SportsCenter

The Uncouth Sloth stated not too long ago that ESPN's SportsCenter has jumped the shark, and I just wanted to weigh in on a couple of things SportsCenter related.

SportsCenter used to be routine. Watch SportsCenter for an hour in the mornings, and then, if there's time, watch the news.

Maybe part of it is that I'm growing up. Maybe part of it is that I'll listen to Tony Kornheiser, Dan Patrick or Jim Rome over the course of the day, and they'll get any need for discussion out of my system. And maybe part of it is that I find hockey, and now, basketball, virtually unwatchable....and even during baseball season, baseball doesn't seem to be a priority on SportsCenter, so usually a baseball story during the offseason, any news is buried 37 minutes in.

Occasionally, though, I'll still watch. Just to know what's going on in the sports world.

But I'll agree with the Sloth....it was a slow process...but SportsCenter jumped the shark a while back.

In my mind, the best time on SportsCenter were the Dan Patrick/Keith Olbermann days....because these were two guys who were interested more in reporting sports in a somewhat intelligent manner, being a little funny while they're at it, but definitely not making themselves the center of attention. But they had catch phrases. "En Fuego," for Dan and "Guh!" whenever a pass was muffed from Olbermann.

But then it got out of hand. That was the first thing that started turning me off of SportsCenter. We couldn't just talk about sports and reports sports. All the anchors had to have their little hooks and catchphrases. And suddenly, the catchphrases seemed to become the point. You couldn't watch Stuart Scott without hearing "Booyah" or "Cooler than the Other Side of the Pillow."

And then there's Kenny Mayne. Who seems less interested in reporting results and making insights than he is attempting a weird, aloof, Bill Murray-type character. It's like he only wants to make fun of something, and scream "Bring Me the Finest Meats and Cheeses."

Yeah. Kenny Mayne's a big reason I stopped watching SportsCenter religiously.

Another big reason: We apparently can't have discussion without having arguments. I like Dan Patrick's interviews, and how he'll occasionally ask a question that rubs his subject the wrong way, but not for the sake of irritating the guest. He does it to get the answer he's looking for.

But apparently, the producers think we like the dischord....so they intentionally create it.

The segment between John Clayton and Sean "Battlebots" Salisbury, where they argue over football, call each other names and generally just attempt for five minutes to talk louder than the other, doesn't do a whole lot for me. If I wanted to watch a couple of sports dorks argue loudly, I'd end up at Wild Wings more often than I do.

And then there's that pointless segment early in the week with Nick Bokay and his wife, where they go over who covered the spread and who didn't between them over the course of the NFL weekend.

I say pointless, and that's not true. Who covered their point spread and who didn't over the course of the weekend is important to some fans...but spending five minutes in the most loud and obnoxious way, flashing dollar signs in the eyes of Nick Bokay and screaming about it.

This is not to say there aren't bright spots on SportsCenter. Robin Roberts, when she's not doing Good Morning America, does a fine job whenever she hosts. Trey Wingo doesn't do badly, either.

But there's just too much going on on SportsCenter now. My low primate brain's sensibilities just can't appreciate it anymore.

I'm old before my time. Just call me curmudgeon in training.