Is mass media bad for team sports?

[Hannibal Lecter, MD]

I was just reading over the last page or so of comments from the bowl "in-game" thread and saw several folks emoting their disgust over the scorefest in the Alamo bowl.  I felt much the same way...the gameplay was more of something that belonged in a track competition than a football game.

My question is, how much of an impact does mass media have on team sports?  Teams feel like they have to score a lot to have an "impressive" win, which I think is mostly based on media hype rather than a knowledgable analysis of the skill of the game ane team play.  Okie State's offense was certainly what most people wanted to see in the BCSNCG rather than watch another "boring" 9-6 slugfest...I lost respect for Gundy when he tried to play that card after their game.  (Although I suspect Okie State's offense would be boring against the LSU D).

Moreover, maybe, the highlight driven shows like sportscenter focus on scoring plays and individual offensive efforts.  Look at the impact on NBA basketball where a dunk is considered the most exciting play in basketball.  They fill all the top 10 lists up with the easiest shot in basketball (assuming you have the hops)...doesn't make much sense when you think about it.  Meanwhile good passing, good team D, etc goes "unrewarded."  Hence young kids grow up practicing their highlight dunks rather than sound dribbling, rebounding, passing, etc.

Maybe the one exception is baseball where ESPN shows as many great defensive plays (fielding and pitching) as offensive.  It would be nice to have some type of showcase comparable to "WebGems" shown for football and other sports.

What say ye?

[ALTideUp]

I completely agree with you analysis, but will add to it. There is something else that gets you on sport center, and that's winning. For the "have" teams like us and LSU we will get much more airtime from winning that from collecting top ten highlights. For the Baylors of the world the highlights are there way to make it on sports shows. But player attitudes and strategies that yield highlight might not also yield "w"s  This may be another subtle influence that is slowly cleaving college football into an elite division and then everyone else.

[pmull]

The high scoring games may be good for TV but it is not good football. If Alabama won a game 67-56 I would be looking for a new DC instead of celebrating a win.

I like to point out Bama's 13-10 win over Mike Leach's Texas Tech team in the 2005 Cotton Bowl. Mike Shula's Bama team was very average with a good defense. Texas Tech was the highest scoring team in the country that year. Bama shut them down except for a late TD. Good defensive teams consistantly shut down these high scoring teams from the Big 12 and PAC 10.

The media's love for the high scoring teams is more a vote against the SEC than a vote for bad defenses.

[Catch Prothro]

I was just reading over the last page or so of comments from the bowl "in-game" thread and saw several folks emoting their disgust over the scorefest in the Alamo bowl.  I felt much the same way...the gameplay was more of something that belonged in a track competition than a football game.

My question is, how much of an impact does mass media have on team sports?  Teams feel like they have to score a lot to have an "impressive" win, which I think is mostly based on media hype rather than a knowledgable analysis of the skill of the game ane team play.  Okie State's offense was certainly what most people wanted to see in the BCSNCG rather than watch another "boring" 9-6 slugfest...I lost respect for Gundy when he tried to play that card after their game.  (Although I suspect Okie State's offense would be boring against the LSU D).

Moreover, maybe, the highlight driven shows like sportscenter focus on scoring plays and individual offensive efforts.  Look at the impact on NBA basketball where a dunk is considered the most exciting play in basketball.  They fill all the top 10 lists up with the easiest shot in basketball (assuming you have the hops)...doesn't make much sense when you think about it.  Meanwhile good passing, good team D, etc goes "unrewarded."  Hence young kids grow up practicing their highlight dunks rather than sound dribbling, rebounding, passing, etc.

Maybe the one exception is baseball where ESPN shows as many great defensive plays (fielding and pitching) as offensive.  It would be nice to have some type of showcase comparable to "WebGems" shown for football and other sports.

What say ye?

Excellent points everyone made. 

I remember Bama beating Texas Tech in the Cotton Bowl.  The Texas Tech fans, who were accustomed to their high scoring offense, got downright belligerent watching their team go basically scoreless most of the game.

Everyone talks about how SEC teams have no offense, but these teams are facing the best defenses in the country.  LaMichael James of Oregon, who leads the FBS in yardage, had 54 rushing yards against LSU.  LSU's "mediocre" offense put up big numbers against Oregon and West Virginia.  So I don't think the SEC's offenses are that bad, it is just that the SEC is where defense is taken to a different level.

[Leewillie]

Offense sells tickets, defense wins championships.

[Hannibal Lecter, MD]

Offense sells tickets, defense wins championships.

I'd say the Tide Pride waiting list affirms that championships sell tickets. 

 

[ricky023]

I was reading and noting the views here and I agree. High numbers and sporty highlights make every kid want to be that person. No matter about class or sportsmanship, but they all want to be on ESPN. To me what it does is effect recruiting in a big way. I truly believe will pick a school with lot of TV viewing rather than one that doesn't get that much exposure. It's more like TV will get me in the Pros if I don't have to work so hard. JMHO. RTR!

[SUPERCOACH]

Good discussion.  I put it on the front page.

[pmull]

The media's lovefeast for points is starting to irritate me. Baylor having to score 67 points to win a game? How can you consider that a good win? Oklahoma State has a good offense but where is the "D"?

If offense was so important we could just send Arkansas to represent the SEC in big games. But we would be sending the 3rd best team in the west.

I lived in Nebraska for 6 years (1988-1994). Nebraska was coached by Tom Osborne. The Huskers played in the old Big 8 which most people called the Big 2 (Oklahoma and Nebraska). Nebraska was scoring points like crazy but they could never win their big games. Specifically Miami was giving them a hard time in the Orange Bowl most years. Along came the '92 Bama team that destoryed Miami in the Sugar bowl with a great defense. Coach Osborne changed his philosophy because of the '92 Bama team and started recruiting big fast defensive players. They won a few championships right after that before Osborne retired.

The moral of the story is defense wins championships. It is kind of like golf. Driving (offense) is for show and putting (defense) is for dough.

[cbbama99]

The media's lovefeast for points is starting to irritate me. Baylor having to score 67 points to win a game? How can you consider that a good win? Oklahoma State has a good offense but where is the "D"?

If offense was so important we could just send Arkansas to represent the SEC in big games. But we would be sending the 3rd best team in the west.

I lived in Nebraska for 6 years (1988-1994). Nebraska was coached by Tom Osborne. The Huskers played in the old Big 8 which most people called the Big 2 (Oklahoma and Nebraska). Nebraska was scoring points like crazy but they could never win their big games. Specifically Miami was giving them a hard time in the Orange Bowl most years. Along came the '92 Bama team that destoryed Miami in the Sugar bowl with a great defense. Coach Osborne changed his philosophy because of the '92 Bama team and started recruiting big fast defensive players. They won a few championships right after that before Osborne retired.

The moral of the story is defense wins championships. It is kind of like golf. Driving (offense) is for show and putting (defense) is for dough.

I really think we are starting to see the generational gap even more in the sports world. When our generation was coming up, defense was preached every day. Now, it seems that many programs, particularly the ones out west, treat it as an afterthought. The kids now (Wow, that makes me feel old) are constantly getting bombarded by not only the media but their peers and younger fans about making the highlight plays instead of ensuring that you get all the fundamentals down to perfection. Defense isn't sexy unless you make a spectacular pick 6. Maybe its just me, but everything seems to be more about getting ready for the next level now instead of helping your team at whatever level your at currently win championships.

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