Thank You ESPN

[DevilWolf]

For putting the first part of the game on ESPNU so we didn't miss the first 10 minutes of action.

[Cameron]

I agree! Not that the big wigs at ESPN will see this, but it was very nice of them do FINALLY do so. I hope this is something they will start to do more of, as long as there are no conflicting interferences on the U.

If I would have missed that fire power start I would have died. That Indiana-GT game was dreadful. Big Ten basketball, if it's not involving Duke on one side of the bench, is just too awful to watch. I actually feel sorry for their fans.

[Olympic Fan]

That was a good move and I'm surprised that with all their many networks, they don't do this more often. The overlap of games is a long-running complaint of many viewers.

I'd think that ESPN News would be the best place to show the overlap. First, it wouldn't disrupt scheduled programming on other the other ESPN networks and secondly, it is on more cable systems than ESPN Classic or ESPNU.

Besides, the only thing anybody watches on ESPN News is the bottom line crawl and they could leave that up.

[pamtar]

...for charging me ridiculous amounts of money for 60 channels of garbage and 10 or so that I actually watch. None of which include ESPNU, which I would have to cough up an extra $20 a month to view and add another 600 channels that I again, wouldn't watch!

Anyone know how to type 'garbage' like Mark Packer says it?

[CMS2478]

That was a good move and I'm surprised that with all their many networks, they don't do this more often. The overlap of games is a long-running complaint of many viewers.

I'd think that ESPN News would be the best place to show the overlap. First, it wouldn't disrupt scheduled programming on other the other ESPN networks and secondly, it is on more cable systems than ESPN Classic or ESPNU.

Besides, the only thing anybody watches on ESPN News is the bottom line crawl and they could leave that up.

I don't get ESPN U so I still missed the first part of the game. The idea of putting it on ESPN News is the best idea I've heard. You would only be interrupting the news you have seen 100 times already that day!!!

[willywoody]

I don't get ESPN U so I still missed the first part of the game. The idea of putting it on ESPN News is the best idea I've heard. You would only be interrupting the news you have seen 100 times already that day!!!

agreed!

no espnu on comcast.

[diesel]

How did you all find out the first 10 minutes was on ESPNU? I invested in the Direct TV Sportspack the other day to get the FSN broadcast of the Marquette game, never thinking I could get also get an entire Duke game on ESPN when they also had to finish a previous game that overlapped the Duke game. But the Sportspack also includes ESPNU.

And is the entire Duke game (as opposed to the overlap) then shown on ESPNU, or does ESPNU cut away to something else after the overlap finishes?

[blazindw]

How did you all find out the first 10 minutes was on ESPNU? I invested in the Direct TV Sportspack the other day to get the FSN broadcast of the Marquette game, never thinking I could get also get an entire Duke game on ESPN when they also had to finish a previous game that overlapped the Duke game. But the Sportspack also includes ESPNU.

And is the entire Duke game (as opposed to the overlap) then shown on ESPNU, or does ESPNU cut away to something else after the overlap finishes?

ESPNU shows the game until whatever's on ESPN cuts off, then ESPN takes the feed and ESPNU cuts away to something else.

P.S. DirecTV Sportspack...greatest thing ever. This is my 4th year with it, and I watch those channels more than most.

[kramerbr]

How about they just either start the first game 30 minutes earlier or start the second game 30 minutes later? I'm still furious about missing almost the entire first half of Duke vs. Gonzaga last year. I almost dread seeing that Duke is going to be on ESPN because you know you are going to miss part of the game.

[dukeENG2003]

cuz if the game DIDN'T go over, we'd have to watch 30 minutes of Digger and Doug Gotlieb, you don't want THAT do you?

[BoC]

How about they just either start the first game 30 minutes earlier or start the second game 30 minutes later? I'm still furious about missing almost the entire first half of Duke vs. Gonzaga last year. I almost dread seeing that Duke is going to be on ESPN because you know you are going to miss part of the game.

That's it, right there. I'm tired of networks (cable or otherwise) trying to cram a game into a two-hour slot. It never works out; you're almost guaranteed to miss the first part of a game (unless, as has been pointed out, you shell out more $$$).

[msdukie]

If you get ESPN360 (primarily Verizon FIOS customers), you actually get simulcasts in very high quality on the internet of every ESPN/ESPN2/ESPN on ABC/ESPN GamePlan game for free, from the beginning, even if the game is run-over on actual TV. You get everything but ESPNU games. You even get the raw feed before the game starts live. I got to watch Jay/Rafterty/Sean yuck it up before the ball was tipped in Maui (and Dick and Dan "rehearsing" last night). Jay was kvetching about not having 3 Duke players on StarWatch against Princeton!

[mgtr]

I missed about 10 seconds of the Duke game (the time it took me to react to the message on the bottom of screen and change the startion). Directv sportspac, as has been mentioned, allows you to get ESPNU plus all the out of area Fox Sports channels (many in HD). Wake up, you cable people, and move into the modern age.
Seriously, I have had Directv for about 8 years, and would never consider going back to cable. I am not a salesman for them, I would expect that Dish Network provides many of the same benefits. All better than cable.
Not only do I get to see the "oddball" Duke games down in Florida (EKU and the first ten minutes of the Wisco game) but other interesting games not shown down here on a regular basis.

[Uncle Drew]

I watched the first ten minutes of the Duke game the other night much the same way I will be watching Greenbay play Dallas Thursday night; I won't. Thank you Time Warner Cable and the NFL Network! I fully expect the Super Bowl to be a pay per view event in 10 years.

[sandinmyshoes]

Is there some reason, perhaps due to ESPN itself, that cable companies do not drop ESPN classic or even ESPN news and carry ESPNU instead?

[OZZIE4DUKE]

How about they just either start the first game 30 minutes earlier or start the second game 30 minutes later?

Because, believe it or not, some people actually go to the games and have to get there, or get home from there, at not too outrageous a time. I hate 9 pm starts, but 9:30? NFW. I got home just before 1 am as it was. Start the first game at 6:30? I could live with that, but some people might find it difficult to get off work and get to the game on time, and folks on here would gripe about the late arriving crowd....

Why should 9,614 people suffer just so 500,000 can see the entire game? (that said tongue in cheek - I rail the same as you when I miss the start of away games...) But at least now ESPN switches to alternate channels - someone up there has half an ounce of common sense.

TWC started offering ESPNU as part of their digital package this summer. And today I got an email that they are offering the ESPN360 package.
ESPN Full Court on Time Warner Cable delivers more than 450 college basketball games from around the country. With this Digital Cable sports package, you get games from the conferences you love almost every night of the season! Catch great basketball featuring games from the most popular conferences in the country: Big XII, Big East, Conference USA, Atlantic 10 and Mountain West. Click here to find out more.

Sorry Pamtar, you should kick in the $20/month (less than the cost of driving to Durham from Wilminton once) to get the digital package - you might find there are more things on it that you watch than you might expect. You get a lot of free and pay per view "on demand" stuff. And if you upgrade to a HD tv, you get most of the HD channels for free.

[blazindw]

I missed about 10 seconds of the Duke game (the time it took me to react to the message on the bottom of screen and change the startion). Directv sportspac, as has been mentioned, allows you to get ESPNU plus all the out of area Fox Sports channels (many in HD). Wake up, you cable people, and move into the modern age.
Seriously, I have had Directv for about 8 years, and would never consider going back to cable. I am not a salesman for them, I would expect that Dish Network provides many of the same benefits. All better than cable.
Not only do I get to see the "oddball" Duke games down in Florida (EKU and the first ten minutes of the Wisco game) but other interesting games not shown down here on a regular basis.


And if you do want to make the switch to DirecTV, PM me and let me know. We can save each other $50. ;)



Sorry, I had to make the plug.

[diesel]

And if you do want to make the switch to DirecTV, PM me and let me know. We can save each other $50. ;)



Sorry, I had to make the plug.

Better still, why don't those who take up Direct TV nominate our favorite site, DBR, as getting the rebate for the switch?