ESPN continues tongue bath of Heat

In what must be an attempt to piss off the 29 other teams in the NBA, ESPN is adding to its already  over-the-top coverage of the Miami Heat.

Not only will they bombard us with incessant television coverage of the Heat, but we'll also find that same drivel online.

The "Heat Index" launches October 11th.

According to the ESPN Media Zone Press Release, the site will include

• Chase for 72 – an automated, daily forecast of how many games the Heat will win including ESPN.com’s John Hollinger projecting the odds of the Heat matching the Chicago Bulls’ record of 72 wins;
• Tracking the Big 3 – an automated tracking of how James, Wade and Bosh stack up against the best trios in NBA history;
• Heat Tweets – a module that collects tweets from Heat players and fans;

• Triple-Double Tracker – a module tracking James’ progress towards averaging a triple-double for an entire season;
• The Scene – Jemele Hill covering the culture, scene and lifestyle angles tied to South Beach as it relates to the Heat and the buzz surrounding the team;

Not sure what offends me more, a "Chase for 72" feature to start the season or the notion anyone would read/watch Jemele Hill's South Beach lifestyle reports.

The Triple Double Tracker, however, is perfect for an egomaniac like LeBron.

From a business perspective, this is pure gold. The Heat Index will probably generate millions of monthly page views and more coin for ESPN.com.

But as an NBA fan, I want to know if anyone wearing a suit in Bristol is allowed to say – "This might be overkill," – in a development meeting.