Where will sports be 25 years from now? Will the Super Bowl be
on pay-per-view?
Berman: [laughs] No, it'll be on the moon! I'd like to think
that, like former
NFL commissioner
Pete Rozelle once said, the NFL
and sports generally should be inclusive for everybody. We don't
rule out some people from watching the events. By now, almost
everybody does get cable. So maybe the Super Bowl will be on the
moon - look, they're having it in
Detroit in 2006, so why not? A
lot of things will remain the same and that's good. On the other
hand, technology will continue to improve.
HDTV might not be good
for my hairline, but it's coming.
Walsh: Most of the major leagues say there's nothing on the horizon
that would put major events on pay-per-view. I don't know about the
Super Bowl, but the "Lingerie Bowl" made it onto TV this year for
the 500 people who saw it [laughs].
Patrick: I would hope that the athletes understand that you
have to invest back into the product to keep it viable. NASCAR
drivers have understood this, investing back in and being
available. You can walk up, touch them, talk to them, see the cars
- making it more fan-friendly. Maybe in the next 25 years, we'll
see more of this. You're also going to see high-school players
continue to challenge to get into the NFL, and other sports, early.
Kids are going to be ready at an earlier age, whether it's Michelle
Wie at 14, or Freddy Adu at 15. It's going to happen because we
demand more of these kids at a younger age. I think you're going to
see that word "burnout" come back again. As a parent, I would keep
an eye out for this.
What are your thoughts as you look back over the years you've
spent with ESPN?
Dick Vitale: ESPN has been a phenomenal ride, and to be a
little spoke in a big wheel has been gratifying. I'll take it to my
grave knowing I did the first
basketball college game on ESPN.
Never in my wildest dreams would I have imagined my own website
with Dickie V dolls, and Dickie V alarm clocks that wake you up
with my different sayings - "Awesome, baby!"