Geno Says Men's College Basketball Is Unwatchable (No One Can Score!)

[ChicosBailBonds]

Hate to break it to you, but the NBA has hardly cornered the market on "pricks." Go hang out with some MLB or NFL players sometime.

I don't disagree with you, but I've spent the majority of the last 15 years working sports and having to interact daily with players, coaches, commissioners, etc, etc in every major sport.  There are pricks in each of them, but some sports have more pricks per capita or just overall bigger pricks....NBA wins it hands down in my 15 years.  Not. Even. Close.  NFL second.  Baseball a distant third.  Hockey barely registers, though there are a few.

[ChicosBailBonds]

Record ratings? Go ask ESPN or FS1 if that's true. Their ratings have been horrid all year. How many games have drawn a .01 or .00 rating? Also, take a look at arenas across the country. Plenty of good seats available with few exceptions.

Guys gamble on the tourney, so that makes it an amazing event?

You can stick with college hoops. No harm in that. I prefer to watch the game played at the highest possible level. That's the NBA.

Record ratings for the tournament.  Season ratings are down, but that is mostly due to the abundance of product.  NBA ratings are down as well.  None of that is changing anytime soon.

[muwarrior69]

Record ratings for the tournament.  Season ratings are down, but that is mostly due to the abundance of product.  NBA ratings are down as well.  None of that is changing anytime soon.

Yes, the days of the 3 networks are over. A lot of choices for folks especially those that are not into sports.

[ChicosBailBonds]

Yes, the days of the 3 networks are over. A lot of choices for folks especially those that are not into sports.

Yup.  I can't remember the stat that one sport exec told me last month, but the number of college basketball games broadcast now between television and online is amazing.  Astronomical numbers. 

Not the days when I was growing up and there was one game a week....just like the days of one baseball game a week.

[real chili 83]

Yup.  I can't remember the stat that one sport exec told me last month, but the number of college basketball games broadcast now between television and online is amazing.  Astronomical numbers. 

Not the days when I was growing up and there was one game a week....just like the days of one baseball game a week.

Unless you were a Cubs fan and had WGN.

Jack Brickhouse.  Hey Hey.

[GoldenZebra]

This is coming from a guy who has an iron vice grip on the sport of Womens CBB...every year its the same teams in the final four basically and there is really no answer for Uconn...at least the mens game makes it interesting and unpredictable to a certain extent.

[ShootinOutWallsofHeartach]

Excellent post by GoldenZebra. Geno walks in a rarefied cloud of self-importance. Never could stand him, and that was long before his venomous diatribe against the C-7. It seems that the Womens' game produces major coaching longevity/dinosaurs. Doug Bruno is a decent guy, but how long has his DePaul tenure run on? I guess an easier path to success breeds an easier path to longevity. Yet, when a coach on the Mens' side achieves at a high level institution, he is often lured to the next "greenest pasture." Would there be more coaching musical chairs in the Women's game if more schools were willing to step up and reach for elite status? Vicious cycle of no-interest, no money, stagnancy notwithstanding.

[Mr. Nielsen]

The Wisconsin/Kentucky NCAA Tournament Final Four game earned a 13.3 overnight rating on TBS, TNT and TruTV Saturday night, up 48% from Kentucky/Wisconsin last year (9.0), up 30% from Michigan/Syracuse on CBS in 2013 (10.2), and the highest overnight for a national semifinal since 1993 (13.8).

 The 13.3 overnight is easily the highest ever for a non-football sporting event on cable, topping the previous high of 9.6 for last year’s Belgium/USA World Cup match on ESPN. The previous high for a basketball game on cable was a 9.1 for Game 7 of the 2013 NBA Eastern Conference Finals, also on ESPN.
 
Compared to other sports, the 13.3 topped every game of last year’s NBA Finals (ABC) and six of last year’s seven World Series games (FOX) (Game 7 had a 15.2). It was no match, however, for the comparable semifinals of the College Football Playoff — which earned overnights of 15.5 and 15.3 on ESPN.

 Saturday’s overnight peaked at a 16.4 from 10-10:15 PM CT

[ChicosBailBonds]

The Wisconsin/Kentucky NCAA Tournament Final Four game earned a 13.3 overnight rating on TBS, TNT and TruTV Saturday night, up 48% from Kentucky/Wisconsin last year (9.0), up 30% from Michigan/Syracuse on CBS in 2013 (10.2), and the highest overnight for a national semifinal since 1993 (13.8).

 The 13.3 overnight is easily the highest ever for a non-football sporting event on cable, topping the previous high of 9.6 for last year’s Belgium/USA World Cup match on ESPN. The previous high for a basketball game on cable was a 9.1 for Game 7 of the 2013 NBA Eastern Conference Finals, also on ESPN.
 
Compared to other sports, the 13.3 topped every game of last year’s NBA Finals (ABC) and six of last year’s seven World Series games (FOX) (Game 7 had a 15.2). It was no match, however, for the comparable semifinals of the College Football Playoff — which earned overnights of 15.5 and 15.3 on ESPN.

 Saturday’s overnight peaked at a 16.4 from 10-10:15 PM CT

The exploitation of these athletes....it is despicable 

[ChicosBailBonds]

Mark Cuban weighs in

http://abcnews.go.com/Sports/mark-cuban-horrible-state-college-basketball-hurting-nba/story?id=30168596

[warrior_rugby15]

Unwatchable with record TV ratings....  Something doesn't add up here.

Oh...this year, for the first time, the first weekend of March Madness surpassed the Super Bowl as the biggest sports weekend of the year in Vegas.   

Well you just answered that yourself - because of gambling. Why else for does a NFL game between Jacksonville and Tennessee in December get high ratings? Because of fantasy football and gambling.

Also with around 4-5 days between games in College, it gives coaches to much prep and nitpik every aspect while in the NBA 2-3 day to prepare more focused on your own team, so I believe that interrupts the flow of the game.

Besides the shot clock they should reduce the amount of Coach's timeouts. It seems that the last 2 minutes for each lasts 15 minutes because of timeouts. Have 5, but only 3 carry over to the second half.

[MUsoxfan]

Mark Cuban weighs in

http://abcnews.go.com/Sports/mark-cuban-horrible-state-college-basketball-hurting-nba/story?id=30168596

I know dozens of people (including you and me) who find the NBA unwatchable. He's just bummed that his minor league system isn't an apples-to-apples comparison so he can draft better

[statnik]

...force the tempo and add possessions.

Not to mention the D has less time to set up due to this, so even if there are a few more forced shots, there will also be more easy baskets due to teams pushing the tempo.

[MUsoxfan]

Yeah, the NBA product is soo much better...

https://vine.co/v/eBEn1DXapHj

[CTWarrior]

I agree with one thing.  The college game has gotten too physical.  That's why it appears to be poorly officiated.  Too much contact is allowed so it can seem arbitrary when some calls are made and some are not.

[brewcity77]

I agree with one thing.  The college game has gotten too physical.  That's why it appears to be poorly officiated.  Too much contact is allowed so it can seem arbitrary when some calls are made and some are not.

There's a lack of consistency league to league and crew to crew. I think it really hurts leagues that what they get accustomed to all year long is not necessarily what they'll see come tourney time. Bo's petulant rant may have been petty, but it's true that the way his games are reffed in conference play (10.8 average fouls per game) is not how they were reffed in the tournament (16.2 average fouls per game). A good coach realizes that and adjusts to it (as K did in the Final) but it'd be better if there was consistency throughout the sport.

It's tough because of the sheer quantity of leagues and games, but refs basically act as free agents or mercenaries, able to take on as many games as they can get to and not having an actual contract (because the leagues don't want to pay insurance and benefits). That leads to tired, inconsistent refs and ultimately makes for a harder product to watch because from a reffing standpoint, you never really know what you're going to get.

[CTWarrior]

There's a lack of consistency league to league and crew to crew. I think it really hurts leagues that what they get accustomed to all year long is not necessarily what they'll see come tourney time. Bo's petulant rant may have been petty, but it's true that the way his games are reffed in conference play (10.8 average fouls per game) is not how they were reffed in the tournament (16.2 average fouls per game). A good coach realizes that and adjusts to it (as K did in the Final) but it'd be better if there was consistency throughout the sport.

Except Bo was complaining that there was too much physicality allowed (i.e. not enough fouls called), while based on your numbers he should be complaining about too many fouls called. 

I do agree with your larger point about inconsistency, though.

[Groin_pull]

Yeah, the NBA product is soo much better...

https://vine.co/v/eBEn1DXapHj

So....a missed call makes college basketball better than the NBA??? Ummmmmmmm, okay.

You can watch whatever you wish, I don't care. I'll stick with the NBA—where the game is played at the highest level.

[77ncaachamps]

Except Bo was complaining that there was too much physicality allowed (i.e. not enough fouls called), while based on your numbers he should be complaining about too many fouls called.  

I do agree with your larger point about inconsistency, though.

I predict his whining will continue with Stone at MD and Swanigan at MSU.

Sneak peek at the current Badgers roster (minus the Seniors and Dekker):
22   Ethan Happ   F   6-9   230   FR   Milan, Ill.
20   T.J. Schlundt   G   6-5   182   FR   Oconomowoc, Wis.
4   Matt Ferris     G   6-6   195   FR   Appleton, Wis.
35   Riley Dearring   G   6-5   182   RS FR   Minnetonka, Minn.
5   Aaron Moesch   F   6-8   215   RS FR   Green Bay, Wis.
11   Jordan Hill     G   6-3   175   SO   Pasadena, Calif.
30   Vitto Brown        F   6-8   237   SO   Bowling Green, Ohio
10   Nigel Hayes   F   6-8   235   SO   Toledo, Ohio
24   Bronson Koenig G   6-4   190   SO   La Crosse, Wis.
3   Zak Showalter   G   6-2   185   RS SO   Germantown, Wis.
2   Jordan Smith   G   6-3   180   RS JR   Orono, Minn.


Incoming commits:
Alex Illikainen
#32 PF   Grand Rapids, MN
Brewster Academy   6'8''   225      80   

Brevin Pritzl
#33 SG   De Pere, WI
De Pere High School   6'3''   185      80   

Charlie Thomas
#42 PF   Clarksville, MD
River Hill High School   6'8''   245      78   

Khalil Iverson
#77 SF   Delaware, OH
Rutherford B. Hayes High School   6'4''   190