The Spin

[MADXSTER]

So how will ESPN and others spin the outcome of the game?

If Butler wins, will they start pushing really hard for a change in the NCAA tournament format? Change the bracketing format? Change who should be on the comittee?

If Butler loses, will they belittle Butler? Nice little program. Coach needs to be coaching elsewhere, he's better than the little mid-major.


BOTH??

How do they face the fact that Butler has gone to the National Championship twice in two years? Can't be a Cinderella story if you repeat....such as, it was a nice run, you got your 15 minutes so you can go home now.

[Professor X]

If Butler wins to UCONN no less, just a stone's throw from the ESPN HQ, I have to think it will be spun as a UCONN loss/Kemba loss/fatigue rather than a Butler win. Post-game coverage will probably consist of statements that qualify the Butler win as a result of UCONN's deficiencies due to fatigue, too much reliance on Kemba or something like that rather than focusing on Butler's strengths, thus justifying the loss while simultaneously detracting from Butler's accomplishment.

[muskiefan82]

I can only hope that Butler is up by more than 10 with a minute left because if it's close and you think the refs will call it fairly at that point, you are delusional.

[bobbiemcgee]

Jay Bias will say for thr 50th time he had UConn over KY in Hawaii and therefore they should win.

[pizza delivery]

I'm flat out amazed that there is a unanimous consensus that Uconn will win tonight. I was stunned, after the Uconn win Saturday, there was a philosophical resignation almost. They were now all but champs. These idiots just called the first Final Four with NO #1 or #2 seed and one with an 8 and 11 that straight blasted 1's and 2's along the way. But Butler has no shot??? These "basketball people" should be fired and made into "lawn cutting" people. I hope Butler pulverizes Uconn.

[PMI]

I can only hope that Butler is up by more than 10 with a minute left because if it's close and you think the refs will call it fairly at that point, you are delusional.

I'm not really sure how you determine this. Has Butler been on the wrong side of any bad calls at the end this tournament or even last? Saying that Butler will get screwed by the refs is just as presumptuous as saying that UConn has a dream matchup to win their third title. They're both assumptions based on the names on the front of the jersey. If anything, based on how the past two tournaments have gone, I could see Butler benefitting from a big call down the stretch. I really hope there's no controversy though, that would suck.

I get annoyed with ESPN talking heads and their Big East agenda too, but it's not just them, it's the national media in general. Every single local news sportscaster I've heard mention Butler this week has called them a Cinderella. What a ridiculous term for a team in its second straight championship game. People are going to say what they will regardless of what happens tonight. If anyone thinks a Butler win is going to put the Big East love-fest to rest, think again. I don't like either team at all. I hate Calhoun and I hate Butler, so this is the second straight very unfortunate championship game for me personally. There's only one person on the floor tonight who I personally want to see become a champion: Kemba Walker. Thus, I'm rooting for UConn by default. Again, nothing is going to change the way the Big East is portrayed, win or lose, so that's my last concern. But I NEVER want to live to see the day that the effing Butler Bulldogs are national champions. It's not like Calhoun hasn't done it before anyway. I take back my no controversy wish. I hope Butler gets screwed by a clock malfunction. Man would I love that.

[LA Muskie]

ESPN will go crazy about how great this is for college basketball. They excel at speaking out of both sides of their mouth. (A saying that I've never really fully understood...)

[pizza delivery]

ESPN radio is lamenting how bad the sport of college basketball has become. Unbelievable.

[X-band '01]

Your first mistake is listing to ESPN Radio/NFL Radio Network. The constant pigskin/B-ESPN talk makes them unlistenable now.

[MADXSTER]

ESPN radio is lamenting how bad the sport of college basketball has become. Unbelievable.

As expected.

[pizza delivery]

It's sad, they can just trash on Butler and it's fans because no one will care. Or they just won't take their call.

[chico]

Not everyone is picking UConn.

USA Today (http://content.usatoday.com/communities/gameon/post/2011/04/butler-in-upset-over-uconn-is-our-pick/1)

Even Slick Rick's taking Butler. (http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/tournament/2011/columns/story?columnist=forde_pat&page=decision9) Of course, Pitino's using the fatigue excuse for UConn losing, but he's at least picking Butler.

[XULucho27]

I think the spin if UConn wins will have an unbearable Big East blowjob slant to it. All the talking heads will talk about how the 9th place team in the Big East won the National Championship, and how amazing that is, and how that shows it's the best conference in the country.

They won't talk about how the Big East went 7-6 against teams outside of their conference in the Tourney.
They won't talk about how their 1, 2, 4, 6, and 6 seeds got knocked out in the first weekend.
They won't talk about how they had two guaranteed teams in the Sweet Sixteen due to third round inter-conference matchups (although I recognize they had to win their first game to get that matchup, still...)

They won't talk about any of this. They'll only talk about how the Big East and its teams are light years ahead of every other program in the country. The worst part is other members of the media will buy the hype, they'll vote 11 Big East teams in to the pre-season top 25 poll and they'll probably put in 12 Big East teams in the tourney next year. This is why I'm pulling for Butler. I know a Butler win won't stop any of the above from happening but it'll be better than vindicating the media members who worship at the Big East altar.

I normally don't watch ESPN unless it's college football season or unless X is playing on one of their networks, so I won't be exposed to this potential Big East circle jerk media spin should UConn win. But just knowing it's out there will bother me immensely.

[MD Muskie]

Your first mistake is listing to ESPN Radio/NFL Radio Network. The constant pigskin/B-ESPN talk makes them unlistenable now.

I completely agree with you there. It is really nice now that the DC area has a second sports talk radio station that is not related to ESPN/Dan Synder. And their ratings are doing fairly well for the area because fans around here are tired of listening to the same football/yankees&red sox/BESPN/ACC/whatever makes ESPN go talk. The new station just talks sports that concern everybody and its refreshing.

Now as for how the talking heads will spin the story tonight. If Butler wins, they will give five minutes to congratulate them, and the rest of the allotted time will go to UCONN and how they battled to get here from the depths of the BE. Then they will canonnize Calhoun because he COULD be retiring.

Now if UCONN wins, you can just take that five minutes they allotted to Butler and give it to UCONN.

[SixFig]

ESPN radio is lamenting how bad the sport of college basketball has become. Unbelievable.

Guys like Colin Cowherd just can't understand that yes, people do watch sports even though the teams that ESPN tells us should be there don't make it.


HOUSTON -- So much for the unlikely Final Four pairing of Virginia Commonwealth and Butler hurting TV ratings.

Saturday night's Final Four broadcast on CBS posted an 8.9 rating and a 17 share. That's tied for the highest since 2005.

Butler's 70-62 win over Virginia Commonwealth in the first game drew an 8.3 rating and averaged 14.2 million viewers while Connecticut's 56-55 win over Kentucky in the second game drew a 9.5 rating and pulled in 16.7 million viewers.

Overall ratings for the NCAA tournament are up more than 9 percent over last spring. The 6.2/13 is the highest average rating for the tournament through the Final Four since a 6.6/14 in 2005.

[bleedXblue]

college basketball is more competetive than ever.....so many players leaving early, even from mid major or low major conferences and teams........until the NCAA does something about it, nothing will change........I love it.

[whitesox]

Not everyone is picking UConn.

USA Today (http://content.usatoday.com/communities/gameon/post/2011/04/butler-in-upset-over-uconn-is-our-pick/1)

Even Slick Rick's taking Butler. (http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/tournament/2011/columns/story?columnist=forde_pat&page=decision9) Of course, Pitino's using the fatigue excuse for UConn losing, but he's at least picking Butler.

In the interest of fairness, 4 of the 5 writers on espn.com also picked Butler.

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/tournament/2011/news/story?id=6288759
At the bottom.

That being said: it is really the tv guys that are bad about the bias. The college basketball writers on espn.com are generally much more open minded.

[whitesox]

Guys like Colin Cowherd just can't understand that yes, people do watch sports even though the teams that ESPN tells us should be there don't make it.

I've always wondered if low ratings from non-traditional powerhouses playing late in the tournament are because no one is interested in them or because the game doesn't look to be close. People generally assume it is because they don't have the fan base, but my contention is that fewer people watch games that are expected to be blowouts (or, at least, not particularly good).

This seems like strong evidence toward the latter. The lower ratings don't stem from the name of the opponent but from the perceived quality of the game (which is related but isn't the same). It will be interesting to see how that holds up tonight in a game that is expected to be close (UConn favored by 3) but doesn't carry two big traditional teams.

[KingCole]

If Butler wins the spin will be that Butler is the worst NCAA championship team of all time. I can see a poll on ESPN's front page asking it now. The talking heads will spin that NCAA basketball is at an all time low in quality of play and that is why Butler won. The same old tired excuses that you've heard for years as to why a smaller, non-"power" conference school could win will all be out on parade. Also, the coverage will be more slanted as to how UConn lost it rather than how Butler won it.

[Blue Blooded-05]

If Butler wins, ESPiN will rail the "1 and done" rule. They will use every ounce of power they have to try and get a 3 year minimum rule put into college basketball.

If UCONN wins, ESPiN will use the opportunity to validate their claims that the Big East is the best conference in college basketball. They will then use every ounce of power they have to get a 3 year minimum rule put into college basketball.

[PMI]

If Butler wins the spin will be that Butler is the worst NCAA championship team of all time. I can see a poll on ESPN's front page asking it now. The talking heads will spin that NCAA basketball is at an all time low in quality of play and that is why Butler won. The same old tired excuses that you've heard for years as to why a smaller, non-"power" conference school could win will all be out on parade. Also, the coverage will be more slanted as to how UConn lost it rather than how Butler won it.

I could see this and ESPN's motive would definitely be to act as apologists for the BCS (particularly Big East) conferences, but we should remember that Butler is an 8 seed who didn't even get the top seed in the Horizon League tournament. They were far from impressive for much of the year. I don't believe an 8 seed or worse has won the title in my lifetime (born in 86 just after Villanova did it) so there would be some substance to it, even though ESPN's motives would likely be in the wrong place. Maybe they can start pushing to reduce the field back to 16 or something.

[Masterofreality]

Maybe they can start pushing to reduce the field back to 16 or something.

The "or something" they want would be that B-ESPN picks the entire field....

.....You know, because they can do "eye tests" and are college basketball "experts".