Conspiracy theory-Big 10 and ESPN

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coolhandgopher

coolhandgopher

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I have not been privy to all the coverage this year on the national scene regarding how weak the Big 10 is in basketball. Perhaps the SEC, Pac 10, and Big 12 have also been criticized at length, but it's not reported here because Minnesota plays in the Big 10.

I think there are some things that we can concede to:
1. Big 10 basketball isn't pretty. Certainly not as aesthetically pleasing to watch as the ACC or Big East (top teams in the Big East, at least)

2. Besides Michigan State, there doesn't seem to be a Final Four type squad in this bunch. There appear to be several teams who could crack the Sweet 16, but beyond that it's tough to imagine these teams are ready to break through right now. The Big East and ACC both appear to have two or more Final Four type teams.

3. Jim Delaney and the Big 10 in general are despised by many; Delaney largely because of his refusal to discuss any playoff format and the Big 10 because of the long successful history of the two main sports (football and basketball).

That being said, I find it perplexing that the Big 10 is being criticized so heavily, especially when you consider the following:
* They were very solid as a group in non-conference play
* Besides Michigan State, Purdue, and Wisconsin, none of the teams had strong preseason buzz for the NCAA tournament (at least besides the hometown fans). Each of the other teams had unexpectedly good seasons.
* The contributions from the overall senior class in the Big 10 is underwhelming. Most of the talent that emerged in the conference this season is from the junior and sophomore classes.

All that being considered, it seems that the criticism leveled at the Big 10 is particularly harsh and the voices of reason (I believe Steve Lavin was mentioned by S.S. as a voice in the wilderness) are few and far between. Here's where my conspiracy theory comes in, and I could be way off, but thought I would throw it out there-ESPN is coming after the Big Ten because of the Big Ten Network. While the Big 10 has a contract with ESPN through 2017, the Big Ten Network has to be seen as a threat to ESPN's stranglehold on the college sports market. How did ESPN respond to the Big Ten Network? By signing a megadeal with the SEC that will last through 2024 and bring $2.25 billion to the conference during that time-or a minimum of $150 million each year. Was there really a demand for the SEC basketball games? Was there that kind of demand for the conference football games that CBS hasn't already picked? Or was this more to prevent another premier conference from starting their own network?

I'm not saying that a memo is handed out to ESPN employees to badmouth the Big Ten, but perhaps its encouraged from the top down to look a little more critically at the Big Ten. I'm not saying that the Big 10 is above such criticism-their record in the bowl games this season was atrocious and it's been some lean years in football on the national stage. But as I stated, the barrage of criticism on Big 10 basketball this season just seems puzzling to me.

Am I crazy? Your thoughts (on this theory, not how crazy I am :))
 

I think it's difficult to over-stress just how ugly B10 basketball has become. It's what people see, and it's inarguable.

I find myself turning on Gopher games late in the second half. I'm increasingly no longer that interested in the game in and of itself, only the outcome.
 

In theory, your points are well taken. IMO the BTN is years (yes years) behind ESPN. A threat? Sure as ESPN looks long term, but not for the next 5 years at least. I think the largest threat to ESPN is ESPN itself..too big, too fast, and full of themselves. There is a backlash against ESPN already happening....but I just can't see the BTN getting close to the level of broadcasting (not that I agree with everything they (ESPN) do and how they do it .. Last point, thinking Purdue is better than anyone else (right now) in the BT and could have a nice run to the Final Four....
 


Certianly there have been some bad BT games but I think alot of people, Espn, fans, heck even our own local media, have taken it way too far to the point where it's almost laughable. As has been pointed out before, the Big Ten did very well in non conference games and if you look at the scores, the BT was able to play and score in the 70's with some elite teams.

I tried to watch the SEC championship game and had to turn it off because it looked more like an AAU summer game, it's one thing to play up and down, run and gun, but that was pathetic to watch for anyone who appreciates any kind of defense. Of course the ESPN talking heads, and what do they have now, about 25 of them, will never admit that.

I guess the Big Ten is just an easy target. We've been around for over 100 years with basically the same teams where as almost every other conference has change significantly in the past 10-15 years. This conference has so much tradition and is so special to the fans of the teams since we're geographically similiar and have such rivalries that go back a 100+ years. The fact that Marquette and Depaul are in the Big EAST is a joke but $$$$ rules common sense nowdays. I agree with Coolhand that the BT network is definately a driving force behind some of it, especially from ESPN.

I guess the best way to shut some of it up is to go out and win.
 


I have to say the BTN has gotten better, and many times this winter I left on Big Ten Tonight when in the past I might have turned on SportsCenter. They already shun the Pac 10, if they want to bash us too, screw 'em. In the age of multiple sports networks and the internet, they're not nearly important to the sports world as they think they are.
 

Another point on ESPN. . .between Sports Reporters, Around the Horn, PTI, Page 2 (on their website), and many other avenues, they have hired so many sports reporters who are noted as outspoken critics (the twin a-holes, Jay Mariotti and Skip Bayless come to mind). Yet, they don't allow those with contracts to criticize anyone associated with ESPN, as Bill Simmons often alludes to in his columns and as demonstrated with the dismissal of Jason Whitlock who verbally sparred with Mike Lupica and Jay Mariotti. It works out pretty nice for ESPN-not only do they hire the most prominent and known sports journalists in the nation, but they're also able to prevent criticism of their product with those hires. There are still some good, prominent, well known journalists working outside ESPN's range (Whitlock, Dan Wetzel with yahoo.com), but they are massively outnumbered by those working for ESPN.
 

ESPN has a ton of arrogant talking heads who speak their opinions like gospel truth. They only praise those who are obviously great (LeBron, the UCONNs Dukes and Kansas' of the world, etc) and blast anyone they can get away with blasting. Mark May asked who MN thought they were for hiring Mason because he could get away with such a stupid comment about a team with a small, less vocal fan base. For CFB guys like Gottleib and Digger Phelps talk out of their necks half the time
 

The B10 conference made some big mistakes in the past related to ESPN. They were approached about the Thursday night football games that have become pretty popular and turned it down. As I recall Bobby Knight and Lou Henson were major opponents of playing any Monday or Tuesday night games due to the fact that they thought it would hurt academics--other conferences stepped up to take those times of course. B10 network doesn't help either. Star athletes in other states like Florida or California don't get the B10 network (nor do their parents who want to see them on TV). Exposure is a major issue in recruiting and the B10 failure to work with ESPN from the beginning has directly led to a drop off in athletic talent.
 



Big Ten teams play team ball. Big Ten teams play defense. Big Ten teams rebound hard. Big Ten teams run the shot clock. Big Ten teams play mostly ugly offensive ball. That is just the way it is.

ACC or Big East is where you'll see the top offensive players, they like to go one and one alot and shoot the three and ESPN loves that. There simply really isn't any one player that can take over a game when they want to or score at will in the BT this year.

I love the Big Ten. The fans in our conference are probably some of the best in the nation. Always strong fan support in the Big Ten. Midwest good ole boys are getting picked on by the snobs out east, that is all it is.
Also, Jim Delaney thinks he owns the world, maybe that does have something to do with it.:confused:
 

coolhandgopher said:
Here's where my conspiracy theory comes in, and I could be way off, but thought I would throw it out there-ESPN is coming after the Big Ten because of the Big Ten Network. While the Big 10 has a contract with ESPN through 2017, the Big Ten Network has to be seen as a threat to ESPN's stranglehold on the college sports market. How did ESPN respond to the Big Ten Network? By signing a megadeal with the SEC that will last through 2024 and bring $2.25 billion to the conference during that time-or a minimum of $150 million each year. Was there really a demand for the SEC basketball games? Was there that kind of demand for the conference football games that CBS hasn't already picked? Or was this more to prevent another premier conference from starting their own network?

I'm not saying that a memo is handed out to ESPN employees to badmouth the Big Ten, but perhaps its encouraged from the top down to look a little more critically at the Big Ten. I'm not saying that the Big 10 is above such criticism-their record in the bowl games this season was atrocious and it's been some lean years in football on the national stage. But as I stated, the barrage of criticism on Big 10 basketball this season just seems puzzling to me.

Am I crazy? Your thoughts (on this theory, not how crazy I am :))
Click to expand...

ESPN re-upped with the Big Ten with a bigger payout and received more games in return than ever before just as the BTN launched.

Big Ten games have been incredibly tough to watch (Penn State 38, Illinois 33; one team ranked in the top 65 in field goal percentage, no marquee players, etc.). Most of the "experts" aren't sitting down and watching every conference game....but you see scores like that, you sure won't be impressed.
 

gopher24 said:
Star athletes in other states like Florida or California don't get the B10 network (nor do their parents who want to see them on TV). Exposure is a major issue in recruiting and the B10 failure to work with ESPN from the beginning has directly led to a drop off in athletic talent.
Click to expand...

Work with ESPN? So we can have more games on ESPNU? ESPN360.com? ESPN Classic?

The Big Ten has more games on ESPN networks than ever before. Used to be the ABC regional game were just that....but now a Big Ten game that was regional can now be seen on ESPN or ESPN2 in the rest of the country.

The year before the BTN launched...out of 12 regular season football games, one was not picked by ESPN to be televised. One was on ESPNU. Two were on ESPN360. The year before the BTN launched, the men's basketball team had a total of 10 games that were a) not televised; b) on ESPNU or Classic or C) were tape-delayed.
 

Good points Maximus, maybe my criticisms of the B10 network are off base. I still think that the conference missed some opportunities that would have helped us get more exposure.
 



i don't think that ESPN has given the BTN a second thought. by design BTN can only ever cover eleven teams (maybe a few more if you count hockey). even if every BCS conference created its own network, ESPN--as people have pointed out already--will continue to air games nationally, and will have every pro sport on top of that.

ESPN is probably more interested in what BTN's parent company, FOX, is doing. if other college conferences created their own networks through FOX, then ESPN would start sweating because the FOX in its corporate entirety CAN threaten ESPN's stranglehold on national sports media.
 

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