[LUconn]

yessss


I would understand if they were playing Gonzaga everygame, but serioulsy, in a world where I haven't seen 1 single Uconn game all freaking year (yes I know they're just playing cupcakes), why have I had to watch Duke play Holy Cross and Kent State and George Mason? I wouldn't hate them so much if they weren't always freaking on. In fact, I would be completely indifferent to them. What makes it worse is that Mike Patrick apparently lives in Durham or something. He acts like the most basic basketball motions are top 10 plays of the year. He is 100X worse than Vitale. I'd rather have Vitale narrate my entire day rather than listen to Patrick for 10 minutes.

[jmdickens]

Duke also throws alot of money toward ESPN, and that is another reason why they see so much air time

[LUconn]

What? That certainly can't be allowed. That sounds pretty baseless. Really I think they get put on TV because they're so polarizing and people watch it. I admit, I watch it because I want to see them lose. Well sometimes. Sometimes the games are pretty unwatchable. However, you'd think ESPN would support it's hometown team a little more. wink wink nod nod.

[El Scorcho]

Surely the Duke game isn't on everywhere, is it? In the mid-Atlantic it would make sense, or if there were no other regional games that would bring the same draw. I'd think Connecticut would get the UConn game, though.

[LUconn]

ESPN and ESPN2 don't do anything regional. So if it's on there, everybody sees it. In Connecticut all of the games are on a local channel using ESPNplus. Well, there are usually 1 or 2 games that arent on. I should get my dad to get a slingbox. But yes, Duke is on nationally that much.

[El Scorcho]

See, growing up in Chapel Hill, I never would have known. I just always assumed UNC and Duke were on because they were local. Interesting.

[LUconn]

and now you're probably thinking "I remember last year when the UNC/Duke game was on 3 different channels at the same time". Yes, we were all subjected to the "above the rim cam." and the "Krazie cam". How ubsurd for the rest of the country who doesnt give a rip.

[Libertine]

I give a rip.

[givemethemic]

I am sure you are upset Luconn but last nights 22 point win over Pepperdine is not really a made for TV game.... Plus they know that the northerns will pony up for the Full Court package!!!!! I am really looking forward to tonight's game I love watching the Zags and tonight should be the perfect stage to see Rat face and company suffer a lost!!!! Did I ever mention that I hate DOOK!!!!

[LUconn]

well the pepperdine game was acutally close for a little while. But that's not my point. ESPN didn't think Duke/Kent St or Duke/Holy Cross was going to be a good game. They only were because Duke is so ridiculously overrated. They put them on because they think everybody wants to see it. Has anybody seen that thread with the pictures of Jon Sheyer over on the maryland board? Hilarious.

[bigsmooth]

dickens...what on earth are you talking about??let's see some facts of this statement you made.

[thepostman]

nobody outside of this region cares about freaking Duke.,..or UNC for that matter...I am so sick of hearing about Duke/UNC like its the only thing that matters in college basketball...yes its a huge rivalry, no doubt about it...

ESPN is in love with coach K, I think they would do anything for coach K, and when I say anything...I mean anything

But in all fairness this is how ESPN with all sports, they have a few teams/players they always talk about and rarely talk about anybody else

NBA: Lakers, Lebron, Shaq and DWade, some talk about how dominate the west is...and now AI in Denver...

NFL: Well, there is so much on ESPN about the NFL its not just one team in particular...but since Dallas as improved they have fallen in love with Romo...they jump on every bandwagon so fast

MLB: Yankees/Red Sox...I am a RedSox fan and I can see this so clearly...it get overplayed for sure...

NCAAF: Notre Dame and USC are the 2 schools people always talk about in the media...even when Notre Dame wasn't that great there was still time set aside to talk about them.....Ohio State has played so well this year that they have no choice but to talk about them

NCAAB: Duke and UNC...look at the above post

just my observation of what ESPN is...feel free to react

[LUconn]

agreed that ESPN sucks, dont even get me started on sportscenter. They have a monopoly and that's what happens without competition, a crappy product. Too bad Fox can't get their act together or else they would be a formitable opponant.

[bigsmooth]

postman, how long have you followed sports?? carolina is a national draw and duke is a big east coast draw. esp carolina...they have been on tv since i was a youngster.

[TIMSCAR20]

Yep Smoothie is right. I grew up watching Carolina on TV up in the north. I watched Phil Ford in the mid 70's run Dean Smith's four corners offense to perfection. I also saw a lot of Duke with Mike Gminski, Jim Spanarkel and a Philadelphian named Gene Banks. Duke and UNC have national appeal for sure. They do get over hyped though at this stage by the boys in Bristol. Luconn, I wish Fox would give us a national show like SportsCenter. Fox has elected to have 1000 regions of coverage each with it's own and Comcast Sportsnet in Mid-Atlantic is barely watchable. I try to watch the other regions now that I have Comcast but it is so centered on their own teams that I get bored.

[thepostman]

i have followed sports all my life and yes people watch those games around the country simply because they have no choice...i would be hard pressed to find a large percentage of people that care about UNC/DUKE around the country...but ESPN says otherwise, so i mean they must be right...

[LUconn]

I guess it all just depends how good the local team is. Growing up all I can remember is the most hype surrounding the Uconn/GTown games. My oh my that was a big game. I do remember the UNC/Duke games, and it being a rivalry game that was on, but nobody was too interested in it, other than just watching it. And certainly, other Duke games, nobody cared too much about until tournament time.

[TIMSCAR20]

I don't know what their ratings look like but I would say that they would need more than just folks in NC to be watching in order to get the numbers that generate add dollars. Whether you like Duke or UNC both or neither, you can't deny that the whole country follows these teams. Everyone knows who Coach K is and who Dean Smith and Roy Williams are. Their programs have so much history and with Carolina, most of their guys get to the next level. Plus some of the greatest players in the league are from these schools (well not Duke ). Postman, I would have to say that more than the mid-atlantic follows these teams. Throw in Michigan (when they are good), Texas, Temple, UCLA, Maryland, Kansas, Kentucky and a few others. You can't find a game on CBS that doesn't have one of these schools it seems throughout the season. The Big East games used to come on a lot too when Georgetown, Syracuse, St Johns and Villanova were all good at the same time. Pitt was in that lot too. With ESPN it is all about ratings I would say and Duke and UNC bring in the ratings.

[LUconn]

Darn I was gonna link to that thread of Sheyer but you have to apply for access if you dont already have it. I guess I'll just post some of the pics:


















alright that's enough. There's countless pictures like this.

[thepostman]

I am not saying people don't follow these teams to see how well they are doing, if they see a Duke game on tv they may leave it on if its a close game because they want them to lost, or something of that nature...Duke has a ton of history as does UNC, I am not trying to discredit that, I would be an idiot if I did that. All I am saying is ESPN focuses on a couple teams from each sport and just pushes it down our throats, I for one have stopped watching espn for the most part, just kind of in passing....

I am sure the ratings are there, because of this history of the programs...but there are so many other programs around the country that have a lot of history, you named quite a few of them Scar, why is it Duke is always the focus??? Its because of ESPN's love affair of Coach K (great coach, I just get sick of hearing about him)

[TIMSCAR20]

I agree with all you just said. ESPN does lock in on certain players/teams and shoves them down our throats. I would like to see more of some of those other schools too but and more mid majors. I love all college basketball not just the elite teams. I even watch Pac 10 ball late at night.

[TDDance234]

Teams tune in to Duke to watch them lose. They have pretty much become the Yankees of college basketball, with UNC taking some lumps a few years ago, it seems Duke has taken the place of the most hated team.

Of course, Coach K and JJ just fuel the hatred. Redick really made you want to hate them. But of course, being a Duke fan, I enjoy it.

[SuperJon]

You're not a Dook fan. You're a Dook basketball fan.

Carolina has a national draw. There is UNC stuff sold all across the country, moreso than Dook.


I'm a UNC fan, and I would much rather see a Florida blowout or Ohio State blowout or LSU blowout than 5 Dook blowouts. I have been able to see Ohio State play one time this year and that was without Oden. I want to see the other good teams in the country. Wichita State is 8th in the nation and I have never seen them play. Show some of these schools that are ranked higher than Dook.

[thepostman]

more so then duke?? I don't know about that SJ...yes UNC has stuff in places around the east coast (can't speak for the mid west or west since I have never been), but anytime i see UNC stuff and store, nearby I see Duke stuff...I have lived in extreme opposite areas...Maine and Florida, and now Virginia...so this is why I can speak for the east coast i guess...when I lived in Maine though you would be hard pressed to find UNC and Duke stuff...I mean it was there on occasion, but not all the time

[jmdickens]

living in Austin Texas this summer, right in the heart of UT Longhorns there was tons of merchandize for UNC