A Media Rights College Sports Conspiracy

[IdeomotorPrisoner]

Let's do a sports one. Though I don't know how that's gonna go only being the third sports thread on the site.

I like basketball, college way more than professional.

I eventually went to a university that is dominated by that particular sport. It was THE event to follow. You had to literally camp to get into the newly formed student section, and we were the first class to fight the boosters to even get a student section. ZonaZoo Est. 2003. The memories overtake you and addict you for life.

Now our old conference is disbanded and it's the greatest thing to ever happen... for us. It's like were finally in a real conference that no longer makes us worse. Like getting out of a bad relationship and realizing all they did was hold you back. And since we really dont give a crap about how well the football team ever does, we went to the perfect one for our fanbases narrow interests. Good for all sports we are good at actually.

I'm glad TV networks and College Football realigned into 4 mega conferences for everyone. Stanford and California took the biggest screwing by transferring to the ATLANTIC COAST CONFERENCE. But gooooo Football!

So that's the lead in and here's the conspiracy I want to present.

During this basketball season, particularly on the mens side, The SEC and Big10 are being given a favorable bias and national exposure because ESPN makes more money off the football centric media rights contracts. I feel they are attempting to make the two big power football conferences outshine the others in the next highest grossing college sport as well.

While I can't prove it's deliberate something happened to Big 12 teams in the nonconference.

There have been games, particularly Big 12 vs SEC and Big 10 opponents on neutral or opposing courts where questionable calls doomed the more defensively active teams chances.

Like games where you go on the road with really touchy Big 10 refs that call everything instead of letting them play for more than 30 seconds. Or SEC refs and their goal to make EVERY GAME go no less than 30 minutes over, spend 40 minutes in review, and cut into the other conferences exposure.

Upon a hunch I looked into it and found nonconference games in which Big 12 teams played an SEC or Big 10 teams had something in common, they were more likely called closely, which put the physical defensive style of Big 12 teams at a disadvantage.

Like Houston. During their pivotal loss to Alabama 55 total fouls were called. In the loss to Auburn, a reasonable 41 were called, but more in the crucial second half after Houston led at halftime.

This repeated across the nonconference slate.

What that set up is a somewhat bias opinion of those two unnoticeably favored conferences by pivotal head to head match-ups. That combined with uncharacteristic nonconference play from other leagues builds the narrative.

Everyone is now glowing on the SEC. And nearing march there are something like 13 SEC teams projected in the field.

I followed two games at work back to back on Saturday. Houston/Arizona and then Auburn/Alabama.

In the latter game defense seemed more optional and the defensive physicality wasn't to the level of the first game.

Yet the Mantra was "Best two teams in the country." Historic for The SEC and Alabama.

Outside the top 4 teams I can see the rest of the conference falling on their ass to a defensive team on a cold shooting day in the round of 32.

The SEC IS OVERRATED by a cultivated media bias.

I think it's the year where 5 or fewer of the 13 SEC teams will make it to the second weekend. I think it has the perception of being best, and that may have been crafted quite deliberately.

So there's a totally unexpected out of character sports conspiracy thread, please judge accordingly.


NCAA Tournament bracket advise.

I found the key to winning the sports pool on the bracket challenge is not to go by which colors are prettiest, which mascot you like best, or what people say, but look up the KenPom rating and favor teams in the top 25 in both offensive and defensive efficiency. It REALLY WORKS.

Those teams are few this year:

Auburn
Duke (best combined rating at 3)
Florida
Houston
Maryland
Iowa State
Michigan
Arizona

It seems every year the team who wins it all is one of those, with little exception. Media bias be damned.

[quintessentone]

I played basketball in high school, high jumper - that's it.

Anyway, recently, I was bored at a function where I started watching on the TV a basketball game. All I noticed was that it was not sport-like, it was more choreographed, like a dance routine.

I know reality within basketball, just saying.

Something is going on.

[putnam6]

First of all, basketball centric it's got to be either Cal, Stanford, UCLA, or Arizona 

Secondly, I'll pay you for help with my March Madness Bracket

I could easily see ESPN "influencing" the CBB hell they are influencing CFB so there is that. 

after all, they are owned by Disney

But how are they doing this? would they jeopardize thier integrity for a few more rating points and ad dollars?

Does every referee get a bag under the table or do they get lifetime quick passes for Disney's theme parks?

[IdeomotorPrisoner]

First of all, basketball centric it's got to be either Cal, Stanford, UCLA, or Arizona 

Secondly, I'll pay you for help with my March Madness Bracket

I could easily see ESPN "influencing" the CBB hell they are influencing CFB so there is that. 

after all, they are owned by Disney

But how are they doing this? would they jeopardize thier integrity for a few more rating points and ad dollars?

Does every referee get a bag under the table or do they get lifetime quick passes for Disney's theme parks?

[Image: https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/...ipo=images]

ESPN just baffles me. And Arizona.

Tonight's a great example. I am going to watch Houston crush ASU and piss off Bobby Hurley, which will be amazing for a day off. But I also want to see the other games in conference, which they have stuck on internet streaming or opposite the only other game on linear TV. SEC gets the prime slot.

They stick Big 12 games on television at 9:00 PM to 11:00 PM Eastern and precede it with their precious SEC game that inexplicably ends 45 minutes late, as they stick a top 15 game on ESPN News. Which COX doesn't carry on any cheap package. We were just in a conference they did that to as well. Like ESPN is trying to make our new conference like the one we just left.

UCLA and SC going to the Big 10 is entirely a Disney marriage through ESPN. All it needed was a terrible Pac 12 commissioner to demand 50 million per school (at behest of the future Big 10 transplants)

On another conspiracy. What's his face that scuffed the Pac 12 media deal was a pawn meant to demand too much and allow the dissolution, so the target programs could defect to 50 million dollar payout they wanted in The Big 10. We took 31 million in the Big 12, and the Bay area schools took 25 million a piece in the ACC. What's left of the conference can't even bribe UNLV and Neveda away from the Mountain West.

ESPN initially offered around 30 to stay together.

The UCLA, USC, and Oregon boosters were the loudest to want more money from the initial deal and why the commissioner declined the offer, and that could've been the plan all along. LA schools get the payout, what's his face takes the fall.

We just lucked out being the basketball school going to the basketball conference. It's weird watching games in West Virginia after years of Pullman, WA.

[putnam6]

ESPN just baffles me.

Tonight's a great example. I am going to watch Houston crush ASU and piss off Bobby Hurley, which will be amazing for a day off. But I also want to see the other games in conference, which they have stuck on internet streaming or opposite the only other game on linear TV. SEC gets the prime slot.

They stick Big 12 games on television at 9:00 PM to 11:00 PM Eastern and precede it with their precious SEC game that inexplicably ends 45 minutes late, as they stick a top 15 game on ESPN News. Which COX doesn't carry on any cheap package. We were just in a conference they did that to as well. Like ESPN is trying to make our new conference like the one we just left.

UCLA and SC going to the Big 10 is entirely a Disney marriage through ESPN. All it needed was a terrible Pac 12 commissioner to demand 50 million per school (at behest of the future Big 10 transplants)

On another conspiracy. What's his face that scuffed the Pac 12 media deal was a pawn meant to demand too much and allow the dissolution, so the target programs could defect to 50 million dollar payout they wanted in The Big 10. We took 31 million in the Big 12, and the Bay area schools took 25 million a piece in the ACC. What's left of the conference can't even bribe UNLV and Neveda away from the Mountain West.

ESPN initially offered around 30 to stay together.

The UCLA, USC, and Oregon boosters were the loudest to want more money from the initial deal and why the commissioner declined the offer, and that could've been the plan all along. LA schools get the payout, what's his face takes the fall.

We just lucked out being the basketball school going to the basketball conference. It's weird playing in West Virginia after years of Pullman, WA.

Speaking of Mickey, Pac-12 teams playing Central Florida in Orlando WTH. 

I hate the mega conferences and the demise of the  PAC 12 is irritating too, nothing but a money grab. Ruining some great rivalries in multiple sports.

When they are talking about that kind of money being thrown around all it would have taken was one Phil Knight-type and connected decision makers could easily be bought. 

Use to watch CBB back when Hurley was at Duke but that was when the local team was competitive and there was a bit of ita rivalry. Hardly watch the regular season but March Madness is just too much fun to miss. 

I'll watch games on ESPN you have no choice but I rarely watch their other content, I used to watch it every day for decades

Houston vs Rat Boy might have to give it a watch or follow along on the Varsity network and not give ESPN the extra viewer