Sporting News CBB Preview

[shoxrox]

Sporting News is spot on with this one. After Dougie is gone and the luck finally runs out on Gibbs (unless he's granted a 7th year of eligibility), Bluejay Nation will be in trouble. Nebraska has a nice, shiny new arena that already is sold out. If Nebraska ever does anything with that, the Clinky Center will soon only need the lower bowl open for seating.

I took a look over on their board the other day and it's downright hilarious how their 12 message board fans are all over Fox Sports 1, like it's ESPN's equal and is equivalent to high-level "national tv".

Has anyone ever watched that network for more than 10 minutes yet?

They are hoping and praying up there in Cornhuskerland.

Haters hating but the facts are the facts. CU got Leon Gilmore from Texas today who is a Top 100 in a couple places and Top 150 in the others (and are in on other Top 150's). That is FOURTEEN recruits for next year in the Big East who are rated 4 stars+ / Top 100 on recruiting sites. Only the ACC has more to date. The Valley got one last year, Fred VV at WSU. I am not aware of any this year. Honestly, I don't think we get a sniff from this kid if we are still in the Valley.

Why? The Valley is a great basketball league but nobody knows it due to the crappy TV contract and playing in towns and small cities in flyover country. For today's kid it's all about being on national TV, bling-bling facilities and getting to play right away. The TV thing is most important. That's a vast overgeneralization but at it's roots is basically true.

I am confident that CU's ship is sailing in the right direction and if we can have big success this year we can parlay that into more recruiting success which begets more on court success, which begets more recruiting success................

All that said, I'll be watching the Valley and rooting for MVC success this year.

A contract with Fox Sports 1 isn't even equivalent to a contract with ESPNU. Bragging about that and that being "your answer" is the thing that really cracks me up. You say it's hate, but it's actual fact. It was enough to piss you off to get you to come back to a Valley board, which you are no longer apart of, and respond to it.

Please make sure you enjoy this year immensely and capture it on camera because it's downhill from here.

[rlh04d]

That is awesome! You guys are really good!!!

Well, Butler, Xavier, Marquette, Georgetown, etc. are really good. And Creighton's latching onto those coattails with every fiber of their being.

[Valley_Fan]

A contract with Fox Sports 1 isn't even equivalent to a contract with ESPNU. Bragging about that and that being "your answer" is the thing that really cracks me up. You say it's hate, but it's actual fact. It was enough to piss you off to get you to come back to a Valley board, which you are no longer apart of, and respond to it.

I'm not defending ljay's attack ad, but you cannot really believe this? What would you give to be on national TV in 90 million homes for every game but 3? The 4* recruit they got yesterday came out of Texas in part because of the exposure he is going to get on FS1.

You have a lot to crow about with Marshall's contract and all. Don't dilute it with silly arguments.

[shoxrox]

A contract with Fox Sports 1 isn't even equivalent to a contract with ESPNU. Bragging about that and that being "your answer" is the thing that really cracks me up. You say it's hate, but it's actual fact. It was enough to piss you off to get you to come back to a Valley board, which you are no longer apart of, and respond to it.

I'm not defending ljay's attack ad, but you cannot really believe this? What would you give to be on national TV in 90 million homes for every game but 3? The 4* recruit they got yesterday came out of Texas in part because of the exposure he is going to get on FS1.

You have a lot to crow about with Marshall's contract and all. Don't dilute it with silly arguments.

I understand that you're a Creighton fan and any reference that negates Creighton will get your radar buzzing. Again, do you not understand what I'm saying? Fox Sports 1 is a fringe, newly-constructed sports channel. 90 million homes? It doesn't matter if nobody's watching it. Once again, the Creighton fan is overvaluing the network. If Creighton wasn't on it or apart of it, you wouldn't be giving one iota or second look about it. Nobody's talking about it. Only Creighton fans. I'm sorry, but it's not even equal to ESPNU and ESPNU is considered semi-fringe.

And please don't tell me a recruit chose Creighton because he's going to be on Fox Sports 1. Can I get a quote on that?

Don't make silly arguments just because your brain is clouded with BJ blue. Furthermore, I don't really understand why you're still here.

[Valley_Fan]

I understand that you're a Creighton fan and any reference that negates Creighton will get your radar buzzing. Again, do you not understand what I'm saying? Fox Sports 1 is a fringe, newly-constructed sports channel. 90 million homes? It doesn't matter if nobody's watching it. Once again, the Creighton fan is overvaluing the network. If Creighton wasn't on it or apart of it, you wouldn't be giving one iota or second look about it. Nobody's talking about it. Only Creighton fans. I'm sorry, but it's not even equal to ESPNU and ESPNU is considered semi-fringe.

I'm just saying you have better arguments to make than downplaying something everyone desires. That's like Bradley trying to downplay Wsu's commitment to Marshall. WSU is at the top of the ladder. Enjoy it. If I was you I wouldn't keep creating tangents that distract from that.

[shoxrox]

I'm being real. And just because it doesn't rub you the right way, doesn't mean I'm any more wrong or you're any more right.

Everyone desires a tv contract with a fringe network? No thanks.

Congrats on your contract though. Now you'll be competing alongside the captivating Dartmouth vs. St. John's games that are sure to be rating winners.

Again, why are you on a message board that no longer supports your team?

[Valley_Fan]

I'm being real. And just because it doesn't rub you the right way, doesn't mean I'm any more wrong or you're any more right.

Everyone desires a tv contract with a fringe network? No thanks.

Congrats on your contract though. Now you'll be competing alongside the captivating Dartmouth vs. St. John's games that are sure to be rating winners.

Again, why are you on a message board that no longer supports your team?

You are certainly entitled to your opinion. Not sure many will share it, but what the hell.

As for me, not sure telling people they shouldn't be fans of the MVC is in the best interest of the conference.

[rlh04d]

Typically I'd be very happy with the MVC having a Fox Sports contract similar to the Big East's -- just in coverage, not even talking money.

How many times does the MVC manage to get onto ESPNU in a year? And we pay to do so. I love being on ESPN3 since I live in Hawaii, but c'mon ... our TV contract is a joke.

WSU is in much better shape here thanks to the name recognition getting us on ESPN a lot this year, but traditionally Fox Sports would have been a big upgrade over ESPN3.

[AngryShock]

They get good money from FS1, but if we're talking exposure, I don't think it's that much better than what we have. One thing that hurts it at least in Wichita is it's location on the TV which is nowhere close to anything that is heavily watched. Which means even randomly finding it isn't easy to do. I don't know if it's like that on other providers, but it's one of those stations that you have to know you want to watch something on it to find it. I suppose the regional FSN stations can pimp what's going to be on FS1, but I haven't seen much of that at all at this point and I watch FSKC just about every night to catch the Royals games. I've seen some general spots that show FS1 exists, but nothing about what's actually on it. At least with ESPNU, you get plenty of mentions on ESPN and ESPN2 as well as highlights. FS1 is supposed to be THE station for Fox sports so you don't get the same exposure.

I will agree that our "deal" with ESPN sucks, but I think the exposure for us is better than it'd be on FS1 or NBCSports or CBSSports. I hope FS1 can at some point rise to give ESPN some actual competition, but until it does, we're better off where we're at. Or unless someone is going to throw good money at us that could help compensate for fewer eyes watching us like FS1 did with the Big Priest.

[rlh04d]

They get good money from FS1, but if we're talking exposure, I don't think it's that much better than what we have. One thing that hurts it at least in Wichita is it's location on the TV which is nowhere close to anything that is heavily watched. Which means even randomly finding it isn't easy to do. I don't know if it's like that on other providers, but it's one of those stations that you have to know you want to watch something on it to find it. I suppose the regional FSN stations can pimp what's going to be on FS1, but I haven't seen much of that at all at this point and I watch FSKC just about every night to catch the Royals games. I've seen some general spots that show FS1 exists, but nothing about what's actually on it. At least with ESPNU, you get plenty of mentions on ESPN and ESPN2 as well as highlights. FS1 is supposed to be THE station for Fox sports so you don't get the same exposure.

I will agree that our "deal" with ESPN sucks, but I think the exposure for us is better than it'd be on FS1 or NBCSports or CBSSports. I hope FS1 can at some point rise to give ESPN some actual competition, but until it does, we're better off where we're at. Or unless someone is going to throw good money at us that could help compensate for fewer eyes watching us like FS1 did with the Big Priest.

You're comparing most games being on FS1 to a handful of games being on ESPNU, though. If we had most Valley games broadcast on ESPNU, absolutely. But, what, 80%+ of Valley games are only available on ESPN3? 90%+?

I think the real comparison is with ESPN3, not ESPNU. WSU will be fine with ESPN games, but the rest of the Valley will struggle this season to get on actual TV unless they're playing us.