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ESPN to offer definitely non-expert view of National Championship

ByPhil Watson|
Jun 4, 2014; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Kings right wing Justin Williams (middle) is interviewed by ESPN reporters Barry Melrose (right) and Steve Levy (left) after game one of the 2014 Stanley Cup Final against the New York Rangers at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Jun 4, 2014; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Kings right wing Justin Williams (middle) is interviewed by ESPN reporters Barry Melrose (right) and Steve Levy (left) after game one of the 2014 Stanley Cup Final against the New York Rangers at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

ESPN plans coverage on many platforms Monday night for the College Football Playoff National Championship, including an interesting take on ESPNU.

If you’re looking for expert commentary on the College Football Playoff National Championship, you might want to avoid ESPNU.

There will be commentary, to be sure, but not necessarily what you’re used to.

ESPN Voices will feature a look into a viewing theater that will feature a cross-section of ESPN on-air personalities—just none of them associated with the network’s college football cadre.

College basketball analyst Jay Bilas will be there, along with baseball analyst Aaron Boone, soccer voice Julie Foudy, hockey analyst Barry Melrose, NFL analyst Mark Schlereth and columnist/PTI host Michael Wilbon.

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So if you’re looking for coverage of the game that will take you inside a sports bar with the sound turned down and random voices with varying degrees of expertise in your ear, ESPNU will be the place.

Schlereth certainly knows things about football, having played professionally for more than a decade before joining ESPN as a talking head.

If nothing else, that might be the one channel where ESPN’s talking heads won’t be trying to earn bonuses by using the name of the sport as many times as possible in one sentence.

Or am I the only one annoyed by analysts who feel at times like they are saying things such as: “He’s a heckuva football player for a football team that plays football for a football coach in a football stadium in front of football fans, while playing with a football.”

It’s right up there on my list of favorites along with basketball analysts who rave about a player’s ability to “score the basketball.” Because the maintenance crew would likely get really annoyed if a guy threw a stapler through the hoop.

I get it—they’re trying to ensure that viewers just tuning in know what the heck is being talked about. But wow does it feel like an insult to the intelligence sometimes.

The problem with those redundant nonsense phrases is that they start insidiously working their way into the mainstream.

Every time I see a basketball writer use the phrase “score the basketball” or “shoot the basketball” or “rebound the basketball,” a little piece of my soul withers and dies.

It’s reminiscent of the early days of Monday Night Football when Howard Cosell used to make audiences seriously wonder if he was actually paid by the syllable.

In any event, Foudy might be able to bring some insight into the kicking game.

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