Jeff Goodman Says Big East is Overrated

[Bill Marsh]

An ESPN analyst saying that a non-ESPN property is overrated? Color me shocked. Next thing you'll see is a Tulane/East Carolina basketball game on ESPN 2. Oh wait...

Yet there are those who tout Joe Lunardi (an ESPN employee) and his bracketology as evidence/proof that the Big East is an elite conference. So when an employee of ESPN says something negative on the conference, it is because there is a conspiracy against a non-ESPN conference... but when an employee is positive on the conference and gives it credit... no conspiracy exists. Color me shocked as well.

I tout the Big East's successful out of conference record and performance as evidence/proof that the league is an elite conference. I don't need Joe Lunardi to tell me that.

Stu Jackson had an excellent screenshot of ESPN touting the "top" basketball conferences last week (with regards to out-of-conference records), and ESPN "conveniently" left out the Big East. The Big East was 2nd in the country with a .760 winning percentage. Poor research or biased reporting? You tell me.

Bias.

[butlerguy03]

Bias exists. People want to hear that they are right. Who on this board watches Fox News Channel or MSNBC? If you do, you're doing the same thing as the AAC people watching ESPN and the Big East people watching Fox Sports 1.

[Bill Marsh]

Bias exists. People want to hear that they are right. Who on this board watches Fox News Channel or MSNBC? If you do, you're doing the same thing as the AAC people watching ESPN and the Big East people watching Fox Sports 1.

Everyone knows the bias at Fox and MANBC. Those cable news stations don't try to hide it. In fact, they are completely open about precisely so they can attract the niche audience that they cater to.

Things are supposed to be different at ESPN, the "World Wide Leader." They're supposed to be a sports network that's exports the covers all sports and covers all of the sports stories objectively.

This kind of stuff reduces them to a cheap shill for their own network shows. I can accept some promotion for their own programming, but when it is imbedded in a news story like this, it crosses the line.

[stever20]

CBS said something very similar this weekend. Basically that our OOC was not amazing but rather sufficently nice. I think what is starting to happen is that folks are realizing that we weren't as great as we started off- after last year where we lost 21 or 22 games early, we only lost like 9 or 10 the rest of the year. This year- it's pretty opposite- we lost only 14 early, and then 16 so far the rest of the year. To say that ESPN is the only one is just not true.

[BEhomer]

correction. it's not news it's a show. it's not journalism it's entertainment. all they're after is ratings and $. if it means cutting off the competition like Fox sports by belittling Big East, why shouldn't they? I anticipate Fox to do the same.

[RedStormHoops]

correction. it's not news it's a show. it's not journalism it's entertainment. all they're after is ratings and $. if it means cutting off the competition like Fox sports by belittling Big East, why shouldn't they? I anticipate Fox to do the same.

I was watching a big east game on FS1 a few days ago, (might have been SHU/Nova) and the commentator took a little shot at college football

[GumbyDamnit!]

correction. it's not news it's a show. it's not journalism it's entertainment. all they're after is ratings and $. if it means cutting off the competition like Fox sports by belittling Big East, why shouldn't they? I anticipate Fox to do the same.

It's disappointing but expected. We cannot be so naive to think that decisions and messaging are not carefully thought out in order to maximize ESPN's own content. Whenever there is $ involved in anything you can bet on an agenda from those who want to get their hands on it. There is purpose in everything they do. I don't say that from a paranoid space but from one who reluctantly accepts the market in which we live. NCAA athletics are a high stakes game with billions of dollars involved. To expect a Utopian environment where everyone is equal and gets the same fair shot, is as funny on the playing field as it is on Wall Street. When TCU gets bumped in favor of OSU, when a pass interference flag gets picked up in an NFL playoff game with America's Team benefiting, when the NY Knicks get Patrick Ewing...etc.(OK so there is a hint of paranoia in there), it's hard not to think that larger dollar interests are at play.

I think in the immediate future we have to behave as if everyone is against us--especially ESPN and the Football 5. Bring back the Hoya Paranoia of the 80's, play for us, and play with a chip on our shoulder. The only way we change it is when we have 5 teams in the Top 20, 3 in the Top 10, 3 in the E8 and 2 in the FF.

[robinreed]

Goodman is not usually a bad or an overly biased commentator (by ESPN standards.) Perhaps he was "directed" by ESPN to say what he said. In any case I agree that only Nova is likely to be elite eight material. If the Big East is overrated then perhaps Goodman is overrated as well.

[robinreed]

correction. it's not news it's a show. it's not journalism it's entertainment. all they're after is ratings and $. if it means cutting off the competition like Fox sports by belittling Big East, why shouldn't they? I anticipate Fox to do the same.

It's disappointing but expected. We cannot be so naive to think that decisions and messaging are not carefully thought out in order to maximize ESPN's own content. Whenever there is $ involved in anything you can bet on an agenda from those who want to get their hands on it. There is purpose in everything they do. I don't say that from a paranoid space but from one who reluctantly accepts the market in which we live. NCAA athletics are a high stakes game with billions of dollars involved. To expect a Utopian environment where everyone is equal and gets the same fair shot, is as funny on the playing field as it is on Wall Street. When TCU gets bumped in favor of OSU, when a pass interference flag gets picked up in an NFL playoff game with America's Team benefiting, when the NY Knicks get Patrick Ewing...etc.(OK so there is a hint of paranoia in there), it's hard not to think that larger dollar interests are at play.

I think in the immediate future we have to behave as if everyone is against us--especially ESPN and the Football 5. Bring back the Hoya Paranoia of the 80's, play for us, and play with a chip on our shoulder. The only way we change it is when we have 5 teams in the Top 20, 3 in the Top 10, 3 in the E8 and 2 in the FF.

Unfortunately there is much truth to your statement. ESPN is as always out for themselves and only themselves. However this is also true of Fox, The NY Times, The Washington Post and most of the news/sports entities currently in existence. They all have an agenda, this is part of the reason the country is so fu##ed up currently. Just so we do not buy into it. It is likely however that only nova is capable of getting to the elite eight or perhaps even the sweet sixteen.

[Bill Marsh]

correction. it's not news it's a show. it's not journalism it's entertainment. all they're after is ratings and $. if it means cutting off the competition like Fox sports by belittling Big East, why shouldn't they? I anticipate Fox to do the same.

Levy them representative selves that way and I'll be on board with you. "The World Wide Leader" represents itself as sports news programming. The fact that you can see through their facade doesn't make them any less hypocritical. Let the run all the ads for their own programming that they want. We know their ads. But when they imbed it in a news show or within news analysis, then it's hypocritical and it's wrong. It also gives them less credibility and I'll adjust my viewing habits accordingly.

The fact is that they've reduced themselves to a vehicle for pumping their own investments.