A Five-Month Season Boils Down to One

[waggy]

Article on how interest in the college basketball season is waning. Worth a read.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/13/sports/ncaabasketball/march-madness-makes-basketballs-regular-season-seem-irrelevant.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0

[Masterofreality]

Article on how interest in the college basketball season is waning. Worth a read.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/13/sports/ncaabasketball/march-madness-makes-basketballs-regular-season-seem-irrelevant.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0

That article is total BS. Screw the NY Times.

After watching the Butler and Arizona games yesterday, anyone think that there is no value to the regular season? Were there any empty seats in the arenas?

What was more exciting? Butler/Indiana or Toledo-Utah State football? Tough call.

[Muskie]

It's good to see they got Mike Tranghese's opinion. He's a big reason why college basketball's season has been devalued.

[Masterofreality]

It's good to see they got Mike Tranghese's opinion. He's a big reason why college basketball's season has been devalued.

Absolutely. The Big East scheduling philosophy as espoused by that guy was a joke and a traveshamockery!

[paulxu]

On Sunday, seven of the Big East’s so-called basketball schools

Well...what else would you call them? Football schools?

[X-band '01]

At least the article gave Washington another opportunity to whine about not making the NCAAs despite winning the Pac-12 regular season title.

Is there any reason other than gambling that people even care about mid-December bowl games?

[Xavier]

I actually tend to agree with the article. I like watching basketball right now- but more and more the regular season doesn't matter. Everyone calls the early games "meaningless" and its all about what you do in March that counts.

[drudy23]

I actually tend to agree with the article. I like watching basketball right now- but more and more the regular season doesn't matter. Everyone calls the early games "meaningless" and its all about what you do in March that counts.

This makes no sense. The entire regular season sets you up for entry into March, and if you get there, the entire season determines how well you are seeded. You set yourself up for success in March in the regular season.

[usfldan]

I don’t understand the “regular season doesn’t matter” argument either, especially when compared with football. The article mentioned a “mid-major” regular season champ getting left out of the tournament. When has any “mid-major” football team, even an undefeated conference champion, ever had a shot at the football championship?

When St. Joe’s basketball team went unbeaten in the regular season, but lost in the A-10 tournament, they still got a No. 1 seed, made the Elite Eight, and had a legit shot at winning a national title.

When Houston’s football team went unbeaten in the regular season, but lost in the C-USA championship game, they disappeared into oblivion and the Who Cares Bowl.

How many times has Xavier gotten into the tournament as an at large team… because of its regular season.

[Masterofreality]

I don’t understand the “regular season doesn’t matter” argument either, especially when compared with football. The article mentioned a “mid-major” regular season champ getting left out of the tournament. When has any “mid-major” football team, even an undefeated conference champion, ever had a shot at the football championship?

When St. Joe’s basketball team went unbeaten in the regular season, but lost in the A-10 tournament, they still got a No. 1 seed, made the Elite Eight, and had a legit shot at winning a national title.

When Houston’s football team went unbeaten in the regular season, but lost in the C-USA championship game, they disappeared into oblivion and the Who Cares Bowl.

How many times has Xavier gotten into the tournament as an at large team… because of its regular season.

Well said...and right on.

[GuyFawkes38]

One thing that I do know is that futher expanding the NCAA Tourney would be a disaster for college basketball. It's already too big.

[GoMuskies]

Does this mean that Northwestern has never played a college basketball game?

[DC Muskie]

Regular season games matter.

It's that no one watches it. If they are trying to grow the entire college basketball brand, in the hopes of landing another billion dollar television deal, they have their work cut out for them.

That Kentucky/Maryland game mentioned in the article...had the same rating as Duck Dynasty.

I'd be all for moving back the season to get out of the way of the college bowl and NFL playoffs. I don't see that happening if at the end of the day you hurt your biggest money maker in March.

But regular season games matter in the sense of getting to the big dance. But just like hockey, no one is turning it on until the playoffs.

[paulxu]

No on is turning on hockey period.

[drudy23]

But just like hockey, no one is turning it on until the playoffs.

Uh....never watched a hockey playoff game in my life. I'm guessing there are plently here that can say the same thing.

[Kahns Krazy]

No on is turning on hockey period.

Do you know why UC girls are like hockey goalies?

They both change their pads after 3 periods.

Heeeyooooooo!

[DC Muskie]

Uh....never watched a hockey playoff game in my life. I'm guessing there are plently here that can say the same thing.

You understand there are other people on the planet besides yourself right?

The point was people turn on playoff hockey. Like 4 more than the regular season.

People turn on college basketball in March for the tournaments. Like maybe 10 more than during the season.

College basketball would kill for a GW/Richmond game to get Duck Dynasty type ratings.

[drudy23]

You understand there are other people on the planet besides yourself right?

The point was people turn on playoff hockey. Like 4 more than the regular season.

People turn on college basketball in March for the tournaments. Like maybe 10 more than during the season.

College basketball would kill for a GW/Richmond game to get Duck Dynasty type ratings.

Point is...comparing college hoops to hockey isn't a good one.

[DC Muskie]

Point is...comparing college hoops to hockey isn't a good one.

It is when you are talking about television and when people pay attention.

[GoMuskies]

Just read that the Nevada/Arizona bowl game (the New Mexico Bowl) got higher ratings than Butler/Indiana.

[DC Muskie]

Just read that the Nevada/Arizona bowl game (the New Mexico Bowl) got higher ratings than Butler/Indiana.

And people wonder why Charlotte and UMass are pumping money into building bigger football programs.

Makes perfect sense to me. You can get bigger ratings for the CUSA championship game then Kentucky/UNC in basketball.

All we can hope for in basketball is Duck Dynasty numbers.

[paulxu]

Damn Kahns. You're on some sort of roll.
Must be Shootout week.

[PMI]

Uh....never watched a hockey playoff game in my life. I'm guessing there are plently here that can say the same thing.

Plenty of people in Cincinnati maybe. In places that are good enough sports towns that they have the four pro sports teams, most people tune in for the playoffs if they're team is in it. College basketball and hockey are really not a bad comparison. They both kind of have cult followings during most of the year and draw much bigger numbers in their postseasons. In certain parts of the country (and continent) people care very much about one of the other (or both), in large numbers, and in certain parts, people overwhelmingly could care less. Of course, the is comparison is contingent on it being a year where the NHL exists.

[Nigel Tufnel]

Just read that the Nevada/Arizona bowl game (the New Mexico Bowl) got higher ratings than Butler/Indiana.

I'm wondering if gambling has anything to do with this...or if its just football's popularity vs. basketball. I know a lot of people who get into big Bowl pools....and I think more people gamble on football than basketball. I doubt it effects the numbers in a huge way...but if it was close, gamblers are more than likely to bet on a Bowl game and watch it than a mid December basketball game.

[Xavier]

Just read that the Nevada/Arizona bowl game (the New Mexico Bowl) got higher ratings than Butler/Indiana.

Speaks volumes.

When talking about past seasons, do you talk about those classic November games X played in?

When talking about good teams right now- people say "Its way to early to talk about that". Fact is, regular season is just not that important these days. Besides Xavier, I don't watch many regular season college basketball games. Seeds are becoming less and less important these days. In the past, what 5 years?, we have seen two 11 seeds in the final four and an 8 (or 9, can't remember) seeded Buter in the Championship.

[DC Muskie]

More people watched the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl than IU vs UNC or Duke vs OSU.

Millions of Americans will watch a helmet sit on a 50 yard line then watch college basketball.