“Debate” shows ruined sports shows for me. I can’t watch any of them anymore.

I used to keep ESPN on constantly. Now, I don’t watch it unless a live event is on.
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They went to those because they had so many hours to fill, running Sportscenter for 8 hours wasn't drawing all that much.
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They clearly do it for a reason.

It’s not for me though.
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The Sports Reporters used to be my absolute favorite show to watch: Schaap, Lupica, Wilbon, Ryan, and Albom. That show was really, really good, even when Whitlock was on it.

But they've definitely morphed into something very different as shock television and it's exhausting.
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They do it because it's cheap. Stick a person or two in front of a camera and hope you can get enough viewers to sell advertising.

It's the same phenomenon as reality TV shows. They're cheap, non-nutrititious filler.
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Originally Posted by smithandrew051:
I have a suspicion that Skip is actually a really smart guy who found a way to make a hell of a living by pissing people off and creating controversy where it wouldn’t exist otherwise.

He probably laughs at people getting bent out of shape over his takes. He’s probably believed very little of what he’s said over the years.

Probably would’ve made a great heel manager in pro wrestling.

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There's a big market these days for spreading misinformation, and it makes me curious. Is there a natural hunger for people to hear different perspectives? Do people want to feel special for "knowing" something that is not the mainstream knowledge?

Any argument that Patrick Mahomes is not the greatest quarterback in NFL history is very akin to arguments that the moon landing was faked or that [insert your own political stuff here]. They're arguments that are ludicrous and that go against any and all common sense, but people will embrace them. I've never made the connection that this is true for sports talk as well as other elements of life.
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You’ve got to remember that these are just simple farmers. These are people of the land. The common clay of the new West. You know… morons.
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To be fair the majority of the MSM spread disinformation... Has for 100's of years.

Its only now that when they are challenged by independent media that its a issue.
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They don't want to feel special as much as they just want to feel informed.

With something that makes sense, instead of the mainstream BS that only complete and utter fools believe is true.
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Yeah, I think the ideal is that the media is a bringer of information, but it's always going to be filtered through the lens of the people bringing the information.

The democratization of media theoretically is an improvement, but only on the basis of one key assumption: that we can see a variety of media through the producers' different lenses and craft together the truth by doing so. That's proven to be a difficult thing because we as the audience also view reality through our own lens. So we favor the media that matches our predispositions.

As for myself, I can vet a media source by asking if they think that Patrick Mahomes II is the best quarterback in NFL history. If they immediately answer yes, then I can trust them. If they hesitate for even the slightest moment, they become questionable.
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Are you kidding me? Not only is it natural, it completely defines millions of people. Their entire self esteem construct is built around the principle that they know things that the common "sheep" does not.

Humans have the need to understand everything around them. When they don't understand something, they make it up or find something that fits within their world view.

Conspiracists are entirely self esteem based. They're often people with sensitive egos who need SOMETHING to make them feel smarter and more special than everyone else. They need their place in this world, and self-righteous reassurance does wonders for confidence.

See: BlackOps, TaQo John.....any of the conspiritards, really.
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To be completely fair,

People who don't believe in any conspiracy are fucking stupid. Governments are put in charge of all the people. Thinking the government bats 100% all the time is a strong stance. I have children (4) that I am in charge of, and I lie to those fucking kids all the time.
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He isn't, he has the potential to be. But he needs rings..... In my eyes he needs at least 5 rings to have an argument for GOAT.

Being the most talented QB we have ever seen isn't same as being the Greatest of All Time.
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The Jesuits thank you for being so blind. Buy some more stuff off of WayFair and keep the exploitation machine running you godless heathen.
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