Back in the day ESPN was merely space fodder for people with cable subscriptions; back when only the "real" sports fan (me) could sit in front of the tube and bear with the constant rambling of numbers and statistics. Oh it was great. Back before they offered a cheap magazine subscription that was nothing more then an extension to their online subscription service they offered through their website. These were the good old days.

No over-sized clowns spraying the screen with saliva as they scream a point that has already been beat to death by every other major sports media outlet. No silly Ebonics from Stuart Scott and his lowly attempts at integrating hip-hop lingo and culture with sports commentating. Back in the day Berman's sound effects, wit and satirical humor were actually pretty clever; they were fun, and stimulated conversation amongst the boys who played ball out front. Now your left with mainstream content, the "edge" is gone, the only thing that spews out of these writer's pens, and analysts mouths is sponsor-friendly garbage.

Can anybody take ESPN's content seriously anymore? Sportscenter was a morning ritual. ESPN the Magazine would have been a no-brain annual subscription; Peter Gammons and his sports monologues--to a diehard--were simply un-passable. Could you imagine how great their magazine's content would be without ESPN having to be handcuffed by their endless affiliates, and licensing partners? It would be nice to sit back and get the real opinions out of these analysts and writers. Honestly, its probably the only thing I miss about the 80's.

I don't want dummied down content from their discount magazine and their trashy over-sized recycled paper they call pages. I want opinions on how they really feel about a controversy in sports. As a long time ESPN fan it has become disheartening watching the network dive head first into homeplate only to have their nose busted by the Catchers shin-plates.