NFL 2018: From the Draft to the Super Bowl

[Headhunter]

I'm not sure where this newfound admiration for Screamin A came from. Every one of us would annihilate him in a sports discussion.

Guys a knob with a somehow successful shtick that has nothing to do with sports knowledge. Makes no sense.

Sure it does. He's engaging and entertaining.

[Headhunter]

In some ways, he's more knowledgeable than any of us could ever be as he has personal relationships with a lot of the athletes. That isn't an accident.

[Jason]

You are giving him way too much credit. lol.

[Headhunter]

Not at all. He's the face of ESPN.

[Jason]

What an accomplishment.

[Headhunter]

It really is, as they have a near-monopoly on sports coverage, one of the biggest entertainment industries out there.

[Jason]

Sure. And they employ plenty of people who don't know what the fuck they're talking about. Deion Sanders is a former defensive back and current professional sports analyst. He doesn't even know who Kevin Byard is. A fellow DB. One of the best safeties in all of football.



Oops. lol. It's gonna take a lot to convince me some dork who reads sports opinion pieces from a teleprompter is some genius. Deion outed himself and the entire cast of sports analysts employed everywhere with that statement.

[Headhunter]

Deion Sanders doesn't work for ESPN, let alone have any place at the top of its food chain.

It should be noted that knowing every player doesn't make a person interesting to listen to. Good luck marketing your encyclopedic sports knowledge in any meaningful way, pretty sure Stump the Schwab has been off the air for quite some time.

[Headhunter]

If you think Stephen A. reads from a teleprompter, you've clearly never heard him speak as there isn't a teleprompter in existence that can keep up with him...

[Jason]

So this an entertainment thing.

[Jason]

Deion Sanders doesn't work for ESPN, let alone have any place at the top of its food chain.

It should be noted that knowing every player doesn't make a person interesting to listen to. Good luck marketing your encyclopedic sports knowledge in any meaningful way, pretty sure Stump the Schwab has been off the air for quite some time.

I'm actually debating creating a youtube channel where I spout off random shit for 9 minutes. One vid could be about in-depth character development in F 13. Another could be why Coke is so delicious.

[Jason]

If you think Stephen A. reads from a teleprompter, you've clearly never heard him speak as there isn't a teleprompter in existence that can keep up with him...

You don't think he rehearses his own talking points with Skeeyip or Max Kellerman?

Even if he does do everything off the cuff, I would gladly sit down with him on air and talk sports with zero fear of his entertaining yelling.

[Headhunter]

So this an entertainment thing.

What else is it? It's media. TV, radio, podcasts.

If you're in sports media, you need to be exceptional at one of two things. Creating interesting narratives that will get people talking and debating, or having an advanced understanding of schematics that people will tune into to learn the game from. And being in the second group is not very profitable, because that's not what people actually want. People in the second group might end up in the first group's research department when a radio host needs to throw in an interesting stat to back an argument.

[Headhunter]

Deion Sanders doesn't work for ESPN, let alone have any place at the top of its food chain.

It should be noted that knowing every player doesn't make a person interesting to listen to. Good luck marketing your encyclopedic sports knowledge in any meaningful way, pretty sure Stump the Schwab has been off the air for quite some time.

I'm actually debating creating a youtube channel where I spout off random shit for 9 minutes. One vid could be about in-depth character development in F 13. Another could be why Coke is so delicious.

Do it. You will come to appreciate how challenging it is to sell yourself to a wide audience. See if there's something there.

[Headhunter]

If you think Stephen A. reads from a teleprompter, you've clearly never heard him speak as there isn't a teleprompter in existence that can keep up with him...

You don't think he rehearses his own talking points with Skeeyip or Max Kellerman?

Even if he does do everything off the cuff, I would gladly sit down with him on air and talk sports with zero fear of his entertaining yelling.

From things I've read, Stephen A. is as off the cuff as it gets. He used to frustrate Skip because Skip (dweeb that he is) would meticulously prepare notes for every show and spend hours working on his arguments. Stephen A. would come srolling in to the set late, ready to go and trying to shoot the shit with Skip. He is a naturally gifted orator.

[Jason]

Deion Sanders doesn't work for ESPN, let alone have any place at the top of its food chain.

It should be noted that knowing every player doesn't make a person interesting to listen to. Good luck marketing your encyclopedic sports knowledge in any meaningful way, pretty sure Stump the Schwab has been off the air for quite some time.

I'm actually debating creating a youtube channel where I spout off random shit for 9 minutes. One vid could be about in-depth character development in F 13. Another could be why Coke is so delicious.

Do it. You will come to appreciate how challenging it is to sell yourself to a wide audience. See if there's something there.

The difference is the exposure. I am responsible for every piece of what you see. I don't have a platform like ESPN. Screamin has his core followers, but imagine if he quit ESPN to and just posted twitter or youtube videos.

Drastic decrease in popularity.

[Headhunter]

Deion Sanders doesn't work for ESPN, let alone have any place at the top of its food chain.

It should be noted that knowing every player doesn't make a person interesting to listen to. Good luck marketing your encyclopedic sports knowledge in any meaningful way, pretty sure Stump the Schwab has been off the air for quite some time.

I'm actually debating creating a youtube channel where I spout off random shit for 9 minutes. One vid could be about in-depth character development in F 13. Another could be why Coke is so delicious.

Do it. You will come to appreciate how challenging it is to sell yourself to a wide audience. See if there's something there.

The difference is the exposure. I am responsible for every piece of what you see. I don't have a platform like ESPN. Screamin has his core followers, but imagine if he quit ESPN to and just posted twitter or youtube videos.

Drastic decrease in popularity.

He built that brand over time because of his talent. He is not a famous athlete, he was a nobody at some point who impressed his way to getting paid seven figures a year. Talent does not go unrecognized. You have to be able to sell yourself too, but that goes hand-in-hand with the skills we're talking about.

[Jason]

So this an entertainment thing.

What else is it? It's media. TV, radio, podcasts.

If you're in sports media, you need to be exceptional at one of two things. Creating interesting narratives that will get people talking and debating, or having an advanced understanding of schematics that people will tune into to learn the game from. And being in the second group is not very profitable, because that's not what people actually want. People in the second group might end up in the first group's research department when a radio host needs to throw in an interesting stat to back an argument.

I thought you were convinced he was some sports genius. But if you're going to make the claim that he could clown any of us in a sports discussion no matter how knowledgeable we are is pretty silly.

P. sure we are all good at both options. The narrative and the knowledge. I have been FAR more entertained from the narratives we pull out of our asses than the greatest of the greatest narrative Screamin' A has ever pulled from his.

[Jason]

Deion Sanders doesn't work for ESPN, let alone have any place at the top of its food chain.

It should be noted that knowing every player doesn't make a person interesting to listen to. Good luck marketing your encyclopedic sports knowledge in any meaningful way, pretty sure Stump the Schwab has been off the air for quite some time.

I'm actually debating creating a youtube channel where I spout off random shit for 9 minutes. One vid could be about in-depth character development in F 13. Another could be why Coke is so delicious.

Do it. You will come to appreciate how challenging it is to sell yourself to a wide audience. See if there's something there.

The difference is the exposure. I am responsible for every piece of what you see. I don't have a platform like ESPN. Screamin has his core followers, but imagine if he quit ESPN to and just posted twitter or youtube videos.

Drastic decrease in popularity.

He built that brand over time because of his talent. He is not a famous athlete, he was a nobody at some point who impressed his way to getting paid seven figures a year. Talent does not go unrecognized. You have to be able to sell yourself too, but that goes hand-in-hand with the skills we're talking about.

But you have the exact opposite opinion of Skip. lol. Could easily be argued that Skip is more knowledgeable and entertaining! After all, the two of them argued with each other like dinguses for years so they're at least on the same level. Skip makes more money (I believe) and has seen no drop in success with Shannon on the opposite end of the table instead...

[Foo]

Stephen A Smith built his reputation on insider information from prominent black athletes in Philadelphia who received critical treatment from the mainstream media there. Iverson, McNabb, etc. would frequently give him access and exclusives and he was usually their biggest defender in return.