More newsworthy: Wooden's death or college conference restructuring

This.

 

If it were really a close call -- it's not -- Friday was just another big day in about 85 of them and counting on conference realignment, and many people are already sick of this story; just move already! That's just another reason, certainly not the reason, it's an easy call.

 

People stories always -- always -- matter more to people than what amounts to the sports version of city planning commission meeting coverage.

They shouldn't necessarily always do that in terms of import or impact. But they do, because they're more interesting, more relate-able and more easily read and communicated about to others.

It's why names matter, in stories, in headlines, and especially, on the Web.

If you see "Wooden dies" in a headline, or "Conference lineups to change," which one are you more likely to click on?

That's the answer to your question. And in this case, that is with especially good reason. The bigger the name, the bigger the story, regardless of the really long-term impact of something else. You do, after all, have the long term to worry about that.

 

I do not mean to sound disrepectful to the man, but Wooden's only going to die once.

The conference stuff will go on and on.

 

I would have run a feature about a bald-headed little leaguer before I would have run a story speculating about if, when or how Wooden might die.

So far, the college conferences realignment is ranked only slightly higher than sightings of Bigfoot.

Column fodder if a columnist likes. But, not yet news.