As the NFL season approaches, ESPN has cut some old Countdown faces and added new voices to their programming. The Mothership completely ousted Ray Lewis and Cris Carter while retaining Mike Ditka, but removing him from Countdown. Matt Hasslebeck, Randy Moss, and my man and former Raider great Charles Woodson will fill out Countdown. Trent Dilfer may also be out of ESPN though nothing has been officially reported yet. Either way the purging in Bristol continues almost everyday.
I have to say these acquisitions are upgrades over the last incarnation of the program. Ditka is uninteresting or uninsightful. Hasslebeck has been talked up over the years as a sharp guy. I expect his long career as a back-up and franchise player to bring a modern perspective the show has needed for a while. I’m sure people still want Berman and Tom Jackson out of Countdown. Wingo is the man, but there is still a bit of magic and nostalgia when I see those two together. They have a distinct chemistry that takes years of working together and a bit of luck. It’s kinda like the Spurs. Surround the old fading guys with new fresh talent. They keep the ship up but the old anchors bring the experience I like in key moments. I’m sure they and ESPN know Woodson, Moss, and Hasslebeck will carry the weight and bring a modern perspective to Countdown.
Hasslebeck recently backed-up Andrew Luck which should bring unequaled insight to his development as a player and the Colts organization. Their GM Ryan Grigson sucks. He’s only employed thanks to Andrew Luck, not even Al Davis couldn’t fuck that up, and his boss happens to be Jim Irsay. Not a man or family known for making good decisions. Hasslebeck also helped take the Seahawks to their first Super Bowl and once backed up Brett Farve. He should bring an intelligent take on many situations that will arise each NFL season. I look forward to seeing if he can separate himself from other former-commenting-players on TV.
The other two analysts seem more unknown but have retired more recently from the NFL. Maybe they can offer more contemporary opinions. Moss was at Fox for a few years but I saw him maybe once on air. I’d bet most of America never saw him on Fox. This will definitely raise his public profile. Woodson is a complete mystery however. Just retired from the league, I biasedly expect him to be good eventually but it may take the season for him to learn and feel out his new job. Over the next few seasons I expect my Raiders to start competing for the playoffs and hopefully someday contend for a deep run. It seems unlikely now but many of the key pieces are in place with Derek Carr, Khalil Mack, Amari Cooper, a strong offensive line, and a developing defense. As the team grows and gains success Woodson’s relationship with the team may help him on Countdown.
I like these new hirings for ESPN. They’ve been taking a beating, rightfully so, for cutting and losing former employees. These changes were smart and probably cheaper. It’s not clear what lead the Mothership to dropping Carter and Lewis. Their contracts may be up. ESPN usually extends contracts before the last year is up according to Dan Patrick. If you check in after his interview with Mike Tirico he mentions this practice. Perhaps they planned on letting Lewis and Carter go for cheaper replacements. They certainly have excuses for letting each of them walk. Lewis was never great. He ended up relying on cliches and couldn’t give viewers insights on the game like a Cris Collinsworth. I don’t remember a time where he pointed out a nuance in a game that we as the viewer could never see without a solid analyst. Carter was far better than Lewis but he’s definitely replaceable. The fall guy comment with Warren Sapp doesn’t help either. He might get a job elsewhere. As NFL Memes said, R.I.P. C’mon Man.
Disaesthetic 