Viewers’ Choice: Meaningless Bowls Over Playoff Basketball

[huskymedic]

Viewers’ Choice: Meaningless Bowls Over Playoff Basketball:

>>March Madness is huge, right? This year, the multiweek extravaganza has had its usual share of upsets, an exhilarated coach falling off his rolling chair after a victory and the presence of a dominant Kentucky team. Nearly 11.6 million brackets were submitted to ESPN.com’s annual contest. So what in college sports could be a bigger fan draw than the N.C.A.A. men’s basketball tournament?

How about a bunch of bowl games? Yes, college football bowl games — nearly all of which had no meaning other than providing athletes with a postseason experience.<<

>>So it is worth noting that none of the 38 bowl games carried by the ESPN empire last season had fewer viewers than the 1.1 million who tuned in for the inaugural Camellia Bowl from Montgomery, Ala., while nine early-round N.C.A.A. tournament matchups generated audiences below that figure — Texas Southern-Arizona, a TNT telecast, was ranked last at 501,000 — based on the available data from 40 of the 48 games played before Thursday.<<

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/27/sports/ncaabasketball/meaningless-bowls-eclipse-very-meaningful-basketball-games-at-least-in-viewership.html

 

[SubbaBub]

That's because very few people can or want to watch 16 games in one day for two consecutive days.

The bowls are limited to one or two at any given time, so even the most minor bowl have a quasi monopoly on CFB, the days they are played.

 

[coachcap]

That's because very few people can or want to watch 16 games in one day for two consecutive days.

The bowls are limited to one or two at any given time, so even the most minor bowl have a quasi monopoly on CFB, the days they are played.

That may be true, but if they were going head to head, I'd choose football over hoops anytime.

 

[Ldandy]

That may be true, but if they were going head to head, I'd choose football over hoops anytime.

Agreed. Football is America's Sport of choice. That doesn't mean that other sports don't resonate with the public, just that they pale in comparison to the combo of NCAA/NFL to draw viewers.

 

[temery]

NCAA FB bowl games are jumping the shark. Most suck, but they keep doubling down rather than cutting games.

Basketball wins the post season in attendance, but fb kills in the regular season. Except at UConn.

 

[businesslawyer]

NCAA FB bowl games are jumping the shark. Most suck, but they keep doubling down rather than cutting games.

Basketball wins the post season in attendance, but fb kills in the regular season. Except at UConn.

Disagree with the last statement. For the last few years, football at UConn has certainly been killing me.

 

[tzznandrew]

Texas Southern vs. Arizona was a game pairing two wildly uneven teams. And it also overlapped with: Iowa State/UAB (huge upset), Baylor/Georgia State (huge upset), Texas/Xavier (evenly matched teams), and SMU/UCLA (tight game).

If I'm a casual viewer, I already know the result of the Arizona game, and I have 3 other games at various times I can watch, all of which ended up being close, no way I'm that Arizona game.

But it's not quite a fair comparison, since the NCAA is one viewing experience, compared to the bowl games, and the bowls usually have evenly matched teams (as opposed to a number of early tournament games).

 

[bunraku]

Texas Southern vs. Arizona was a game pairing two wildly uneven teams. And it also overlapped with: Iowa State/UAB (huge upset), Baylor/Georgia State (huge upset), Texas/Xavier (evenly matched teams), and SMU/UCLA (tight game).

If I'm a casual viewer, I already know the result of the Arizona game, and I have 3 other games at various times I can watch, all of which ended up being close, no way I'm that Arizona game.

But it's not quite a fair comparison, since the NCAA is one viewing experience, compared to the bowl games, and the bowls usually have evenly matched teams (as opposed to a number of early tournament games).

Anything that lasts a month, has 60+ teams, 50+ games… kind of hard to think of the NCAA as “one viewing experience.”

 

[MilliniumPrince]

Unfair comparison. The Tourney features multiple games on day one and two that occur during normal work hours. Bowl games are almost always on weekends or at night.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

Anyone making a longterm bet on a sport that gives 25% of its participants permanent neurological problems is making a mistake.

 

[noeynox]

Anyone making a longterm bet on a sport that gives 25% of its participants permanent neurological problems is making a mistake.

What does this mean?

 

[pnow15]

There are probably 2 million people in this country who will bet on any football game. The bet, they watch, it is called a gambling
addiction. Football ratings never should be divorced from the money being bet on every televised game.

 

[UC990411]

That may be true, but if they were going head to head, I'd choose football over hoops anytime.

You'd choose a Belk Bowl with Cinci and Duke over a first round basketball game with PC and Dayton? Remind me not to hang out with you.

 

[coachcap]

You'd choose a Belk Bowl with Cinci and Duke over a first round basketball game with PC and Dayton? Remind me not to hang out with you.

I'd make that choice 10 times out of 10. However, If that same Belk Bowl in late December was running against an early season nonconference matchup of Kentucky vs. Kansas on CBS there might be issues.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

What does this mean?

It means that evidence is showing that football is an insanely dangerous sport, with permanent neurological damage even for kids that just play through high school. Most parents I know do not want their children playing football. NFL players are quitting the sport in the prime of their careers. How long does that go on before football reaches a tipping point in popularity?

 

[noeynox]

So far you've had a couple of dudes retire early. I don't think football's popularity is going anywhere as long as those of us that don't let our kids play it still watch it at ridiculous clip.

 

[Irishfan]

You'd choose a Belk Bowl with Cinci and Duke over a first round basketball game with PC and Dayton? Remind me not to hang out with you.

I'd watch Cinci and Duke playing a regular season game over a first round matchup between PC and Dayton.

 

[Ldandy]

I'd watch Cinci and Duke playing a regular season game over a first round matchup between PC and Dayton.

I'd watch Cincy play two hand touch against Duke in a parking lot before I'd watch Dayton play Providence for The National Title. Seriously could we get a worse combination of schools to try to pique interest in basketball? No one cares about either of these schools nationally. If they closed tomorrow 98% of casual sports fans wouldn't even know.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

So far you've had a couple of dudes retire early. I don't think football's popularity is going anywhere as long as those of us that don't let our kids play it still watch it at ridiculous clip.

and about half a dozen high profile suicides.

 

[CAHUSKY]

Tens of thousands of people regularly schedule trips to Vegas, Reno, Atlantic City, etc to watch the NCAA tourney and no one I know would watch virtually any of the lower end bowl games if they were being played in their front yard. Hard for me to get my mind around the fact that more people are watching those games than the tourney games.

 

[UC990411]

Tens of thousands of people regularly schedule trips to Vegas, Reno, Atlantic City, etc to watch the NCAA tourney and no one I know would watch virtually any of the lower end bowl games if they were being played in their front yard. Hard for me to get my mind around the fact that more people are watching those games than the tourney games.

Thank you. I think we found the three people though.

 

[Irishfan]

Tens of thousands of people regularly schedule trips to Vegas, Reno, Atlantic City, etc to watch the NCAA tourney and no one I know would watch virtually any of the lower end bowl games if they were being played in their front yard. Hard for me to get my mind around the fact that more people are watching those games than the tourney games.

Has there ever been an NCAA tournament game held in Vegas, Reno or Atlantic City?

 

[CAHUSKY]

Has there ever been an NCAA tournament game held in Vegas, Reno or Atlantic City?

huh? They go their to watch them with their friends. Every casino is sold out with huge groups of friends betting on the games. Not sure i understand your question.

 

[huskymedic]

NCAA FB bowl games are jumping the shark. Most suck, but they keep doubling down rather than cutting games.

4 new bowl games expected to be added for 2015, lifting total to 43, report says...
http://www.al.com/sports/index.ssf/2015/04/4_new_bowl_games_expected_to_b.html

Proposed new bowls: Austin (AAC vs. C-USA), Tucson (MWC vs. C-USA), Orlando (AAC vs. SB), Little Rock (AAC vs. SB)

CBS Sports Network will broadcast the Cure Bowl on Dec. 19. Fox Sports, CBS Sports Network and NBC Sports Network are likely to broadcast the others on to-be-determined dates, according to the report.

 

[billybud]

And then there are the Opening Season games and neutral site games that are practically bowls (like the WVU-Bama game).

And then there are the Opening Season games and neutral site games that are practically bowls.

More bowl cities like Jacksonville, Atlanta, Charlotte, Orlando, and Nashville are seeking neutral site games. FSU will open with Ole Miss in the Citrus Bowl in 2015 and is negotiating with Alabama to play in Atlanta to open the 2017 season.

The Cowboy Classic is now in place (Michigan will play Florida in the Cowboy Classic in 2017)...and these games may proliferate.

“I could see Kansas City, Orlando, Charlotte, the Rose Bowl -- every bowl city to me has a potential for a kickoff game,” Stokan said. “I think there are cities like Indianapolis that doesn't have a bowl game that could easily do a Kentucky-Indiana kickoff game, or any of those Midwest teams. What we learned from the bowl business is being regional is the key to the kickoff game.”