ESPN should stick to games

Over the past six months, sports fans have seen their favorite channel go through some major overhauls. Some of the new programs on ESPN have been for the better and others have been downright awful. The key to success for the network, though, is to stick to what they know -- and that is showing sports.\nAn onslaught of original programming has swept their airwaves. "Pardon the Interruption" and "Unscripted" are shows that go against everything that ESPN used to stand for -- objectively showing and reporting sporting events and news. While the shows are entertaining and occasionally insightful, they do not relay the kind of fair journalism that they have produced since first going on the air in 1979.\nThen came the disastrous attempt at a movie. "A Season on the Brink" was proof that not anyone with a few editing machines can put together a quality motion picture. Aside from the quality of the story and script, which is debatable, the production was simply awful. From poor lighting to bad acting to inserting actual game clips, there was nothing good about the way this movie was made.\nPerhaps ESPN is trying to become a more well-rounded network. It is trying to add some color to the bland objectivity it has used in the past. Now there is more commentary, feature shows (examples include "Sidelines" and "The Life"), and even an attempt at comedy, with Jay Mohr's new talk show, "Mohr Sports."\nWhat the network is forgetting, though, is that it already has plenty of action, drama and entertainment -- the games themselves. For years, ESPN has brilliantly brought college basketball and football, Major League Baseball and the National Hockey League into our homes every night. These games are full of all of the elements -- down to the wire finishes, upsets and spectacular athletic accomplishments -- that the network is searching for with this new programming. \nWith that in mind, ESPN should be applauded for some of the other programming decisions it has recently made. For this baseball season, it added two more games during the week -- Monday nights and Wednesday afternoons. ESPN is also a part of ABC's new contract with the NBA, and will show regular season and playoff games beginning next year.\nThese are the programs that made the network what it is today. These are the programs that sports fans want to see.\n ESPN has spent years building a wonderful reputation as a provider of thorough sports programming and analysis. Its employees are respected because they are both knowledgeable and charismatic. The network is only hurting its image by allowing people like Jay Mohr onto its airwaves to mock and insult the events and people they are trying to promote the rest of the day.\n Sports are wonderful because they encompass all of the aspects of a program that other networks try so hard to capture. Why would ESPN not want to take full advantage of the assets it already has?