Epic fail by SNY- UConn First Night

[alexrgct]

So, apaprently SNY is involved with First Night insomuch as they are donating rally towels and such for the event. However, they aren't broadcasting it. ESPN isn't either, so SNY absolutely could if they so chose.

What are they choosing to show instead? Well, if my DirecTV receiver is to believed, they are showing...a two hour documentary about Rocky Marciano...from 2007.

I've been very quick to praise SNY for good decisions they've made thus far, but I have to be critical here. Is there really a rush to watch five year old documentaries about Rocky Marciano that they couldn't have broadcast First Night? I realize it costs them something to produce and broadcast the show, but they're banking on there being strong interest in UConn's basketball programs! Why wouldn't they make the investment and solidify their position as a strong partner of UConn's?

Am I missing something and rushing too quickly and too harshly to judgment here? I'm open to having my mind changed. As of right now, however, I'm disappointed.

 

[EricLA]

Has CPTV covered it in the past? If so, then SNY absolutely should be doing it. In fact, it's something that UCONN should have demanded when it switched over from CPTV. No excuse for not covering it if it's something CPTV has done in the past. However, if CPTV never did it, <shrug>... then i say "meh"...

 

[Sakibomb25]

Maybe they've done the research and realized that people aren't willing to tune into non-game programs? Perhaps the ROI is not high enough to justify all the production costs. If anything I would bank on that being the case.

 

[alexrgct]

Has CPTV covered it in the past? If so, then SNY absolutely should be doing it. In fact, it's something that UCONN should have demanded when it switched over from CPTV. No excuse for not covering it if it's something CPTV has done in the past. However, if CPTV never did it, <shrug>... then i say "meh"...

There's a key difference. CPTV was never the TV partner for both the men's and women's programs. SNY is.

 

[bruinbball]

I agree Alex. They missed a huge opportunity to build additional interest for the season. ESPN has always had highlights during their coverage. If they do not this year, that is definitely a let down.

It appears we will be missing out - other than posted YouTube videos.

The events being broadcast on ESPN3 are linked below for easy viewing. Here's the full lineup:

-- Indiana with Jay Williams and Dan Dakich (ESPN3 at 5 ET)
-- NC State with Bruce Pearl (ESPN3 at 7 ET)
-- St. John's with Tarik Turner (ESPN3 at 7 ET)
-- Florida State with Jacob Ridenhour (ESPN3 at 7 ET)
-- Kentucky with Jimmy Dykes (ESPN3 at 7:30 ET)
-- North Carolina with Doris Burke (ESPN3 at 7:30 ET)
-- Syracuse with Dino Gaudio (ESPN3 at 8 ET)
-- Missouri with Stephen Bardo (ESPN3 at 8 ET)
-- Pittsburgh with Bill Raftery (ESPN3 at 10 ET)
-- Georgetown with Tim Welsh (only on ESPNU)
-- Maryland with Len Elmore (only on ESPNU)
-- Baylor (men and women) with Fran Fraschilla (only on ESPNU)
-- Murray State with Miles Simon (only on ESPNU)
-- Kansas with Sean Farnham (only on ESPNU)
-- ESPNU Midnight Madness whip-around/UNITE Madness special (9 p.m. ET to 1 a.m. ET)

 

[alexrgct]

Maybe they've done the research and realized that people aren't willing to tune into non-game programs? Perhaps the ROI is not high enough to justify all the production costs. If anything I would bank on that being the case.

I agree that it costs more to produce and broadcast a live show vis a vis a five year old documentary. However, this was an opportunity to really promote their position as UConn's TV partner for football, MBB, and WBB, as well as maybe test out/work out any kinks in their streaming if they wanted to go that route too.

 

[johnhuskies95]

UConn had to pay SNY to get them to broadcast the spring game. My guess is that first night is the same deal, and UConn decided that they didn't want to pay to have it broadcasted.

 

[pinotbear]

Not to be a contrarian here, but, First Night lost its' appeal for me when they blended the two teams together, and introduced such things as bouncy-ball races and team dance routines. I went to two of 'em - one I know was Shea's last season, the other a bit before - and they had drills, a brief "scrimmage", etc. About the only "fluff" was the intros. I personally have no interest in watching the current manifestation on TV, save, maybe the 3-point contest.

 

[tomcat]

I'm with pinotbear on this one. Back in the days when my daughter was little we went to a couple of them and found they were fun. But they were fun/serious events, with a scrimmage and all. Now, living in Arizona, I couldn't go if I wanted to, which is okay, because I don't, and I wouldn't watch on TV, either. What hey do now looks like it was designed by the team's insurance agent, minimizing the possibility of anything happening to the players during the evening. Whether or not a given player can dance may be interesting, but is hardly important.

 

[Fishy]

These things are borderline dreadful in person...it would make for just awful television.

Sent from my GT-N7000 using Tapatalk 2

 

[UCONNfan1]

I'm with pinotbear on this one. Back in the days when my daughter was little we went to a couple of them and found they were fun. But they were fun/serious events, with a scrimmage and all. Now, living in Arizona, I couldn't go if I wanted to, which is okay, because I don't, and I wouldn't watch on TV, either. What hey do now looks like it was designed by the team's insurance agent, minimizing the possibility of anything happening to the players during the evening. Whether or not a given player can dance may be interesting, but is hardly important.

Agree wtih you and the others, however, while they may be borderline dreadful in person, especially on the women's side, they are a recruiting tool that helps advertise the "best fans in the nation". Unless the potential recruits come to a raucus home game, they may not get to experience in person the fans or how they react to the players...

Maybe I'm overstating the importance of that but it seems more often than not, we get verbals shortly after official visits when they involve the super show...

 

[vtcwbuff]

I'm sure SNY tested the waters and decided that covering 1st night is a waste of airtime. And they would be right. In person, meh. On TV, booooooriiiing!!!

 

[mets1090]

The only thing worth watching is the dunk contest and someone will put video of it on youtube somewhere by tomorrow. It was a lot more fun when it was just the Men at midnight and they scrimmaged.

 

[alexrgct]

Let me put it this way. I am infinitely more likely to tune in to watch First Night than I am to watch a documentary about Rocky Marciano.

Instead, I am watching Yanks-Orioles, followed by Breaking Bad on Netflix Streaming.

 

[KnightBridgeAZ]

I would think, you guys being you guys, that ESPN should have had you on a whip-around. The die-hards would get to see a few minutes, recruits who probably do watch the festivities would get a look in, etc.

I totally get not broadcasting the whole thing. If the Men were the Women, maybe. They aren't and that's the sad fact of the world re: men's and women's BB.

 

[alexrgct]

I would love to see the three-point contest. KML and Caroline had great showings, and Morgan wasn't bad either.

 

[Vowelguy]

Let me put it this way. I am infinitely more likely to tune in to watch First Night than I am to watch a documentary about Rocky Marciano.

A false comparison.
The documentary costs significantly significantly less to run.

 

[alexrgct]

A false comparison.
The documentary costs significantly significantly less to run.

A fact I have acknowledged in this thread.

 

[Vowelguy]

I would think, you guys being you guys, that ESPN should have had you on a whip-around. The die-hards would get to see a few minutes, recruits who probably do watch the festivities would get a look in, etc.

The UConn men can't be in the NCAA tourney. As a result, they're not an interesting story for ESPN to highlight in preparation for the upcoming season.

 

[Dairyair]

I had to work late, or I may have gone...but they pretty much lost me when they mixed the men and the women, and then did away with the scrimmages.
As far as SNY goes, I can see them NOT televising this non-sporting event, but I was hoping that they'd show the two preseason games...

 

[Kibitzer]

This is not like football, where we might have a challenge flag to use to trigger an instante review and possible reversal of a bad call. It's more like baseball, where the manager protesting a bad call is really working the umpires to persuade them to get the next call to be favorable.

The content of this thread is sound but the timing is terrible. I suggest we let it go now but consider revising it about eleven months from now, in time to possibly sway either SNY or ESPN to televise next year's First Night event.