First of all, congrats to the Gators on a big, big win tonight. With that out of the way, the CBS coverage is tonight's game was, at best, unprofessional. It was almost like watching local Comcast cable coverage of the HS game of the week. I flipped around between games. From the moment it became clear that USC was in big trouble, CBS began to openly 'campaign' for Florida to be in the title game. The case examples are literally too numerous to count. The person I watched the game with, aside from my son, knows jack squat about football but does know quite a bit about TV/Radio production. Even she was starting to wonder if this was a football game, or a political campaign rally. For all those who beef about ABC's coverage; the moment that USC had lost to UCLA the two talking heads on that network (James and Flutie) split their picks on who deserved to go. James picked Florida while Flutie picked Michigan. I heard no such dissent on CBS. Keep in mind, I was rooting for the Bruins to win today. My beef about this is that the 'whining and campaigning' in college/network football broadcasts has reached such a fever pitch that they sacrificed the integrity of the broadcast of what was a pretty damned good football game (and was a long, long way from being over). All they needed to do is wheel out Howard Dean to lead the crowd in a Gator chomp, Terrible, just f'ing terrible. But back to what matters. Congrats to the Gators. Good luck to you guys with the computers and humans. I was hoping for a Sugar Bowl date with you guys, but it appears you just might get a crack at the Buckeyes.
Corey, I'm not going to let you upset me or make more than this one post on this topic. But, the talking heads at ABC and ESPN have been beating the drum for Michigan for quite some time. The ESPN Gameday crew, and ESPN is owned by ABC, have been knocking Florida for weeks and weeks and weeks. The talking heads at ABC have been beating the drums against Florida for a long time and that apparently didn't bother you. So let me say that I don't expect us to go to the BCS Championship even though I think we should. I expect us to play Notre Dame in the Sugar Bowl. But your discussion of shameless rings very hollow as I didn't hear you say one damn thing about the negative publicity the Gators recieved for weeks, and if your thoughts are to be taken seriously then they would have been more balanced. You may get MCG in on this topic, but I'm done and I'm just very happy to be SEC Champions. Probably be seeing you in the Sugar Bowl.
The one who surprised me the most was Gary Danielson. Hell, he grew up in Mich. played QB for Purdue and the Lions and now he, he....well, I guess he doesn't want to lose his job again. Where does he live these days? Just curious.
well <r>This will be my last post on this subject since no one seems to be able to look at anything Florida related without the orange and blue glasses. If Bill launches a first reply like that, there's just no hope.<br/> <br/> I watched this game hoping Florida won. I watched the USC game hoping the Bruins won.<br/> <br/> What I was speaking of, or towards, was the terrible pom pom waving production that was put on by CBS.<br/> <br/> <br/> I watched this game with people who didn't give two craps about anyone involved here, but they do and are familiar with productions. They couldn't stop talking about the 'campaigning'.<br/> <br/> BTW-Im watching ESPN and ABC as we speak and all I hear is pros and cons for each side.<br/> <br/> Oh, and my son will not go to bed until i put one of these devils signs on so dont read anything into the following, he just wants to contribute to this post:<br/> <br/> <E>:twisted:</E> <E>:shock:</E> <E>:evil:</E></r>
I think both ABC and ESPN have been shameless in their inserting themselves into the argument over who should be playing. It wasn't just in being on the Ohio State/Mich band wagon. They have spent the entire season knocking the Irish as well and knocking Brady Quinn. Mind you I have no problem with Troy Smith winning the Heisman, he's deserving. But once they got on his band wagon, if he had an average day vs a weak team and Brady had an average day vs a weak team they continually harped on Brady "not performing up to expectations, while Troy was pictured as leading his team to victory. AGAIN> Troy's a worthy Heisman winner....he didn't need the shameless cheerleading that ESPN and ABC gave him. I didn't see what the CBS guys did today. But I'm tired of sports reporters masquerading as investigative journalists, and cheerleaders. Terry
Terry, I agree with your position completly. I'm glad you are aware of what has gone on on ABC and ESPN for several weeks now. Tonight they are talking a bit different, but they beat the tom toms for weeks.
I don't know if anyone saw this but ESPN showed their poll as to which team should get the Championship shot. Most of the country was for M but the entire SE was for Fla. Besides the SE, 3 other states voted for Fla. WVa., Utah(?) and .......OHIO!!!! I'm just guessing but they don't seem to want another shot at the stripe-heads.
Well we all know that this country's voters can't be trusted....we need a collegiate version of the electoral college so populous states with successfull football programs can't dominate!
Corey, after sleeping on things and reading other posts I've changed my mind and want to say something more. First let me say it's a pleasure to see you posting and to read your thoughts. I don't always agree, but I do respect your knowledge. Secondly let me say that in the big picture I agree with your theme and really agree with what Terry said. The thing is that for weeks several of the ESPN crew have been ragging the Gators, Mark May and Herb Kirkstreit in particular. The worst by far was Kirkstreit, he was very very anti Gator. So when I heard the CBS announcers last night my feeling was it was about time for some lobbying the other way to balance things out. But Terry's post kind of puts things in perspective as to the way I feel. While I like hearing these guys opinions, what I would like more is less lobbying and more reporting. From all of them! Any how I should have said last night thanks for the congratulations, and the chips will fall where they may. My hope is that the Gators get to play OSU, and that is what I think we deserve. However my expectations are that we play in the Sugar Bowl against Notre Dame. That would be a heck of a game, on the field, and the hype surrounding the game. It could be the most watched game of bowl season, and if not certainly in the top 2-3.. So thanks for your congratulations thoughts on this topic and elsewhere. And it is certainly great seeing you actively posting again on Skybox.
I've been expecting Michigan to go to the Rose Bowl the whole time...since Michigan finished with the loss to Ohio State and everyone seeming that they didn't want the rematch anyway...I agree with Cory, now how did Danielson get that graphic of the M and Fla schedule put togther so quickly? And it was pretty blatant and I thought it was more than ESPN and ABC because of what USC did to ND last week. The voters and computers didn't buy into it because USC made the jump, I suspect that Florida will do the same. I have no problem with this, I do have a problem with letting voters and computers setting an issue that should be done on the field...How many of you want a playoff? I've wanted the playoff system for a couple of years now and it wouldn't be that hard to do so and keep the bowl system as well... I will start with a 12 team system...this would require 1 more bowl to be added to the BCS Series...its really in title only doesn't matter which. So there are 6 BCS Bowls. The Top 4 teams get byes as their "reward" for finishing in the top 4! First week! 5 vs 12...6 vs 11...7 vs 10...8 vs 9. The losers get herded into 2 of the BCS Bowls, doesn't matter which bowls because they get rotated year after year. Second week! Number 1 plays the lowest ranked team and the rest follow suit...1 vs 12...2 vs 10...3 vs 8...4 vs 6. The losers from this week get 2 other BCS Bowls. Third week! The same as before, highest ranked team plays lowest and then the other 2 matchup. The Winners play for the Championship and the losers play in the final bowl game. I believe this to be feasible if you only allow 11 games in the regular season with no byes and they start by the last week of August and finish no later than Thanksgiving. No system is perfect but I believe this would appease the sponsers as well as the fans, probably not the Presidents of the Universities...but who cares what they think, they are the ones in control! Matt in INdy Go Blue! Congrats to Florida!
Hi Matt, I have some agreement and some disagreement. First the agreement, we need to move to a playoff system. There would still be some unhappy fans, but I take fans who are unhappy with being left out of the top 4, 8, 12 or 16 a lot less seriously that I take the unhappyness fans who get ranked 3rd in a tight vote. So I am sure for a playoff. The disagreement, no way I am going to agree that the CBS announcers were worse than the ABC/ESPN guys. They just had to get it all done in one night to offset the constant beating of the tom toms that ABC/ESPN guys have done the last several weeks. And they only had the game to do their campaigning for their network team where the ESPN talking heads have done it for weeks, with Herbstreit and May leading the way. The ESPN people did some turning last night but they sure were laying it on in the past. And of course they were ready to use those comparisons of the teams that Floida and Michigan played if the opportunity came up. That is just called preparation. But as I've said elsewhere I would like more objective reporting and less campaigning from the talking heads, all of them.
Real simple... <t>To me, UM had their shot at OSU and didn't get it done. Florida deserves the shot now that USC didn't get it done yesterday. Will it happen, we will know tonight.</t>
Guys (and gals) <t>The team I pull for gets hammered by every network, including their own. This is nothing new to me. I've noticed the pan handling by the various networks, but why whine about it? Its going to happen.<br/> <br/> My point is/was, that what I watched on CBS was something akin to a Party rally moreso than a sports broadcast. To me, this cheapened the value of the broadcast and dammit that's a shame.<br/> <br/> That was a good game, between two good teams and it was still very much in doubt while the network had rolled out their 'candidate' and went about shilling for them at the expense of actually covering the damned game.<br/> <br/> One of the worst 'covers' I've ever seen was after they did an update on the USC-UCLA score, Tim Brando ended the segment with one of his catchy little 'tic tic tic tic' things indicating that time is running out on the Trojans.<br/> <br/> Now first let me assure you that NO ONE was enjoying the Trojan suffering more than I. Anyway, they cut back to "Vern and Gary" and that Vern guy is just laughing out loud and exclaims 'I LOVE IT errr i loved the tic tic tic'. That's just one of countless examples..<br/> <br/> Call the damned game already.</t>
I don't know if Corey is, but I am the ND bashing on ESPN has reached a volume I've never experienced in my life. It started when Willingham was fired and it hasn't let up. Even though our Sagrin SOS is something like 20, you'd think from listening to those guys that we only played 2 teams and lost to them the rest were 1AA teams. Next up will be the weeks of ND doesn't belong in a BCS bowl.
Corey, I do see your point, I only hope you see mine also as we've listen to Kirk Herbstreit and Mark May rag the Gators for weeks and to hear some positive press made me feel better. In a perfect world neither would have happened, in an imperfect world the Gators needed some positive comments. Regardless the whole situation this year has made me watch ESPN less and less. But I will say that last night they were finally pretty balanced.
Absolutely, that's what he's saying, Gaterz. It's true. Not 100% of the time but often. I have learned something reading this thread. We all hear only the things said about our own team, good and bad. When it comes to other teams, we hear only that which reinforces our already-fixed impressions about those teams. Let me explain. Bill confirmed that a couple of networks have been bashing Florida this season. I have not heard it because I wasn't listening for it. My wife has a term - white noise - that she uses when she doesn't hear the sports talk on my XM radio in the car. She's not paying attention, so the words are just background noise to her. Obviously, that's what the talk about Florida has been to me. Apparently, Gaterz hears only that ND is hyped by the media. I can assure you, Gaterz, that nothing is farther from the truth. Maybe we are "hyped" when we are winning only because ND is news, good or bad. But once our armor is dented, the haters rise to the surface as they have recently before and after the USC game, questioning our schedule and if we even deserve to be in a BCS bowl. If you don't hear that, it must be white noise to you. Corey is correct, and Terry is correct. I would disagree with Terry only in the sense that the bashing started long before the Willingham firing, with many talking heads prtraying ND as no longer relevant on the national scene, unable to recruit the top athletes, too slow and unathletic to compete at the top level (We're working on that last one :wink: ). I don't mean to rant, but I just want to point out that what we hear tends to be influenced largely by - as Bill says - what color glasses we are wearing.
Gotta wonder how many folks who aren't ND fans ...... "hear" the media speaking pooly of the irish team. Furthermore .... since when do folks think there is reason, accountability, objectivity, and honesty in anything pertaining to major college football, especially "rankings" and bowl pairings?