Curious ESPN.COM trend

Cyclical · Post #1 » by **Cyclical** » Mon Jun 9, 2008 5:03 am

Normally I would just add this to the "experts picks" thread but something curious just happened. I was looking for this priceless Ric Bucher video preview where he predicts a Lakers 4-1 win with a constant $#it-eating grin on his face, endlessly praising the Lakers and ignoring every matchup advantage the Celts have. Trust me, it's a great one. I had bookmarked it but, low and behold, when trying to recall it I got a "video cannot be found" page. Next I tried o find his written preview and again, "page cannot be found." Wow. Go ESPN. Way to keep your guys looking good!

Truthiracy · Post #2 » by **Truthiracy** » Mon Jun 9, 2008 5:07 am

Post the links, if you don't mind

GreenGrizz · Post #3 » by **GreenGrizz** » Mon Jun 9, 2008 5:10 am

Those ESPN guys are f*cking pathetic.

GreenGrizz · Post #4 » by **GreenGrizz** » Mon Jun 9, 2008 5:10 am

Did they ever play basketball? They look nerds to me.

Cyclical · Post #5 » by **Cyclical** » Mon Jun 9, 2008 5:12 am

LucerneStDoggz wrote:Post the links, if you don't mind

http://sports.espn.go.com/broadband/vid ... Id=2459788

http://myespn.go.com/s/conversations/show/story/3424835

Post #6 » by **sully00** » Mon Jun 9, 2008 5:14 am

Is this what you are looking for

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/playoffs2 ... cherBallot

Post #7 » by **sully00** » Mon Jun 9, 2008 5:16 am

Bucher is a weiny

GreenGrizz · Post #8 » by **GreenGrizz** » Mon Jun 9, 2008 5:16 am

Oh Jeez, Ric Bucher is a big time homer.

Cyclical · Post #9 » by **Cyclical** » Mon Jun 9, 2008 5:21 am

sully00 wrote:Is this what you are looking for

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/playoffs2 ... cherBallot

Nice find but mainly I was looking for a video clip where he just talks for about 3 minutes straight about the Lakers greatness and why the Celts don't have a chance. It's precious.

EDIT:
When you do a Bucher search in NBA videos they completely removed it, obviously to avoid embarrassment. Hilarious.
http://sports.espn.go.com/broadband/vid ... mit=Search

MyInsatiableOne · Post #10 » by **MyInsatiableOne** » Mon Jun 9, 2008 1:25 pm

Ric Bucher has been consistently WRONG in nearly all of his analysis over the last 5-10 years. How this guy still has a **** job is beyond me.

Classic of ESPN to take the video down, though....Bucher is probably hiding under his desk!

giambijuice · Post #11 » by **giambijuice** » Mon Jun 9, 2008 2:12 pm

GreenGrizz wrote:Oh Jeez, Ric Bucher is a big time homer.

bucher is a huge kobe nut snuggler.

MyInsatiableOne · Post #12 » by **MyInsatiableOne** » Mon Jun 9, 2008 2:22 pm

giambijuice wrote:-= original quote snipped =-

bucher is a huge kobe nut snuggler.

Athanacropolis · Post #13 » by **Athanacropolis** » Mon Jun 9, 2008 2:55 pm

Wow! It's like ESPN is taking the Vladimir Lenin/Josef Stalin approach of archiving!

giambijuice · Post #14 » by **giambijuice** » Mon Jun 9, 2008 3:00 pm

Athanacropolis wrote:Wow! It's like ESPN is taking the Vladimir Lenin/Josef Stalin approach of archiving!

are you shocked ? it's just morons covering for morons.

MyInsatiableOne · Post #15 » by **MyInsatiableOne** » Mon Jun 9, 2008 3:13 pm

giambijuice wrote:-= original quote snipped =-

are you shocked ? it's just morons covering for morons.

Dumb people helping dumb people.

:rofl:

Athanacropolis · Post #16 » by **Athanacropolis** » Mon Jun 9, 2008 3:16 pm

giambijuice wrote:-= original quote snipped =-

are you shocked ? it's just morons covering for morons.

You know, "shocked" isn't the word, but I am mildly surprised. Given the unpredictability of sports, I didn't think they'd be that ashamed of a few incorrect prognostications. It's like the Weather Channel taking down all of the pages where they predicted rain and got sunshine instead.

Post #17 » by **tlee324** » Mon Jun 9, 2008 3:41 pm

2 more wins.... let's get it done.

Who-rod · Post #18 » by **Who-rod** » Tue Jun 10, 2008 1:39 am

So after reading this, I had to go back and check on Bucher's predictions in the NBA Finals Factors article on ESPN. Wow, he is all over the Lakers nuts, and frankly, so far, so very off. The basic premise of the article is that the reporters rank the factors in the series. Here are Bucher's:

Ric Bucher (28 points): He's (kobe) the best player in the series, the element the Celtics have no easy answer for. And no one has more to lose or gain by the outcome.

Ric Bucher (14 points): The problem the Lakers' offense poses is that Kobe, Lamar Odom and Pau Gasol are compatible; all three can have big scoring nights without impinging on one another's game.

The Celtics' defense is no mirage, but can they keep the clamps on L.A.'s big three and still have the will and energy to slow down L.A.'s run-and-gun bench mob?

Note: when the factor comes to the C's home court advantage, Bucher doesn't even give it any points, or any comment.

Ric Bucher (13 points): The Lakers' bench was a huge factor against both San Antonio and Utah. It didn't just protect leads, it even expanded them in some games. And, in general, the subs gassed the opposition with their up-tempo, high-energy style.

Jordan Farmar, after dealing with Deron Williams and Tony Parker, should feel like a man unshackled when he faces Rajon Rondo, Sam Cassell and Eddie House.

Ric Bucher (18 points): Having won in Utah and San Antonio, the Lakers are thrilled that all they have to do is win one in Boston to entertain the thought of finishing the series in L.A. -- or, more precisely, against the Celtics' road persona, which is starkly different than their home one.

So he gives the C's no credit for home court, but he gives the Lakers credit for the 2-3-2 format. WOW.

Phil vs. Doc (47 points)

Ric Bucher (27 points): The Zen Master is making his 11th Finals coaching appearance and has lost only once. That alone gives him a major edge in what to look for among his players and how to prepare them for the league's biggest stage.

Then add that he has a far more versatile roster, which he has utilized all season long -- regular and postseason -- like Emerson working a synthesizer, and it's hardly a fair fight.

And the dumbest of all.....

Ric Bucher: Hunger
Hearing Paul Pierce talking about being part of history and Kevin Garnett saying going to the Finals fulfilled a dream is all well and good -- but it just sounds too much like the Orlando Magic, circa 1995. They, too, were equipped on paper to give the Rockets a battle, but had the just-freakin'-blissed-out-to-be-here vibe, which grew into a full-blown gong after they lost the first game in the final seconds and three more quickly thereafter.

Several Lakers, meanwhile, talked about the bitter taste of losing in their last visit to the Finals, even though it was four years ago. I just don't get the sense the Lakers are the least bit satisfied, and I can't say the same for the fellas in green.

What an idiot.

MalReyn · Post #19 » by **MalReyn** » Tue Jun 10, 2008 2:05 am

It definitely exists, a quick Google search turned up this.

I think ESPN might take down videos after 4 or 5 days though as a matter of policy. Too lazy to check right now, anyone know?

Cyclical · Post #20 » by **Cyclical** » Tue Jun 10, 2008 4:08 am

MalReyn wrote:It definitely exists, a quick Google search turned up this.

I think ESPN might take down videos after 4 or 5 days though as a matter of policy. Too lazy to check right now, anyone know?

Your google search turned out empty links which was my point. They removed them. And no, they don't remove everything -- as my follow-up post says, a Ric Bucher espn video search will show you all of his prediction videos up to the Lakers-Utah series. The hilariously embarrassing Finals predictions clip is mysteriously gone.

This thread was not necessarily about Bucher's ineptness - that point has been made before - but rather about the fact that ESPN removes clips that are unflattering to them. That's the only way they can keep calling these guys "experts". How sad.