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March, 2021

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X Games is garbage. Change my mind.

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Wormracer
Posts: 11291 - Karma: 19,467
3 competitions on one feature?

A giant Monster ad?

They jumped the shark years ago and they still haven't been cancelled.

Anyone know how many people are watching?

Zoot space movie is 100 times more entertaining.

Will next years Real Street invites be decided by how many social media followers they have?
Feb 1 2021 10:22PM 100 8
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theabortionator
Posts: 46975 - Karma: 107,975
Meh, idk about that. Xgames went south a long time ago. Even on the early 2000s. But who knows how much of it was xgames changing and how much was me just getting older. There definitely seemed like there was more magic in the earlier years.


I liked when there was more competition. Gravity ganes, b3, xgames, a bunch of stuff. There just wasn't a big enough market or x managed to hold on and stay at the top.

Xgames has always been about adding and removing events with popularity. I was pretty bummed when they got rid of bmx dirt for 7 years but would add stupid new events if they had a motor.

At the end of the day it is what it is. Is it some ultra core contest? Not really. Is it still a place with cool slopestyle courses and a spot where new and big tricks get thrown down? For sure.

It is what you make of it. If you hate it don't watch it but I don't agree that it's bad or doesn't have a spot at the table. Regardless of how you feel about it, it's been around long enough and had a pretty big impact on skateparks, terrain parks, and the sports themselves.

We could dive down the whole cork madness/spin to win rabbit hole but I dont think thats xgames. That's just how progression works. If you can do a 5 you want to try a 7. And honestly there's been a resurgence of weird dubs, cool grabs, and people that can do trips bu5 lrefer to post clips of steezy slow cork 7 blunts.

Idk. Skiing is big, there are lots of different spots. I don't like some things about xgames but I don't really think it needs hate. At the end of the day it is what it is, and it isn't for everyone, but that's life in general.
Feb 1 2021 10:38PM 44 2
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SofaKingSick
Posts: 6154 - Karma: 27,655
Is this your first time watching x games? I don't get what you guys expect, honestly.

Once a year our sport actually has a big competition on prime time tv and a few of our guys get the biggest check of their careers. It's corny (duh) and the judging is questionable just like at every freeskiing comp in history, great, I get it. But what's the recommendation? B o y c o t t the only people willing to give our sport some money and time?

literally every single year everyone armchair quarterbacks the setup itself too and almost every single year NBDs go down, I'm pretty sure the jumps are fine you fucking hens
Feb 1 2021 10:42PM 65 0
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Wormracer
Posts: 11291 - Karma: 19,467
Definitely my first time G.

And yeah many snowboarders don't so the Xgames because it's lame as fuck.
SofaKingSickIs this your first time watching x games? I don't get what you guys expect, honestly.

Once a year our sport actually has a big competition on prime time tv and a few of our guys get the biggest check of their careers. It's corny (duh) and the judging is questionable just like at every freeskiing comp in history, great, I get it. But what's the recommendation? B o y c o t t the only people willing to give our sport some money and time?

literally every single year everyone armchair quarterbacks the setup itself too and almost every single year NBDs go down, I'm pretty sure the jumps are fine you fucking hens
Feb 1 2021 11:02PM 13 15
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Wormracer
Posts: 11291 - Karma: 19,467
Yeah it is what is it. Garbage.
theabortionatorMeh, idk about that. Xgames went south a long time ago. Even on the early 2000s. But who knows how much of it was xgames changing and how much was me just getting older. There definitely seemed like there was more magic in the earlier years.


I liked when there was more competition. Gravity ganes, b3, xgames, a bunch of stuff. There just wasn't a big enough market or x managed to hold on and stay at the top.

Xgames has always been about adding and removing events with popularity. I was pretty bummed when they got rid of bmx dirt for 7 years but would add stupid new events if they had a motor.

At the end of the day it is what it is. Is it some ultra core contest? Not really. Is it still a place with cool slopestyle courses and a spot where new and big tricks get thrown down? For sure.

It is what you make of it. If you hate it don't watch it but I don't agree that it's bad or doesn't have a spot at the table. Regardless of how you feel about it, it's been around long enough and had a pretty big impact on skateparks, terrain parks, and the sports themselves.

We could dive down the whole cork madness/spin to win rabbit hole but I dont think thats xgames. That's just how progression works. If you can do a 5 you want to try a 7. And honestly there's been a resurgence of weird dubs, cool grabs, and people that can do trips bu5 lrefer to post clips of steezy slow cork 7 blunts.

Idk. Skiing is big, there are lots of different spots. I don't like some things about xgames but I don't really think it needs hate. At the end of the day it is what it is, and it isn't for everyone, but that's life in general.
Feb 1 2021 11:03PM 6 17
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Dan-Man
Posts: 7236 - Karma: 2,812
Yea, it sucks now days.

I think the Knuckle huck is one of the stupidest events ever conceived and can't believe they show that on TV.
Feb 1 2021 11:18PM 4 66
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asparagus
Posts: 578 - Karma: 5,118
This year’s x games feels especially bad, hopefully they get criticized so badly that they actually try to fix stuff. Not a huge fan of comps anyways, I just like seeing the guys in movies send stuff.
Feb 1 2021 11:22PM 18 1
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SofaKingSick
Posts: 6154 - Karma: 27,655
WormracerDefinitely my first time G.

And yeah many snowboarders don't so the Xgames because it's lame as fuck.

Yeah and many people-- most people actually-- don't do the type of skiing you do either because it's not their cup of tea but they're not writing diatribes about it either

Seriously, what's your recommendation? Who's going to pay for this whole thing if they remove the Monster ads?

They've done a lot to respond to criticisms, hell I know you remember when the announcers couldn't keep up, now Tom wallisch is the announcer. they got shit for the course being too cookie cutter, now there's a wavy qp/hip feature, and the last jump is a shark fin/true table hybrid. The judges are skiers! Ferdinand Dahl and Quinn wolfermann were there this year. Jossi wells got invited to knuckle and did a dope zero.

I get that it ain't perfect but I truly don't see what you guys think you'd do differently if you were an executive at x games
Feb 1 2021 11:23PM 39 0
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Casey
Posts: 6496 - Karma: 8,782
I remember the very first time winter X games had skiing big air. The entire skiing community felt like the whole wave of stoke, rebellion, creativity and progression hand amounted to some really official recognition. All of our underground heroes that we’d seen killing it in bootlegged VHS tapes and THIS goofball website that no one outside the club could even be bothered to understand were being sat down collectively in front of a pure showcase of talent, style and identity that wasn’t that well defined yet, but people all over the world were giving their all to it regardless. People are finally seeing this thing that we are all obsessed with, and can’t explain very well, and are crazy about. Just watching it felt like an accomplishment for the community.

20 years later that’s what I still try to tune in for, there’s a lot of legacy at this point and people have ALWAYS hated on the judging, the money grubbing, the ad sales, spin to win, the ‘soul’ of the sport- since day one that’s been part of it too.
Feb 1 2021 11:25PM 16 0
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SofaKingSick
Posts: 6154 - Karma: 27,655
for the sake of trying to be productive, I'll say what I think would be a good idea

make the judging super strict on ""style"" which yeah is crazy subjective, but I think the Sochi Olympics slope did it well: demanded high level of technicality but was super harsh on style/control. They basically seemed to have the attitude of "if an arm goes up involuntarily even once you're dead to me"
Feb 1 2021 11:31PM 18 0
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Bended_Toenail
Posts: 1308 - Karma: 8,754
I thought last year was really good (at least in comparison to other recent years), but this year was just bad. The Vibe, the features, the athletes, and obviously the judging was just off.
Feb 1 2021 11:34PM 7 0
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theabortionator
Posts: 46975 - Karma: 107,975
Idk. If people are salty about it don't watch it. I watch it more now because of it being up on youtube. Makes it easier both with not having cable for years and missing stuff when it aired anyway.


Go ride urban rails and film, go get some backcountry pow, build a booter, make edits. Do the small comps, watch core movies.

It's one event(other than sometimes additional worldwide ones) once a year for a weekend. I get that it's not for everybody but I don't get being upset by it.

A lot of the people skiimg and riding terrain parks get into the sports through watching events like this. It's literally just one weekend a winter.

Don't watch it. Like I said, I'm not a fan of a lot of aspects and some of the changes but it is what it is. I don't see any legitimate arguments that it's bad for the sport, and people just kinda seem salty. Dont watch it.
Feb 1 2021 11:46PM 10 0
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soup
Posts: 6045 - Karma: 1,937
X games is the only contest I watch and is still the pinnacle of the sport.


My only thing is why are we still having athletes wear bibs. There are more than enough logos everywhere.
Feb 2 2021 12:19AM 20 0
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SuspiciousFish
Posts: 2001 - Karma: 9,703
I agree, the Monster ads are a bullshit sellout. We need to go back to when we had core X Games sponsors like Target.
Feb 2 2021 12:31AM 53 0
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Casey
Posts: 6496 - Karma: 8,782
soupX games is the only contest I watch and is still the pinnacle of the sport.


My only thing is why are we still having athletes wear bibs. There are more than enough logos everywhere.


That is actually funny, maybe just so it looks
like more of a competition for the viewers or it stays constant across all events where it’s more practical
Feb 2 2021 1:21AM 9 0
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chef_boyardee
Posts: 542 - Karma: 4,725
its contest skiing. a lot of it is wack. just enjoy the skiing and don't pay attention to the bullshit
Feb 2 2021 1:42AM 13 0
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BigPurpleSkiSuit
Posts: 5923 - Karma: 5,204
Would be a lot better if we knew who was judging and that they were all ex athletes
Feb 2 2021 2:03AM 9 0
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Isak_lonn
Posts: 19 - Karma: 200
X games has become lame af. There is nothing cool and entertaining anymore. The only good thing is the skiers insane performance but that is often over shadowed by bad score and judging decisions!
X games has moved away from us as skiers and instead of doing things we like they try to impress the every day jerry. The only thing I can think about while watching big air is why everyone watching is screaming so much. Don’t get me wrong I like hype and shit but it just feels strange with a bunch of random people scream as soon as they see a camera. The live viewers are there more for the camera than the competition.

No disrespect or whatever but x games is a suuuuper “American” completion and they way everyone is screaming and every competition is called a company name first. For me as a swed I almost just feel uncomfortable with all the commentators being way to positive and shit

I feel like competition skiing is in a down, there are no invitation comps or anything all the comps are so similar and boring. Just feel like everyone who’s hosting the comps has forgotten what makes skiing great and instead of impressing us they are trying to impress American companies and generally people who don’t particularly much about our sport.
Feb 2 2021 2:19AM 6 4
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Isak_lonn
Posts: 19 - Karma: 200
I also think that fis and x games don’t like the xxl clothes and baggy hip hop style. That’s why we see a lot of success among the skiers who don’t have this style. Like mr andri spaghetti. I know this might be a long shot but I actually believe this especially with The olympics a couple years ago. Henrik did an amazing run yet got shit score and goeper won. And don’t want do disrespect him or whatever but for the outside sports I think Nic is a perfect winner and perhaps they were hopping that a person like nic would bring more popularity to the sport. Except this makes us lose the style that we love and therefore x games is changing to the worse!
Feb 2 2021 2:28AM 5 14
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Medicine
Posts: 48 - Karma: 154
Isak_lonnI also think that fis and x games don’t like the xxl clothes and baggy hip hop style. That’s why we see a lot of success among the skiers who don’t have this style. Like mr andri spaghetti. I know this might be a long shot but I actually believe this especially with The olympics a couple years ago. Henrik did an amazing run yet got shit score and goeper won. And don’t want do disrespect him or whatever but for the outside sports I think Nic is a perfect winner and perhaps they were hopping that a person like nic would bring more popularity to the sport. Except this makes us lose the style that we love and therefore x games is changing to the worse!


Dude you got your olympics all wrong... 2014 harlaut wiped out and 2018 he didnt qualify for the finals cause he didnt put a clean run down. Goeper never won, Joss won in 2014 and Oystein in 2018. Id say Joss is not a bad representative of skiing, his pants were even slightly baggy. And oystein fucking killed it so there's that.
Feb 2 2021 3:49AM 16 0
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theabortionator
Posts: 46975 - Karma: 107,975
Where did contest skiing touch you guys? I get it, but damn.
Feb 2 2021 4:53AM 16 0
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pinkcamo1000
Posts: 2803 - Karma: 17,601
XTREME GAMES
Feb 2 2021 7:18AM 12 0
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TheClap.
Posts: 21601 - Karma: 3,723
Lmfao coming from a skier who never got an invite or was ever good enough. Keep bitching bro
Feb 2 2021 7:22AM 5 25
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pinkcamo1000
Posts: 2803 - Karma: 17,601
MedicineDude you got your olympics all wrong... 2014 harlaut wiped out and 2018 he didnt qualify for the finals cause he didnt put a clean run down. Goeper never won, Joss won in 2014 and Oystein in 2018. Id say Joss is not a bad representative of skiing, his pants were even slightly baggy. And oystein fucking killed it so there's that.


joss and oystein are both sick af. oystein's seg in Buckle Up was certified dope homies got some good kits too (4:14)
https://www.newschoolers.com/videos/watch/973766/buckle-up-3-3
Feb 2 2021 7:25AM 8 0
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pinkcamo1000
Posts: 2803 - Karma: 17,601
TheClap.Lmfao coming from a skier who never got an invite or was ever good enough. Keep bitching bro


I bet andrew spaghetti can't hippy killer
Feb 2 2021 7:27AM 17 1
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snowfinder
Posts: 2041 - Karma: 25,066
Anyone recall the years of the switch 10 for the win? Thats right years, multiple years of the same winning trick. Thats garbage. X Games are a made for TV event it isn't about the sports its about the views, thus it has and will always be garbage. But guess what the people like? Trash TV.
Feb 2 2021 8:12AM 7 0
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little1337
Posts: 7137 - Karma: 25,783
Jossis zero spin made it all worth it for me
Feb 2 2021 8:27AM 5 0
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r00kie
Posts: 2032 - Karma: 14,770
Dan-ManYea, it sucks now days.

I think the Knuckle huck is one of the stupidest events ever conceived and can't believe they show that on TV.

Knuckle huck is the only event I made sure to watch the last two years. Previously I didn't make a point of watching any of it.

As for Andy's point, I'm giving this year the benefit of the doubt cause covid and everything. I was surprised to see the event happen at all. Sure using the same feature for every event sucked. Sure Im pissed about the knuckle huck result. But I also know this weekend I'll see a bunch of kids at the hill trying to mimick Henrik with their goggles on backwards cause he got them stoked through x games. There is no other event in our sport that has this big of an audience/influence.
Feb 2 2021 9:05AM 5 0
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CatdickBojangles
Posts: 3265 - Karma: 22,723
It’s a necessary evil. It does suck. But it also gets people to see our sport when normally they wouldn’t. Most of us on this site are heavily invested in the sport. But imagine the guy that skis once or twice a year sees someone’s slope style run and decides to buy that guys skis. Then maybe he stops in the park and sees an NS sticker and visits the site and becomes a member. Personally I don’t like the X-games but it also creates a ton of viewership and money for our sport so we kind of need it.
Feb 2 2021 9:18AM 9 0
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r00kie
Posts: 2032 - Karma: 14,770
Isak_lonnI also think that fis and x games don’t like the xxl clothes and baggy hip hop style. That’s why we see a lot of success among the skiers who don’t have this style. Like mr andri spaghetti. I know this might be a long shot but I actually believe this especially with The olympics a couple years ago. Henrik did an amazing run yet got shit score and goeper won. And don’t want do disrespect him or whatever but for the outside sports I think Nic is a perfect winner and perhaps they were hopping that a person like nic would bring more popularity to the sport. Except this makes us lose the style that we love and therefore x games is changing to the worse!


Dude....Henrik has won more medals than any one. Second place? Tanner. I don't think "the baggy hip-hop style" is the problem.
Feb 2 2021 9:19AM 10 0
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corona
Posts: 12356 - Karma: 27,987
Well xgames has lost it's legitimacy as a competition to showcase the best of the best after I learned that they preferentially invite Monster athletes. Abysmal (and very likely predetermined) judging of some events aside, if you're going to put on the largest and most well known freestyle competition then athletes should be invited based on merit and not who their sponsors are. As much as everyone likes to hate on the Olympics, at least the athletes that get to go are actually the best a country can offer and not just the ones whose sponsors pay the most money.
Feb 2 2021 9:56AM 10 0
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armchair_skier
Posts: 642 - Karma: 5,008
WormracerThey jumped the shark years ago and they still haven't been cancelled.


huh?
Feb 2 2021 10:09AM 4 0
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SkiBum.
Posts: 3455 - Karma: 3,439
Bring back Rails to Riches
Feb 2 2021 11:28AM 15 0
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DrZoidberg
Posts: 5568 - Karma: 3,241
I was definitely more excited for it in like 2008-2013 or so.

It is a judged sport of course, but yeah I think at times the judging is weird. I watch a lot of competitive surfing and while there are times I don't agree with them, I feel like I disagree with the xgames judges like every single time.
Feb 2 2021 11:34AM 3 0
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isaacwrong
Posts: 1289 - Karma: 7,095
SkiBum.Bring back Rails to Riches


this

carinthia's never gained traction and was weak af imo
Feb 2 2021 11:53AM 2 0
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eheath
Posts: 57121 - Karma: 76,976
I blame the olympics 🤷‍♀️
Feb 2 2021 11:58AM 4 2
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ColoradoDogfart
Posts: 1414 - Karma: 10,722
How am i suppose to change your mind if your right
Feb 2 2021 12:20PM 3 1
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BradFiAusNzCoCa
Posts: 1204 - Karma: 6,684
I may be living under a rock but Oystein is the first pro park skier I’ve actually seen ride the revolt 104 in the park. I always thought it was odd that it was so hyped up yet no one on the team seems to ride it.

Also, I was super hyped when Oystein won
pinkcamo1000joss and oystein are both sick af. oystein's seg in Buckle Up was certified dope homies got some good kits too (4:14)
https://www.newschoolers.com/videos/watch/973766/buckle-up-3-3
Feb 2 2021 12:37PM 2 0
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Wormracer
Posts: 11291 - Karma: 19,467
I will keep bitching. Maybe enough people will bitch and they will make some changes.

I'm not delusional. I was never a comp skier but plenty of other younger qualified comp skiers had never got an invite because they don't have the right energy drink sponsor. Clearly you don't get it. Try harder and come back at me.
TheClap.Lmfao coming from a skier who never got an invite or was ever good enough. Keep bitching bro
Feb 2 2021 12:54PM 12 3
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Wormracer
Posts: 11291 - Karma: 19,467
See, "Happy Days". Not the ski movie.
armchair_skierhuh?
Feb 2 2021 12:55PM 3 1
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Wormracer
Posts: 11291 - Karma: 19,467
Not the organizers?

eheathI blame the olympics 🤷‍♀️
Feb 2 2021 1:00PM 4 1
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Wormracer
Posts: 11291 - Karma: 19,467
To make things clear.

X Games is garbage. Not the skiers, or comp skiing.
Feb 2 2021 1:08PM 8 2
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OCoffey
Posts: 574 - Karma: 3,083
TheClap.Lmfao coming from a skier who never got an invite or was ever good enough. Keep bitching bro

Sheeeeeesh
Feb 2 2021 1:18PM 3 1
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eheath
Posts: 57121 - Karma: 76,976
WormracerNot the organizers?


It's just cause and effect, slopestyle and halfpipe skiing has been effected tremendously by the Olympics. That being said, I don't the people organizing xgames are probably that happy either, its all disney/espn pulling the strings. Disney is doing the same thing to their football coverage/sports shows in general, just poorly produced and way too many corny TV ppl and far too many adverts.

This year could just be exaggerated due to low budgets and no crowds, less revenue, etc but it could be foreshadowing for how the sport could look in 10 years.

**This post was edited on Feb 2nd 2021 at 1:19:26pm
Feb 2 2021 1:18PM 3 0
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Holte
Posts: 10706 - Karma: 7,344
Well, yeah. It's definitely past its prime and they know it (which is sad to me because I actually still enjoy the show). If you read the news the last week, Disney and ESPN is valuing X Games at 100 million dollars, but they're willing to sell for 50ish.

But what do you get out of buying X Games? The name? 25 years of archival media? I can't imagine they'll sell it for more than 20 or 30. Disney knows X Games is dying and so does everyone else. I'd say TEN/ASN should buy X Games, but they seem to be running in the opposite direction.
Feb 2 2021 1:27PM 2 0
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eheath
Posts: 57121 - Karma: 76,976
HolteWell, yeah. It's definitely past its prime and they know it (which is sad to me because I actually still enjoy the show). If you read the news the last week, Disney and ESPN is valuing X Games at 100 million dollars, but they're willing to sell for 50ish.

But what do you get out of buying X Games? The name? 25 years of archival media? I can't imagine they'll sell it for more than 20 or 30. Disney knows X Games is dying and so does everyone else. I'd say TEN/ASN should buy X Games, but they seem to be running in the opposite direction.


It's more than just skiing/snowboarding too, I'd argue the skateboard/bmx side is more profitable. You're buying the rights to the most prestigious event in action sports, it always will be too, its not like next year its going to be like how xgames was this year.
Feb 2 2021 1:42PM 7 0
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Casey
Posts: 6496 - Karma: 8,782
HolteWell, yeah. It's definitely past its prime and they know it (which is sad to me because I actually still enjoy the show). If you read the news the last week, Disney and ESPN is valuing X Games at 100 million dollars, but they're willing to sell for 50ish.

But what do you get out of buying X Games? The name? 25 years of archival media? I can't imagine they'll sell it for more than 20 or 30. Disney knows X Games is dying and so does everyone else. I'd say TEN/ASN should buy X Games, but they seem to be running in the opposite direction.

What do you get?! You get fucking RUBICONS. Everywhere.
Feb 2 2021 1:54PM 9 0
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owenready
Posts: 4 - Karma: 207
wtf bro that's disrespectful those skiers put their lives on the line for practically no pay just the love of skiing. I personally have so much respect for competitive skiers and x games athletes.
Feb 2 2021 3:06PM 6 1
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zues
Posts: 6063 - Karma: -4,970
IF Henrik doesn't like it I DON'T LIKE IT
Feb 2 2021 3:13PM 1 0
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NateDude
Posts: 118 - Karma: 654
No matter what I CANNOT take that one announcer seriously anymore after this video

891779
Feb 2 2021 3:18PM 8 5
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eheath
Posts: 57121 - Karma: 76,976
NateDudeNo matter what I CANNOT take that one announcer seriously anymore after this video

891779


Lol this guys has to be trollin'
Feb 2 2021 3:27PM 14 0
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