ESPN.com EIC Knows What The Kids Want

A couple of weeks ago, we helped rid you of the annoying video on the front page of ESPN.com. Well, good news: If you weren't able to figure out how to do that, new ESPN.com editor-in-chief Rob King is gonna take care of that for you.

One of his first orders of business is to kill the video that automatically plays whenever users visit the site's home page, a change that could happen as early as late August. Eventually, users will be able to opt out of having that video play when visiting the site. "We've all heard some expression of discomfort," King said in his first extensive public comments since getting the site's top editorial job. "We're addressing it."

So, thanks, Rob. But that's not all! No, ESPN is about to get a "bloggy" feel. Well, we wouldn't say "bloggy." We'll call it "serious bloggy, with a partial chance of whimsy." And apparently he's been reading up.

"We're still charged with treating serious stuff seriously, which I think [Deadspin Editor Will Leitch] is pretty much committed not to doing," King said. "Will's approach to the Michael Vick story will never be ESPN.com's approach. It might be, in some way, Page 2's. But we do try very hard to make sure that we have a range of approaches to these kinds of things. Fans get to tell us whether we're successful or not."

For the record, we've never met or spoken with Mr. King, though we don't mind him referring to us by first name. Rob. Robert. Bobby. We will say this, though; the only way our take on anything is ever gonna resemble Page 2's is if they bring back Bayless. Sure, Tiger Woods is good ... but WHY CAN'T HE FLY?

As for practical advice in your new endeavor, Robby, Robster, Rob-a-rino, we highly recommend always letting all your bloggers know that their main job is to promote the network From Hashmarks on Monday:

Occasionally I receive reassuring memos from the home office that say things like, "It's freakin' 1:45 p.m. ET, and you haven't mentioned the Broncos-49ers game tonight on our network!!!"

As long as you keep your newfound "voice" stepped in corporate loyalty, you know, Rob, you'll be just fine.

New ESPN.com Boss To Reduce Opinion Pieces, But Increase Video [Sports Business Journal] Hashmarks Not Even Hiding It Any more [We Are The Postmen]