Is ESPN Losing the Sports Broadcasting War?

ESPN set a new standard for sports broadcasting way back in the day as they got in on the ground floor of the cable tv boom in the late seventies. They provided something, which was 24-7 sports that nobody thought would succeed and there was a niche for that proving the people who weren't believers wrong. In fact, it has way outgrew it's "niche" to become a full fledged genre. But, there are dark clouds on the ESPN horizon. FS1 CBS Sports and the NFL Channel and the MLB Channel are making ESPN work to keep it's spot atop the heap. Here in the last few years the Mothership has lost some of it's most high profile stars to other networks. Colin Cowherd has gone to fox, Rich Eisen to the NFL Network, Several ex-ESPN'ers are at the NFL Network now. ESPN fired Bill Simmons for his general demeanor toward ESPN and for some criticism of Roger Goodell. Long time ESPN SportsCenter host Dan Patrick was given the boot and many others. It has literally been years since I've sat down and watched SportsCenter. I don't have to put up with 10 minutes of sports I don't care about to get to the scores and info I want on SportsCenter when I can just look it up online. ESPN still has the best talk shows with Mike and Mike and First Take among the best but First take will change dramatically when the man everyone loves to hate, Skip Bayless, leaves ESPN in August. It's not just male reporters who have bailed on ESPN. Erin Andrews left and she's a mainstay on Fox Sports events. Or Robin Roberts who, amidst her battle with cancer, was and is co-host of Good Morning America. Every business loses talent and other companies try to poach that talent and that is why some of the other networks like FS1 are pushing ESPN. The thing about ESPN is they have expanded and stretched their boundaries. They broadcast every major sport and are involved in everything to do with sports. They will not be dethroned. But, they are not what they once were. There's no Chris Berman, I'm talking about the young Boomer who had fun with his "back,back,back...gone!","he - could - go - all - the - way!" and his funny nicknames for baseball players that made him seem like one of the guys not the blowhard, egotistical schmuck he's become. There's no Bob Ley or Charlie Steiner or even a "cool as the other side of the pillow" Stuart Scott. SportsCenter isn't even the marquee show on the network. That would go to the talk shows and their excellent documentary shows 30 for 30 or E:60. Both shows made in the early days with input by Bill Simmons. Where they have fallen is their SportsCenter shows and, in particular, the NFL Sunday Countdown Show. Chris Berman and Tom Jackson hosted the show forever but it's an old and tired show. In comparison to the NFL Gameday Show on the NFL Network, Fox Sports Pre-game and CBS Sports pre game show ESPN is the worst of the lot. I used to watch the NFL game day highlights on ESPN on Sunday evening religiously but now I prefer the highlights on NFL Game Night in America on NBC even though I have always thought that Bob Costas was a little annoying. I like the legacy of ESPN but I also think they are a little too big for their britches. I guess I am saying in the final analysis that ESPN is still the standard bearer for Sports TV but they ain't what they used to be and it's kind of a shame.