Colin Cowherd lauds TNT’s NBA criticisms: ‘ESPN is mostly fluff’

Colin Cowherd wants the NBA media to toughen up by being more like Charles Barkley and less like ESPN.

Tuesday afternoon, The Herd played a clip of Channing Frye claiming, “nostalgia is killing the NBA,” believing it could have been a rant directed at Barkley. According to Cowherd, however, the NBA doesn’t have a nostalgia problem, they have a soft media problem, with Barkley, Shaquille O’Neal, Kenny Smith and Ernie Johnson being outliers.

“NFL media is tough. NFL media criticizes rookies, they criticize coaches, they criticize players,” Cowherd said. “Our basketball media – college and pro – is very soft and overwhelmingly tries to curry favor with the stars. Barkley and Shaq and that show are the only show that holds players and load management accountable…I’ve stopped bringing on certain NBA reporters who are good people, but it’s all fluff.”

Cowherd proceeded to lump MLB media in with the NBA, believing they’re too soft on the players and teams they cover. According to Cowherd, Tom Verducci was the outlier for baseball, crediting the longtime MLB reporter for being one of the first who claimed steroids were ravaging the sport.

“It takes sometimes, a strong opinion from a very notable person to push back on a sport,” Cowherd said. “And I think Barkley and Shaq are the guys that are like, ‘Why aren’t you playing?’ I want a show that is hard and has teeth and bites into the players. They’re not PR firms…ESPN is mostly fluff. Mostly pro-player, pro-NBA, ‘everything is great,’ and it’s not…the broadcast sometimes feels like its owned by the teams. Guys, it’s okay to criticize players. Barkley and Shaq, they’re the outlier.”

Well that’s not a ringing endorsement for Cowherd’s former employer. It also might not be totally fair. Cowherd’s initial gripe sounds like it’s more with the people who cover the NBA, but then he went and dragged ESPN’s game broadcasters into it. And while they might not be as critical as Mark Jackson and Jeff Van Gundy used to be, ESPN’s game analysts give more than fluff. ESPN’s shoulder programming, however, might be more fluff than honest criticism.

It’s worth noting, TNT Sports, which remains Inside the NBA’s home through this season, and ESPN are both league partners. Where Inside the NBA benefits over ESPN’s shoulder programming, however, is time. NBA Countdown gets minutes to break down a game on ESPN. Inside the NBA gets hours, which allocates more time for banter and criticism.

That’s all about to change next season, when Inside the NBA moves to ESPN through a licensing agreement as TNT Sports loses game rights with the league. ESPN has insisted nothing will change to the production or editorial control of Inside the NBA. But Cowherd can be the judge.