How Should ESPN Cover LSU Story?

Yes. LSU fans are preparing to call it a "Tee Martin national championship" if LSU wins.

 

The two elements of the story are inextricably tied together. Just as the Yow story was tied to her team playing so well.

You'd never say, "Let's just do a story on how well NC State is playing and not focus on Yow."

So, whether it's a "feel good" story or a "feel weird" story, it's still a major part of the story.

The question is, why is LSU playing like this? Is it "for" Pokey? Or is it in defiance of Pokey? Or is it making a statement saying, "Please let's forget about Pokey and watch us"?

Any way you slice it, you can't get away from Pokey, because it's extraordinary for a coach to leave a Final Four-caliber team for ANY reason days before the NCAA Tournament.

 

True. But can I amend my comments and say the team (and Starkey) has earned the right to be MORE of the story now? Especially in the absence of anything new on Pokey?

 

No. ;D

 

Hmm. OK. Be that way.

I'm all for covering news (as YEW know). There is a place for all aspects of the story.

But I wonder if sometimes we don't want to admit there is a point at which we become the adversity and distraction more than the month-old story.

Reporter: "How are you all handling the distractions?"
Player: "It's only a distraction when you guys ask about it. We've moved on."

 

Good point. But the stupid "distractions" question is a cop out way of asking about a touchy subject.

Why not just come out and ask, "How do you feel about Pokey at this moment?"

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I'm a big fan of the oversaturation theory. We're oversaturated with sports right now, particularly college sports. When that happens, the niche sports are going to suffer.

I think the women's game needs to dramatically reduce ticket prices and go back to the 'home games' thing during the tournament. That won't happen, but yikes, it looks like they made the move to neutral sites too soon.

 

I need to bow out of this one for a multitude of reasons. Luggy, you know where to find me if you want to arguehear more.

8)

 

Do you think anybody in Greensboro cares about Rutgers-Arizona State? Once Duke lost, that attendance was doomed.
Do you think anybody in Fresno cares about UConn and LSU?

I remember a long time ago (like 1979 to be exact) when the men's East Region was in Greensboro and Duke and Carolina -- top 2 seeds -- both got clipped in the early rounds. The regional with 4 Northeast team drew less than 10,000 each session in the old Greenboro building.

 

I dunno, everyone loved Dave Bliss, until ...

 

Absolutely agree, Luggie. They shouldn't have gone to the neutral sites until they were more certain of their fan base. I'd say that's still a good 10 years down the road.

 

I'm not certain it will be any better 10 years from now. Is the women's game significantly better now than it was in 1997?

 

Yeah, I think it is, in terms of TV ratings, attendance, and media coverage. But it does seem to have gone back down after peaking circa 2002, 2003 -- somewhere in there.

Another factor might be Diana Taurasi. You only get a personality like that, with the talent to back it up, every once in a great while.

I read somewhere that Taurasi had the personality of Eddie Haskell. You need people like that, and you can't force it. Those folks are either there, or they aren't. And let's face it -- women tend to be less Eddie Haskell-like.