the difference between coverage.

I think ESPN is going down a different path versus NFL Network. ESPN is going down the path of more entertainment, "analysts" who are not on the show to analyze but rather to stir the pot and say ridiculous things for entertainment purposes. Ron Jawarski, everyone on ESPN rallies behind this guy to say he is the best analyst when it comes to football, watching film 24/7, only taking a break for lunch on Xmas day, and then getting back to work watching more and mroe film. His two memorable remarks, Kaep is going to be the GOAT and Manzeil is a future bust. The truth will be, as it always is, somewhere in the middle of this hyperbolic rhetoric. But that's not how ESPN operates. They have entertainment personalities, because they are primarily in the entertainment business.

On the other hand you have NFL network who is a bit less entertainment (entertainnment is their goal of course, but they provide more analysis), having on air beef like Tupac versus Biggie is not their goal, etc. It'll be interesting to see which perspective thrives moving forward.

 

[Attyla the Hawk]

I always felt Tom Jackson was pretty fair. Outside of his understandable bias to the Broncos for whom he made his career -- I think he has always been pretty even keeled on it.

I can't necessarily blame ESPN entirely. I mean I acknowledged before the season started, that Seattle needed to take the next step -- to be able to win as the hunted team, not the hunter. That was a legitimate question going into the season. Part and parcel was the road record. We smashed both of those benchmarks.

The NFL nework guys seem more plugged in, because a lot of them played the game and aren't necessarily on the network to make outrageous statements to increase viewership. The ex players that ESPN trots out there are guys that seem to be interested in creating talking points for neilsen ratings. NFLN analysts tend to do more in depth stuff. Irvin was on the train early after getting a good dose of I told you so. He came, visited the players and got a behind the scenes sense of what the team was about. Faulk resisted to the end. Warner is never going to come around. He's just an offensive honk and unabashed about that. Anyone with a real appreciation for defense and team balance (ex NE Patriots/defensive player analysts) were on board pretty quickly.

It's actually interesting, that the offensive analysts who played for predominantly crappy defensive clubs -- didn't come around on us. Defensive guys (Jackson/Ray Lewis/Teddy Bruschi/Deion) or players who played on good defensive teams (Irvin/Evans/Young) tended to be more fair. The only holdout on that seemed to be Dilfer and I can't help but think there was some bad blood between him and the organization over something.

 

[candybars]

Steven A Smith and Skip Bayless admitted they were totally wrong about the Hawks the day after the Super Bowl. The clip is on YouTube if you want to see it.

 

[Sarlacc83]

Steven A Smith and Skip Bayless admitted they were totally wrong about the Hawks the day after the Super Bowl. The clip is on YouTube if you want to see it.

And they retracted it a day later, in all likelihood. Or they did it to tick off the Broncos.

 

[Seahawks1983]

The only thing worth watching on ESPN is live sports. It has been that way for a long time.

 

[davidonmi]

I watch live sports on ESPN, can't stand anytthing else

 

[plyka]

Steven A Smith and Skip Bayless admitted they were totally wrong about the Hawks the day after the Super Bowl. The clip is on YouTube if you want to see it.

They did the same after every game when they picked against the Hawks and were dead wrong throughout the season. After week 2 destruction of the niners, they came out to say that they will never again pick against Seattle in Seattle. That went away shortly, as they picked against the Seahawks over and over throughout the season.

The funny thing about First Take was that Skip/Steven Smith were so wrong in SuperBowl week, that they had to use some impressive editing at the beginning of the show right after the superbowl, in order for it to seem that they had one prediction correct. Steven Smith said something about watch out for this guy, he is going to go off --he said it about a Bronco, at the beginning of the show they played that clip right before showing Percy Harvin's kickoff return for a TD to make it seem as though he was talking about Percy. Hilarious.

 

[pmedic920]

Thank the football gods for ESPN. They(ESPN) will insure the "chip" stays on the "shoulder".

 

[hawkfan68]

Plyka, please look at the names in your second and third paragraphs in your original post. NFL network is more credible because of the names you listed. Dean, Marshall, and Michael at NFLN vs. Skip Bayless and Steven A. Smith? Skip and Steven haven't played a down of pro football. Besides Skip is struggling to be better than Richard Sherman at life (and failing) so his focus isn't 100% there. Jaworski is a has been. How many rings does Jaws have? Same amount as you and me. Dilfer wouldn't have one if not for the Ravens defense. Then there's Chris Carter. These guys are jealous.

 

[razor150]

Who cares? Really, why does it matter if some talking head is on the bandwagon or not?

 

[DrDix]

I always felt Tom Jackson was pretty fair. Outside of his understandable bias to the Broncos for whom he made his career -- I think he has always been pretty even keeled on it.

I can't necessarily blame ESPN entirely. I mean I acknowledged before the season started, that Seattle needed to take the next step -- to be able to win as the hunted team, not the hunter. That was a legitimate question going into the season. Part and parcel was the road record. We smashed both of those benchmarks.

The NFL nework guys seem more plugged in, because a lot of them played the game and aren't necessarily on the network to make outrageous statements to increase viewership. The ex players that ESPN trots out there are guys that seem to be interested in creating talking points for neilsen ratings. NFLN analysts tend to do more in depth stuff. Irvin was on the train early after getting a good dose of I told you so. He came, visited the players and got a behind the scenes sense of what the team was about. Faulk resisted to the end. Warner is never going to come around. He's just an offensive honk and unabashed about that. Anyone with a real appreciation for defense and team balance (ex NE Patriots/defensive player analysts) were on board pretty quickly.

It's actually interesting, that the offensive analysts who played for predominantly crappy defensive clubs -- didn't come around on us. Defensive guys (Jackson/Ray Lewis/Teddy Bruschi/Deion) or players who played on good defensive teams (Irvin/Evans/Young) tended to be more fair. The only holdout on that seemed to be Dilfer and I can't help but think there was some bad blood between him and the organization over something.

What are you talking about? Warner has done nothing but praise the Seahawks ALL year long. Picked them to win SB48.

 

[Russ Willstrong]

NFL Network has Heath Evans who is one of my favorites. ESPN is going the Jerry Springer route on many of its programs.

 

[Sports Hernia]

All the haters can kiss our Lombardi Trophy!

 

[onanygivensunday]

For some here, all it takes is for one analyst... yes, only one... to pick against Seattle and they're whipping out the NO RESPECT card.