Bulls TV ratings continue to fall

[MerrittsMustache]

From USA Today:

Sunday night's All-Star Game on TNT — which the West won in a shootout, 192-182 — was the most-watched All-Star Game telecast since 2013, according to Nielsen Fast National ratings, with an average of 7.8 million total viewers.

So I guess Smuggles' hypothesis that every sport is on a never-ending downward spiral when it comes to TV viewers needs a slight reboot.

For the sake of comparison...

2011: 9.1 million
2012: 7.1 million* (-22.0%)
2013: 8.0 million (+12.7%)
2014: 7.5 million (-6.25%)
2015: 7.2 million (-4.0%)
2016: 7.6 million (+5.6%)
2017: 7.8 million (+2.6%)

* - on opposite The Academy Awards

[MU82]

For the sake of comparison...

2011: 9.1 million
2012: 7.1 million* (-22.0%)
2013: 8.0 million (+12.7%)
2014: 7.5 million (-6.25%)
2015: 7.2 million (-4.0%)
2016: 7.6 million (+5.6%)
2017: 7.8 million (+2.6%)

* - on opposite The Academy Awards

So, trending upward and almost where it was in '13. Not bad considering nobody is watching these events anymore.

[buckchuckler]

forget it...

[Tugg Speedman]

From USA Today:

Sunday night's All-Star Game on TNT — which the West won in a shootout, 192-182 — was the most-watched All-Star Game telecast since 2013, according to Nielsen Fast National ratings, with an average of 7.8 million total viewers.

So I guess Smuggles' hypothesis that every sport is on a never-ending downward spiral when it comes to TV viewers needs a slight reboot.

But you agree with me!

[Tugg Speedman]

The Bulls run up the white flag ...

Thunder get Taj Gibson, Doug McDermott, 2nd-rounder from Bulls

http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/18750420/chicago-bulls-trade-taj-gibson-doug-mcdermott-oklahoma-city-thunder

The Oklahoma City Thunder have completed a trade that sends Cameron Payne, Joffrey Lauvergne and Anthony Morrow to the Chicago Bulls for Doug McDermott, Taj Gibson and an unprotected 2018 second-round pick.

[brandx]

The Bulls run up the white flag ...

Thunder get Taj Gibson, Doug McDermott, 2nd-rounder from Bulls

http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/18750420/chicago-bulls-trade-taj-gibson-doug-mcdermott-oklahoma-city-thunder

The Oklahoma City Thunder have completed a trade that sends Cameron Payne, Joffrey Lauvergne and Anthony Morrow to the Chicago Bulls for Doug McDermott, Taj Gibson and an unprotected 2018 second-round pick.

Trading 2 bench players now qualifies as running up the white flag?

The Bulls are bad, but this won't really affect them one way or the other.

[MerrittsMustache]

Trading 2 bench players now qualifies as running up the white flag?

The Bulls are bad, but this won't really affect them one way or the other.

Exactly. Gibson was gone via free agency and McDermott can't play. They dumped them in hopes of at least getting something in return, which they didn't do with Gasol last season.

[GGGG]

Exactly. Gibson was gone via free agency and McDermott can't play. They dumped them in hopes of at least getting something in return, which they didn't do with Gasol last season.

I disagree with you that McD can't play.  Now he wasn't worth the 11th pick in the draft, but he isn't exactly bench fodder either.  He played a bigger role on the Bulls this year than any of the three guys they picked up from the Thunder. 

[brandx]

I disagree with you that McD can't play.  Now he wasn't worth the 11th pick in the draft, but he isn't exactly bench fodder either.  He played a bigger role on the Bulls this year than any of the three guys they picked up from the Thunder.

He also played a lot less defense than any of the guys they picked up from the Thunder.

[JWags85]

The point isn't directly the trade, you can argue its merits.  The point is its further emblematic of Gar/Pax being completely clueless.  You traded 3 draft picks for McD 2 years ago and now traded him essentially straight up for a bench player.

Its not a white flag, its just further evidence of no real plan or direction.

[brandx]

The point isn't directly the trade, you can argue its merits.  The point is its further emblematic of Gar/Pax being completely clueless.  You traded 3 draft picks for McD 2 years ago and now traded him essentially straight up for a bench player.

Its not a white flag, its just further evidence of no real plan or direction.

Couldn't agree more. Only difference is that I blame Reinsdorf at least as much as Gar/Pax.

[JWags85]

Couldn't agree more. Only difference is that I blame Reinsdorf at least as much as Gar/Pax.

Agreed.  They are starting to resemble the Bears, ownership is stubborn and clueless and its trickling down.

[MU82]

My opinion of Pax changed (for the worst) when he refused to include Donyell Marshall in a trade that would have brought Wade to the Bulls in the 03 draft. They had an OK run a few years ago despite their poor management, but otherwise there haven't been many reasons for joy in Bullyland.

As for whether or not McDermott can play, he has averaged about 10 pts over the last 2 years and is a career 40% 3pt shooter. Those are not "he sucks" numbers in the NBA. He certainly is nothing more than a role player off the bench, though.

[MerrittsMustache]

My opinion of Pax changed (for the worst) when he refused to include Donyell Marshall in a trade that would have brought Wade to the Bulls in the 03 draft. They had an OK run a few years ago despite their poor management, but otherwise there haven't been many reasons for joy in Bullyland.

As for whether or not McDermott can play, he has averaged about 10 pts over the last 2 years and is a career 40% 3pt shooter. Those are not "he sucks" numbers in the NBA. He certainly is nothing more than a role player off the bench, though.

The "Paxson refused to include Marshall for Wade" rumor is false. It's obviously been around for a long time but there's no truth to it. The fact is that Miami was expected to take Chris Kaman at 5 and Wade never even worked out for the Clippers (who were at 6) so both the Bulls' FO and Wade expected him to be there at 7. If you want to question Paxson for not doing more to ensure that his team was in position to get the player they coveted, that's fine but the nixed trade with Toronto story isn't true.

[ChitownSpaceForRent]

There have been a lot of poor management decisions from the Bulls. Some you cant fault them for like the Jay Williams accident, or even Eddie Curry and his heart condition. I know, Tyson Chandler and all but Curry was the Bulls leading scorer.

However, Pax has had some absolute shockers, such as McDermott for 2 first rounders, the current incarnation of the Bulls, Tyrus Thomas for Lamarcus Aldridge. How he still has a job with organization is beyond me.

[MerrittsMustache]

There have been a lot of poor management decisions from the Bulls. Some you cant fault them for like the Jay Williams accident, or even Eddie Curry and his heart condition. I know, Tyson Chandler and all but Curry was the Bulls leading scorer.

However, Pax has had some absolute shockers, such as McDermott for 2 first rounders, the current incarnation of the Bulls, Tyrus Thomas for Lamarcus Aldridge. How he still has a job with organization is beyond me.

Even when Derrick Rose fell into their laps by "chance" in the lottery, they won nothing before eventually botching that whole situation. Granted, much of that cluster was the doing of Derrick and his people, but Bulls' management certainly didn't do anything to make it better...or to even make is less bad and bizarre.

[MU82]

The "Paxson refused to include Marshall for Wade" rumor is false.

Says who? Pax? I happen to know it's more than a rumor. But you are free to believe whatever you'd like.

[MerrittsMustache]

Says who? Pax? I happen to know it's more than a rumor. But you are free to believe whatever you'd like.

Believe what you want but it's 100% fiction.