Two comments you run into a lot from the WCBB Commentariat these days: "Program 'X' (ND, Louisville, USC etc etc) is emerging as UConn's major challenger in extending their continued dominance." And "UConn's dominance is bad for the game". The value or stupidity of these opinions gets a lot of air time around here. Broadcasters seem to scramble to assure fans that UConn IS beatable,while betting that the beauty of Husky games is enough to capture and hold viewers, regardless of lopsided scores.
But what if fans are growing more sophisticated, and watch games for more than to see if Team B can beat Team A, or at least not get blown out? What if the hope for truly competitive games is just a relic from a simpler era? I think so. That changes the nature of rivalry, and of what brings fans to games. If we land the class many are predicting for UConn in 2015-16, you can forget about old-style rivalry, and hopefully we'll hear fewer voices of doom about our weak conference.
The emerging rivalry in WCBB is UConn versus... Everybody Else. Everybody Else has lots of fans. Many Americans hate consistent winners. Did you notice that at the Tournament, many fans of teams we'd just beaten, at the next game cheered for our opponent? Don't be offended by fans of Everybody Else; their disrespect is based on respect, and if they see arrogance, it's because they're blinded by excellence. It's all part of the new rivalry.
Expect to see a shift in how broadcasters promote our games next year. There'll be less pumping up the B Teams, trying to establish each one as a credible opponents for the Huskies. Fans aren't buying that the way they used to. In talking about our opponents, expect to hear less about Teams, and more about Players of Destiny. If there is little drama of the Team A versus Team B sort, watch broadcasters try to create drama of the "Can Superstar Mary beat the relentless pressure of UConn's defense?' sort. How long The Streak has gotten will get more and more attention during the season.
It's a whole new ballgame folks, with a new kind of rivalry. I think we're going to like it, and so will most fans.
I
But what if fans are growing more sophisticated, and watch games for more than to see if Team B can beat Team A, or at least not get blown out? What if the hope for truly competitive games is just a relic from a simpler era? I think so. That changes the nature of rivalry, and of what brings fans to games. If we land the class many are predicting for UConn in 2015-16, you can forget about old-style rivalry, and hopefully we'll hear fewer voices of doom about our weak conference.
The emerging rivalry in WCBB is UConn versus... Everybody Else. Everybody Else has lots of fans. Many Americans hate consistent winners. Did you notice that at the Tournament, many fans of teams we'd just beaten, at the next game cheered for our opponent? Don't be offended by fans of Everybody Else; their disrespect is based on respect, and if they see arrogance, it's because they're blinded by excellence. It's all part of the new rivalry.
Expect to see a shift in how broadcasters promote our games next year. There'll be less pumping up the B Teams, trying to establish each one as a credible opponents for the Huskies. Fans aren't buying that the way they used to. In talking about our opponents, expect to hear less about Teams, and more about Players of Destiny. If there is little drama of the Team A versus Team B sort, watch broadcasters try to create drama of the "Can Superstar Mary beat the relentless pressure of UConn's defense?' sort. How long The Streak has gotten will get more and more attention during the season.
It's a whole new ballgame folks, with a new kind of rivalry. I think we're going to like it, and so will most fans.
I