{"id":7553,"date":"2024-09-17T19:54:44","date_gmt":"2024-09-17T19:54:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usdailys.com\/?p=7553"},"modified":"2024-09-17T19:54:44","modified_gmt":"2024-09-17T19:54:44","slug":"espn-turned-falcons-eagles-into-never-ending-jason-kelce-show","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usdailys.com\/?p=7553","title":{"rendered":"ESPN Turned Falcons-Eagles Into Never-Ending \u2018Jason Kelce Show\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"
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ESPN\u2019s use of the former Philadelphia center during \u2018Monday Night Football\u2019 was over-the-top and unnecessary.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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1.\u00a0<\/strong>Can we just watch the game, please?<\/p>\n

Let me be clear about something right off the bat: This is not about Jason Kelce, Joe Buck or Troy Aikman. This is about whoever made the decisions for last night\u2019s Falcons-Eagles game on ESPN.<\/p>\n

Let me repeat this because Kelce is one of those people who if you ever say anything negative about him, the mob will come after you in a big way: This is not about Kelce, Buck or Aikman.<\/p>\n

The network was clearly on a mission to give viewers as much Kelce as humanly possible Monday. The future Hall of Famer just retired, and he was already back in Philadelphia for\u00a0Monday Night Football<\/em>, so ESPN figured this was the perfect time to put the spotlight on its newest\u00a0Monday Night Countdown<\/em>\u00a0hire.<\/p>\n

Now, I don\u2019t really care what ESPN or any network does in their pregame show because I don\u2019t\u00a0have to<\/em>\u00a0watch those. So, if ESPN wants to give you three hours of Kelce, good for them. Knock yourselves out.<\/p>\n

But when it comes to the game telecast, it would be nice if someone in charge thought of the viewers.<\/p>\n

Like I said already, can we just watch the game, please?<\/p>\n

For most of the second half last night, instead of the Falcons-Eagles game we got an episode of the\u00a0New Heights<\/em>\u00a0podcast with Buck and Aikman filling in for Travis Kelce.<\/p>\n

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You know the line in \u201cDon\u2019t Stop Believin\u2019\u201d?\u00a0Oh, the movie never ends, it goes on and on and on.<\/em>\u00a0That was Kelce\u2019s appearance in the booth with Buck and Aikman.<\/p>\n

I can\u2019t imagine what a Falcons fan must have thought of that second half when their team was completely ignored before pulling off a stunning comeback.<\/p>\n

If you read this column regularly or listen to\u00a0the\u00a0SI Media With Jimmy Traina<\/em>\u00a0podcast<\/a>, you know that my No. 1 rule for all broadcasters is\u00a0don\u2019t annoy me<\/em>. I was highly annoyed last night.<\/p>\n

And it wasn\u2019t just me. X, (formerly Twitter) lit up with viewers complaining about the ESPN broadcast. But as I said\u00a0in Monday\u2019s Traina Thoughts when I wrote about Tony Romo<\/a>, it\u2019s not always best to judge something by Twitter reaction.<\/p>\n

So, here\u2019s how I know things were bad for ESPN. I got texts from six different people in and out of the business last night complaining about the\u00a0Jason Kelce Show<\/em>.<\/p>\n

From someone in the sports media business: \u201cF— the Eagles and f— ESPN. F—— home team broadcast? I\u2019ve never seen anything like this.\u201d<\/p>\n

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From a former NFL player-turned-media member: \u201cI am a huge Jason Kelce fan. His Amazon documentary is amazing. I\u2019m Kelce\u2019d out. Tonight was outrageous.\u201d<\/p>\n

From someone in sports TV: \u201cDude, Jason Kelce. How the hell is ESPN letting this go on for so long? I couldn\u2019t take it anymore. I had to put on the\u00a0ManningCast<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n

Kyle Brandt on today\u2019s\u00a0Good Morning Football<\/em>: \u201cThe E in ESPN stood for \u2018Eagles\u2019 last night.\u201d<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s my colleague and SI NFL senior editor, Mitch Goldich, WHO IS AN EAGLES FAN:<\/p>\n

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