Bracketology 2024

57jacket

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orientalnc said:
The timing of this post is weird. Purdue, the B1G champion, just lost to a great team in the national championship game. Purdue, and the B1G, have nothing to hang their heads about other than being the #2 team instead of #1. I don't completely disagree with your basic point, but last night was not a flop.
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My post wasn't intended to denigrate Purdue. They had a great run. My post was aimed at the selection commitee and their obvious bias toward the BIG.
 

RamblinRed

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FWIW, for the first time the Women's CG outdrew the men's CG.
Women avg 18.7M viewers (with a high of 24M). Men's game avg 14.8M.

The women's game was the most watched basketball game (men's, womens, college, pro) since 2019.
Will be interesting to see how much of that audience the women's game will be able to hang on to, but it should lead to more NIL opportunities for women basketball players.

For extra context, the South Carolina-Iowa game averaged more viewers than all of the following:
  • Every men’s college basketball game since the 2019 National Championship between Virginia and Texas Tech
  • Every NBA game since the 2017 NBA Finals
  • Every MLB game since the 2019 World Series
  • Every NHL game ever (American audiences only)
 
LargeFO

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RamblinRed said:
FWIW, for the first time the Women's CG outdrew the men's CG.
Women avg 18.7M viewers (with a high of 24M). Men's game avg 14.8M.

The women's game was the most watched basketball game (men's, womens, college, pro) since 2019.
Will be interesting to see how much of that audience the women's game will be able to hang on to, but it should lead to more NIL opportunities for women basketball players.

For extra context, the South Carolina-Iowa game averaged more viewers than all of the following:
  • Every men’s college basketball game since the 2019 National Championship between Virginia and Texas Tech
  • Every NBA game since the 2017 NBA Finals
  • Every MLB game since the 2019 World Series
  • Every NHL game ever (American audiences only)
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That's cool. I honestly don't understand why the men's starts at 9:30 every year. That's rough for the east TZ.
 

g0lftime

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RamblinRed said:
FWIW, for the first time the Women's CG outdrew the men's CG.
Women avg 18.7M viewers (with a high of 24M). Men's game avg 14.8M.

The women's game was the most watched basketball game (men's, womens, college, pro) since 2019.
Will be interesting to see how much of that audience the women's game will be able to hang on to, but it should lead to more NIL opportunities for women basketball players.

For extra context, the South Carolina-Iowa game averaged more viewers than all of the following:
  • Every men’s college basketball game since the 2019 National Championship between Virginia and Texas Tech
  • Every NBA game since the 2017 NBA Finals
  • Every MLB game since the 2019 World Series
  • Every NHL game ever (American audiences only)
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Caitlin Clark maybe? Lots of people wanted to see her play.
 

MtnWasp

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I don't follow woman's hoops and I hardly watch any commercial TV, and record the sports events I want to watch so I can fast forward. But I did watch some of the NCAAT games and I kept seeing this young woman in an Iowa basketball uniform ALL over the commercials. I wondered who she was. then my 94 year old father sends me an email copy of an isntagram photo of Caitlin Clark with her beau.

So, we have a Rock Star, a Pop Icon in Caitlin Clark, the Taylor Swift of the Hardwood. As long as no one takes her down, she could really be a boost to the WNBA because she obviously has the star power to enthrall across demographics.
 

Root4GT

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MtnWasp said:
I don't follow woman's hoops and I hardly watch any commercial TV, and record the sports events I want to watch so I can fast forward. But I did watch some of the NCAAT games and I kept seeing this young woman in an Iowa basketball uniform ALL over the commercials. I wondered who she was. then my 94 year old father sends me an email copy of an isntagram photo of Caitlin Clark with her beau.

So, we have a Rock Star, a Pop Icon in Caitlin Clark, the Taylor Swift of the Hardwood. As long as no one takes her down, she could really be a boost to the WNBA because she obviously has the star power to enthrall across demographics.
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If you haven’t watched her play a few games you have missed the best of college basketball in 2024. She is a great women’s college player. Her style of play is extremely entertaining. It’s hard to lead the NCAA in both scoring and assists.

She raised the tide for women’s college basketball this year. I don’t watch women’s basketball either. However she became must see TV this season. My 15 year old granddaughter plays basketball and the most fun I had was watching any college game was watching an Iowa game when we were visiting the kids/grandkids earlier this year.

Her impact on women’s college basketball was similar to Tiger’s impact his first year on the PGA.

As you pointed out the WNBA has a rare opportunity to raise their sport’s interest. Will they take advantage of the opportunity or try and put her in her place. Will be interesting to see.
 
ESPNjacket

ESPNjacket

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Root4GT said:
If you haven’t watched her play a few games you have missed the best of college basketball in 2024. She is a great women’s college player. Her style of play is extremely entertaining. It’s hard to lead the NCAA in both scoring and assists.

She raised the tide for women’s college basketball this year. I don’t watch women’s basketball either. However she became must see TV this season. My 15 year old granddaughter plays basketball and the most fun I had was watching any college game was watching an Iowa game when we were visiting the kids/grandkids earlier this year.

Her impact on women’s college basketball was similar to Tiger’s impact his first year on the PGA.

As you pointed out the WNBA has a rare opportunity to raise their sport’s interest. Will they take advantage of the opportunity or try and put her in her place. Will be interesting to see.
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The WNBA has announced that 36 of 40 Indiana games will be on national TV next year. They have the first draft pick.

Link
 

Root4GT

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ESPNjacket said:
The WNBA has announced that 36 of 40 Indiana games will be on national TV next year. They have the first draft pick.

Link
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The “League” and the “Players” are two distinct entities. The League gets the opportunity. Will the Players welcome her and the fans she brings is the question. Several former star players have not been very welcoming.
 

g0lftime

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Root4GT said:
The “League” and the “Players” are two distinct entities. The League gets the opportunity. Will the Players welcome her and the fans she brings is the question. Several former star players have not been very welcoming.
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Cat fight. I love it.
 

MtnWasp

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Root4GT said:
The “League” and the “Players” are two distinct entities. The League gets the opportunity. Will the Players welcome her and the fans she brings is the question. Several former star players have not been very welcoming.
Click to expand...
That could be the rub, if her production in the pros doesn't match her celebrity. Those players may resent her celebrity power and may try to bring her down, but it would be better for those players if Caitlin Clark were to light it up and raise interest in the League that would pay off for all the other players.
 
ESPNjacket

ESPNjacket

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Root4GT said:
The “League” and the “Players” are two distinct entities. The League gets the opportunity. Will the Players welcome her and the fans she brings is the question. Several former star players have not been very welcoming.
Click to expand...
It was the same when Bird and Magic entered the NBA. The league, including all of the players, were better off for it but some (Dr. J) were resentful of the attention they garnered. Heck, those guys saved the league.
 

CEB

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MtnWasp said:
That could be the rub, if her production in the pros doesn't match her celebrity. Those players may resent her celebrity power and may try to bring her down, but it would be better for those players if Caitlin Clark were to light it up and raise interest in the League that would pay off for all the other players.
Click to expand...
If you haven’t watched, you’re forgiven for this concern… but she isn’t a “celebrity” in the way I think you’re thinking. She’s not there for her looks or her personality or her social media presence… she’s a flat out player. She shoots as well as anyone (literally anyone) and I think the current players will want to prove on the court that “she can’t play that way here” as opposed to resenting her “celebrity.”
 

CEB

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ESPNjacket said:
It was the same when Bird and Magic entered the NBA. The league, including all of the players, were better off for it but some (Dr. J) were resentful of the attention they garnered. Heck, those guys saved the league.
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All true… and appropriate in the context of this discussion.
Just sayin, Dr J maybe had a legit beef because he was an “ABA guy” and probably didn’t get the fanfare he deserved. Not that he was Bird or Magic, but he prob deserved more promotion than he got and his animosity was probably as much at the league as anyone… but you can’t call out the guys writing the checks
 

Root4GT

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ESPNjacket said:
It was the same when Bird and Magic entered the NBA. The league, including all of the players, were better off for it but some (Dr. J) were resentful of the attention they garnered. Heck, those guys saved the league.
Click to expand...
Truth. Will the WNBA players have learned from history? I have my doubts.
 
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