You've surely seen them — sports talk shows rooted in hot takes and Gina Wild - Jetzt wird es schmutzig 5 (2000)hyperbole, banking on controversy and sensationalism to bring in viewers and dollars.
Shows like ESPN'sFirst Takeand FOX Sports' Skip and Shannon: Undisputed front a sports broadcast media landscape dominated by this brand of bloviation, where analysts are often criticized for their insensitive and arrogant comments.
And finally we have a parody, courtesy of FOX Sports Live's Jay Onrait and Dan O'Toole.
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The topic: Kirk Cousins, Washington's quarterback, who is due for a big contract this offseason. His 2016 statistics put him among the league's best quarterbacks, but beneath the numbers, some argue Cousins' limitations as a passer prove he isn't worth an elite contract.
Enter Onrait and O'Toole, who mock Pardon The Interruption's clock-ticking format, but make quick work of the Cousins conversation by doing something most sports analysts wouldn't be caught dead doing — agreeing.
#JayAndDan absolutely destroy each other debating Kirk Cousins contract issues. Things. Get. Nuts. pic.twitter.com/ZohwhmDvPc
— FSLive: #JayAndDan (@foxsportslive) January 4, 2017
We've seen parodies before, thanks to Saturday Night Live and other web comedy shows, but a major sports network parodying the format is pretty classic. What doesn't quite add up, though, is why that same network would mock the style of a show it depends on for ratings.
After FOX hired Skip Bayless — perhaps the most infamous and hated sports commentary provocateur — last year to join the tandem on Undisputed, ratings soared, while viewership of Bayless's ld show on ESPNdropped.
So, FOX is parodying a format it needs to compete. Call it self-awareness or call it hypocrisy. Regardless, these shows aren't going away soon.
At least we have a parody to make it bearable.
