[NU Sports] Uh Oh! BCS Poll Warnings

[SjT (Stephen J. Truog)]

> I disagree. Unless you have satellite and are
> willing to spend extra for the BTN
> games, you don't see any NU on the East Coast!

But that was the case before as well, and ESPN Game
Plan cost more than the BTN. When we played the big
boys we were on ESPN2 or ABC, but otherwise it was the
GamePlan outside of the midwest (in the midwest, I
will agree, it's a big change).

And that doesn't explain the lack of respect for the
teams nationally -- OSU, Michigan, PSU, Wisky, etc.
have still been on ABC plenty. In fact, with the new
mirroring of the 2:30 games on ESPN or ESPN2, our
"main" Big Ten game of the week has reached a wider
audience than before. Plus we've been on the prime
time ABC game a few times as well.

So I don't think the BTN has hurt our visibility
nationwide. Within the midwest, perhaps, but NU and
other BTN highlights are still all over Sports Center
and our top teams still get national coverage on ABC
and ESPN. BTN or no BTN, NU's games so far - outside
of Michigan and OSU - would probably not have been
anything other than Big Ten Plus anyway.

> Maybe the BTN will become a force in the Midwest
> some day, but once the SEC and
> ACC [and maybe the Big East] get their networks up,
> we can kiss the opportunity
> to watch our games on the East Coast goodbye.

Were the Big Ten Plus games on regular TV out east?

I think the BTN has helped our visibility outside of
the midwest. I can get games in Arizona I could never
get before unless I paid extra for the GamePlan
coverage - and even that sometimes wouldn't have it.
Now I get it as part of my basic package and it's more
than just football.

The midwest is really the only place where Comcast
negotiations are holding things up. Outside of that,
though, I would think the BTN has helped more people
have access to games that don't involve the big four
or five teams in the league. And those teams still get
their usual ABC/ESPN coverage.

> As bad as the picture was, at least ESPN gameplan on
> the computer let us watch,
> with the sound off and Dave & Ted on. Until the BTN
> figures out that an internet

Again, didn't you have to pay extra for that? I
thought I read that the BTN had a free trial viewing
of their Net site last weekend. I'd imagine they
couldn't charge much more - if not less - than ESPN's
gameplan net.

I don't think the BTN has hurt our visibility
nationwide for the polls - in fact I think it's gone
the other way outside the midwest. I think it's our
lack of big wins outside of league play, as was
mentioned yesterday.

GO CATS!!!
-SjT

* * * * * * * * *
STEPHEN J. TRUOG
sjtruog at yahoo.com
GO CATS!!!


       
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