# What is the mean of ESPN? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [September 4, 2000, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-mean-of-espn/31990 "2000-09-04T19:12:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![quasar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/48db29/32.png) [@quasar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/quasar)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2000, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-mean-of-espn/31990/1 "2000-09-04T19:12:24Z")
what the F\*\*K does the acronym ESPN mean? ---
**Author:** ![Montfort](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Montfort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Montfort)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2000, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-mean-of-espn/31990/2 "2000-09-04T19:15:55Z")
Do a search, it’s been asked before. Entertainment Sports Programming Network. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2000, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-mean-of-espn/31990/3 "2000-09-04T19:32:29Z")
I’m limited to my own system, but here goes: A&E: Arts & Entertainment ABC: American Broadcasting Company AMC: American Movie Classics BET: Black Entertainment Television CBS: Columbia Broadcasting System CMT: Country Music Television CNBC: Corporate News 'Bout Cash CNN: Cable News Network E!TV: Entertainment Television ESPN: Everybody Should Play Nintendo 😃 ESPN2: ESPN 2 (what, you couldn’t figure that out?) FX: Fox reduX 😃 GOLF: Geezers Outside Lying about F\*\*\*ing HBO: Home Box Office HBOP: Home Box Office Plus HBOS: Home Box Office Signature HGTV: Home and Garden Television HSN: Home Shopping Network MSNBC: Maybe we Should Not Buy that Stock 😃 MTV: Music Television PBS: Public Broadcasting Service TBS: Turner Broadcasting System TCM: Turner Classic Movies TLC: The Learning Channel TMC: The Movie Channel TNN: The Nashville Network TNT: Turner Network Television USA: Unlimited Stupid Advertisments 😃 VH1: Video Hits One WGN: We Got News 😃 Glad to help! ---
**Author:** ![DRY](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a87d85/32.png) [@DRY](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DRY)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2000, 7:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-mean-of-espn/31990/4 "2000-09-06T07:02:44Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by KneadToKnow \* > \*\*I’m limited to my own system, but here goes: > HBO: Home Box Office > \*\* Actually, when I was growing up, the cable channel referenced above was well known for a rather limited selection of movies. Hence, my friend’s insistence that the channel’s initials stood for “Hey, Beastmaster’s On!” 😃 ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2000, 11:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-mean-of-espn/31990/5 "2000-09-06T11:05:29Z")
I stand corrected. And laughing. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2000, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-mean-of-espn/31990/6 "2000-09-06T15:30:20Z")
A&E: Anglophiles & Englishmen ABC: Always Broadcasting Commercials AMC: Ancient Moldy Cinema BET: Bruthahs Enjoying Thong-songs CBS: Commercials Bring Solvency CMT: Chaw, Miller and Trucks CNBC: Corporate News ‘Bout Cash CNN: Cable News Nazis E!TV: Exclamation point Television ESPN: Everybody Should Play Nintendo ESPN2: Embassadors Sleep Past Noon or 2 FX: Fox reduX GOLF: Geezers Outside Lying Face-down HBO: Hey, Beastmaster’s On (thanks, **DRY**!) HBOP: Hide the Booze Or Pow! HBOS: Happiness Begets Only Sorrow HGTV: Heteros and Gays Talk Valances HSN: How to Spend at Night MSNBC: Maybe we Should Not Buy that Stock MTV: More Thoughtless Videos NBC: Nothing But Commercials PBS: Preferred British Sitcoms TBS: The Braves Station (thanks, nameless fan at the Ted!) TCM: Thousands of Classic Mediocrities TLC: Televised Lawn Care TMC: Twits, Morons and Creeps TNN: Taunt No Nuckleheads TNT: Trailers, Naugahyde and Tractor-pulls TWC: Time-Worn Cliches USA: Unlimited Silly Action shows VH1: Virtually Hitless since the 1900s WGN: We Got Nothin’ ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2000, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-mean-of-espn/31990/7 "2000-09-06T17:29:09Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by KneadToKnow \* > MSNBC: Maybe we Should Not Buy that Stock Due to transposed letters, **KneadToKnow** inadvertently published erroneous information. Obviously, he meant to say MSNBC: Micronesians Should Never Be Courteous ---
**Author:** ![mouthbreather](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a698b9/32.png) [@mouthbreather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mouthbreather)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2000, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-mean-of-espn/31990/8 "2000-09-06T17:44:15Z")
very good, KtN. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2000, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-mean-of-espn/31990/9 "2000-09-06T18:13:23Z")
To answer the OP, as near as I can tell, it’s either “M” or “N,” depending upon how you round. ---
**Author:** ![mouthbreather](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a698b9/32.png) [@mouthbreather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mouthbreather)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2000, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-mean-of-espn/31990/10 "2000-09-06T18:21:51Z")
Mjollner, I was going for something along these lines, but gave up in it. ::golf clap:: ---
**Author:** ![Goose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Goose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Goose)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2000, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-mean-of-espn/31990/11 "2000-09-06T20:03:11Z")
I thought in was sports in Spanish. ---
**Author:** ![Myrr21](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e495f1/32.png) [@Myrr21](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Myrr21)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2000, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-mean-of-espn/31990/12 "2000-09-07T00:41:16Z")
Well, to find the “mean” of ESPN, let’s let A=1, B=2… Therefore, we get ESPN=5,19,16,14 The mean of this (if my quick mental math serves), is 13.5, with a standard deviation of 6.0 So the mean of ESPN is halfway between M and N +/- F ::shooting self now, to avoid nasty comments about being a smartass:: 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Geek\_Mecha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ecae2f/32.png) [@Geek\_Mecha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Geek_Mecha)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2000, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-mean-of-espn/31990/13 "2000-09-07T01:40:53Z")
“Here he is, our **encee** from **ESPM** , Keith Olbermann!” -Mayor Rudy Giuliani, in _The Big Show_ ---
**Author:** ![quasar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/48db29/32.png) [@quasar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/quasar)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2001, 5:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-mean-of-espn/31990/14 "2001-01-21T05:10:22Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Myrr21 \* > \*\*Well, to find the “mean” of ESPN, let’s let A=1, B=2… > Therefore, we get > ESPN=5,19,16,14 > The mean of this (if my quick mental math serves), is 13.5, with a standard deviation of 6.0 > > So the mean of ESPN is halfway between M and N +/- F > > ::shooting self now, to avoid nasty comments about being a smartass:: > 🙂 \*\* I am just checking this infamously titled thread after **omni-not** linked to it from a similar thread. Damn you, omni! 🙂 Seems like this topic surfaces every couple of months! Anyhow, it isn’t until now that I am catching **Myrr21’s** comedic remarks regarding my spasmodic typo. And I thought–rather naively it appears–that I had escaped intact from any fun-making attempts directed at my obviously typing impaired fingers. Anyway, if a mod wants to change the title to its originally intended “What is the meaning of ESPN?” I wouldn’t complain. I **mean** , that would be great. 😃 Off to watch SportsCenter. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![omni-not](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8dc957/32.png) [@omni-not](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/omni-not)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2001, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-mean-of-espn/31990/15 "2001-01-21T16:10:56Z")
That **Myrr** : What a card! Hope you weren’t too frankincensed by his reply at the time. ---
**Author:** ![whitetho](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whitetho/32/1059_2.png) [@whitetho](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/whitetho)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2001, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-mean-of-espn/31990/16 "2001-01-21T19:22:21Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by KneadToKnow \* > \*\*WGN: We Got News 😃 > WGN: We Got Nothin’ \*\* WGN started out as a radio station, set up in 1924 by the Chicago _Tribune_. In later years a TV station was added, which eventually became a “superstation”, carried by cable systems across the country. The call letters of original radio station (which is still on the air at AM 720) came from the _Tribune’s_ slogan: “ **W** orld’s **G** reatest **N** ewspaper”. And now you know… the rest of the story… ---
**Author:** ![kasuo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/8c91f0/32.png) [@kasuo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kasuo)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2003, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-mean-of-espn/31990/17 "2003-03-19T18:18:27Z")
FOX: Fornication On eXstasy! UPN: UnPopular Network (yeah it’s overused, I know) WB: Worrysome Bimbos