This made the news rounds late last week, but we of course should mention this as part of our ongoing effort to balance the media fellating of Notre Dame with our own special brand of hate.Notre Dame and NBC have agreed to remain in the sack together through 2015. This is a nice committment by NBC to their loving spouse, Notre Dame. No matter how old, fat and out-of-shape your spouse gets, you're supposed to love them no matter what... and remain devoted to them. And that's what NBC is doing, through thick and thin.
On the television programming side of life, though, it's yet another awful decision by a network that just cannot figure out how to succeed. Ten years after Seinfeld went off the air, the network continues to go in the wrong direction. Sunday Night Football has helped, The Office kind of fell into their laps, and they of course have the Olympics. But it just seems that more and more, NBC makes poor programming decisions and is often bringing up the rear in the ratings. What would possess them to show Notre Dame games? Last year brought the lowest ratings ever. I don't understand... has Fat Charlie convinced them to stick around with his recruiting prowess and flashing of his Super Bowl rings won as a coordinator?
Or maybe NBC figures it can't lose with a polarizing program like ND. Maybe they figure that because of the "either you love them or hate them" nature, it doesn't matter how they're doing -- if they go 3-9 again, people like us are going to love it.
Still, though, it just doesn't seem right. How come ND can rake in the millions of dollars you know their TV deal is worth? Mitch Albom on the Sports Reporters yesterday suggested that maybe USC should leave the Pac-10 and sign such a deal. It's a fair point.
Or maybe NBC execs just know as much about football as Cindy in Accounts Payable. From the article linked above:
"When Notre Dame is good, and they’re often quite good, they bring more attention to football than anyone else," Ken Schanzer, the president of NBC Sports, said by telephone.
Really? When were they last "quite good"? 1988? Two decades ago?
Schanzer has a son and a daughter at Notre Dame. The eldest son of Dick Ebersol, the chairman of NBC Sports, is a graduate.
Good gracious. Is this deal just so Schanzer and Ebersol can watch games more easily?
“We like them to be great,” Schanzer said. “It’s better when they’re great, but when they’re good, they maintain a high level of interest.”
It's truly amazing how the "Notre Dame is synonymous with greatness" kool-aid seeps into absolutely anyone associated with the school in any way. "It's better when they're great"?? Seriously? When are they ever great? Like I said, it's been many, MANY years since ND was actually relevant. And a true contender (and don't give me Ty's 8-0 start because they were shown to be a paper tiger that year, like so many others)... well, it's been, like I said, two decades.
14 comments:
It's unfortunate, but everyone seems to watch those occasional 9-3 "Return to Glory" seasons when ND gets its well undeserved BCS bid because they won 9 games against Sisters of the Poor and blind
And I proudly include Purdue in this. We were easily sisters of the poor and blind in 2005 when they got a BCS beid becuase they happened to play mighty USC to a close game.
I saw that report last week and immediately jumped to the same conclusion. Then it occurred to me, it isn’t how many people that watch the game, it is how much they can charge for advertisements and finding firms to pony up that money. If ND has a completely lousy season last year, and companies were still paying top-dollar for the add space during the games, then NBC can justify carrying the school. I was unaware of the nepotism/old-boy part of this, with the head of their sports program having kids there. Maybe his kids have really lousy grades, but they let them in because of the TV deal. Reminds me of when Mr. Burns trying to get his “son” into college.
“What would it take to get my son into your school?”
“A new television deal.”
“Done.”
As much as I hate them, I can’t blame them for staying independent and making their own television deals. Other schools would do it too if they could.
You're right, Paul. I have more of a problem with NBC in all this than ND, although to think the money is going into academics instead of to Charlie's salary and other aspects of the football program is a bit naive. (Not saying you think it is, just saying that's what is of course suggested by the University.)
Join the boycott!
NBC plays American Gladiators in prime time. Purdue plays on real sports networks with decent announcers, we have no reason to be jealous.
Any network that employs Chris Matthews and Keith Olbermann is lacking in the decision making department.
The sad thing about all of this Notre Dame bashing is that it is hard to enjoy when Purdue has only managed to beat them 5 times since 1988.
No, Anonymous ND supporter, we still enjoy it.
And this post was actually more about NBC and ND than it was about Purdue having some kind of dominance over them, which we never claimed.
But good job reading for content.
"Any network that employs Chris Matthews and Keith Olbermann is lacking in the decision making department."
Ah....good ole PurdueMatt....they kick you off of Knucklehead Central on GBI???
Matt, I agree with you here...especially about Olberman.
Purdue has won 5 times in the last 11 v. UND...statistics are funny depending on how you want to spin them and what you're focusing upon. Furthermore, Purdue has beaten UND one out of the last one times they played them...but then again, so has about everybody.
Its because of deals like this that ND gets to go to the Sugar Bowl with what? a 9-3 record? Then they proceed to just get slaughtered. I love watching them be thoroughly embarassed on national television every weekend so this deal does have a silver lining for those of us who dispise them. My only wish was that the Hoosiers would have played them last year.
khr- I think we all have the same fond feelings for UND regardless of the colors we wear. Preferential treatment from the bowls, absurd independent TV contracts and general sales pitch that UND is God's team all cement these happy thoughts.
I can tell you as a Purdue fan, the win last year over the Irish was not all that gratifying...It felt a bit like when Purdue beat Central Michigan- the better prepared, more talented team won, there wasn't much doubt about the game. It was funnier than the CMU game though.
I openly rooted for Purdue during that game, it confused the hell out of my buddy who is a big Purdue fan.
"Ah....good ole PurdueMatt....they kick you off of Knucklehead Central on GBI???"
No.
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