Outgrowing My Relationsip with ESPN

It's not me... It's you.
We have all had that friend in your life who we needed to move on from.  Sometimes it is because you have grown apart.  Sometimes you find that you have moved on to greener pastures and they want to keep you down.  Other times it is that you can't stand by and watch the harm they are causing themselves and those around them.  It is for that last reason that I can no longer maintain the same relationship with ESPN.  It hurts me to watch them undermine what made them great.
Anyone who knows me is painfully aware of my passion for all things sports.  I am the girl who is offended if you send me a wedding invitation for the date/time of a Jets game.  I have a dog named after my beloved Shea Stadium. 
I am not sure the first time I watched ESPN, but I am sure it was well after their 1979 start.  I can tell you that since I started watching, I haven't stopped.  I spent every Sunday in most of  the 90's drinking coffee out of my "Bristol University" mug.  I DVR Outside the Lines everyday and Sports Reporters on Sundays.  During Football season I spend hours watching Countdown.  I have stood by ESPN when I thought that they let people leave who were wonderful and when they have kept people (mostly ex-athletes) even though they had no grasp on the English language.
ESPN has now lost their ability to just REPORT news in the sports world.  Instead, they now chose to become the news or make content decisions based on who they want to build up / tear down.
There are so many examples of this that I will try to restrain myself, but here is a tasting:

• University of Miami - Last summer ESPN stopped regular programming to report the demise of the U.  They had round table discussions about the future of Miami and if they could survive.  All of this was based off the allegations of a Ponzi schemer in prison.  Since that time nothing has been validated, ESPN has not mentioned it, nor have they acknowledged that they jumped on something without checking facts, like a responsible news source does.  Don't get this twisted, if this was Notre Dame, Duke, i.e. the "story" would have been handled differently.
• University of North Carolina - This story is the exact proof needed to affirm my last sentence above.  Despite the UNC academic scandal being front page news for the local paper, News & Observer, ESPN has barely touched the story. They did some reporting on it when the NCAA was in Chapel Hill, but now that the beloved UNC basketball program may be involved, ESPN has not touched it.  Not even on Outside the Lines as an open question and to get public opinion. Since the story resurfaced, there have been 2 MORE stories about Penn State (because that hasn't been over covered). 
• Sean  Payton - This Sunday's Outside the Line program may have tossed me over the edge.  I am indifferent about Sean Payton.  I admire what he has accomplished as a coach and question his ethics at the same time.  However since the 2009 season when Payton coached the Saints to a Super Bowl Championship which lifted the depressed post-Katrina New Orleans, ESPN has held Payton in high regard.  He was made out to be a genius who also doubled as an actual Saint with his involvement in the community.  In all the profiles I watched about him, I never heard a bad word.  Today an entire OTL segment was devoted to how his character is questionable.  I understand that we all didn't know about "bounty-gate" prior to this off season.  However, they have dragged out witness after witness about how he is rude and arrogant.  They are now telling us that the local reporters can't stand him because he lays into them with curses and pulling of privileges.  There is no way that while researching previous pieces, that ESPN was unaware of these unfavorable opinions. Way to go ESPN... build up a man to deity and then tear him down. 
• LeBron James - I was one of the countless fans that was disgusted by the egotistical display that is now known as "The Decision" when LeBron announced he was "Taking .. [his] talents to South Beach".  The public was outraged and ESPN then agreed with the public and began reporting on him like he was a Diva.  They questioned his heart and ability to close a big time game.  They never ONCE took any responsibility that they payed for "The Decision".  They planned, aired and promoted it.  ESPN made this happen and then left LeBron to pick up the pieces.  I guess he can be grateful that now he won a championship and so they have decided to befriend him again.

Perhaps it is because many who work for ESPN have loyalties to teams they played for, athletes/coaches/management they have played with, or their alumni affiliations.  But whatever the reason they have decided to make some people absolute villains and to anoint others as the next coming.   They have torn down so many people/programs and yet did not inform the public about others to maintain certain images.  It is irresponsible and self-divulging. 
ESPN's viewing public deserves better in return for our years of loyalty.  I feel like I need to pull back on my devotion to them.  So, although I love my Countdown Crew, I have decided to settle for the CBS team this year. Unfortunately, I am one person and "This is going to hurt me more than it does you."