ESPN omg

[HoopsFan21]

The biggest complaint for me is that the games feel like they are two hour long ads. It's non-stop advertising masquerading as a WCBB basketball game. I guess if women's games don't bring in the revenue, they hope to recoup some of it this way?

 

[driver]

Obviously ESPN doesn't care about women's college basketball. The magpies keep on rambling while we're left to figure out what's happening. The worst part is that ESPN's coverage is amateur at best and shows a deep disrespect of all the players as they play hard while ESPN anchors chit chat and also do some overview interviews.
How can we let ESPN know how we feel and get them to give the program to SNY?

 

[Mdoggie]

Relax

 

[HuskylnSC]

At one point in the game BM asked DA how she thinks teams should go about slowing down UConn's game. DA's response? " Go right at KLS, and try to get her in foul trouble. Really? That's all you've got ?

Beth should have replied "Debfie she plays the freakin' point on the press and doesn't commit fouls! How are you going to go at her any more than that? Dummy!" (I added the dummy)

 

[shizam]

Just My Opinion... Shizam...you've been a BY member since 2016, so you've "seen" 2 seasons of UConn Basketball. Yes, they pretty much roll over everyone in the AAC (with the occasional bump in the road), but they do the same thing in most OOC games as well, even against #1 and #2 teams in other conferences and top 10 ranked Nationally . If you turned this game off after the first 8 minutes, I suppose you also did that when UConn played Louisville (maybe earlier than 8 minutes), also broadcast on ESPN2. If I recall correctly, Louisville was ranked #3 at the time, and are now the #4 ranked team in the country...Co-Champ in ACC, likely #1 regional seed in NCAA Tournament and at the time a 1 loss team. Many of us who love and faithfully watch UConn WBB enjoy watching their games for the incredible team work, ball movement, unselfish play and "poetry" that they display on the court. No showboating, no gloating, no demeaning of other team's players. I am not being argumentative here...but UConn will always strive for excellence/perfection...and sometimes that's more exciting and than what's happening on the scoreboard. I realize most of Monday night TV is pretty lousy...but you don't have to watch. Just sayin'.

I used to enjoy watching UConn for the same reasons you mentioned above. Just great basketball. After a few games it was like a big repeat and I needed more of a competitive game. My favorite games were the UConn opener vs Fl State and the finale vs Miss State. Intense and nail biters to the end. So now if UConn is on nat’l TV I’ll watch and if it’s a blow out I turn it off. I am a luke warm fan of L’ville and stopped watching the UConn L’ville at the half and watched the 2nd half a week later. L’ville was outclassed and fortunate to get a moral victory. I’ve never seen a team look as lost as L’ville did at the end of the 1st quarter. They were thoroughly beaten, confused and the game was over at that point.. When it mattered most UConn dominated.

 

[shizam]

I do think the announcers go out of their was to avoid bias for UConn and often grasp at straw to name teams that can beat them. I loved the gem that this years tournament is wide open for many teams...no, it’s not. The other issue is that ESPN has cut significant numbers of seasoned production people due to the NBA contract, so as a result you have very inexperienced staff doing the camera cues and cuts, so we miss action. They also don’t adjust the microphone volumes at times or tell the analyst to speak closer to the mic. I just wish Adam Amin’s mic would be “accidentally” turned off...

Miss State is the only team that can beat UConn and I say that based on last year. They did it. That was an unbelievably focused display of defense on their part too. They are a better team this year though I wonder about their center. She was a force in that game last year and I’m not sure she can repeat that performance. Some games she doesn’t look like a b-ball player. Still boggles the mind what they did.

 

[mbr33ct]

I'll contribute to this thread...I know I have read it here before but man I'm really tired of the Mt DEW commercial, not so much with the product but I dislike the guy more.

 

[tomcat]

I must be really dumb cause I watched the same game and enjoyed watching how we totally dominated their ball handlers and ran fast breaks were classic after all TV is a way to watching

Truth is, for me it's more fun watching UConn work on its already great defense and make wonderful passing plays against a good but hardly equal opponent than it is to watch two supposedly good teams that play loose defense and can't generate anything resembling an offensive play beyond giving it to their sharpshooter, Too many WCBB games fall into the latter category, I'm afraid.

 

[Zorro]

Much more enjoyable with the sound off!

 

[OldAlum]

I just watched the replay of the game after reading most of the comments here. (I was at the game live) The commenting was not as bad as I expected. Sorry to say, but I thought they reported more of the game than Lobo/Lawson did. Yeah, annoying when they persist in a story rather than explaining the action. Still, I thought they did a better job of interrupting and mentioning the action.

I understand that they have to promote other ESPN stuff. Still don't understand the thinking that announcers telling unrelated stories is in any way useful to keep people viewing. When UConn is far ahead, most of the people viewing are hard-core fans who enjoy the way the team plays and want to see and hear the game. Talking about other stuff annoys them and tells the casual viewer "Yeah, we are not interested in this game either" so why would they stay?

IMO, ESPN should have more talking points about types of offenses and defenses and technical stuff to educate fans so they can appreciate what a team is (or is not) doing. They could have some ideas prepared so that in case of blowouts, they can still talk about the game and add in what to look for. You know, analysis! And one person should always be instructed to interrupt to explain the current action when needed.

 

[Rayvin56]

I just watched the replay of the game after reading most of the comments here. (I was at the game live) The commenting was not as bad as I expected. Sorry to say, but I thought they reported more of the game than Lobo/Lawson did. Yeah, annoying when they persist in a story rather than explaining the action. Still, I thought they did a better job of interrupting and mentioning the action.

I understand that they have to promote other ESPN stuff. Still don't understand the thinking that announcers telling unrelated stories is in any way useful to keep people viewing. When UConn is far ahead, most of the people viewing are hard-core fans who enjoy the way the team plays and want to see and hear the game. Talking about other stuff annoys them and tells the casual viewer "Yeah, we are not interested in this game either" so why would they stay?

IMO, ESPN should have more talking points about types of offenses and defenses and technical stuff to educate fans so they can appreciate what a team is (or is not) doing. They could have some ideas prepared so that in case of blowouts, they can still talk about the game and add in what to look for. You know, analysis! And one person should always be instructed to interrupt to explain the current action when needed.

I'm with you, OldAlum---I especially like it when they discuss the X's and O's and flesh out the actual action happening in the game as opposed to getting into side stories that are barely related to the game or either team competing. Also, too much talk about the men's game...

 

[CMC'72]

this is the worst camera work and commentary I have ever seen!

Funny... I thought it was some of the best play-by-play and commentary. Ever.

I leaned alot.

 

[dogged1]

I'll contribute to this thread...I know I have read it here before but man I'm really tired of the Mt DEW commercial, not so much with the product but I dislike the guy more.

like x 1,000

 

[Centerstream]

Miss State is the only team that can beat UConn and I say that based on last year. They did it. That was an unbelievably focused display of defense on their part too. They are a better team this year though I wonder about their center. She was a force in that game last year and I’m not sure she can repeat that performance. Some games she doesn’t look like a b-ball player. Still boggles the mind what they did.

Glad that you drank the Kool-Aid. Last year's semifinal was a fluke and most basketball fans would agree. If they were indeed the better team, they should have destroyed SC but they did not.
This year's teams have completely different players so can you really base the outcome on last year's fluke? Do you not think that with this year's Crystal and Z that UConn is the same as last year and not a much better team????

And what does your post have to do with the original thread topic???????? Eleven words in the post you replied to? Hmmm.

 

[Bronxjeff]

I do think the announcers go out of their was to avoid bias for UConn and often grasp at straw to name teams that can beat them. I loved the gem that this years tournament is wide open for many teams...no, it’s not. The other issue is that ESPN has cut significant numbers of seasoned production people due to the NBA contract, so as a result you have very inexperienced staff doing the camera cues and cuts, so we miss action. They also don’t adjust the microphone volumes at times or tell the analyst to speak closer to the mic. I just wish Adam Amin’s mic would be “accidentally” turned off...

I think you explained what was so frustrating about the video work, happily I don’t hear well enough to follow most of the commentary. What got me was that there wide shots were from odd angles that didn’t show the plays well, but insanely they would show closeups without the ball in view!

 

[MSGRET]

The best games that ESPN has done on UConn over the past couple of years was in last years AAC tourney when Bob Picozzi and Rebecca Lobo did the Championship game and Bob and Katie Smith in the Quarter and Semi final games.

 

[driver]

I'll contribute to this thread...I know I have read it here before but man I'm really tired of the Mt DEW commercial, not so much with the product but I dislike the guy more.

I change the channel before he's done.

 

[2Husky]

someone should make an announcer bingo, with things like : "lists teams that could beat uconn", "says how many championships uconn has", " goes more than 3 possessions without calling on court action"," graphics for upcoming games taking up more screen than actual game (during live ball situations)" , "missed out of bounds basket", etc.

I don't really know what espn is thinking with some of their choices during broadcasts. They know UConn fans want to watch the game and will watch to the end. but casual sports fans will probably see the lopsided score and change the channel. So why not actually focus on the game at hand? UConn fans would like it, and if they spent their time talking about the strategies, and plays and why UConn is so far ahead maybe casual fans would learn something and want to keep watching.

 

[tomcat]

Glad that you drank the Kool-Aid. Last year's semifinal was a fluke and most basketball fans would agree. If they were indeed the better team, they should have destroyed SC but they did not.
This year's teams have completely different players so can you really base the outcome on last year's fluke? Do you not think that with this year's Crystal and Z that UConn is the same as last year and not a much better team????

And what does your post have to do with the original thread topic???????? Eleven words in the post you replied to? Hmmm.

Well, I saw the game live and on that night, in that arena, they were two pretty evenly matched teams. On paper and most of the time, UConn was far better, but not on that night, and of course, that's what counts. But in the championship game, we had a team, MsSt, that gave its all against UConn, beat the giant, and had nothing left against SC. I think almost everyone at the MsSt-Uconn game, having seen the final score, could have predicted what would happen, and it did. SC was better than MsSt both that night and the rest of the time, but MsSt would have had a hard time beating a lot of teams that night because they were emotionally spent.

All that said, I think MsSt is probably a better team this year, if for no other reason than the further development of their center. I don't know of they could beat UConn, but I think UConn will be emotionally ready to play them, if the matchup occurs, and my money's on UConn in that one.

 

[Centerstream]

Well, I saw the game live and on that night, in that arena, they were two pretty evenly matched teams. On paper and most of the time, UConn was far better, but not on that night, and of course, that's what counts. But in the championship game, we had a team, MsSt, that gave its all against UConn, beat the giant, and had nothing left against SC. I think almost everyone at the MsSt-Uconn game, having seen the final score, could have predicted what would happen, and it did. SC was better than MsSt both that night and the rest of the time, but MsSt would have had a hard time beating a lot of teams that night because they were emotionally spent.

All that said, I think MsSt is probably a better team this year, if for no other reason than the further development of their center. I don't know of they could beat UConn, but I think UConn will be emotionally ready to play them, if the matchup occurs, and my money's on UConn in that one.

You have your opinion on the game and I will forever have mine, and they differ.

 

[Zanzman]

I’m a big sports fan but stopped watching a lot of espn and turned off the station cause all they do is advertise themselves constant espn commercial

 

[DefenseBB]

Just My Opinion... Shizam...you've been a BY member since 2016, so you've "seen" 2 seasons of UConn Basketball. Yes, they pretty much roll over everyone in the AAC (with the occasional bump in the road), but they do the same thing in most OOC games as well, even against #1 and #2 teams in other conferences and top 10 ranked Nationally . If you turned this game off after the first 8 minutes, I suppose you also did that when UConn played Louisville (maybe earlier than 8 minutes), also broadcast on ESPN2. If I recall correctly, Louisville was ranked #3 at the time, and are now the #4 ranked team in the country...Co-Champ in ACC, likely #1 regional seed in NCAA Tournament and at the time a 1 loss team. Many of us who love and faithfully watch UConn WBB enjoy watching their games for the incredible team work, ball movement, unselfish play and "poetry" that they display on the court. No showboating, no gloating, no demeaning of other team's players. I am not being argumentative here...but UConn will always strive for excellence/perfection...and sometimes that's more exciting than what's happening on the scoreboard. I realize most of Monday night TV is pretty lousy...but you don't have to watch. Just sayin'.

What did I miss in his post that is causing so much agitation? Just just because a person has not been a member on here for as long as others does not mean they haven’t been watching UConnWCBB and don’t know their style. That was a tad aggressive. I have been a member her for 16 wonderful months but have been an ardent follower since 1995.

I enjoy the dialogue and THE DIFFERENT OPINIONS posted on here as that is how you can learn. Just sayin’.

 

[Centerstream]

What did I miss in his post that is causing so much agitation? Just just because a person has not been a member on here for as long as others does not mean they haven’t been watching UConnWCBB and don’t know their style. That was a tad aggressive. I have been a member her for 16 wonderful months but have been an ardent follower since 1995.

I enjoy the dialogue and THE DIFFERENT OPINIONS posted on here as that is how you can learn. Just sayin’.

Good points @DefenseBB, I have not been a member of the BY for all that long but that has nothing to do with how long I have been a fan of the Women Huskys. I had no idea the BY existed and once I found it (no idea how I did eventually find it), I was a lurker for quite some time.

 

[shizam]

someone should make an announcer bingo, with things like : "lists teams that could beat uconn", "says how many championships uconn has", " goes more than 3 possessions without calling on court action"," graphics for upcoming games taking up more screen than actual game (during live ball situations)" , "missed out of bounds basket", etc.

I don't really know what espn is thinking with some of their choices during broadcasts. They know UConn fans want to watch the game and will watch to the end. but casual sports fans will probably see the lopsided score and change the channel. So why not actually focus on the game at hand? UConn fans would like it, and if they spent their time talking about the strategies, and plays and why UConn is so far ahead maybe casual fans would learn something and want to keep watching.

Funny... I thought it was some of the best play-by-play and commentary. Ever.

I leaned alot.

I’ll take Deb and Beth over Kara, Lobo and the play by play guy.

 

[CMC'72]

I’ll take Deb and Beth over Kara, Lobo and the play by play guy.

Definitely! Much better.