Sports populatity

[Homey123]

Case in point...the Women's NCAA Tourney

 

Five years ago or so, it hardly got any media coverage. Now, there's quite a bit.

 

My personal take is that the media got it into its head that the Women's NCAA is worthwhile and starting stuffing it down our throats rather than the public got interested and demanded more coverage.

 

This poll applies to any low profile sport that is increasing in coverage and popularity (X-Games?).

 

What do you think?

[Chief Dick]

Very interesting question. My opinion is that the media isn't going to shove a sport down our throats unless they can get ratings because of it. And ratings = money.

[Jackass]

Is the women's NCAA tourney popular? I don't know a soul who gives a rat's a** about it.

[godtomsatan]

The only time you hear about "lesser" sports is when there is a local rooting interest, or a bit of prestige attached to an accomplishment.

 

For instance, here in Seattle, Washington's women's bball team was good (I think) last season, but I'll assume they aren't good right now because I don't remember seeing anything about them recently.

 

You will hear on the nightly news or in the paper that UConn (or whoever) who is going to the Final Four, or that Pat Summit won her 900th game (or whatever), but I don't know if I would characterize it as being stuffed down a throat.

 

Maybe your area is hosting or has a good team this year?

[Chargerz]

Low profile sports exist first. Then the media comes in and creates the hype.

[jackshi17]

Every four years we all become experts in all those olympic sports due to media coverage.

Then for the next four years nada.

Media coverage makes the difference.

[gspot]

From what I understand, nobody cared about the NFL in the 50s when the few teams played in baseball stadiums. Despite the low interest, the TV networks put the games on the air and continued to do so.

 

I may be wrong, but seems to me a pretty clear example of the media being out in-front of public interest. In the 50s, baseball was the game based on the actual game attendance. The NFL being completely designed and structured for TV has benefited from the growth of television. The gate is relatively meaningless, as a team in a horrible low market geography can still thrive.

Edited March 12, 2005 by gspot

[Meat Face]

I think people always like things first, and then the media comes along.

[godtomsatan]

I may be wrong, but seems to me a pretty clear example of the media being out in-front of public interest.  In the 50s, baseball was the game based on the actual game attendance.  The NFL being completely designed and structured for TV has benefited from the growth of television.  The gate is relatively meaningless, as a team in a horrible low market geography can still thrive.

731054[/snapback]

 

While I agree that the growth of television and the popularity of the NFL go hand-in-hand, college teams had been drawing large crowds for decades before TV.

 

The same thing happened with the NBA in the 80s, finally competing with the college version of the game in terms of fandom.

 

Women's basketball seems to be following this trend to a degree. It's popular in places at the collegiate level, and beginning to take hold in some degrees on the pro level.