ESPN's Awful Home Run Derby Broadcast Was Potentially The Worst TV Viewing Experience In Sports History

Once again, MLB proved this week that they are maybe the hottest sport going right now outside the NFL and college football. That's a factual statement, by the way. You may not agree with it, but the numbers say you're wrong. 

The ratings are skyrocketing, and have been all season. Attendance is up. Social media engagement is up. The stars are younger and more relatable, and the games are shorter and better. 

Unlike my wife, baseball fans like that!

Anyway, MLB is in the green across the board … until it comes to the broadcast. Specifically, ESPN. As is usually the case when it comes to ESPN, things start to go downhill when you get involved with that network. 

And you saw it, again, this week. Just in the last two nights. It's been a perfect microcosm of what's happening right now with ESPN and baseball. 

Monday night's Home Run Derby was fine, but the broadcast STUNK. It was brutal. Sure, the format needs major tweaking, but it wasn't completely on MLB. The camera angles stunk. The broadcast, generally, stunk. It was completely out of whack from the jump. 

You couldn't keep up. ESPN couldn't keep up. People noticed. It was bad. 

This was a bloodbath by Fox

Embarrassing. ESPN's had the Derby for DECADES. It's not like this broadcast snuck up on them. It's a pretty big staple every summer. How in the hell were they so ill-prepared?

Now, we got the exact opposite for Tuesday night's All-Star Game on … Fox! Great network, by the way. Joe Davis and John Smoltz on the call? Best in the business, especially Smoltz. I'd put him up against any color analyst in the world right now. 

Beyond that, though, was the innovation. The best part about Tuesday's game? Not the swing-offs at the end. It was the in-game interviews with the players. You couldn't stop watching. It was fascinating. 

Again, I don't know who makes that call – FOX or MLB. Regardless, it's by far the best thing baseball has going for it right now as it pertains to other sports, and it was compelling television. 

Look, I know I'm biased. Duh. Fox signs my paychecks. I'll defend them till the end (or until my contract runs out). But this ain't biased. These are just facts. 

You saw two different broadcasts over two nights, and Helen freaking Keller would've easily spotted the differences. 

Fox's pregame/studio show? Just miles better. Miles. We have David Ortiz and Derek Jeter. ESPN trotted out Pat McAfee. And I LOVE Pat McAfee, but come on. What are we doing here?

ESPN's only job – and I mean ONLY job – was to show home runs. We tune into the Home Run Derby to see monster dongs. Sure, there are other channels to find that sort of content, but we chose ESPN. 

And ESPN A) couldn't keep up with the action, and B) missed dozens of home runs! And that's probably a conservative number – a word, by the way, never associated with that network. 

MLB is currently negotiating a new media rights deal with several networks for next season and beyond. This, of course, comes after ESPN and MLB decided to part ways after decades together. 

They could ultimately reunite with ESPN. Everything and everyone is on, and at, the table. 

But do they even deserve it anymore? 

Not after this latest audition.