Every sports talk show, every sports talk segment really, is the same -- it's banter and opinion, packaged in some easy-to-understand, black-and-white format.
Sure, news and sports are defined by shades of gray, but the shows inevitably try to make it black and white, this or that, yes or no.
Unfortunately, the segments fail when the participants do not play by the rules, when they do not stick to the contract that's been crafted with viewers.
A segment on ESPN's "Monday Night Football" provided the latest example -- with connected and engaging analysts Chris Mortenson and Adam Schefter discussing whether specific NFL coaches were "safe" or "out" in terms of job security.
It was an appropriate and interesting topic for the next-to-last week of the season, but it failed because not all coaches were classified as either "safe" or "out." Instead, Mortenson and Schefter were able to use "leaning safe" or "leaning out."
For "insiders" such as Mortenson and Schefter, putting them in a position to speculate publicly about a coach's job security can be difficult, so perhaps the "leaning" label provided some necessary wiggle room. At the same time, though, it also defeats the credibility of the segment because viewers expect a firm answer from the talking heads -- even if they know such speculation can fall apart -- and "leaning" only allows them to straddle the fence of opinion.
If such segments are not going to provide what they promise, they just should not be used.