The award for the most ridiculous, self-absorbed, overzealous all sports entertainment network in the world goes to...
ESPN, for the 10th year running.
They have once again proven that outside the 4 major sports, Tiger Woods, and the Williams sisters, you're really not much of an athlete. Unless you count token consideration of Cael Sanderson and -ahem- Sarah Hughes (don't even get me started on figure skating).
No offense to college athlete of the year Sue Bird (UConn BB) but a certain swimmer from Cal who set at least 6 AR and 1 WR over the short course season would have had my vote.
Anyone else? Natalie Coughlin, female college athlete of the year as awarded by the USMS discussion crew?
-RM
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Former Member
Ion:
I hesitate to do this (re-enter this discussion), but... how can you suggest that there should be prize money at a USMS competition???? Are you serious? I highly doubt one other person involved in this discussion would see that as a positive thing.
Like the one response said, who wants to pay to watch middle-age men and women swim semi-fast when they can watch the best in the world in the other sports that ARE televised?
And I take issue with your comment about not reading your posts and to stop rolling around kicking and whining, or whatever it was, something to that effect. I did read your posts thoroughly just to be sure I was reading what I thought I read... and I daresay you may be somewhat out of your mind on this issue.
No one wants to watch swimming except for every four years in this little competition they have called the Olympics. Why watch then? Because those are the best swimmers at the time swimming for the grandest prize in the sport. Outside two weeks in August or September of every 4th year, face it, no one really cares.
It won't be on TV because the guys behind the scene paying to produce the coverage know that no one is going to watch, therefore they would be purely philanthropical broadcasters of a relatively uninteresting sport. There aren't many people in the TV industry looking to lose money.
I'm almost shocked NBC has already committed to airing the Duel in the Pool. I figured we'd see taped highlights 3 weeks later on ESPN2. They are probably prepared to take a bath on that event, given the amount of money they are going to have to spend to promote and promote and promote and find out that more people tuned into the 3rd round of the WhoCares.com Celebrity Golf Classic instead.
Swimming = boring. Outside the 3 minutes before and after a race that you have a truly vested interest in, most swimmers themselves are bored out of their mind at a meet. How exciting is watching 6 heats of prelims 400m freestlye?
I'm prepared for any response.
-RM
Ion:
I hesitate to do this (re-enter this discussion), but... how can you suggest that there should be prize money at a USMS competition???? Are you serious? I highly doubt one other person involved in this discussion would see that as a positive thing.
Like the one response said, who wants to pay to watch middle-age men and women swim semi-fast when they can watch the best in the world in the other sports that ARE televised?
And I take issue with your comment about not reading your posts and to stop rolling around kicking and whining, or whatever it was, something to that effect. I did read your posts thoroughly just to be sure I was reading what I thought I read... and I daresay you may be somewhat out of your mind on this issue.
No one wants to watch swimming except for every four years in this little competition they have called the Olympics. Why watch then? Because those are the best swimmers at the time swimming for the grandest prize in the sport. Outside two weeks in August or September of every 4th year, face it, no one really cares.
It won't be on TV because the guys behind the scene paying to produce the coverage know that no one is going to watch, therefore they would be purely philanthropical broadcasters of a relatively uninteresting sport. There aren't many people in the TV industry looking to lose money.
I'm almost shocked NBC has already committed to airing the Duel in the Pool. I figured we'd see taped highlights 3 weeks later on ESPN2. They are probably prepared to take a bath on that event, given the amount of money they are going to have to spend to promote and promote and promote and find out that more people tuned into the 3rd round of the WhoCares.com Celebrity Golf Classic instead.
Swimming = boring. Outside the 3 minutes before and after a race that you have a truly vested interest in, most swimmers themselves are bored out of their mind at a meet. How exciting is watching 6 heats of prelims 400m freestlye?
I'm prepared for any response.
-RM
