Interesting round table article

[B1GEast]

http://www.tomahawknation.com/2013/2/22/4019522/realignment-rumor-mill-guest-star-edition

A lot of interesting stuff from the usual suspects, fwiw

 

[CL82]

It is a good read. Kind of like any active board, with better proof reading and fewer lunatics. Very few (one?) mentions of UConn and then only as a dark horse.

From the Dude: Each conference must have "blood on its hands" to share the guilt and share the risk of any potential lawsuit from the ACC schools who are left behind.

Uh, what the hell happened to us. I don't think a suit makes sense but crimmeny we got hit by a truck.

Two last points:
1. Where's the Guy of Connecticut?
2. Since we are pretty much written off, we must be a sure thing to the B1G.

 

[Dann]

a good read is the espn article about the big east contract and them getting it. read it thru. then think about espns side and read it again. very telling with some things what they think is about to happen.

 

[noeynox]

a good read is the espn article about the big east contract and them getting it. read it thru. then think about espns side and read it again. very telling with some things what they think is about to happen.

Link?

 

[Dann]

Link?

linky

 

[noeynox]

Read that not getting the angle of what they think is going to happen. once again I just saw what a terrible decision has developed for UCONN since the big east turned down that offer. The remaining there football schools have,gotten decimated.

 

[Dann]

espn quickly mentions uconn(pump) and then cincy(2nd pump). then it goes on to say they are looking at "other confs". then espn goes on to talk about cincy sending the acc cards/bs.

once again espn makes sure uconns name is relevant but also makes sure not to commit to uconns name. they then take a 2nd name and pump that with the acc.

the same as its been for a while. years ago the orginal rumor was uconn and rutgers. then rutgers named disapeared(espn found out they were looking b10) and uconns stayed semi relevent(espn knows they are looking elsewhere but not sure if they can go). no everything recently is always uconn and then another school with the other school getting the daps. pretty obvious fall in line on the hfd cr 101.

 

[noeynox]

Hmn. you are into subliminal messages. I will take what I can get.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

It is amazing that the Dude has created this Internet persona such that people treat him as an authority on anything. He is a raging idiot.

 

[whaler11]

It is amazing that the Dude has created this Internet persona such that people treat him as an authority on anything. He is a raging idiot.

From a guy who pimped m.h.v.e.r

 

[Fishy]

I've actually gotten used to a world where people called Frank the Tank and Tuxedo Yoda make sense to me.

I am not at the point where the moonbats like the Dude of West Virginia or the Guy of Connecticut are anything other than people throwing their brains at the wall.

When I hit the point of considering them rational, I will find a bridge.

 

[The Funster]

FrankTheTank is the only one that came out of that looking good, IMO. He portrayed himself as more of a analyst of what takes place behind the scenes, ie: the thought process, while the others come across as rumor-sifters.

Thoroughly disappointing that UConn was ignored.

 

[whaler11]

FrankTheTank is the only one that came out of that looking good, IMO. He portrayed himself as more of a analyst of what takes place behind the scenes, ie: the thought process, while the others come across as rumor-sifters.

Thoroughly disappointing that UConn was ignored.

Frank doesn't pretend to know things he doesn't know. I find his positions to be logical and well explained but I know others disagree around here.

 

[Durks07]

Frank doesn't pretend to know things he doesn't know. I find his positions to be logical and well explained but I know others disagree around here.

Frank is consistently the best read of any of the realignment bloggers. Well-informed, clear, intelligent, and thorough. As much as I hated hearing a rational reason to blame anyone other than ESPN for what happened, his explanation of why Fox may be more responsible was very convincing. I only consider his opinions and articles to be worthwhile at this point.

 

[whaler11]

Frank is consistently the best read of any of the realignment bloggers. Well-informed, clear, intelligent, and thorough. As much as I hated hearing a rational reason to blame anyone other than ESPN for what happened, his explanation of why Fox may be more responsible was very convincing. I only consider his opinions and articles to be worthwhile at this point.

ESPN ended up paying more for less content. Either they are the worst businesspeople in the world or they weren't driving the train. Based on what they have built I know which side I land on.

 

[Durks07]

ESPN ended up paying more for less content. Either they are the worst businesspeople in the world or they weren't driving the train. Based on what they have built I know which side I land on.

While that is true, it is equally as likely that because they lost content (C07) to Fox, they do not want to allow another competitor into the marketplace. NBC made a very weak bid for the Big East. ESPN does not actually want the Big East, which I think agree on. However, for the lowball price NBC put out for the league, it is probably worth it to match the bid anyway. Now, they get to preserve UConn, Cincy, Memphis, Temple basketball games which are pretty good, and have some value comparatively. But most importantly, they denied NBC content with which to compete with ESPN. The fact that the content is weak compared to what ESPN offers doesn't change the fact that for a relatively low cost (compared to the deals for other conferences), ESPN completely shut NBC out of the college market, save for ND.I land on the side that they are doing much more ruthless business than bad business.

NBC didn't have a reason to overbid for the Big East, but with the extravagent offers going to the conferences, good businesspeople would understand that a lowball offer against the strongest corporation in the sports marketing business was going to be matched. ESPN has an interest in preventing competition in their domain as much as they can. ESPN figured it was either worth it to match the deal, even if it was a loss financially, for theoverall payoff of eliminating a competitor.

 

[whaler11]

While that is true, it is equally as likely that because they lost content (C07) to Fox, they do not want to allow another competitor into the marketplace. NBC made a very weak bid for the Big East. ESPN does not actually want the Big East, which I think agree on. However, for the lowball price NBC put out for the league, it is probably worth it to match the bid anyway. Now, they get to preserve UConn, Cincy, Memphis, Temple basketball games which are pretty good, and have some value comparatively. But most importantly, they denied NBC content with which to compete with ESPN. The fact that the content is weak compared to what ESPN offers doesn't change the fact that for a relatively low cost (compared to the deals for other conferences), ESPN completely shut NBC out of the college market, save for ND.I land on the side that they are doing much more ruthless business than bad business.

NBC didn't have a reason to overbid for the Big East, but with the extravagent offers going to the conferences, good businesspeople would understand that a lowball offer against the strongest corporation in the sports marketing business was going to be matched. ESPN has an interest in preventing competition in their domain as much as they can. ESPN figured it was either worth it to match the deal, even if it was a loss financially, for theoverall payoff of eliminating a competitor.

ESPN knows that NBC isn't a legitimate competitor. The thing that the Boneyard never understood is what a mess NBC Universal/Comcast is. NBC Sports ratings are so bad they are almost hard to comprehend. I'm sure ESPN has a good laugh when Michele Beadle flushes her career down the toilet to chase the money with them.

Fox stepped up with the C7 and Erin Andrews. They are at least a legitimate network.

 

[Durks07]

ESPN knows that NBC isn't a legitimate competitor. The thing that the Boneyard never understood is what a mess NBC Universal/Comcast is. NBC Sports ratings are so bad they are almost hard to comprehend. I'm sure ESPN has a good laugh when Michele Beadle flushes her career down the toilet to chase the money with them.

Fox stepped up with the C7 and Erin Andrews. They are at least a legitimate network.

Whether they are a legitmate threat is not the point. ESPN made sure that they weren't even going to have the opportunity to become one.

 

[whaler11]

Whether they are a legitmate threat is not the point. ESPN made sure that they weren't even going to have the opportunity to become one.

ESPN never had to worry about them. NBC actually did ESPN a favor. They bid nothing on the Big East and ESPN gets to further buildout ESPN3 on the Big East games.

 

[Durks07]

ESPN never had to worry about them. NBC actually did ESPN a favor. They bid nothing on the Big East and ESPN gets to further buildout ESPN3 on the Big East games.

Whether NBC is a legitimate threat is a moot point. It is simply not relevant at all. ESPN was able to deny NBC sports content. NBC is a mess, and a cheap one at that. However, if ESPN did not match the offer, NBC would be a mess with content to use. Losing out on the Big East ensured that they will remain just a mess. Without that content to display, ESPN has one fewer competitor in college sports programming. Now, instead of having to compete for viewers who are interested in watching Big East games, they control those viewer's options as well. There is no business sense in providing NBC access to Big East conent. Doing so allows NBC to put a college sports product that will garner the viewership that prefers to watch Big East games. Now, that viewership has to go to ESPN instead of NBC.

ESPN made a move that kept NBC entirely out of the marketplace. ESPN has no interest in Big East football games. There is little value to them in that respect. The Big East's value is pretty indicative of that. They will accordingly relegate those games to ESPN3 as much as they possibly can. Those games will not be available only on ESPN3 because they want to build that network. They will be on ESPN3 because ESPN is not going to waste more valuable broadcast time on ESPN or ESPN2 for a Big East game when they can put a B1G, SEC, or ACC game on.

 

[whaler11]

Whether NBC is a legitimate threat is a moot point. It is simply not relevant at all. ESPN was able to deny NBC sports content. NBC is a mess, and a cheap one at that. However, if ESPN did not match the offer, NBC would be a mess with content to use. Losing out on the Big East ensured that they will remain just a mess. Without that content to display, ESPN has one fewer competitor in college sports programming. Now, instead of having to compete for viewers who are interested in watching Big East games, they control those viewer's options as well. There is no business sense in providing NBC access to Big East conent. Doing so allows NBC to put a college sports product that will garner the viewership that prefers to watch Big East games. Now, that viewership has to go to ESPN instead of NBC.

ESPN made a move that kept NBC entirely out of the marketplace. ESPN has no interest in Big East football games. There is little value to them in that respect. The Big East's value is pretty indicative of that. They will accordingly relegate those games to ESPN3 as much as they possibly can. Those games will not be available only on ESPN3 because they want to build that network. They will be on ESPN3 because ESPN is not going to waste more valuable broadcast time on ESPN or ESPN2 for a Big East game when they can put a B1G, SEC, or ACC game on.

NBC had the ability to make a bid that ESPN wouldn't match. They chose not to. They made such a low bid that ESPN didn't have to make an actual decision. That pretty much proves that NBC isn't a willing competitor.

I'm probably missing your point. My point is that NBC doesn't really want to compete with ESPN - their bid on the Big East only further proved that.
.

 

[Fishy]

It's pretty clear that NBC didn't really want or have a plan for the Big East.

At that number, they were just looking to bottom feed. $20M a year undercuts the theory that NBC had planned any sort of promotion for the conference - perhaps having the rights to the Big East would have meant a reduction in the paid infomercials on NBC Universal.

Instead of hawking Skeeter Bob's Grenade-Tipped Elk Blaster Arrows, they'd show Memphis-Tulane. (Sponsored, of course, by Skeeter Bob's full range of grenade-tipped wildlife extermination products.)

So ESPN gets to pick up a bunch of almost-free content that might come in handy down the road when they lose the Big Ten and need to fill some spots here and there.

 

[Durks07]

NBC had the ability to make a bid that ESPN wouldn't match. They chose not to. They made such a low bid that ESPN didn't have to make an actual decision. That pretty much proves that NBC isn't a willing competitor.

I'm probably missing your point. My point is that NBC doesn't really want to compete with ESPN - their bid on the Big East only further proved that.
.

NBC choose to make a low-ball offer in part because there was no apparent interest in the Big East product. They were the only network that was negotiating with them. It is well-known that ESPN does not care about Big East programming. Because the value of the content was low, it didn't make sense to bid highly against themselves. There is no point in overpaying for something you don't have to overpay for. Either they didn't want the Big East product (possible) or they didn't think the offer would be matched by ESPN, who doesn't want it anyway. Realistically, if they weren't willing competitors at all, then there was no point in even making the offer in the first place.

Assuming they could get the Big East at a clearance price, they chose to make a low offer. With the price being as low as it was, it was a no-brainer for ESPN to match the offer and just keep the content. It makes no sense giving away content that NBC would have to use contractually. If NBC did have the contract, they could and probably would put those games on national TV during Saturday afternoons, in direct competition with games aired by ESPN. Even if it didn't garner much attention, it was still sports, and better than a 2-star dreck movie or drag racing, or whatever garbage filler content they put on when people are watching football. Now NBC is forced to continue to show re-air lousy movies and NHRA racing which no one with an IQ will watch.

Matching the NBC offer was the only smart play by ESPN. For pennies on the dollar, they prevent another network from having football games to air during their football games. No sense in allowing that to happen at all, even if the games aren't worth much.

 

[whaler11]

NBC choose to make a low-ball offer in part because there was no apparent interest in the Big East product. They were the only network that was negotiating with them. It is well-known that ESPN does not care about Big East programming. Because the value of the content was low, it didn't make sense to bid highly against themselves. There is no point in overpaying for something you don't have to overpay for. Either they didn't want the Big East product (possible) or they didn't think the offer would be matched by ESPN, who doesn't want it anyway. Realistically, if they weren't willing competitors at all, then there was no point in even making the offer in the first place.

Assuming they could get the Big East at a clearance price, they chose to make a low offer. With the price being as low as it was, it was a no-brainer for ESPN to match the offer and just keep the content. It makes no sense giving away content that NBC would have to use contractually. If NBC did have the contract, they could and probably would put those games on national TV during Saturday afternoons, in direct competition with games aired by ESPN. Even if it didn't garner much attention, it was still sports, and better than a 2-star dreck movie or drag racing, or whatever garbage filler content they put on when people are watching football. Now NBC is forced to continue to show re-air lousy movies and NHRA racing which no one with an IQ will watch.

Matching the NBC offer was the only smart play by ESPN. For pennies on the dollar, they prevent another network from having football games to air during their football games. No sense in allowing that to happen at all, even if the games aren't worth much.

If NBC was willing to put games on the network on Saturday's they would have bid enough to get the rights. They were never going to do that. They never had any interest - their bid proves it.

I have no idea what your point is. ESPN didn't take the league to block out a competitor. They took the rights to have more content for ESPN3 and make that property more valuable.

NBC Sports is a joke. ESPN doesn't make any decisions relative to them.

 

[B1GEast]

We have to be Texas of the NBE