The Decision: Top 10 reasons ESPN outdid its own over-the-top precedent

Forget LeBron announcing his choice to play for the Miami Heat this season. This made-for-TV ESPN "special" had all the typical Worldwide Leader ingredients of hyperbole, recycled breaking news and overheated egos.

10. Stuart Scott opens with this show-stopper: "The focus of the sports world is on LeBron tonight." It wasn't quite as bad as Adam Schefter's tweet earlier in the week about this being a remember-where-you-were-moment, but it was classic Scott, who has way more style than substance. And he doesn't even have that much style.

9. Announcer voice, sounding like a Dollar Store James Earl Jones: "With breathless anticipation..." Not really. Most fans, especially non-sports/NBA fans have been waiting for this saga to end. Yesterday. Sure, it might have succeeded in the individualized NBA marketing plan, but it wore out its welcome weeks ago.

8. Scott asks NBA Insider Chris Broussard for the latest news on the situation. That's the first punch line of the show, given that some combination of LeBron's people and freelance interviewer Jim Gray hatched this made-for-TV idea weeks ago. Broussard spews the recycled news that he reported nearly 24 hours ago, that the Heat appear to be the team James is leaning toward. Say what you want about the WWL, but one of its best traits is presenting old news as if it's fresh.

7. Scott then mentions that the network has "blanket coverage" of the "event," which it should given the organization and agreement from Gray and Leon Rose, James' agent. Awful pat on the back for something that was handed to you.

6. In perhaps the biggest reach of the event, Jon Barry, a studio analyst and former player, makes a reference to the early 1980s comedy, Trading Places, starring Paul Gleason as Clarence Beeks. As the only former player on the set, it's laughable that Barry used a line he recycled at least twice on radio interviews earlier in the day. It's something Dennis Miller or Tony Kornheiser might've said from the Monday Night Football booth.

5. Was it really necessary to show old highlights of the Olympic team, or LeBron's McDonald's All-American game? Like we haven't seen this guy dunk before?

4. Speaking of dunks, a fun drinking game could have been to drink every time ESPN showed a dunk highlight. Fun, or dangerous, whichever came first.

3. Incidentally, does anybody know what Kobe, you know, the guy with five rings, thought of this made-for-TV event?

2. And of course, it wouldn't be an ego-driven, sponsor-controlled spectacle, without a use of the third-person. When asked by Michael Wilbon about his reaction to Cavaliers' fans burning his jersey in the streets, LeBron said, "I can't get involved in that. I had to do what was best for LeBron James." Somewhere, Rickey Henderson is proud.

1. Finally, does anybody remember the old Nike "Witness" campaign? Guess it worked. We can mock this show all we want, but just wait for the ratings.