Not bad for an ESPN clone
Written: Oct 22 '01
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Pros: Emphasis on regional sports coverage
Cons: Tries to be ESPN, but doesn't quite make it
The Bottom Line: It's obviously an imitation of ESPN, but it does have some merits that make it worthwhile.
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| HawgWyld's Full Review: Fox Sports Net |
The folks who started ESPN had a great idea and have made piles of cash off of it. The idea to show sports, sports, sports 24 hours a day was nothing short of brilliant. That idea was so brilliant, in fact, that Fox decided to copy ESPN and put together it's own sports network.
From looking at Fox Sports Net, it's painfully obvious that the enterprise is little more than an ESPN clone. You've got in-depth sports news, profiles of and interviews with athletes and such like. You, of course, can find some of the off-beat sports there along with the major college and pro games.
The only problem with Fox Sports Network is that ESPN provides the same part of coverage, for the most part, and does it a lot better. How the heck could anyone improve on ESPN's Sports Center, which is a show that details the top sports news and scores of the day in the most entertaining way possible? The folks presenting that information are pretty darn amusing and know what they're talking about when it comes to sports.
The answer, of course, is that it's darn near impossible to improve on Sports Center, and Fox Sports Net has tried to do just that but has failed. While their sports news shows are good enough, they're just not up to the same level that's come to be expected from Sports Center. Okay, since Sports Center is everything I need and I get both ESPN and Fox Sports Net, why would I bother with anything else?
Sure, Fox has tried to "tweek" the Sports Center format a bit with programs such as Best Damn Sports Show Period, but that's nothing really new. You've got folks such as Tom Arnold cracking jokes, but the majority of the thing is just a presentation of sports news. Nice effort, but that's not going to lure people away from Sports Center.
Now, one thing that Fox Sports Net does very well is that it's divided into eight different regions, and each of those stresses sports that will be of interest to area viewers. For example, I'm in Arkansas, so I get Fox Sports Southwest. That means that college sports from regional schools will be on the air, and I can always catch the St. Louis Cardinals during baseball season.
That's a bit of an improvement over ESPN. While ESPN and ESPN2 are the most likely channels to broadcast Arkansas Razorbacks games when those aren't picked up on local networks, those channels are likely to toss in some games against a couple of teams that have absolutely no impact on this area at all. Fox Sports Net at least covers colleges in neighboring states, and sneaks in a Razorbacks game here and there.
Now, the regional coverage from Fox can be a drag. For example, let's say you live in an area that gets Fox Sports Northwest and you absolutely hate the St. Louis Cardinals? Uh, you may wind up frustrated more often than not.
Also, ESPN seems to get the "bigger" pro and college games. It often looks like NBC, ABC and CBS get the first pick for games (especially on the college level), ESPN then picks some games and Fox and ESPN2 fight over what's left.
While it's obvious I prefer ESPN to Fox Sports Net, the "also-ran" channel is a welcome addition to my cable system. It might not be as good as ESPN, but there are some games there I like to catch every now and again. That, to me, makes the station worthwhile.
Recommended:
Yes
Average Program Rating: TV G -- general audiences
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Epinions.com ID:
HawgWyld
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 - Top 200 |
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Member: Ethan C. Nobles
Location: Benton, Ark.
Reviews written: 1421
Trusted by: 495 members
About Me:
The oxen are slow, but the earth is patient.
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