What are the positives and negatives of “hot take” sports debate shows? Why are they so popular with both sports network executives and audiences? Finally, what’s your take on “hot take” shows? Do you like or dislike them and why? Includes specific examples (ex: shows, hosts) to back up your arguments.
Matthew Miller
ReplyDeleteThere are both positives and negatives when it comes to "hot take" sports debate shows. Sports debate shows are ruining media coverage. The show's producers deliberately choose the hosts of the debate shows. The producers will choose people who have big personalities and can make something out of nothing. The key to having a good sports debate show is having people with good personalities debating.
People tend to base their opinions on something based on what they see or hear. The talk shows are good because they "…help viewers become more informed and often times are designed to assist viewers with forming their own opinions on certain subjects." (Odell 2021). "hot takes" are so popular with both sports network executives and audiences because of the constant banter back and forth between the two hosts of a show. Shannon Sharpe and Skip Bayless host the show "Undisputed." This show is on FS1, and Bayless and Sharpe are getting paid good money to do the show. It must be noted that "FS1 is seeing growth, but the growth may not be worth the price." (Brown 2018). Other personalities can bring in revenue for these companies, but the trade-off with paying Skip Bayless a lot of money is that he brings many viewers, so FS1 is reaping the benefits of having him host the show.
Some successful sports take shows are hosted by former athletes. An example of this is the Pat McAfee show which is a sports talk show hosted by McAfee and constantly features current athletes where they can give their opinion on things without being penalized by their individual leagues. In the past, for athletes to speak freely, "they would write a tell-all book, do a sit-down interview, maybe phone in to a radio show." (Hsu 2021). These talk shows and sports debate shows have allowed athletes more mobility when it comes to saying what they want without facing consequences.
To be honest, I do not necessarily hate nor love "hot take" sports debate shows. I will listen to them occasionally, but I am not one to watch a particular show every day that it is on. I would prefer to interpret things the way I see them, not how the individuals on a debate show see them. Sometimes these shows have special guests and depending on the guest; I will be more inclined to watch the show. One sports personality that I am not a fan of is Skip Bayless. I think that his takes are outrageous, and he frequently hates on athletes. He constantly hates on LeBron James no matter what he does. LeBron can make the game's best play, and Skip will still find a way to criticize it. One sports personality that I like is Stephen A Smith. I like Stephen A Smith because he is honest with his takes and does not hold back. In order to be a good sports debate show, the hosts must be able to be honest, and not favor their favorite team.
Works CIted
Brown, M. (2018, May 10). FS1, 'undisputed' ratings up, but are Skip Bayless and Colin Cowherd worth it? Forbes. Retrieved February 27, 2022, from https://www.forbes.com/sites/maurybrown/2018/05/10/fs1-undisputed-ratings-up-but-are-skip-bayless-and-colin-cowherd-worth-it/?sh=33d97441203a
Hsu, H. (2021, March 25). The rise of the athlete podcaster. The New Yorker. Retrieved February 27, 2022, from https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2021/04/05/the-rise-of-the-athlete-podcaster
Odell, G. (2021, November 4). The biggest issue with the hot take. Medium. Retrieved February 27, 2022, from https://medium.com/@godell689/the-biggest-issue-with-the-hot-take-e0511f05ac7b
Shannon Goria
ReplyDelete“Hot take” sports debate shows are on the rise, with many sports viewers finding them much more entertaining than just sports stats and figures. Many sports fans love the gossip and personal stories of professional athletes with Odell proclaiming that “Fans do love the dramatics… drama sells” (Odell, 2021). A hot take can be described as a “quickly produced, strongly worded, and often deliberately provocative or sensational opinion or reaction” often found on debate shows of sports platforms that tend to talk about the same topics (Odell, 2021). Although hot takes generally discuss similar topics, they are all still very entertaining as each of them are aired by different personalities who try and manipulate the engagement of their viewers in order to pursue the entertainment side of sports as a business.
Some of the positives of “hot take” sports debates include the fact that they do sell and that many sports viewers are more likely to watch these debates rather than just updates on sports stats and game outcomes. Slater discusses that there is nothing inherently wrong with hot takes, especially when reported by an individual such as Stephen A. Smith who makes it known that he is solely there as an entertainer and makes his comments for the main purpose of having fun and to make the audience laugh (Slater, 2021). And although media companies and entertainment companies in general do tend to be a competitive space, with sports personalities proving to be entertaining and drive up the ratings while also giving people a place to share their opinions, I believe the negatives outweigh the positives.
First of all, “hot takes” make for poor analysis and even worse than this is that they “ruin the fun and dehumanize players” (Slater, 2021). Many of the athletes being dehumanized are young and listen or read about the mean words that are said about them. And at the end of the day, no matter how great of a player they are, they are only human. And words can hurt… a lot. Not only this, but negativity can hurt fans who look up to these athletes as role models and heroes as these harmful reporting can make them seem like horrible people. Slater states that “toxicity spreads” and that he has a friend who is “obsessive in his admiration of LeBron James” but that the “hot takes and the character assessments that come with them have ruined his fan experience” as now he is so “stressed about people trying to knock down his hero” (Slater, 2021). Another example of the detriment to “hot takes” includes Skip Bayless’ comment on the Dallas Cowboys star Day Prescott after he had opened up about his mental health struggles brought on by COVID-19 and the recent death of his brother. Bayless was ruthless and simply cold and careless in saying that he has no “sympathy for him going public for being depressed” since he is the quarterback of America’s team (Slater, 2021). This received a great deal of backlash as COVID-19 and the mental health struggles that came along with it was not something the public found funny or something that should be joked around with.
Shannon Goria (Continued)
ReplyDeleteIn addition, “hot takes” take away from the truth just to make for a more entertaining story. These toxic opinions misshape reality which is why Derek Jeter launched thee “Player’s Tribune” which is a site that works to help athletes tell their side of the story (Hsu, 2021). These stories are enticing as they share the honest truth from the athletes side of view without alterations. These stories also help in showing how these professional athletes are also just normal, regular people who go through their own struggles just like anyone else. An example of this pertains to the NBA’s All-Star forward Kevin Love who wrote about his struggles with depression and self-doubt which helped show fans that he is someone they can relate to.
I do not like “hot takes” because they take away from the truth and the true beauty of sports. So many sports announcers and “hot take” debates try to sell their point of view for entertainment purposes when at the end of the day no one is ever going to be 100% correct. Sports should be shown for what they are, competitive games played by talented players. Toxic stories should not be what is mostly televised, rather phenomenal plays or performances should be shown, as professional athletes nowadays are reaching new and incredible heights in the sports world!
Works Cited
Hsu, H. (2021, March 25). The rise of the athlete podcaster. The New Yorker. Retrieved February 28, 2022, from https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2021/04/05/the-rise-of-the-athlete-podcaster
Odell, G. (2021, November 4). The biggest issue with the hot take. Medium. Retrieved February 28, 2022, from https://medium.com/@godell689/the-biggest-issue-with-the-hot-take-e0511f05ac7b
Slater, W. (2021). Exploring when hot takes become character attacks in sports media. The Wesleyan Argus. Retrieved February 28, 2022, from http://wesleyanargus.com/2021/03/18/exploring-when-hot-takes-become-character-attacks-in-sports-media/
Joey O’Donoghue:
ReplyDelete“Hot take” sports debate shows have become incredibly popular between both sports network executives and audiences. The main reason that shows of this style attract a plethora of viewers is because over time, their goal has changed to where gaining viewers is their sole goal. According to Michael Serazio in The Power of Sports, “That staged spectacle of gladiatorial debate, with provocation and polarization as outright aim rather than enlightenment” (Serazio, p.126, 2019). With that said, it is evident that sports debate style shows incorporate segments and frame the debate mostly in efforts to evoke emotion into people. Certain sports analysts, namely Skip Bayless and Stephen A. Smith (who happens to be the most popular), will say the most bizarre of opinions or utilize certain mannerisms that people do not agree with, but they talk about and it starts trending. As the saying goes, all publicity is good publicity, and sports debate style shows have encompassed this montra and gained mass viewership. They are also popular with executives. “They’re easy to produce- I mean all you need is a couple of guys with opinions” (Serazio, p. 135, 2019). Evidently, these shows are cheap and easy to produce. And, they are entertaining and at times very lucrative. As a result, they have become very popular for both sports network executives and audiences.
One positive of “hot take” sports debate shows is it allows viewers insight on sports from experts and former athletes that they could not possibly receive without television. According to an article by Dallas Jackson, “Viewers can appreciate the wealth of their knowledge and ability” (Jackson, 2019). Here, he is referring to ESPN’s “Pardon the Interruption”, where each analyst has forty years of experience. Since sports journalists have dedicated decades of their lives covering sports, and in certain cases playing sports (like Shannon Sharpre, Jalen Rose, etc.), they have valuable information and insight to offer to the fans watching at home, particularly of a younger generation. This is positive and allows debate style shows to be informative. However, this has become less of the case as of recently. A negative of sports debate style shows is they are now straying from the facts, which I alluded to earlier, and focusing more on what segments will provide drama and entertainment. According to an article by Gavin Odell, “It seems as if sports media wants to phase out overly-intelligent sports opinions because it doesn’t garner as much attention and replace it with abrasive, arrogant, polarizing commentary” (Odell, 2021). It has become increasingly clear that sports shows have acquired more absurd “hot takes” that the analysts appear to be adamant and debate passionately about. However, the reality is a lot of the debate is either scripted or a ploy to attract viewership. The analysts may not be as adamant as they appear, and this method has worked in gaining viewers. But, this focus has strayed fans from the facts and lost sight of things that should be appreciated in sports. The greatness of Lebron James is mocked by Skip Bayless every day, no matter what Lebron does to prove he is the G.O.A.T., he is criticized by Skip. These shows take away from the masterful play that we are witnessing as people feel the need to form opinions on players and begin to love or hate them. Everyone that spent their time discrediting Tom Brady, failed to sit back and enjoy watching arguably the greatest NFL player of all time. This environment depicted on debate shows is poisoning fans into arguing on social media, or sometimes partaking in verbal fights because this is what they are accustomed to seeing on live television. Yet, their time could be spent appreciating the beauty of sports and the greatness of players.
Joey O'Donoghue continued:
DeleteMy personal opinion on “hot take” sports debate shows is that they need to change. I do enjoy watching clips of them from time to time, as the antics of Stephen A. and Shannon Sharpe can be both entertaining and comical. However, as the shows have progressed I began to only enjoy segments and analysts that speak highly of the players and teams I like. And, it became clearer to me that the antics I referenced were just for show and not as genuine. Skip Bayless is a disgrace to the sport of basketball, and has created an environment that is disrespectful to the greatest basketball player of all time: Lebron James. Debate shows need to get back to incorporating the facts, and appreciation of the sports we all know and love, even if this means more agreement between the analysts. There are many creative means, games, and segments that will attract viewers, so discrediting greatness and staging verbal fights should not be the prioritized methods. It has led to toxicity and misinformed individuals all across social media, who spark debates of their own in their free times online to mimic these staged debate shows.
References
Halberstam, D. J. (2019, March 18). From Bayless and Sharpe to Stephen A. Smith, 5 sports debate shows stimulate healthy discussions. Sports Broadcast Journal. Retrieved February 28, 2022, from https://www.sportsbroadcastjournal.com/debate-shows-let-the-debates-continue-and-grow-says-newhouse-student/
Odell, G. (2021, November 4). The biggest issue with the hot take. Medium. Retrieved February 28, 2022, from https://medium.com/@godell689/the-biggest-issue-with-the-hot-take-e0511f05ac7b
Serazio, M. (2019). The power of sports: Media and spectacle in American culture. New York University Press.
Jason Vent
ReplyDeleteBlog 5
Sports journalism has ventured quite far from its inception and has led us to the form of “hot take” sports talk shows that condense the news we are looking to hear and provide opinions from somewhat trusted journalists, rather than developing a whole story with facts. There are positives to this form in that it is quick and easy and makes for great clips and social media posts that gain the attention of many viewers in shorter periods of time than traditional sports newscasts or articles. Along with the speedy delivery of hot take sports journalism comes a variety of negatives that could lead us astray if these soundbites are the only form of the story that we are getting. Shows like First Take with Stephen A. Smith and Shannon Sharpe are very opinionated and follow suit with all the other TV networks that have similar shows that talk about the same topics for the most part every single day. “These debate shows help viewers become more informed and often times are designed to assist viewers with forming their own opinions” and the opinionated origin of these types of hot take shows can lead viewers to be somewhat skeptical of the takes they are hearing, leading them to further investigate or simply agree or disagree with the take that has been made on TV (Odell). These shows draw in a lot of attention from viewers and cause them to interact with the shows and their hosts on social media as there are often wars in comment sections of fans debating amongst themselves which take is the most believable or valid in their eyes. These hot takes also come up often in podcasts which are hosted by a variety of personalities including former athletes like Pat McAfee and current athletes like Kevin Durant. KD’s podcast allows him to have a platform to not only talk about basketball but also about all the other things that are going on or have gone on in his life (Bassam). Podcasts are another form of opinionated media that allow viewers to feel more in touch and involved with the conversation by inspiring the creation of their own opinions on the topic and these types of hot take media have definite upsides to them despite their questionable validity in some cases. “It is true that a small army of troublemakers and the ignorant are always at the ready to express their opinion of your work. But it is equally true that there is a small army of people who understand the subject of your work as well or better than you do, and care enough about it to tell you so (Gurri). Although hot takes can be flooded with nonsensical opinions there are also times when points can be made and then proven or supported through further investigations by the “people formerly known as the audience” which make the hot take initiative both inclusive and democratic with people’s freedom of speech allowing them to converse with some of sports and TV’s biggest stars. I personally get quite annoyed by the hot take culture, especially Stephen A. and Shannon on first take. My roommate loves to watch their show everyday and them yelling back and forth at each other leads to a horrible discussion but the way that they do it makes for a great TV show that captivates viewers and inspires them to create their own opinions on the topics.
Bassam, Tom. “Casting a Wide Net: The Business of Sports Podcasting.” Sportspromedia.Com, 12 Nov. 2020, www.sportspromedia.com/from-the-magazine/spotify-podcast-blue-wire-kleiman-anfield-wrap-totally-football-show.
Gurri, Adam. “Actually, Hot Take Culture Is Good.” Liberalcurrents.Com, 22 June 2017, www.liberalcurrents.com/actually-hot-take-culture-is-good.
Odell, Gavin. “The Biggest Issue with the Hot Take - Gavin Odell.” Medium, 4 Jan. 2022, medium.com/@godell689/the-biggest-issue-with-the-hot-take-e0511f05ac7b.
Rita Sherban
ReplyDeleteHot take sports programming has grown in popularity over the last several years. It seems like more and more sport podcasts crop up as opposed to new ESPN analytic shows. One reason is due to financial costs as, “it remains enormously expensive to broadcast live sports” (Hsu 2021). Podcasts do not require the same amount of production needed for sports broadcasting. Despite the slowness of podcasts, they’re rather immersive and, “…more concerned with humanizing players than with turning them into culture-war memes” (Hsu 2021). Podcasts are also a way for athletes to express their own opinions on matters without the needs for press. Some players utilized Derek Jeter’s website, the Player’s Tribune, to announce retirements, free agencies, or cement legacies (Hsu 2021). Since podcasts delve into the human-interest side of sport, “retired greats have realized that they possess endless content-stories, memories, behind-the-scenes morsels- that fans crave” (Hsu 2021). While it’s a great opportunity for athletes to connect more closely to their fans and easier to product than live sports, it doesn’t come without its own set of issues.
The purpose of debate shows is to, “…help viewers become more informed and often times are designed to assist viewers with forming their own opinions on certain subjects” (Odell 2021). As of late, sport debate shows have turned into “hot takes” devoid of facts and statistics, making it harder for fans to form their own opinions and instead adapting others’ opinions. There’s less focus on the hard facts and more on who has the best opinion. Sport personalities like Stephen A. Smith rely less on facts and more on being the loudest person in the room. While Barstool Sports is notorious for opinion-based sports podcasting, like Pardon My Take and Spittin’ Chiclets, major sports networks like ESPN have taken a page out of their books. When announcers use opinions and, “…deviate from smart, objective sports conversations based on hard statistics and proven facts, a lot of moot points are made, and predictions become faulty” (Odell 2021). Faulty predictions are almost a staple in ESPN’s First Take, like Skip Bayless’ prediction of Tim Tebow claiming, “Tim Tebow is the next Brett Favre” (Lee 2017). The issue with this is that “hot takes…makes a person’s argument vulnerable and susceptible to being called out if it’s proven wrong” (Odell 2021). Stephen A. Smith’s defense to faulty journalism is that viewers villainize him. On one occasion he said, “I report stuff weeks in advance and get vilified for it…” (Lee 2017). Smith would rather be called a villain than retracting or correcting his insights. This type of defensive journalism can turn viewers off, even if it is entertainment.
Sherban (cont.)
ReplyDeletePersonally, I don’t care enough about sports to be invested in sports podcasts. While hot takes shows are very intriguing and rely on little facts and more on how someone shapes an opinion, I still maintain that facts are important. People who tune into these shows are trying to gain a new perspective whether it be for their own enjoyment or to get leverage for their fantasy leagues or sports bets. It’s important to know the facts as they are indisputable. While it may seem like an easy way to get an audience through hot takes shows, I think people will always look for the truth and while you may not be able to turn out episodes as quickly as Barstool Sports podcasts, it’s more valuable to have a show dedicated to facts than the loudest voice in the room.
Hsu, H. (2021, March 25). The rise of the athlete podcaster. The New Yorker. Retrieved March 1, 2022, from https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2021/04/05/the-rise-of-the-athlete-podcaster
Lee, A. (2017, October 3). The 20 dumbest things skip bayless and Stephen A. Smith have said. Bleacher Report. Retrieved March 1, 2022, from https://bleacherreport.com/articles/1566187-the-20-dumbest-things-skip-bayless-and-steven-a-smith-have-said
Odell, G. (2021, November 4). The biggest issue with the hot take. Medium. Retrieved March 1, 2022, from https://medium.com/@godell689/the-biggest-issue-with-the-hot-take-e0511f05ac7b
“A hot take is defined as a quickly produced, strongly worded, and often deliberately provocative or sensational opinion or reaction” (Odell). As the sports media community is continuing to grow, the more increasingly reliant the sports community is becoming on this method of debate. Although the sports media community is reliant on hot takes method of debate, the hot takes come with a lot of positive and negatives.
ReplyDeleteAccording to The Biggest Issue with the Hot Take, Gavin Odell states that “these debate shows help viewers become more informed and often times are designed to assist viewers with forming their own opinions on certain subjects” (Odell). Hot Takes give its viewers a break from the traditional sports casts. Not every sports fan wants to hear about boring analysis or stats all the time, they need more excitement. “People would rather watch Skip Bayless and Shannon Sharpe scream at each other about LeBron, the Cowboys and whether or not if Dwight Howard was snubbed on the NBA’s Top 75 list. Fans do love the dramatics. Drama sells” (Odell). If every sports cast reported on the same intelligent facts all of the time, not that intelligent sports casts are wrong or bad, there wouldn’t be as much engagement and ratings as these Hot Take shows are getting. The sports media world would not need to keep hiring the same people to do the same job because almost anybody can report facts and statistics. However, because of the increasing popularity of Hot Takes and the creativeness different types of people are bringing to say, How can we be different?.. the future for these more so intelligent sportscasters could be declining. This however brings me to the negatives of Hot Takes.
Hot Takes aren’t all sunshine and rainbows. Essentially, it’s a bunch of people screaming at or above each other about their strong opinions because they can’t be wrong, or just simply bashing athletes. At one point in time opinions weren’t allowed in sports journalism. We can see that still in broadcasting when broadcasters have to keep it very neutral when reporting on a game between teams, however, because of the change in media it is almost completely reverse today in sports journalism. According to The Power of Sports: Media and Spectacle in American Culture by Michael Serazio and Washington Posts columnist Kevin Blackistone, this far more opinionated journalism is known as the “hot take industrial complex- or, a form of media output that confuses trolling for journalism. Simultaneously, sports television has wallowed in what one scholar calls “confrontainment, the packaging of confrontation as entertainment- that staged spectacle of gladiatorial debate, with provocation and polarization as outright aim rather than enlightenment” (Serazio). What’s worse about this confrontation is that it’s about real people… real people who are just trying to do their jobs. These athletes are getting bashed for having bad games when it’s totally out of their control and here these sports journalists are making them feel even worse about themselves than they already do. According to the article Exploring When hot Takes Become Character Attacks in Sports Media by Will Slater “criticizing tactics and performance is less entertaining than casting judgements of a players character. Athletes routinely get called soft, lazy, or weak, as they are accused of being bad teammates or poor influences on the group” (Slater). Not only is this casting judgements of a player’s character but it is dehumanizing them. These players are bound to see what is being said about them since their lives are in the spotlight every day. Slate continues saying “to call a player a failure is to render a judgement not on how they played a game, but on who they are” (Slater). Receiving this criticism doesn’t make it any easier for a player knowing they already did bad in a game.
ReplyDeleteFinally, I do not have a strong like for Hot Takes but they have their moments. Stephen A. Smith is strongly liked in my family because he is what every Hot Take reporter should be like. He doesn’t overly bash people and he really is entertaining to watch and I know a lot of other people agree. On the other hand, people are entitled to their own opinions at the end of the day and why would I want to sit there and watch people scream at each other and over each other as nobody thinks they are wrong about THEIR opinions that are not mine. Furthermore, the bashing of players needs to stop. It is hurtful not only to the athlete themselves but the fans too. Some of these athletes helped to save people’s lives and you’re going to defame their character and call them “garbage” because they had a bad game. It’s a hard pass for me.
Slater , Will. “Exploring When Hot Takes Become Character Attacks in Sports Media.” The Wesleyan Argus, http://wesleyanargus.com/2021/03/18/exploring-when-hot-takes-become-character-attacks-in-sports-media/.
ReplyDeleteSerazio, M. (2019). The power of sports: Media and spectacle in American culture. New York University Press.
Odell, Gavin. “The Biggest Issue with the Hot Take.” Medium, Medium, 4 Nov. 2021, https://medium.com/@godell689/the-biggest-issue-with-the-hot-take-e0511f05ac7b.
ReplyDelete“Hot takes” in the world of sports media discussions is an interesting topic that has caught on across different platforms like podcast, YouTube, and other socials. ‘Hot takes’ have become a form of sports media content that draw attention towards a specific platform. These platforms are allowing their producers and talent to share their opinions on anything sports related and no matter how controversial to bring conversations to light, but mainly bring attention to the media company. The positives include, these opinions start conversations among fans/viewers, and increase viewership for media companies that have a ‘hot take’ segment which is why executives love them. People love controversy and they love to talk about opinions. That is a lot of what these ‘takes’ are, just opinions. There is minimal distinction between someone stating their opinion on a platform that has thousands of followers versus none except for the reaction and reach. The reaction is what these networks benefit from. Sports talk was statistics and reporting facts about the players, the teams, or the league. Now it is controversial content that ‘is actively funneled and shaped’ (Serazio 84). ‘Hot takes’ have replaced the easy-going conversations of sports to a constant debate in the sports media industry. This method of communication among the sports community is “forcing institutions and organizations to rethink the format of their content… (Serazio 93). Negatives are derived from this method of communication because some people may think that sports are supposed to be talked about with more intelligence than just opinions not based in reality. Steering away from “smart, objective sports conversations based on hard statistics and proven facts, a lot of moot points are made…” (Odell). Viewers/audiences love drama, it is natural for people to want to share opinions or combat opinions that do not match with theirs.
I don’t intentionally come across hot take shows, but I do come across hot takes on platforms such as Twitter and Instagram. These include tweets or snippets of ‘hot take’ shows posted on these platforms for engagement purposes. I don’t like ‘hot take’ shows because I do not want to watch sports for the drama. It may be because I enjoy different types of content such as reality shows or keeping up with other people I think of as celebrities not in the sports industry. Possibly if I wasn’t interested in other content, I would care to seek out the content more to discuss and hear controversial opinions about sports. I do find myself watching Barstool’s promotional ‘hot take’ show content when it comes on my page because it gives me just the right amount of information to go up and look up the facts of the situation. I like to know the reality of things rather than ponder different scenarios for no reason in particular. The most important part of ‘hot takes’ is getting people to agree or argue but the goal is to make a rememberable comment. It seems difficult to make these statements with minimal support, but the platforms can create that support by getting their viewers to agree with their show/personality. To me, it seems that ‘hot takes’ are just shared opinions to start conversation, but I am not sure that all topics in sports is suitable for this type of content.
DeleteDo, Adam. “The Nature of Hot Takes in Sports (and Life).” Medium, Medium, 23 July 2019, https://medium.com/@adamtdo22/the-nature-of-hot-takes-in-sports-and-life-754bcddef235.
Odell, Gavin. “The Biggest Issue with the Hot Take.” Medium, Medium, 4 Nov. 2021, https://medium.com/@godell689/the-biggest-issue-with-the-hot-take-e0511f05ac7b.
Serazio, Michael. The Power of Sports: Media and Spectacle in American Culture. New York University Press, 2019.
Charlie Windels
ReplyDeleteSports debates shows have been booming the past few years and for good reason. These debates between well-known sports analysts are extremely entertaining as they are filled with passion and sometimes heated discussions. Despite this, these shows have faced many criticisms from the average sports fan. While these debates can be very entertaining for first-time viewers they can also become extremely repetitive. An article I found titled Sports Debate Shows Ruined Media Coverage by Brandon Verrastro brought up some very interesting points about sports debate shows and how they not only interfere with media coverage but also talk about many of the same topics over and over. The article explains how sports “topics became worse and repetitive; at least once a month the Jordan vs. LeBron debate is back up and running. It’s not even a critique at this point, it is two guys choosing one or the other discussing things that don’t matter” (Verrastro). As much as I love sports debates I thought this was a valid point. There is so much to talk about when it comes to sports debates, however, many of these bigger shows such as undisputed or first take tend to focus on many of the same talking points.
Another negative when it comes to these debate shows is that they tend to take away from the attention of journalist articles. Because of this many journalists feel the need to voice their opinions in their work. When reading Serazios' chapter on “hot takes” a specific quote struck me. It explains how in sports media today “There has been far more and more push on the part of editors and the part of beat writers to be far more opinionated in their journalism than this industry has ever allowed before” (Serazio). Overall this can be looked at as a negative or positive. On one side of the argument, this is a bad thing because opinionated media is having a negative influence on the game and taking away from sports news itself. However, on the other hand, there is this idea that journalism is still relevant and should be opinion-based to create this drama that fans are drawn towards.
In contrast to this, I did notice that in the past year or so this has changed. Many of the shows that I watch such as Steven A Smith in First take discuss more relevant and recent debates. Some of them focus more on games that are going to happen rather than games that have already been played. I think I like this more because neither person in the debate knows what is going to happen, however, they still argue their points based on their prior knowledge and past games. An article I read titled The Biggest Issue with the Hot Take by Gavin Odell talks about how ridiculous sports debates can be, but the reason they are so successful is because of this drama factor. The article quotes “People would rather watch Skip Bayless and Shannon Sharpe scream at each other about LeBron, the Cowboys, and whether or not if Dwight Howard was snubbed on the NBA’s Top 75 list. Fans do love the dramatics” (Odell). I think this is an interesting point and it ties into how sports fans of different teams interact regularly. Many people see these debates as negative and detrimental to the future of sports however I think they can bring so much more to the game. You can argue that the statistics speak for themselves, however, there is another side of the argument when you start to talk about these “what if” scenarios.
Works Cited
Serazio, Michael. The Power of Sports: Media and Spectacle in American Culture. New York University Press, 2019.
Verrastro, Brandan. “Sports Debate Shows Ruined Media Coverage.” Medium, Medium, 6 May 2020, https://brandanv570.medium.com/sports-debate-shows-ruined-media-coverage-1d2782d6dd2e.
Odell, G. (2021, November 4). The biggest issue with the hot take. Medium. Retrieved February 28, 2022, from https://medium.com/@godell689/the-biggest-issue-with-the-hot-take-e0511f05ac7b
Mikala
ReplyDeleteWhen it comes to a “hot take” there can be both positives and negatives when giving them on sports debate show. Though individuals have mixed feelings about this bold opinions, one thing is for certain that it is a great source of entertainment to listen to. Serazio discusses this in his text regarding hot takes by mentioning that an ESPN producer stated, “ I always say that a good sports radio topic for us is if you were to walk into a room filled with people…and loudly state your opinion and people will either call you out on your shit you are or will say ‘finally somebody said it the way I would want to say it’” (p.85). Though topics such as these scan spark aggressive debates, but nonetheless it is entertaining and will bring in views with its controversial opinion. No publicity is bad publicity. Though there are defiantly negatives for opinions that can be controversial. Opinions such as hot takes can do a significant amount of damage to not only the person who made them but who they work for. Although ‘hot takes’ are purely opinion they are treated as facts by others and are usually tried to be disproven or completely ridiculed for being made. Odell a sports journalist alludes to this by stating, “When you have an opinion that is so extreme on either side, your chances of being incorrect elevates a lot. We’re in this age where every person (especially on social media) has to be so absolutely, overwhelmingly solid in their stance or opinion on anything. It’s ALL black or ALL white; no gray area at all. No nuance. No probabilities between 1 and 99%” (2021). Once you pronounce your opinion that is controversial society will not let you take it back and could potentially ruin one’s reputation as a broadcaster. However, no matter what your take is on ‘hot takes’ they are popular because of the attention that they can bring. Why else do you think Skip Bayless is popular? Slice of Sports Podcast talked about this and mentioned, “Skip Bayless. Perhaps the most hated man in sports. An iconoclast known for attacking Lebron James and singing the praises of Tim Tebow… Yet, he has nearly 3 million twitter followers. Over 350,000 people search his name in google each month. He is paid $5.5 million per year”. Opinions that can stimulate a lot of controversy is such as the ones that Skip Bayless make is the reason why hot takes are so popular.
mikala cont.
ReplyDeletePersonally, I find hot takes to be very entertaining because most of the time I do not agree with the statements that are made. I typically find the statements that are made to be ridiculous or outlandish and will most likely discuss and make fun of what was said with my friends. For examples, my favorite person to watch when giving his hot takes is Stephen A. Smith mainly because of his comical personality, passion and conviction he gives when he delivers his stances on topics.
References
Odell, G. (2021, November 4). The biggest issue with the hot take. Medium. Retrieved February 27, 2022, from https://medium.com/@godell689/the-biggest-issue-with-the-hot-take-e0511f05ac7b
Serazio, M. (2019). The power of sports: Media and spectacle in American culture. New York University Press.
Skip Bayless: How is sports media’s most hated man so popular? Slice of Sports Podcast. (n.d.). Retrieved March 1, 2022, from https://sites.northwestern.edu/sliceofsports/skip-bayless-how-is-sports-medias-most-hated-man-so-popular/
Alex Donald
ReplyDeleteWhen it comes to “Hot Takes” in sports it really depends because sometimes people can be positive or negative about their opinions. They can sometimes be toxic or just be a follower, especially in sports. However, in my opinion, I don’t think they should take down these “Hot Takes” sports debates because it shows us the personalities and honesty from these sports journalists. I do both like and dislike “Hot Takes” in sports mainly because it's whether I agree or disagree with the journalist's opinions. For example, I’m not a fan of Skip Bayless because of him always hating on Lebron James which is the same he talks about. But I’m a fan of Inside the NBA and Stephen A Smith mainly because of their personality and honesty but also because they always go in depth of the topic they talk about and not just say their opinions or in other words, “Hot Takes” sports shows are so popular because “People have opinions and want to be heard; especially, public figures with strong platforms and massive influences. The debate TV show format is a mainstay across sports, political, and popular culture media mediums. We see these shows on CNN, FOX News, ESPN etc. Professionals of their respective fields duel it out on television or radio in front of various listeners and watchers every day over multiple conflicts of interest. These debate shows help viewers become more informed and oftentimes are designed to assist viewers with forming their own opinions on certain subjects. Additionally, positive or negative national narratives can be birthed from shows like these.” (Odell 2021). “Hot Takes” are also becoming popular because fans are even using it as well and sometimes they are known as “Goofiest Sports Takes” which basically means “Hot Takes” times two. “Most of the ‘goofiest sports takes’ are in the form of rules changes to the major sports and some of them are downright brilliant, others are just hilarious.” (Anderson 2022).
Like I said before, I like and dislike “Hot Takes” because I like to hear other people’s opinion about athletes' performances, which team is going to win, and so on and not just in organized sports but also in streetball as well. In other words, it's a part of sports because I always get into heated arguments when it comes to “Hot Takes”. "The key to ESPN’s “coverage” of sports is that you Have a Reaction . . . After a while, no viewer could believe anything any analyst said anymore; their job seemed to be to disagree with whomever they were talking rather than to offer actual analysis or reasoned arguments. . . . The television became populated with people screaming opinions into the camera until it was time for another topic, which meant more opinions and more screaming. It didn’t matter what position the “expert” took on an issue; what mattered was that it was in opposition to the person they were “debating” with, that it was forceful, loud, and quick." (Serazio 84). In other words, what Serazio is basically saying is that “Hot Takes” are made for people to react to journalists' opinions and others and that is the key for ESPN’s “coverage”, “First Take” with Stephen A Smith, TNT’s “Inside the NBA”, and so on. If “Hot Takes” didn’t exist in sports, then in my opinion sports would become irrelevant and people would probably feel less confident in life.
DeleteWork Cited
Anderson, Cass. “Everyone’s Sharing Their Hottest Sports Takes Right Now And Some Of These Are Truly Brilliant”. Brobible. Jan 13, 2022. Visited Mar 1, 2022. Retrieved from https://brobible.com/sports/article/hottest-sports-takes-viral-mina-kimes-responses/
Odell, Gavin. “The Biggest Issue with the Hot Take”. Medium. Nov 4, 2021. Visited Mar 1, 2022. Retrieved from https://medium.com/@godell689/the-biggest-issue-with-the-hot-take-e0511f05ac7b
Serazio, Michael. “The Power of Sports: Media and Spectacle in American Culture”. New York University Press. Visited Mar 1, 2022.
Dylan Sommer Part 1
ReplyDelete“Hot take” sports debate shows come with both positives and negatives. A positive of sports debate shows is that it allows people to have an open platform to discuss their feelings, opinions, and thoughts. Within the debate, the analysts will share their takes and predictions and have a back-and-forth conversation. The conservation tends to be very engaging and entertaining for audiences because the analysts are passionate about their arguments and will not stop until a producer between the scenes tells them to. For instance, Stephen A. Smith on First Take could rant about certain teams and players all day long if he wanted to, especially the Dallas Cowboys. Stephen A. cannot stand the Dallas Cowboys fans and will always make a point in his show to call them out. According to Chapter 2 of Serazio, it says “a practice of cultural production that is drawn toward divisiveness will naturally gravitate toward “lightning rod” stories, players, and teams that command the limelight, deserving or not” (Serazio 92). However, when you have Cowboys haters, there are also Cowboys lovers, like Skip Bayless and Michael Irvin. Stephen A. and Skip used to always go at one another on First Take until Skip left to do Fox Sports: Undisputed. These shows were highly entertaining because viewers got to see both perspectives and could side with either one.
Another positive of sports debate shows is that they are easy to produce. Sports network executives love the idea of sports debate shows because all it needs are two well-renowned analysts with one host. The questions are also rather easy to come by as sports are constantly happening and there are always debates going around on certain topics. Recently on Undisputed, Skip Bayless and Shannon Sharpe talked about the possibility of Tom Brady returning after his retirement. Skip was for it while Shannon claimed that Brady was done for good. All the producers have to do is just watch the argument play out and see the chaos unfold. Plus, the show does not need a script, except for the host, because the analysts are doing all improv.
Dylan Sommer Part Two
ReplyDeleteAs for the negatives of “hot take” sports debate shows, it has turned into more of a source of entertainment than factual debate. Producers understand that the viewers like it when the analysts are more animated with their takes. As a result, the show loses credibility for the entertainment component within it. In a Medium.com article, it says “popularity, notoriety, and financial gains are all associated with these shows which incentivize the producers of these types of broadcasts to boost the entertainment factor” (Odell). At the end of the day, sports networks want to make as much money as possible and will go through any means to do so. Another negative of “hot take” sports debate shows is that the analysts sometimes go too far with their debate. For instance, Skip Bayless criticized star quarterback Dak Prescott for going public with his mental health. Skip instantly received negative feedback for his insensitive comments. Sometimes anchors need to realize that not all opinions need to be spoken aloud.
Personally, I am all for sports debate shows. I like that we get the opportunity to view analysts from another perspective and see their opinions and thoughts on what is going on in the sports world. One of my favorites now is The Pat McAfee Show. With his show, “McAfee is allowed to be himself without having to be fit into a box” (Zahran). In my opinion, his commentary is enjoyable and his view as an athlete makes him better than an analyst.
Works Cited
Zahran, Omar. “Pat McAfee and the Rise of Modern Sports Commentary.” Medium, Medium, 11 June 2021, https://omarzahran.medium.com/pat-mcafee-and-the-rise-of-modern-sports-commentary-cd0965723dee.
Odell, Gavin. “The Biggest Issue with the Hot Take.” Medium, Medium, 4 Nov. 2021, https://medium.com/@godell689/the-biggest-issue-with-the-hot-take-e0511f05ac7b.
Serazio, Michael. “Chapter 2: Power Play.” The Power of Sports: Media and Spectacle in American Culture, New York University Press, New York, 2019, pp. 92–93.
ReplyDeleteClever Streich part 1
“Hot take” style sports debate shows have increased in popularity over time, as more personalities take to multiple mediums to debate sports and provide unique and opinionated analysis. According to Michael Serazio’s The Power of Sports, the “hot take” has embedded itself as a defining facet of modern sports television, as Serazio profiles an interview with broadcaster Dave Revsine, who believes takes are “easy to produce”, as all you need are “a couple of guys with opinions” (Serazio 90).
Some of the positives that are related to the “hot take” format include the interactive nature of debate shows, and how they can lead to the development of mainstream media personalities. Through this format, hosts and analysts typically discuss recent sports news and events, but can also show character traits that audiences can connect to, creating a dynamic that hooks viewers in and keeps them coming back. According to Cronkite News, ESPN personalities Stephen A. Smith and Skip Bayless command multi-million dollar salaries and long-term contracts for their on-air “take” talent, and have high appeal with audiences because of their showmanship (Brownstein). With entertaining personalities serving as an enticing reason to tune in, hot take programs are also highly successful for companies and executives, as Medium mentions in its article “The Biggest Issue with the Hot Take” that Stephen A Smith’s show First Take has become ESPN’s highest rated program (Odell).
Clever Streich Part 2
ReplyDeleteHowever, critics have also highlighted some of the negatives of sports debate, believing that they are detrimental to the sports journalism ecosystem. As Michael Serazio states in The Power of Sports, “abundance begets more abundance—those “exhausting” demands for overproduction placed upon media workers within this environment (for one freelancer, churning out 2,500 words daily across websites, blogs, podcasts, and print) rather forces one into hot takes rather than deep, nuanced reporting (Serazio 89)”. The need for the “take” in modern sports journalism is a new effect that audiences have come to expect from shows that are trying to draw attention and viewership in an era where audiences are more segmented. Gavin Odell writes that takes are relied on too heavily, as “popularity, notoriety, and of course, financial gains are all associated with these shows which incentivizes the producers of these type of broadcasts to boost the entertainment factor” (Odell). The “hot take” format can be argued as tired and played out, with content having an obligatory and ingenuine nature, as pundits continue to overreact for ratings.
Personally, I do not mind the “hot take” format of sports programming, as I myself have appeared on multiple episodes of Q30 Television’s Bobcat Breakdown, a Quinnipiac sports centric show that resembles ESPN’s First Take franchise. While the hot take may be an obligatory part of today’s sports reporting, by participating directly in this genre of content, I find it interesting when learning about other people’s perspectives and opinions on sports, especially when delivered with theatrics and energy. I believe that the “hot take” format provides the room for big personalities like Stephen A Smith to shine on TV, and grow ESPN’s audience by making viewers wonder what Smith will say next. While the format is played out and repetitive, the creativity and flair that can come with “hot take” debate can be dynamic and everchanging, depending on the personality and presentation.
Clever Streich Part 3 - works cited
ReplyDeleteBrownstein, Hunter. “TV's Most Popular Sports Personalities Happy to Share Hot Takes, Opinions.” Cronkite News - Arizona PBS, 29 Apr. 2020, https://cronkitenews.azpbs.org/2020/04/22/sports-television-personalities-opinions/.
Odell, Gavin. “The Biggest Issue with the Hot Take.” Medium, Medium, 4 Nov. 2021, https://medium.com/@godell689/the-biggest-issue-with-the-hot-take-e0511f05ac7b.
Serazio, M. (2019). The power of sports: Media and spectacle in American culture. New York University Press.