Duke's New Ranking, and Why We Hate ESPN

[Black Mambo]

New AP and Coaches Poll Rankings (http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/rankings) show that Duke fell to 5th and 6th (very close to 5th), respectively.

ESPN headline feed reads "Blue Devils fall 1 spot to No. 5 in AP poll after back-to-back double-digit losses to NC State and Miami (FL)"

While we all know polls don't really matter (now), and while I assumed we would be somewhere in the 7-8 range this week, this sentence is clearly misleading. My first reaction was that the statement is technically true. But it's not true at all. Duke fell 2 spots after the loss to State, and then 1 spot (in the AP) after the loss to Miami and the win at (6) Louisville. Different week, and incomplete facts in the sentence. If you want to include State, then say Duke fell 3 spots after back-to-back losses and a subsequent top 6 win, and stop trying to incite Duke hatred.

[Black Mambo]

After winning @ State and handily beating VTech at home, University of Nobody Cares had 0 movement in the AP Poll

Bwahahahahahahahahah

[1 24 90]

I find it kind of hysterical that if Duke pulls out the win tonight for #999, that win #1,000 could happen on Fox of all places instead of ESPN. That'll teach 'em.

[jv001]

I find it kind of hysterical that if Duke pulls out the win tonight for #999, that win #1,000 could happen on Fox of all places instead of ESPN. That'll teach 'em.

Fox, great we don't get Len Elmore for the game. That in is self is a win. Now if we can get that win in Cameron North, that will certainly be sweet. GoDuke!

[gep]

Wasn't MSG where Duke beat Michigan State for #903?

[OldPhiKap]

Wasn't MSG where Duke beat Michigan State for #903?

Pretty sure that's correct.

Gotta get by Pitt first.

I think that once the pressure of getting this milestone is passed, the team will play much more relaxed. Which is good.

[CameronBornAndBred]

I hate ESPN for their insistence in believing that basketball games take less than 2 hours to play. #9PMgamessuck

[DU82]

I hate ESPN for their insistence in believing that basketball games take less than 2 hours to play. #9PMgamessuck

They would, if it wasn't for ESPN.

[OldPhiKap]

I hate ESPN for their insistence in believing that basketball games take less than 2 hours to play. #9PMgamessuck


They would, if it wasn't for ESPN.

They apparently decided that they don't need to show the last minute of a game.

[hurleyfor3]

Fox, great we don't get Len Elmore for the game.

And we might get Erin Andrews! :D

[Black Mambo]

I hate ESPN for their insistence in believing that basketball games take less than 2 hours to play. #9PMgamessuck

How about starting a "Reasons We Hate ESPN" thread? :)

[OldPhiKap]

And we might get Erin Andrews! :D

Erin Andrews IS a fox, or Erin Andrews is ON Fox?

[sagegrouse]

New AP and Coaches Poll Rankings (http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/rankings) show that Duke fell to 5th and 6th (very close to 5th), respectively.

ESPN headline feed reads "Blue Devils fall 1 spot to No. 5 in AP poll after back-to-back double-digit losses to NC State and Miami (FL)"

While we all know polls don't really matter (now), and while I assumed we would be somewhere in the 7-8 range this week, this sentence is clearly misleading. My first reaction was that the statement is technically true. But it's not true at all. Duke fell 2 spots after the loss to State, and then 1 spot (in the AP) after the loss to Miami and the win at (6) Louisville. Different week, and incomplete facts in the sentence. If you want to include State, then say Duke fell 3 spots after back-to-back losses and a subsequent top 6 win, and stop trying to incite Duke hatred.

Incompetent headline -- the first loss was prior to the previous poll, as you pointed out. I don't "hate" ESPN. I hate the fact that the internet has made copy editing obsolete, even though it is still necessary.

[nmduke2001]

Frankly, I love ESPN. Without ESPN I wouldn't get to watch virtually all Duke basketball games and now Duke football games. I don't care what they say or how they feel as long as they continue to show the games.

[weezie]

Frankly, I love ESPN. Without ESPN I wouldn't get to watch virtually all Duke basketball games and now Duke football games. I don't care what they say or how they feel as long as they continue to show the games.

What a great comment. True true true. And we can still look down upon espn, that's a plus.

[BigWayne]

I hate ESPN for their insistence in believing that basketball games take less than 2 hours to play. #9PMgamessuck

Like the NFL has done, college hoops needs to make rule changes to speed the game up to get most of them down to 2 hours.

Two I would propose.

1) Require shooter and lane occupants to stay put between foul shots, i.e. no need to slap hands with the whole team every time like a middle school volleyball team.
2) In last 2 minutes of a game, if a team commits 3 non-shooting fouls in a row (i.e. no fouls by other team and no shooting fouls) the third foul and all consecutive non shooting fouls after that point are awarded 3 free throws. At 5 consecutive fouls, just award two points to the offended team and give the ball to the offenders under their defensive basket. There is nothing that chaps me more than tuning in to see a game and getting stuck watching a team trailing by >10 points with under a minute and fouling every 5 seconds.

[gam7]

Like the NFL has done, college hoops needs to make rule changes to speed the game up to get most of them down to 2 hours.

Two I would propose.

1) Require shooter and lane occupants to stay put between foul shots, i.e. no need to slap hands with the whole team every time like a middle school volleyball team.
2) In last 2 minutes of a game, if a team commits 3 non-shooting fouls in a row (i.e. no fouls by other team and no shooting fouls) the third foul and all consecutive non shooting fouls after that point are awarded 3 free throws. At 5 consecutive fouls, just award two points to the offended team and give the ball to the offenders under their defensive basket. There is nothing that chaps me more than tuning in to see a game and getting stuck watching a team trailing by >10 points with under a minute and fouling every 5 seconds.

Gosh, I disagree with the sentiment that college basketball games are too long. I think they usually fly by, and I am often surprised at how consistently they end up right at the 2 hour mark. I can't think of any pro or big-time college sports that have materially shorter games/matches. Soccer maybe?

If games needed to be shorter, I don't agree with your solutions -#1 is almost never the cause of a delay between foul shots, and #2 strikes me as too extreme. Also, not sure it would change behavior much. It makes fouling late less attractive of an option, but still probably the best option to try to make a desperate comeback.

I think there are other things you can do to speed the game though:
- reduce by one the number of timeouts per team per half.
- reduce the number of TV timeouts to one every 5 game minutes (rather than 1 every 4 game minutes) - even if they are longer timeouts it would still save a bit of time I think
- reduce the amount of time a team has to make a change when a player fouls out
- streamline the replay review process

[mkirsh]

- reduce the amount of time a team has to make a change when a player fouls out
- streamline the replay review process

These last two seem like no-brainers, as they disrupt the flow of the game but don't require ESPN/the NCAA to make the economic trade-offs that come with eliminating/reducing commercial breaks. Especially replay - if you watched the OU-KU game last night there were probably 15 minute of standing around waiting for the officials to go to the monitors for several calls. I think officials should be limited to something like 20 seconds - if you can't tell within that time, stick with the ruling on the floor and get on with the game.

[jv001]

These last two seem like no-brainers, as they disrupt the flow of the game but don't require ESPN/the NCAA to make the economic trade-offs that come with eliminating/reducing commercial breaks. Especially replay - if you watched the OU-KU game last night there were probably 15 minute of standing around waiting for the officials to go to the monitors for several calls. I think officials should be limited to something like 20 seconds - if you can't tell within that time, stick with the ruling on the floor and get on with the game.

Unless it's a call that might go in Duke's favor, then go to the monitor. :cool: GoDuke!

[wavedukefan70s]

Like the NFL has done, college hoops needs to make rule changes to speed the game up to get most of them down to 2 hours.

Two I would propose.

1) Require shooter and lane occupants to stay put between foul shots, i.e. no need to slap hands with the whole team every time like a middle school volleyball team.
2) In last 2 minutes of a game, if a team commits 3 non-shooting fouls in a row (i.e. no fouls by other team and no shooting fouls) the third foul and all consecutive non shooting fouls after that point are awarded 3 free throws. At 5 consecutive fouls, just award two points to the offended team and give the ball to the offenders under their defensive basket. There is nothing that chaps me more than tuning in to see a game and getting stuck watching a team trailing by >10 points with under a minute and fouling every 5 seconds.
You know a lot can happen in 54 seconds.

[brevity]

You know a lot can happen in 54 seconds.

"You know a lot can happen in 15 seconds." - Rick Pitino

[-jk]

"You know a lot can happen in 15 seconds." - Rick Pitino

That game doesn't play out well. (Deano calling.) Sigh. Ask Bill James about safe leads. Or not...

The

-jk

[alteran]

How about starting a "Reasons We Hate ESPN" thread? :)

We wouldn't want to out do "The Longest Thread Ever."

[wavedukefan70s]

I believe espn respects K and duke.to the point of giving the benefit of the doubt.
as for the other teams fans hate.I believe this sums it up best.
ironically on a basket ball court.Hate Us Cause They Ain't Us: http://youtu.be/IBY29rBlkbc

[elvis14]

I believe espn respects K and duke.to the point of giving the benefit of the doubt.
as for the other teams fans hate.I believe this sums it up best.
ironically on a basket ball court.Hate Us Cause They Ain't Us: http://youtu.be/IBY29rBlkbc

I believe that ESPN respects viewership ratings and money. As long as people are going to tune in to watch Duke play (even if they are hoping to see us lose), ESPN will continue to show our games. Lots of haters think ESPN loves Duke because they show our games. It's the ratings they love not Duke basketball. How the broadcast is edited and what the announcers say will paint the real picture....they don't like us (hello Len Elmore). At the same time, as others have mentioned, I'll take the passive aggressive shots against us in trade for being able to see all our games on TV.

[wavedukefan70s]

Very true .but that comes with success .my former highschool happens to have the winningest football coach in the nation.we have been hated for decades.the refs in our pockets ,cheaters,special treatment when something questionable happens that the highschool league has to look at.duke is very much the same but on a national level.big headlines when we loose ect.i just view it as a sign of respect and fear of a program that wins.
Haters hate on.id rather be hated by many than not thought of at all.if espn uses this to thier advantage so be it.if it means we get to watch duke more keep it comming.