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pilight
Joined: 23 Sep 2004 Posts: 67015 Location: Where the action is
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HistoryWomensBasketball
Joined: 30 Mar 2006 Posts: 1435 Location: CT
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Posted: 04/09/14 7:19 pm ::: Re: Dominance bad for the game? |
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pilight wrote: |
http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2014/04/09/best-womens-college-basketball-rating-in-a-decade-for-uconn-notre-dame/252758/
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Monday night’s victory by the University of Connecticut over University of Notre Dame in the NCAA Women’s National Championship earned a 2.8 US rating, the highest for any ESPN women’s college basketball game in a decade. |
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Although I'm tired of blowouts this is nice to see and hope that if some new viewers watched they will watch a few more games next season |
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JACKOWACKO
Joined: 20 Sep 2006 Posts: 2884 Location: Right now? Cambridge
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Posted: 04/09/14 7:46 pm ::: |
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A good game would have been a nice plus.
Ocho's injury really hurt ND inside. It's a shame the game itself was such a snoozer. Was hoping for a classic, and was very disappointed.
_________________ LAUREN JACKSON is the greatest of alltime.
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CBiebel
Joined: 23 Dec 2004 Posts: 1058 Location: PA
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Posted: 04/10/14 1:29 am ::: |
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JACKOWACKO wrote: |
A good game would have been a nice plus.
Ocho's injury really hurt ND inside. It's a shame the game itself was such a snoozer. Was hoping for a classic, and was very disappointed. |
As I've been saying to people who asked me today about it, "The players ND needed to counter UConn's attack are either freshmen or coming in next year."
ND has the guards. They just lacked the bigs.
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Rock Hard
Joined: 02 Aug 2010 Posts: 5390 Location: Chocolate Paradise
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Posted: 04/10/14 7:20 am ::: The Big D |
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UCONN without a doubt should be the number one ranked team next season. Question is will they dominate next season like they did the 2014 season? Maybe. If they pick up that Wilson young lady from South Carolina then they might have another undefeated season.
_________________ You can win, as long as you keep your head to the SKY! Be OPTIMISTIC!
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purduefanatic
Joined: 10 Aug 2011 Posts: 2819 Location: Indiana
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Posted: 04/10/14 7:25 am ::: |
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And the numbers should have been that high as it was a matchup of 2 undefeated rivals for the national title. It was also hyped and pre-hyped for practically the entire year...the powers to be at ESPN probably would have spontaneously combusted if those 2 didn't make it to the final. The media machine was in full effect for quite some time.
I would like to know how many of those viewers changed channels before halftime. I have never liked TV numbers (much like attendance figures) as they never tell the real story.
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sammieee
Joined: 17 Jan 2009 Posts: 608
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Posted: 04/10/14 9:02 am ::: Re: The Big D |
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Rock Hard wrote: |
UCONN without a doubt should be the number one ranked team next season. Question is will they dominate next season like they did the 2014 season? Maybe. If they pick up that Wilson young lady from South Carolina then they might have another undefeated season. |
Even with out Wilson, I don't think any team will even come close. Assuming they are healthy, they have Stewert, KML, Jefferson, to go along with the other players in their roster and and a great incoming class.
Stewert and a healthy KML are probably the 2 best players next year. Jefferson is one of the best PG's.
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HistoryWomensBasketball
Joined: 30 Mar 2006 Posts: 1435 Location: CT
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Posted: 04/10/14 9:23 am ::: |
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While injuries can happen and maybe an off game by a few at the same time, with Stewart and crew UConn could 4 peat,break their own record of 90 wins and eventually surpass the 131 game winning streak by Wayland Baptist College back in the 50s.
The battle will be for #2. |
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snlMINAJ
Joined: 21 Jan 2010 Posts: 1222
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Posted: 04/10/14 9:36 am ::: |
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i think they can win obviously national titles the next 2 years, but with stewart stokes and tuck (who may or may not be 100% at anypoint during the season) i dont see them being undefeated.
way way way thin in the post.
i undertand stokes isnt going to average in points and assists what dolson contributed - i dont worry about that (and i think the coaches will absolutely prepare her for next season), but really stokes is the only post by definition.
stewart, tuck, KML are all wings. stewart is the only one with real size to go with stokes.
either way i dont think it matters now, we will wait and see next year.
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beknighted
Joined: 11 Nov 2004 Posts: 11050 Location: Lost in D.C.
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Posted: 04/10/14 10:02 am ::: |
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purduefanatic wrote: |
And the numbers should have been that high as it was a matchup of 2 undefeated rivals for the national title. It was also hyped and pre-hyped for practically the entire year...the powers to be at ESPN probably would have spontaneously combusted if those 2 didn't make it to the final. The media machine was in full effect for quite some time.
I would like to know how many of those viewers changed channels before halftime. I have never liked TV numbers (much like attendance figures) as they never tell the real story. |
Lest we forget, it was an 8-point game at the half, and there was a lot of scoring, so 8 points didn't seem insurmountable, particularly to a casual fan.
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purduefanatic
Joined: 10 Aug 2011 Posts: 2819 Location: Indiana
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Posted: 04/10/14 10:08 am ::: |
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beknighted wrote: |
purduefanatic wrote: |
And the numbers should have been that high as it was a matchup of 2 undefeated rivals for the national title. It was also hyped and pre-hyped for practically the entire year...the powers to be at ESPN probably would have spontaneously combusted if those 2 didn't make it to the final. The media machine was in full effect for quite some time.
I would like to know how many of those viewers changed channels before halftime. I have never liked TV numbers (much like attendance figures) as they never tell the real story. |
Lest we forget, it was an 8-point game at the half, and there was a lot of scoring, so 8 points didn't seem insurmountable, particularly to a casual fan. |
LOL...ok, 2 minutes into the 2nd half. But seriously, just watching the first half it was pretty obvious what the outcome was going to be, regardless of the little run Notre Dame made at the end of the half.
My guess...the "casual fan" probably didn't get to see that little run Notre Dame made in the last couple of minutes as they would have already changed the channel. It was 24-10 just 10 minutes into the game and UConn was playing very well.
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beknighted
Joined: 11 Nov 2004 Posts: 11050 Location: Lost in D.C.
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Posted: 04/10/14 10:12 am ::: |
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purduefanatic wrote: |
beknighted wrote: |
Lest we forget, it was an 8-point game at the half, and there was a lot of scoring, so 8 points didn't seem insurmountable, particularly to a casual fan. |
LOL...ok, 2 minutes into the 2nd half. But seriously, just watching the first half it was pretty obvious what the outcome was going to be, regardless of the little run Notre Dame made at the end of the half.
My guess...the "casual fan" probably didn't get to see that little run Notre Dame made in the last couple of minutes as they would have already changed the channel. It was 24-10 just 10 minutes into the game and UConn was playing very well. |
The UConn fan sitting next to me didn't seem to think it was obvious.
While I expected UConn to win at that point, I thought there was a fair chance that Muffet would make some adjustments at the half and at least keep it close. But, as you say, 2 minutes into the 2nd half it was pretty clear what was going to happen.
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ArtBest23
Joined: 02 Jul 2013 Posts: 14550
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Posted: 04/10/14 11:07 am ::: |
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Isn't UConn losing two All Americans?
One of whom is going to be replaced by a freshman, and the other by one of two people, each of whom is much shorter than Dolson, one of whom has shown no particular ability to score, and the other that is coming off of a very serious knee injury?
And all of that is not supposed to matter at all?
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ArtBest23
Joined: 02 Jul 2013 Posts: 14550
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Posted: 04/10/14 11:08 am ::: |
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beknighted wrote: |
purduefanatic wrote: |
beknighted wrote: |
Lest we forget, it was an 8-point game at the half, and there was a lot of scoring, so 8 points didn't seem insurmountable, particularly to a casual fan. |
LOL...ok, 2 minutes into the 2nd half. But seriously, just watching the first half it was pretty obvious what the outcome was going to be, regardless of the little run Notre Dame made at the end of the half.
My guess...the "casual fan" probably didn't get to see that little run Notre Dame made in the last couple of minutes as they would have already changed the channel. It was 24-10 just 10 minutes into the game and UConn was playing very well. |
The UConn fan sitting next to me didn't seem to think it was obvious.
While I expected UConn to win at that point, I thought there was a fair chance that Muffet would make some adjustments at the half and at least keep it close. But, as you say, 2 minutes into the 2nd half it was pretty clear what was going to happen. |
It was pretty clear that without Achonwa, ND could not defend at all in the paint.
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markinct
Joined: 22 May 2011 Posts: 671 Location: Daytona Beach Florida
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Posted: 04/10/14 7:32 pm ::: |
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ArtBest23 wrote: |
Isn't UConn losing two All Americans?
One of whom is going to be replaced by a freshman, and the other by one of two people, each of whom is much shorter than Dolson, one of whom has shown no particular ability to score, and the other that is coming off of a very serious knee injury?
And all of that is not supposed to matter at all? |
I have my concerns as well. I LOVE KIah Stokes but with only one year left, she isn't going to suddenly become Dolson overnight. She clearly can bang and block and rebound but her scoring isn't her best attribute. If Tuck is healthy she will probably come off the bench. I think Chong might be the starting shooting guard next season unless she doesn't come back the way Geno expects her to. The post will be very weak and while Dolson was smart enough to now how to play in foul trouble...I don't know if that can be said of anyone else. I don't see them as being dominant at all but if the freshman come in and deliver....who knows...
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sammieee
Joined: 17 Jan 2009 Posts: 608
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Posted: 04/10/14 8:09 pm ::: |
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ArtBest23 wrote: |
Isn't UConn losing two All Americans?
One of whom is going to be replaced by a freshman, and the other by one of two people, each of whom is much shorter than Dolson, one of whom has shown no particular ability to score, and the other that is coming off of a very serious knee injury?
And all of that is not supposed to matter at all? |
Yes it matters, but all the other FF4 teams are losing a lot as well. ND is losing an All-American (McBride) and Achonwa, an AA caliber player. Stanford and Maryland are losing their Senior AA, and those 2 teams were heavily reliant on them (Chiney/Thomas). They also lost their starting centers. Baylor is losing Sims.
I still think UNC and USC are another year away from being real threats. Plus UConn will lose KML after next year. KML had an off year, due to injuries. No doubt in my mind she would've been an AA, possibly First team if she wasn't injuried.
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ArtBest23
Joined: 02 Jul 2013 Posts: 14550
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Posted: 04/10/14 9:35 pm ::: |
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sammieee wrote: |
ArtBest23 wrote: |
Isn't UConn losing two All Americans?
One of whom is going to be replaced by a freshman, and the other by one of two people, each of whom is much shorter than Dolson, one of whom has shown no particular ability to score, and the other that is coming off of a very serious knee injury?
And all of that is not supposed to matter at all? |
Yes it matters, but all the other FF4 teams are losing a lot as well. ND is losing an All-American (McBride) and Achonwa, an AA caliber player. Stanford and Maryland are losing their Senior AA, and those 2 teams were heavily reliant on them (Chiney/Thomas). They also lost their starting centers. Baylor is losing Sims.
I still think UNC and USC are another year away from being real threats. Plus UConn will lose KML after next year. KML had an off year, due to injuries. No doubt in my mind she would've been an AA, possibly First team if she wasn't injuried. |
What people, including the media, always seem to miss is that's it's not who you lose, it's how you can replace who you lose. Graduation losses are a fact of life in WCBB. Deal with it. Who do you have on hand or coming in that can step into that gap.
I feel pretty good about ND's situation. Sure, losing McBride and Achonwa is a big deal, but with Reimer and Brianna Turner, as well as Mabry and Cable, together with the return of Allen and Loyd, I feel pretty good. I felt they were in good shape last year to replace Diggins too. I got blasted by many for that view but it was correct.
UConn will probably find a replacement for Hartley without a problem, But I don't see any replacement at all for what Dolson has provided for three years. UConn still as great players, but they will be a lot different team without Dolson. Maybe they'll be as good, maybe they'll be better, maybe not.
I think Baylor has the horses to deal with the loss of Sims. I don't think Stanford or Maryland have anyone to replace Chiney and Thomas.
I disagree that UNC isn't ready. They were capable of beating anyone already this year. They were also capable of losing any time. With six months to work on improving, they are going to be very formidable and maybe, just maybe, they'll be more consistent. If they are, they'll contend. If they're not, they won't And Texas this year lacked guards. They have three coming in, including the one who I think will turn out to be the very top guard in this class in Atkins. They will contend for the top. And of course, S. Carolina loses no one and adds some top freshmen.
Duke loses a bunch of HS AAs who were slow as molasses. They have a bunch of HS AAs returning, and are adding some more, and they will without question be a lot more athletic. They may actually be better even with the losses. A lot of course depends on how Jones and Greenwell return from surgery.
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beknighted
Joined: 11 Nov 2004 Posts: 11050 Location: Lost in D.C.
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Posted: 04/10/14 10:17 pm ::: |
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ArtBest23 wrote: |
I disagree that UNC isn't ready. They were capable of beating anyone already this year. They were also capable of losing any time. |
This pretty much describes every UNC team.
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Howee
Joined: 27 Nov 2009 Posts: 15753 Location: OREGON (in my heart)
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Posted: 04/10/14 10:45 pm ::: |
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To the original question--"(Is)Dominance bad for the game?"--I'd say, Yes, it's bad for MY perspective. The General Public's? Hmmm....
My husband is a pretty big fan of sports in general, but not hoops and certainly not wbb. When we *play* with brackets at tourney time (he indulges me), he's always about how predictable the women's game is. And I can't argue that---just as this season demonstrated, Chalk Rules, with few significant exceptions.
Okay. But this season, we have the script of 2 undefeateds, on a collision course for the final. And there's a Big Fizzle. Compare this to the men's side, with a 7 and 8 seed playing for the championship, the road to said final littered with Cinderella slayings.
I dunno. What real drama/suspense was there left? Pondering if Muffet or Geno was gonna get more snarky about each other? I'm fan enough that*I* can overlook this 'thing', and just watch for the Beautiful Moments in any of the games. The General Public? Nah.
_________________ Oregon: Go Ducks!
"Inévitablement, les canards voleront"
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Dennis1361
Joined: 12 Nov 2005 Posts: 248
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Posted: 04/11/14 12:34 am ::: |
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In men's basketball the explosion of interest took place after UCLA became mortal
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GlennMacGrady
Joined: 03 Jan 2005 Posts: 8236 Location: Heisenberg
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Posted: 04/11/14 12:39 am ::: |
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I think the topic and OP comprise somewhat of a non-sequitur. "The game", concerning which dominance may be a problem, is not the singular event of ESPN's national championship game broadcast. "The game" is the sport as a whole.
In that framework, I think long and seemingly endless dominance is unequivocally bad. It's BORING.
I detect loss of interest everywhere -- in the living room, the bar room, the internet room, and the stands -- even among UConn fans. Many of them are sort of schizophrenic: they don't like boring games, but they do want to win every game. Average home attendance is down yet again at UConn, from 8977 last season to 8312 this season.
I attend high school and some college games on a media credential, and know some of the national and UConn beat writers. Two of them expressed frustration to me at NCAA sub-regionals because they had little to write about for the UConn blowouts this season. There's never "a game" to report or analyze. Thus, they must resort to lots of feature pieces and what I (but not they) might call zany statistics, puff pieces and even rumors.
Next year, as far as I know, there will be no opportunity to see, on any AAC opponent of UConn, a high school All-American much less a college All-American candidate.
I often wonder whether the players enjoy playing in predictable blowouts. I always enjoyed close games as a player. Of course, perhaps that was because my team was usually on the wrong end of blowouts.
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GEF34
Joined: 23 Jul 2008 Posts: 14116
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Posted: 04/11/14 2:31 am ::: |
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ArtBest23 wrote: |
I think Baylor has the horses to deal with the loss of Sims. I don't think Stanford or Maryland have anyone to replace Chiney and Thomas.
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I'm interested in seeing Erica McCall next year, she didn't play as much this year, but from the little I saw of her I think she can come in and take the place of Chiney in the line up, I'm not saying she will reach Chiney's averages, but I think she can be a suitable replacement, she can score and rebounding, and she knows how to read defenses, plus she didn't seem to get pushed around in the paint, which is also a positive for a post player. Of course she will still need to do work in the off-season to improve her game, but I think she could take Chiney's place in the starting line-up.
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terpsforever
Joined: 17 Jul 2011 Posts: 1233
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Posted: 04/11/14 6:18 am ::: |
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I think it's bad because it's boring. I'm a WBB fan and I'm sick to death of UConn. Of course, Geno is doing what he is supposed to do. I'm just extremely disappointed in everyone else. Is he really that much better? Record says he is--and that's just pathetic on every other coach. Other schools have just as many AA's as he does. He is the best coach period. And it seems he is the best coach by quite a margin.
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geeceem
Joined: 10 Mar 2014 Posts: 123
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Posted: 04/11/14 7:09 am ::: |
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I don't think excellence should be maligned. The larger question is why other coaches--Muffet excepted--don't appear to have adjusted.
My heart is with the Terps, but I've seen too many times when our women just looked lost on the floor. You very seldom see Geno's or Muffet's teams--ND in the recent championship game excepted--looking lost on the floor. They know how to read defenses, they know what the vulnerabilities of those defenses are, and they know how to attack them. They have winning strategies that they know how to execute.
I wanted to tear my hair out when I saw our backcourt standing around the perimeter, just looking at each other. No passing, no movement away from the ball; they didn't know what to do. To me, it showed a lack of preparation.
Mere desire isn't the answer; what wins over time is a winning strategy and the discipline to execute it. The great teams win even though they don't always have, in Tiger parlance, their A games.
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Phil
Joined: 22 Oct 2011 Posts: 1275
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Posted: 04/11/14 10:24 am ::: |
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beknighted wrote: |
purduefanatic wrote: |
And the numbers should have been that high as it was a matchup of 2 undefeated rivals for the national title. It was also hyped and pre-hyped for practically the entire year...the powers to be at ESPN probably would have spontaneously combusted if those 2 didn't make it to the final. The media machine was in full effect for quite some time.
I would like to know how many of those viewers changed channels before halftime. I have never liked TV numbers (much like attendance figures) as they never tell the real story. |
Lest we forget, it was an 8-point game at the half, and there was a lot of scoring, so 8 points didn't seem insurmountable, particularly to a casual fan. |
Nit police, it was seven which merely strengthens the point.
UConn has a 12 point lead at halftime over Notre Dame in 2001 and lost by a lot.
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