Year: 2021

The NHL returned to ESPN, so here’s what it lacked

By Elsie A. Dotson 7 days ago
Well... do you?

Well… do you?
Screenshot: ESPN

The NHL returned to ESPN on Tuesday night, with the self-proclaimed World Wide Leader celebrating itself and especially the old ESPN hockey theme.

Which… fine: It’s the most recognizable aspect of what ESPN did back in the day.

There wasn’t much else remarkable about ESPN’s debut. Most of the voices we’d seen before on NBC, save Emily Kaplan at ice-level. John Buccigross remains an insufferable play-by-play guy, as he’s always been since ESPN picked up the Frozen Four. Not only is he trying to get his catchphrases in or remind you that he was the one hockey guy on SportsCenter for the past two decades, but he’s way behind the play. That’s a minor complaint. Sean McDonough is a pro, even if I’ve grown weary of the Syracuse Big Voice style.

There just wasn’t much new, at least not yet. The score bug

… Read More

Is There Anything Candace Parker Can’t Do?

By Elsie A. Dotson 1 week ago

The Chicago Sky are two wins from a title entering Wednesday night’s WNBA Finals game against the Phoenix Mercury. And while Candace Parker is a huge reason for that, it’s notable that her contributions have shifted some over the course of the season.

This is by design. It’s also the way Parker’s career as a whole has gone, even when she was younger: Her across-the-board talent hasn’t translated into a consistent shape of her production. 

“I think it’s the biggest thing for me that I don’t think I understood when I was younger is that you have to be the calm for the storm and you have to be the storm when everyone’s calm,” Parker said of her own work after Game 1 of the finals. 

She’s 6-foot-4, an inside-out player in fundamental ways, yet she also has shone in other facets of the game. Parker led the WNBA

… Read More

Neil Everett joins Blazers broadcasts as a studio host

By Elsie A. Dotson 1 week ago

ESPN anchor Neil Everett is joining Portland Trail Blazers broadcasts on a part-time basis.






© Provided by Awful Announcing


The Blazers announced the news on Monday, also posting an interview with Everett. The interview notes that he’ll continue to host his late night edition of SportsCenter, which seemed like a given since he just got a new contract this summer.

Everett revealed that the new contract lets him work less, opening up more time roles like his new one with Portland.

My contract was coming up at ESPN and I was hoping to work a little less just because of the hours — I’m a little old for going to bed at one or two in the morning that many days a week. So that worked out contractually, it worked out that I was going to be able to work less and I asked them. I talked to

… Read More

ESPN Reportedly Makes Decision On Sage Steele’s Return

By Elsie A. Dotson 1 week ago
Sage Steele speaks on ESPN.

Sage Steele speaks on ESPN.

Last week, veteran ESPN host Sage Steele was removed from the air after testing positive for the COVID-19 virus. But according to reports from Front Office Sports, the network’s decision to temporarily remove her goes far deeper than her positive diagnosis.

Steele has recently come under fire for controversial comments regarding ESPN’s COVID-19 vaccine policy and former United States president Barrack Obama. During an appearance on The Uncut with Jay Cutler, she called Walt Disney’s company-wide vaccine mandate “sick” and “scary” and criticized President Barack Obama’s decision to identify as Black despite his Black father being “nowhere to be found.”

Steele also went on to opine about up-and-coming female sports journalists, saying they bear some responsibility for receiving harassment in a male-dominated workspace.

“When you dress like that, I’m not saying you deserve the gross comments, but you know what you’re doing when you’re

… Read More