ESPN Hype Machine Is Just Too Much

[Heisenberg]

Went on ESPN today and they have this as the second story on the home page ...

Duke players 'focused' on UVa with LeBron James and Rajon Rondo in attendance
http://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/25961767/duke-players-focused-uva-lebron-james-rajon-rondo-attendance
When LeBron James and Rajon Rondo walked into John Paul Jones Arena in the first half of No. 2 Duke's 81-71 victory at No. 3 Virginia on Saturday night, thousands of fans squealed as they held up their smartphones to capture the moment.

OMG! Lebron and Rondo went to a college BBall game!!

Has that ever happened before?

January 31, 2012
No. 15 Marquette rallies to beat Seton Hall 66-59
https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/sdut-no-15-marquette-rallies-to-beat-seton-hall-66-59-2012jan31-story.html
Former Marquette standout Dwyane Wade attended the game, along with Miami Heat teammate LeBron James. Miami is in town to play the Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday.  The two NBA stars sat on the baseline near the Marquette bench and were cheered by the crowd when they were introduced on the video board in the first half.


Miami Heat's Lebron James, right, and Dwyane Wade attend an NCAA college basketball game between Marquette and Seton Hall, Tuesday, Jan. 31, 2012, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Jeffrey Phelps) (/ AP)

----

MU plays in an NBA arena.  It is actually rare when NBA stars are not in attendance at the game.  Yet when they attend other games, it is a "stop the presses" moment.

We get it, Zion is a transformational player.  We get because you have to remind us every three seconds. 

So now what regularly happens at an MU game is big news at a Duke game.

[We R Final Four]

leBron......DWade.......Frozena.
All the stars were out for that game.

[Heisenberg]

leBron......DWade.......Frozena.
All the stars were out for that game.

Cut off to the right of Dwade is Robert Jackson

[warriorchick]

Haven't seen this posted anywhere else yet.  4-minute story on Markus during ESPN gameday by Jen Lada:

http://www.espn.com/video/clip?id=25955842

[Heisenberg]

2004 Shaq attended an MU game too.

https://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/fl-xpm-2004-12-07-0412070105-story.html

[Bocephys]

Wade used to come to all of our games in 2001-2003, people finally started writing about it near the end.

[TallTitan34]

2004 Shaq attended an MU game too.

https://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/fl-xpm-2004-12-07-0412070105-story.html

Most of the Heat game that came. Attached is a photo I took from the student section.

[wadesworld]

Marquette plays in the same arena that those NBA players/teams are going to be playing in later that night or the next day.  And there's almost always at least one former MU player that drags the players to our game.

LBJ and Rondo were playing in Philli today and went to the Duke vs. UVA game in Virginia.  Last I checked Virginia doesn't play in the 76ers arena and neither LBJ nor Rondo went to Duke or UVA.

And who the hell cares?  People are so butt hurt around here.  "Oh my God ESPN hyped up the fact that NBA players were at the Duke game but they don't do the same for us!"  "Oh my God ESPN has Purdue as a lock but not Marquette!"  Who cares?  Just keep winning.

[GooooMarquette]

leBron......DWade.......Frozena.
All the stars were out for that game.

Frozena behind LeBron? That's just wrong on so many levels....

[brewcity77]

Donte DiVincenzo was there yesterday.

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

I'm confused. What are we mad about here? In both ESPN stories they mention that NBA stars were in attendence. Are we mad because in the Duke story it was in the title and in the Marquette story it was in the body of the article?

[Dish]

LBJ representing Klutch Sports attending a Duke game for recruiting purposes has nothing to do with MU.

[Heisenberg]

I'm confused. What are we mad about here? In both ESPN stories they mention that NBA stars were in attendance. Are we mad because in the Duke story it was in the title and in the Marquette story it was in the body of the article?

At one point in the last 24 hours, it was the lead story on ESPN. So, ESPN was saying LeBron attending a college basketball game was one of the most important sports stories this weekend.

NBA stars attending MU games happens ALL THE TIME.  And not just MU alumni.  So if NBA players attend an MU game to see the most exciting player in college basketball, Markus Howard, will that get breathless coverage too? Nope.

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

At one point in the last 24 hours, it was the lead story on ESPN. So, ESPN was saying LeBron attending a college basketball game was one of the most important sports stories this weekend.

NBA stars attending MU games happens ALL THE TIME.  And not just MU alumni.  So if NBA players attend an MU game to see the most exciting player in college basketball, Markus Howard, will that get breathless coverage too? Nope.

Isn't it also possible that two NBA players travelling out of their way to attend a college game between two schools that neither attended and also featured the #2 and #3 teams in the nation is more newsworthy than NBA players not going out of their way to attend games between schools that they did attend that aren't ranked in the top 3?

[Heisenberg]

Isn't it also possible that two NBA players travelling out of their way to attend a college game between two schools that neither attended and also featured the #2 and #3 teams in the nation is more newsworthy than NBA players not going out of their way to attend games between schools that they did attend that aren't ranked in the top 3?

No matter how you rationalize it, it is still not the top-rated story of the day.

[Oregon Warrior]

Haven't seen this posted anywhere else yet.  4-minute story on Markus during ESPN gameday by Jen Lada:

http://www.espn.com/video/clip?id=25955842

Thanks for posting Warriorchick. He's a special kid both on and off the court.

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

No matter how you rationalize it, it is still not the top-rated story of the day.

What story should have been higher?

[NorthernDancerColt]

What story should have been higher?

TAMU Eagle, you are one of the people on here I respect the most...without fail, you present thoughtful, detailed fact-based arguments backed by solid data.

However, if you can't see through ESPN's tired act, I don't know if there's help. I'm not saying other networks don't overhype certain teams, players, and properties. ESPN just goes about it in the most annoying, predictable  manner ever. Whether it was their coverage of the MLB steroid-infused sham HR battles among Bonds, Sosa, and McGwire....or their incessant comedic blabbering about all things KOBE, LeBRON, TIGER....or their shameless promotion of all things Duke, Carolina, Kansas etc.

Every time I see our pregame Scoop ritual thread of "(insert opponent name) is EVIL and must be DESTROYED"  I chuckle and feel that it doesn't apply to our BigEast brothers. This is a cool conference of teams I just can't hate. All I think of when I see that thread is Fox and FS1 kicking the living shyte out of ESPN one day. That network is truly evil and, if there's any justice, should be in the dustbin of sports history some fine day. What makes me sickest about ESPN is their hypocrisy, whereby they have been a huge catalyst of an NCAA gone corrupt and mad...yet there they are in the forefront...always pining to be first and most salacious in their reporting and coverage of the biggest scandals du jour. Often they report on scandal in an oddly sanctimonious manner, often missing the irony of the monster they have helped create.

I would rather FOX and FS1 outbid ESPN for BigEast rights, even if 10 years from now FS1's numbers still lag behind ESPN2.

I'm on your wavelength, Rick.....and the self-proclaimed "WorldwideLeaderInSports" is on your towel.

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

I'm aware ESPN promotes their properties more than others. I just don't think this is a good example of it. I also don't really care, they should promote their own properties.

[NorthernDancerColt]

I'm aware ESPN promotes their properties more than others. I just don't think this is a good example of it. I also don't really care, they should promote their own properties.

I hear you and understand. For some reason, ESPN's "MK Ultra" programming has a reverse effect on me and has caused me to hate them in what is probably an unhealthy manner. You know, "unhealthy" much like how a true Marquette fan loathes all things Badger. 😎

[onepost]

Some of you guys are so insufferable it makes coming to this board an actual chore.  You're not happy unless you're miserable.

Who gives a crap if ESPN leads with some "LeBron attends potential college game of the year" story?  Clearly he's there to recruit for Klutch and they eat that stuff up.
I'm definitely more impartial to ESPN than in years' past but it's their network, they can choose to market it however they want.