Sandomir - NBA TV Ratings in Tank

I don't think the viewership is at a Versus level just yet, but I went to a decent sized neighborhood bar-eatery in a major city Tuesday night with a few friends to watch the game. We noticed that when the game was over, we were the only ones packing it up. I'm not even sure anyone else was watching with any interest whatsoever. And the bar had about 20 people in it to begin with. It's not quite Must-See TV, even if LeBron was pulling an MJ.

Alas none of this quick fixes are the problem. The East just plain sucks. It's sucked since Jordan retired, more or less. But it's an interesting thought at least.

On Dan Patrick someone was arguing against a new format that could pit, say, Phoenix-San Antonio in the finals because no one from the East would watch. As if someone from Boston is saying, "Ya know, I like Cleveland because geographically, they're closer to me than San Antonio. Go Cavs, represent our time zone!"

 

Why is no one watching? 75-72.

I'll proudly complete another year without watching more than 5 minutes of the NBA at a stretch.

Yeah, the NHL is a niche sport. But it's far better in the playoffs than the regular season. Can't say that about the NBA.

As far as baseball goes, Microville's Little League had a record number of kids turn out for the second year in a row. There are some extenuating circumstances behind this increase, but baseball ain't dead yet, son. More fans are watching it that ever, be it MLB, the minors, independent ball, summer college wood bat leagues, or college, and kids continue to play it outside of the inner cities.

 

I think this year's numbers translate to 6's. So it's half of that "down year" back in '99.

Left Coast, the East hasn't been a total joke - an Eastern Conf. team did win last year.

I thought last year's Finals were good. This year, when Mr. Lugs turns it on, I say, "Quit! Turn it off! My eyes, my eyes!"

But I'm totally grossed out by LeBron being willing to miss the birth of his kid. I'm probably the only one not watching for that reason.

 

Anyone who believes baseball is as popular as basketball worldwide is living in a different world than this one.
As for the rest of the argument, if you combine the interest in college basketball and the NBA vs. MLB, the minor leagues and NCAA baseball -- hoops probably would come out on top.

 

Except that he didn't miss the birth of his child, who was born this morning. So we do not know what really would have happened had the birth coincided with the game.

I would expect anyone not watching the NBA Finals for this reason to also never again watch an Arizona Cardinals game as long as Matt Lineart is QB, or the New England Patriots as long as Tom Brady is QB, since they fathered children with women they were no longer dating -- in fact, going so far as to climb into bed with other women while THOSE women were pregnant.

 

Bingo.

The.
Game.
Itself.
Sucks.

Control-freak coaches and the evolution of defensive overdomination have for all intents ground the entire sport to a halt.

 

Right. Baseball has no foothold in the European or African markets, and very little impact on South America beyond some of the northern countries. Cricket's bigger than baseball worldwide.

 

Of course, nobody was posting that, oh, six weeks ago when Golden State and Dallas were playing 115-112 games.

Guess that "evolution of defensive overdomination" happened pretty quickly, eh?

 

It's been happening for 15 years.

 

People will use a million fake reasons for why they don't like something, BTE. I'm sure the folks who think the games are too low-scoring are the same ones who 20 years ago were in the crowd that said, "I don't watch the NBA because nobody plays defense." Then the Bad Boy Pistons made defense fashionable and coaches preached defense like it was religion. Defense is the way to win championships -- the Lakers, Celtics and Bulls were all damn good defensive teams -- but the NBA lacks the truly charismatic player nowadays. King James is damn good, but he's not really all that charismatic. He might eventually be charismatic -- I loved his answers to the Sopranos questions in a presser a few days ago -- but he isn't now. And how many kids who never set foot on a college campus are? Even KG is not incredibly charismatic and doesn't really carry a national profile.

 

Anyone notice that all the teams that were playing 115-112 games are at home watching on TV?

 

Ding ding ding

BUH BUH BUH BASEBALL IS PEEEEEEEEEEERFECT

EVERYBODY LOVES THE YAAAAAANKEEEEEEES AND THE SAWKS.