Tuesday, January 9, 2007

An expansion on ESPN analysis of College FB


OK the last post was just a chance to slam ESPN before I got into my real complaint which is one that has bothered me for a while. ESPN is the largest sports entity in the world. With their seemingly 7,000 ESPN stations including the Ocho and ABC sports, radio, a magazine, video games, Sean Salisbury dick on a phone Christmas songs, Stuart Scott lazy eye patches, etc. they are everywhere. In addition, they now employ newspaper writers from every major city on at least one of their 600 shows where doughy guys yell about sports they have never played and have no love for. So what I'm saying is ESPN sets the sports agenda. They lead Sportscenter with a story and it is national, they say "Too much T.O?" Let's go to Ed Warner at TO's house for comment. Now the means of pushing the agenda may be subtle (just kidding it's ESPN), shoved down your throat (does that remind anyone of Sean Salisbury and his photogenic junk?), or pathetic (Cold Pizza, "am I wrong, am I wrong?" No Skip you're just a douchebag). Either way ESPN fully has an agenda with a story (ride it until it dies then scream about how it was overcovered) just like everyone accuses FOX News or the "Liberal" media of an agenda.

With the full ABC/ESPN crossover college football is almost totally controlled by ESPN during the regular season. Only a few Pac10 and SEC games are not shown on these stations and the games that are on CBS/Fox are not given near the hype or coverage. For instance the Rose Bowl was the most boring bowl game of New Years, but it was on ABC, so damn that Boise St/Okla. game, the WVU/Ga. Tech game, etc. we are going live to Pasadena three times during Gameday Final to talk about how the Rose Bowl was won and how USC could be preseason #1 next year. Anywhoo, on to my main complaint. This year the coverage of WVU/Louisville the number 3 and 5 teams at the time it was not glowing. I can handle some rational argument, however, the argument put forth all week by ESPN after the game was that there was no defense. The defense in the Big East sucks. They couldn't stop anyone. Well, WVU did play pretty poorly (to be mild) on defense, but was it any worse than some of the OMG greatest games of the year, decade, century, ever? Below are four games from the last two years, three of which were rejoiced from the heavens of ESPN as the shiznit (Ohio St./Mich, USC/ND 2005 and USC/Texas) and WVU/UL. See if you can tell a difference from the stats.

Game 1
Score 41-38
1130 total yards of offense
Teams averaged 7 and 7.3 yards per play
3 turnovers
4 total punts

Game 2
Score 42-39
936 yards of total offense
Teams averaged 5.9 and 7.4 yards per play
2 turnovers
8 punts

Game 3
Score 44-34
1008 yards of total offense
Teams averaged 7.4 and 7.3 yards per play
4 turnovers
5 punts

Game 4
Score 34-31
893 yards of total offense
Teams averaged 7.4 and 4.8 yards per play
4 turnovers
11 punts

My point? When non-SEC top 5 teams play the trend seems to be score early and often and while WVU may not have had a great defense, was it worse in these games than the ESPN labelled "great teams?" BTW, Game 1 was USC/Texas, 2 Ohio State/Mich, 3 WVU/UL, and 4 USC/ND.

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