NCAA Basketball Scores Best Combined Overnight Rating In 20 Years

COMMENTS (18)

• There are two problems with these numbers. First, since the ratings in this case are a combination of several channels added together, they are a little misleading. There’s no apples-to-apples comparison between this year (four channels) and previous years (one or two channels cutting between games).

  Second, the enormous rise in viewership of the daytime games is, in part, a reflection of the high unemployment rate. More people in the U.S. now have time available during the day to watch the games on TV. (Since people at work during those times often watch the tournament games online or on the radio, I presume that radio and internet listeners and viewers are down compared to previous years.)

  The high ratings are less impressive than they appear at first glance.

  Comment by Drew — Friday March 18, 2011 @ 9:24am PDT  Reply to this post

• Probably some who don’t even care about basketball watched. Have you seen the programs the TV stations are trying to force us to watch? I don’t care how many stations you have.

  Comment by Leah — Friday March 18, 2011 @ 9:29am PDT  Reply to this post

• Basketball ratings are up due to the HIGH UNEMPLOYMENT!

  Comment by jason — Friday March 18, 2011 @ 9:35am PDT  Reply to this post

• Greetings!

  This increase in viewership of anything basketball is something that I find rather disheartening believe it or not. Why on earth would I say such a thing?!? Because basketball is no longer basketball. It is a “sport” that has decided not to enforce the most basic of rules that make basketball basketball. Why? To increase the excitement level of the game (as if it wasn’t already exciting enough!) in the hopes that it will result in an increase to slouching ticket sales and TV Nielsen ratings.

  When I played the game, “palming” or “carrying” the ball was a serious infraction. Now it is no longer called at all, with the end result naturally being that players carry the ball constantly and obnoxiously! Fingertips are a thing of the past. This of course allows players to make “super human” moves that were simply not possible when you weren’t allowed to carry the ball around a like a football! Needless to say, young viewers see this being done from the junior high ranks right on up to the NBA. So needless to say, they will grow playing the game exactly has it is being played today.

  And then there is another rule that was strictly enforced during my days on the hardwood that is now being ignored by the officials on a wholesale level, and that is “traveling”. You were allowed two step without dribbling. Not anymore! Two-and-one-half, three and three-and-one-half steps are now commonplace! Once again, just as it is with being allowed to carry the ball like a football, this is all being tolerated and allowed in order to allow players the ability to make these stunning, “super human” moves to the hoop that were literally impossible in my day when the original rules of the game were enforced by the officials whose job it was to closely monitor for said violations and quickly blow their whistles to halt play and enforce a turnover.

  Thirdly and lastly is the amount of physical contact that is allowed. There has always been a certain amount of it tolerated. To eliminate all of it would be impossible. But today’s basketball more closely resembles hockey! Once again, officials turn a blind eye to slam and bang contact that never was tolerated during my career on the parquet. In my time, players prided themselves on the amount of finesse they brought to the game. It was more exhilarating to weave your way to the hoop without touching a living soul than it was to bang and check your way there! I guess modern thinking that permeates the game I love is that since players are now allowed to carry the basketball like a football, why not be allowed to play like football players in other aspects as well!! The amount of elbowing, hip-checking, foot-tripping, charging, pushing, shoving and zone violations are simply OUT OF CONTROL! Where is the finesse?!? The poise?!? The grace?!? Once again, today’s game of basketball strikes me as a cross between hockey and football!! And you can be certain that I do not intend that as any kind of compliment. I don’t want to take anything away from today’s players as it relates to talent. There are tremendously talented players at all levels of today’s game — most especially from college on up. But let me put forth this challenge if you’ll be so kind as to indulge me for another minute or two. I apologize for being long-winded here, but I’ve wanted to say something for a long time because it has been eating away at me, and there was and is nothing more important to me then basketball (except for God and family of course). But lets imagine that we could take the likes of Magic Johnson, Dr. Julius Erving, Kevin McHale, Oscar Robertson, Bill Russell, Pistol Pete Maravich, Jerry West, Bob Cousy, Earl The Pearl Monroe, Billy Cunningham, Walt Frazier, Isiah Thomas, or even that highly overrated Bird fellow, or whatever his name was, to name just a few — and were able to magically put them in their prime, and then match them up against today’s best….BUT….require EVERYONE to play by the rules as they were enforced during Jerry West’s time (to name just one) and see which side would prevail! I know where I’d put my money — not that I would bet because that was extremely frowned upon. It was just a figure of speech.

  Anyway, most people may think I’m all wet, and there might be a few who agree with me. Now would be a great time to let your voices be heard. Chime in and let me have it, or show your support, or feel free to have an opinion that supports both sides. No ideas or opinions will be suppressed here. At least I certainly hope not. I don’t have any control over this website, but I saw this article and its headline and thought that it was now or never to speak my mind. I am choosing to remain anonymous for reasons that I can’t really go into, but that I believe might well skew the results if I divulged too much info.

  THANKS for letting me vent! I look forward to hearing from the greatest fans in the world — BASKETBALL FANS, of course!!

  P.S. I apologize for any typos or grammar errors that I might have made in this harangue. Grammar and typing never were my strong suits.

  Comment by Harry — Friday March 18, 2011 @ 10:23am PDT  Reply to this post

• Harry – I stopped reading after the first sentence. Way too long my friend.

  Comment by Doc Michaels — Friday March 18, 2011 @ 11:21am PDT  Reply to this post

  • typical democrat, thats what they said for obamacare too. sorry to long to read in the 5 mintues you gave me. before vote… its only 3000 pages long wtf.

    Comment by liberalism is a mental disorder — Friday March 18, 2011 @ 12:02pm PDT  Reply to this post

    • um… ok…

      Comment by Victor C. — Friday March 18, 2011 @ 12:47pm PDT  Reply to this post

    • To Liberalism is a mental disorder,

      Thanks! I agree with you 100%!!

      LOVE YOUR HANDLE!!

      Harry

      Comment by Harry — Friday March 18, 2011 @ 2:36pm PDT  Reply to this post

  • Okay Doc, so what you seem to be suggesting is that if the writer can’t make their case in one sentence or less, it’s not worth the read. Oops, I’m into the second sentence, so I assume you’re no longer with me and will never know that I said you sure ain’t no lntellectual type, and seem to have a super teeny-tiny attention span, and that if you don’t got nothin good to say, don’t say nothin at all! Bumper’s Mommy gets the credit for that good line, from Bambi.

    Comment by Harry — Friday March 18, 2011 @ 2:33pm PDT  Reply to this post

• I am glad I do not have cable, so I missed out on wasting my time on this. And I very much look forward to watching the US waste away into oblivion soon due to the fact that the population is completely feminized and clueless. Until then, enjoy you stupidity sheep….

  Comment by Kevin — Friday March 18, 2011 @ 11:25am PDT  Reply to this post

• Harry — I agree some — but you just sound old and grumpy.

  Comment by Glenn H — Friday March 18, 2011 @ 11:58am PDT  Reply to this post

  • Glenn,

    THANKS for agreeing some. MUCH appreciated!!

    As to the rest, wrong on both counts. Sorry.

    Appreciate the post just the same!

    Harry

    Comment by Harry — Friday March 18, 2011 @ 2:39pm PDT  Reply to this post

• spot on, basketball today is not basketball, its carry-the-ball. and its a union that makes all these non-calls the way they are, give the ref’ union a nice limo ride and a nice hotel. you might see your “calls”

  sad way the game is now. lebron cheater james. who travels about 5 times a game. would be no more then a arogant jerk if they acutally enforced half of the rules. simply amazing things like jordan did are now comon places not because they people are getting better. its actually going backwards in talent. its because the players are “allowed” to change the rules as they see fit. and acting has become such a big part in every professional sport. its looking more like mimes playing with each others backboards then anything.

  Comment by s37en — Friday March 18, 2011 @ 12:01pm PDT  Reply to this post

  • THANKS s37en!! R U a fan of that movie by chance?

    I REALLY appreciate your supportive post!! Nicest comment I’ve received today! And I agree with your points as well! Observant!

    Have you ever noticed that ALL of the photos in newspapers, sports mags, etc., that show a college or pro player dribbling, that they have their huge mitt COMPLETELY glued and 100% flat against the ball at the 6 o’clock position — their gigantic hand nicely following the curve of the ball which is of course completely cradled and nestled and going nowhere until he decides to let go!!

    Ever notice that you don’t ever see any OTHER kind of dribbling photo anymore, because try as they might, the best sports photographers in the world can’t ever catch a shot of a pro ball player NOT palming and carrying the ball because they never, ever dribble any other way. NEVER! It isn’t taught and it isn’t ever caught! Might upset one of them there overpaid primadonnas with their baggie shorts and respectful, professional tattoos!

    Harry

    Comment by Harry — Friday March 18, 2011 @ 3:54pm PDT  Reply to this post

• Clearly this spike was due to Obama’s bracket picks! Glad he was able to set aside all that Japan and Libya frivolity for something really important.

  Comment by Johnny Dangerously — Friday March 18, 2011 @ 12:06pm PDT  Reply to this post

• I play basketball videogames! My favorite game is to set Player 1 and Player 2 to “CPU”, then laugh as I watch the computer fumble all over itself.

  Comment by Anonymous — Friday March 18, 2011 @ 3:46pm PDT  Reply to this post

• To the gents who are crediting the increase in ratings to high unemployment, unemployment was higher last year.

  Comment by Wes — Sunday March 20, 2011 @ 4:44am PDT  Reply to this post

• @DREW. PEOPLE HAVE BEEN LOSING JOBS FOR A FEW YEARS NOW- STOP HATING ON THE BEST SPORTING EVENT OF THE YEAR.

  Comment by Tony — Sunday March 20, 2011 @ 8:15pm PDT  Reply to this post