ESPN axes Wire to Wire
 

ESPN's Wire to Wire has been cancelled, I'm sure a lot of folks aren't home at that time of day to watch it, but here's the link.

http://news.bloodhorse.com/viewstory...786&source=rss

Link to complain, maybe it will do some good, maybe not.

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/news/...contact/espntv

Racehorse Digest with Chris Lincoln was always better...

I never watched it. I always watch TVG or HRTV.

Well, I watch it and I think it's a shame they cancelled it.
Randy Moss is, imo, the only decent on-air racing analyst, and I'd rather hear & watch his recap of races TVG does not cover (Comcast in Boston does not offer HRTV) than watch any of the other racing "analysts" they bring out for stakes coverage. I'm never home for it, but seems to me there are enough viewers nowadays with Tivo or some other DVR system that will agree with me.

Me too! no TVG or HRTV around here...I tivo it to watch later...I think this sucks :(

No reason to complain, the information on there was old and already discussed three days after it happened. Nobody watched it, why do you think it was shown at 4am on Tuesday nights or whatever. I doubt many were waiting up all night to watch it

So far 3 Nobodys that watched it. Maybe it won't ever go back, but perhaps if enough fans email them, they'll reconsider. To me it's worth a try. One more thing down the tubes due to apathy............

If you don't want to deal with an online form, this simple email address will work to state your feelings about the show being cancelled.

askespntv@espn.com

I watched it every week (thanks to TiVo) and I am pissed at this news!! Sure I had seen most of the important races already, but sometimes they had some good stuff on there, or races I missed, and I liked Moss's imput. That show made it easier to keep up to date on what was going on in the sport during the weeks between the BC and the Suncrap Millions when I do not typically pay real close attention to the day-by-day events.
It is a shame.

I am wrong, I apologize, if I had Tivo, I probably would watch it

I liked the show but felt the 30 min limit to do, nothing but recap the previous weeks races was a rush job. If they would have there staff to have some discussion with the movers and shakers, a better audiance would have developed.

You must get TiVo. It is probably the greatest invention in the history of the universe.
Well no, the OTB was the greatest invention....but TiVo is a close second.

Unfortunately it's a business decision and I guess the show's viewership did not justify it. However, personally I think it's extremely unfortunate, as the show featured the top races from around the country and the best TV Racing Analyst in history disecting them. It is sad to think there is no real audience for that. We finally get someone, Randy Moss, who leads racing fans in the right direction, and he loses one of his platforms. It's unfortunate.

But, Steven A Smith has a show.

Good, Im glad it got cancelled. Now they can show more male cheerleading and scrabble competitions in that time slot.

again the general pulls out the 5 rattles...

how do you do it?

I always preferred Inside Racing over any other weekly recap shows. Just show the best races of the week, gate-to-wire, and go easy on the chit-chat.

I also agree with Blackthroatedwind that Randy Moss is a real breath of fresh air. He is the very rare TV horse racing analyst that has fully devolped handicapping skills.

In my opinion, TVG doesn't have a single analyst who's handicapping skills are fully developed. HRTV, on the other hand, has some excellent on-air people. Jeff Siegel is totally in Randy Moss's leauge---however, he's short, real out of shape, and has an annoying lisp. Not that any of that should matter anyway.

HRTV's Kurt Hoover and Jon White are both excellent....and anyone who remembers them working as a pair, back in the day, on Fox Sports West's hourly show that featured Southern California racing...they would know how enjoyable it was too listen to these two.

Jon White isn't exactly a great handicapper by any means...but he is a fantastic host who deeply enjoys the sport, loves it's history, and is as likeable as any TV horse racing personality I've ever seen.

TVG has a roster over-flowing with ex-trainers and jockeys...who do add something to a telecast on occasion....however, their analysts are badly lacking in the handicapping department.

I think Rich Pearloff (sp?) might even be the best all-around analyst they have, and he's kind of goofy and a bit unlikeable.

"Quite Frankly the show wasn't good enough, OK? OK? Am I mad enough fo' ya? Do ya feel me? OK? Maybe if they included me and my man A.I. then ya'll would've had the ratings to stay on the air, OK? Alright."

Pillow,

You can order a Stephen A Smith fathead at their website.

I'm waiting for the Stephen A. Smith talking doll.

i wrote to them, thanks for the link. told them that with their channels, and ability to showcase sports such as poker and cheerleading competition, it's a shame they can't find 30 minutes for horse racing.

no TVG for me and with this cr*p computer I cant watch races online. This was my only way to see the races. :mad: Have class one tue, but i woke up at 530 on wed. so I could watch it.

I am another of the "Nobody's" that watched every episode of the show, thanks to my DVR. I am also quite pissed that ESPN is going to cancel the show.

I can only hope that Moss, the real-deal of broadcasting, can find another venue to bring racing to the world...

ALostTexan

For anyone that hasn't seen this clip of Stephen A. Smith at this year's NBA draft, check it out. I'll never be able to eat cheese doodles with a straight face again.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nAB5lOIl-2U

As far as the topic of Wire to Wire being cancelled goes. I don't agree with the decision, but I understand why it was done.

I saw Inside Racing mentioned. Anyone with access to Fox Sports New York should check it out. It's on Mondays at 5:30 and replayed on Tuesday mornings at I believe 9:30. Th exception is during Saratoga when they air the show on Tuesdays at 5:30 I believe.

It is kind of ironic that once horse racing gets an excellent host, his weekly show gets the axe.

I have complained in the past on the ESPN board about this show not having a consistent time slot. It sucks that this show got cancelled, because Moss' analysm is so damn good.

ESPN finally gave it a consistent time slot at 2E/1C in the afternoons, but it's a bad time slot. I think they seriously would've been better off putting it on late nights than putting it on in the afternoon. Everyone is either at work or at the track...

If they're commited to total coverage, this will be not such a bitter pill to swallow. But it does suck... For the same reason I think the time slot sucks, I don't see what they'll replace it with that will get better ratings unless they put on poker re-runs (which always rate high). So if it's Cheerleading championships... gimme a break. Ick.

I watch (TIVO) WTW every single week. I really hope Randy Moss finds his way to the airwaves elsewhere because he is top notch.

I agree it is sad that WTW has been given the hook, but IMO ESPN has been going down hill for the last year or so (in regards to taking programs/ sports off their airwaves).

It's funny how they dedicate a whole week to the Kentucky Derby and 3-4 days for the BC, but 1 show for 52 weeks, woah woah woah.... that's way too much air time. Guess they need to free up some more air time for the 8000th viewing of the WSOP, or my personal favorite, the World Series of Dominos. But the one that takes the cake is a whole hour dedicated to paintballing, now there has to be some serious cat's out there who love their paintballing for that show to keep going. Hell ESPN would rather show womens college regualr season basketball rather than sign a contract to carry hockey.

No hockey, no Horses = no watching

-bt-