Xubuntu uses Ubuntu's core OS with XFCE instead of Unity. Things that work for Ubuntu should also work for Xubuntu.
How are you installing Google Chrome? Through the software center or did you download the deb file from Google?
How did you install flash for Firefox? I am assuming you added the packages for Ubuntu Restricted Extras?
Thanks salvage=this; as you mentioned what google chrome i installed,i went through my links and found this bellow link ,and installed google chrome beta,since i had the previous install from the Ubuntu repositories,and now in ubuntu 14.04 64bit espn3 is running.
but i tried same thing Xubuntu 32bit 12,04 and Xubuntu14.04 on 2 other old machines and it doesn't work,although google chrome beta installs
https://debianhelp.wordpress.com/2013/11/27/to-do-list-after-installing-ubuntu-14-04-trusty-tahr-os/
i installed with this code in xubuntu
http://gamblisfx.com/how-to-install-google-chrome-34-0-on-xubuntu-14-04/
Is it just ESPN or other websites with video players?
Side note: weird, I faced a lot of flash issues on 10.04 Ubuntu amd64, but worked perfectly on 32bit.