Does anyone doubt that it would be better for WCBB if there were AT LEAST one other team that is pretty consistently at the level of UConn, as Notre Dame was for about 3 years and as Tennessee was for over a decade? Maybe Baylor or Texas will get there -- based on their recruiting and their rosters, they probably should be there already.
You can't ignore the fact that last year's NC game (Miss St vs. South Carolina) got about 30% higher ratings than the UConn vs. Syracuse game the previous year. I wonder if it got better ratings than the UConn vs. Notre Dame NC game (was it in 2013?) where both teams entered the game undefeated. Somehow, I doubt it. The attraction last year was that the game didn't involve UConn, and therefore the outcome was not seen as pre-ordained. At least, that is my assessment.
The difficulty in having more than one team at UConn's level is that there are no other coaches like Geno, and there are unlikely to be any for several decades. By now, his proven reputation (acknowledged even by rivals when they are being honest) for developing talented players more fully than any other coach has earned him access to the very best players. As long as he is able to do that, his reign over WCBB will continue.
On that note, I saw when I watched the Steelers vs. Titans game last Thursday night that Tennessee's defensive coordinator, Dick Lebeau, has just enjoyed his 80th birthday. He used to be the Steelers' defensive coordinator, but they eased him out in 2015 so that his younger protégé could take over the job. But Lebeau found that he was restless in retirement, so he returned to the sideline. Until last week's game, his defense had been carrying the Titans to a 6-3 record, and for two and half quarters it looked like they would stifle the Steelers' offense as well.
Imagine if Geno takes after Lebeau and continues to be an effective coach after his 80th birthday!?
Or maybe many people tuned in to watch a very good 2-seed team -
the team that knocked off UCONN play a number 1 seed? The year before was it UCONN was the issue or was it Syracuse -- whom by the way had a pretty good team but gets how many fans to their games? Is their low attendance because UCONN is "bad for the game" too?
When I took a family a few games - the young boys 1st year thought it was cool, after that -- they would talk about men's hoop. The men play a lot of close games. You think that's it? I don't. It's the athleticism. The dunks. The electricity. Why do you think the dunk competition is still going on? Why is it often if you watch ESPN - they'll show off quite a few dunks as highlights?
I never thought this many years ago- but I've some time ago since changed my mind. The hoops need to be lowered. Not sure how old you are but when I was in my teens and twenties a very very very very very long ago- and I was with a gorup of my friends or very young with my family, do you think I cared about "the beauty of the game?" Or do you think many young guys would be more excited watching a Jordan twist through the air changing the ball from his right hand to his left while he makes some miraculous shot?
IMO you are kidding yourself if you believe that many of those fans that watched the Miss State USC game that didn't watch the UCONN- Cuse game would be wcbb fans just if UCONN's dominance went away. Can you imagine if Gabby at 5'10 or so did a power dunk over 6'4 Monique Billings at one end while at the other end Billings did a one hand slam off an alley-oop at the other end? Forget the "novelty" just suppose dunking was happening - but if they lowered the rim and you had women players with their heads near the rim both blocking shots, and dunking - that that wouldn't be more attraction to young guys from 10-30 years old vs. a close game? Isn't it that many men don't watch wcbb?
Just take a look at the finals from years ago - one UCONN's all-time best teams vs probably one of Stanford's all-time best teams. The halftime score was 20-12. IT WAS CLOSE. Stanford "could have won" before the game started. Stanford was a scary opponent. At halftime they were ahead by 8. Do you seriously think this would have attracted many young guys in 10-30 year old range? It is in my opinion that it's so out of touch to believe "the beauty of ball movement" and/or "close games" will attract fans when as a frustrated Knicks fan - I've seen many years Madison Square Garden packed while their team leader Carmelo Anthony is known for playing isolation basketball and their teams just stunk. How many close games do you think the Knicks played vs the elite teams vs the bad teams? More fans would come and watch the elite teams regardless of the score, wouldn't they?
One of the most exciting college teams when I was in my early twenties was team in Houston that went by the nickname of Phi Slama Jama. You don't think guys like "Clyde The Glide Drexler" and Hakeem The Dream Olajuwon" and Larry Mr Mean Micheaux and Benny The Bomber From Bernice Anders didn't electrify audiences whether a game was close or not?
IMO you poll guys in that 10-30 range and you ask them would they prefer to watch a close women's game or watch Phi Slama Type team - most in that range will want to be electrified by Phi Slama Jama. -- Not me.
Though I'm older. The dunk as a kid or when I was much younger with my friends watching was damn exciting. There is a reason why I was so amazed as kid watching "The Human Highlight Film" - Dominique Wilkins. Did I care in my teens whether the game was close or not? The family I took to the game- they want to be electrified too imo. They don't care about the "analysis" and "beauty of ball movement" etc. Now what about if I was 13 and saw Gabby Williams as "The Human Highlight Film?" That link below - that close game would do absolutely nothing for me at 13 years old - or if I were with friends at 18 or 22 etc. I doubt it would do a damn thing for many guys in 10-30 range. And at the time these were two very powerful teams.
UCONNHUSKIES.COM :: University Of Connecticut Official Athletic Site University Of Connecticut Official Athletic Site - Women's Basketball
