One Image That Shows Why So Many People Hate ESPNs First Take And Why It Works It is the first day of Super Bowl week and ESPNs top debate show, First Take, has already caused a stir by creating a storyline around Tim Tebow even though he has nothing to do with this weekends game. The title of the segment, seen in the screenshot at right (via Deadspin), Could Tim Tebow lead this Broncos team to the Super Bowl? quickly spread through social media, angering many as a ratings grab. However, that is exactly why ESPNs Embrace Debate format is used by ESPN. It is the first morning of the first day of a big week and people are already talking about First Take. Undoubtedly, the screengrab led to more people turning to ESPN 2 this morning and more people will turn in the rest of the week wondering, what will they talk about next? It is reminiscent of the key scene in Howard Sterns Private Parts, when a network researcher informs one of the producers that the average Howard Stern hater listens to his show twice as long as his average fan. When asked why they listen at all, the researchers informs that the most common answer is I want to see what hell say next. This was confirmed two years ago when ESPN executive editor John A. Walsh appeared on Bill Simmons podcast The B.S. Report. Walsh told Simmons that First Take has hit a nerve because it has developed a debate personality...its hit ratings. ESPN doesnt care that some fans on social media hate First Take. However, they would hate it if those same people ignored the show, which is exactly what they were doing until the show brought up Tebow. Peyton Manning Makes $9 Million More Than The Entire Seahawks Secondary Combined The most important match-up of Super Bowl 48 is Peyton Manning vs. Seattles league-best secondary. While they each rank No. 1 in their respective statistical categories, Manning and Seattles four starting defensive backs couldnt be more different when it comes to compensation. Seattles secondary is wildly underpaid. Richard Sherman makes ~$555,000 in base salary, making him the 33rd highest-paid player on his own team. Byron Maxwell makes $550,000 too. Kam Chancellor is the highest-paid player in the unit at $2.8 million. Earl Thomas, who is one of the best defensive players in the league, makes a little above $2 million. In all, Seattles starting secondary made a combined ~$5.9 million in base salary this year - $9.1 million less than Peyton Manning makes. All of these guys were drafted by Seattle since 2009. They havent had a chance to test free agency, and are playing some of the best football in the league while waiting out their rookie salaries. Compared to Peyton Manning and his $15 million base salary, its laughable: Penalty Shot: Derek Stepan vs Cory Schneider Penalty Shot: Derek Stepan vs Cory Schneider New York Rangers forward Derek Stepan rips the puck top-shelf past New Jersey Devils goaltender Cory Schneider on the outside game over the weekend. Tour Confidential: Making sense of Tiger Woods 79 at Torrey Pines -- plus Jordan Spieth, Scott Sallings, and plans to save golf 1. A 79 for Tiger Woods and a MDF (made cut, did not finish) at a place hes won eight times. Is this cause for concern, or should we just chalk this one up to off-season rust? Cameron Morfit, senior writer, Golf Magazine (@CameronMorfit): He wasnt as far off as it seems from the score. Torrey was a beast, and a lot of guys struggled. I made a passing reference to his struggles to Sean Foley, who I think had the right take, that it was only the third day of the year. Theres golf, theres tournament golf, and theres major-like tournament golf. Torrey South was major-ish. Tigers just starting the season. Thus the 79. Gary Van Sickle, senior writer, Sports Illustrated (@GaryVanSickle): You can never rush to judgment after one bad round. Although it was a 79 with four birdies and a lengthy par-saving putt on the final hole, so it probably could have been worse. I heard a guy on the ASU Karsten Course putting green today say before he went out to play, I just want to play as well as Tiger did yesterday. One mans 79 is another mans career low. Joe Passov, senior editor, courses and travel, Golf Magazine (@joepassov): Its certainly bizarre, but hardly unprecedented. Remember that 37-45--82 that Nicklaus shot in the final round at Pebble one year during his prime? Im not ready to overreact just yet. Jeff Ritter, senior producer, Sports Illustrated Golf Group (@Jeff_Ritter): Its offseason rust -- but its concerning that he came into this event rusty. Still plenty of time to get it together for Augusta, but you cant completely overlook the contrast between last years win and this weeks dud. Mike Walker, assistant managing editor, Golf (@michaelwalkerjr): Definitely cause for concern. This wasnt Muirfield in gale-force winds; Torrey Pines is supposed to be Tigers happy place. Even if its just rust, his limited playing schedule doesnt give him much time to shake it off, especially if he has another early exit from the Match Play. Michael Bamberger, senior writer, Sports Illustrated: Im certainly not concerned about Tiger Woods shooting 79 in his first Tour event of the year. I have other things to worry about. Josh Sens, contributing writer, Golf Magazine (@JoshSens): I wouldnt go pushing the panic button or flashing the Bat signal in the sky. But I also wouldnt chalk it up entirely to rust. The guy took a little time off, but you can bet he was still practicing. Its not like Boba Fett had him frozen in carbonite or anything. And do we get bonus points for two entirely unrelated pop culture references in a single answer? 2. There was talk about the rough being too thick at Torrey Pines this week with the implication that it led to Phil Mickelson wrenching his back and Tigers early exit. Is that a valid point? Why or why not? BAMBERGER: Rough? On a course set up for the best players in the world? I am shocked. SENS: Pardon me while I lay down the worlds tiniest violin. Sorry. No sympathy here. Tiger missed the cut because he played terribly all around. He didnt just hit wayward drives. He flubbed chips; missed putts. Phils injury is a bummer and you hate to see it happen to anyone, but injuries are part of the game and, last I checked, the vast majority of the field walked away from Torrey unhurt. MORFIT: Amazing how they got the rough so thick despite the drought in California, but Im told Phil was actually sore even before he got here. I think the tournament committee did feel that the course was maybe playing a little overly hard. I say that because they moved the tee up so far on the par-3 third, from 200 yards on the card to 138. Charley Hoffman aced it. Erik Compton nearly aced it. It was like a gift to the players. RITTER: Not sure I buy the concept of Danger Rough. Guys have three days of practice rounds to test the rough. Its a shame Phil had to WD, but its not the superintendents fault. VAN SICKLE: We went through this a few years back when every stop on the Florida swing tried to recreate the U.S. Open. All it did was drive players away. Even Arnold Palmer finally caved and toned it down at Bay Hill when his field started to lack some star power. Remember, the PGA Tour is a recruiting war in which every regular Tour stop is competing against every other Tour stop in an attempt to draw the biggest names. If your tournament has ridiculous, no-fun rough and brick greens, its easy to scratch it off the schedule if youre a top player. WALKER: Its never good when a regular Tour stop gets compared to the U.S. Open, especially one so early in calendar. PASSOV: While attractive, Torrey is enough of a slog under normal conditions that theres no need to embellish it further with a veil of thick rough. I get it if its the U.S. Open. For the Farmers, wholly unnecessary. Im not going link dense rough alone as the cause of Tiger and Phils ills, but it sure didnt help matters.
Posted on: Mon, 27 Jan 2014 19:51:20 +0000