(03-20-2013 09:29 AM)CliftonAve Wrote:  UK basketball is like ND football: discussing them is huge for ratings because they have so many fans and also so many people who love to hate them.

Yes.
Same reason ESPN programming execs told their people to cover the
NY Jets preseaon (Tebow) 24x7.

(03-20-2013 10:44 AM)Melky Cabrera Wrote:  

(03-20-2013 10:39 AM)VA49er Wrote:  

(03-20-2013 10:14 AM)NJRedMan Wrote:  

(03-20-2013 10:09 AM)VA49er Wrote:  What the networks have failed to mention is if UK actually gave a crap about playing the game. Especially away.

That's no excuse to lose to the lowest seed in the NIT.

I agree, but UK is full of freshman, so, who knows if they actually cared?

Actually it's seniors who wouldn't care. Freshmen are usually the ones who would care about this kind of game.

Except that it's Kentucky, which means that those freshmen have hired agents, and spent a lot more time thinking about the NBA draft than the NIT.

It's just ESPiN trying to attract some viewers. It worked - UK-RMU drew a 1.3 rating, beating the NCAA tourney game on TRUTV.

I actually live about 10 minutes away from the Robert Morris campus, which is a mediocre suburban type campus that is approximately 20 minutes outside of Pittsburgh in a place called Moon Township, PA.

Moon is basically 5-6 car dealerships, a few fast food restaurants, Moon Area High School and Robert Morris. BTW, most Pittsburghers call the school "RMU" or "Bobby Mo."

Schools in settings like Robert Morris' suburban setting have the worst of all worlds, IMHO. They aren't even a big deal or even a medium deal to the locals because those people all follow Pittsburgh's professional sports teams first and foremost and if they follow college sports at all it is usually Pitt. If you are a college hoops fan and RMU is hosting Quinnipiac or St. Francis of PA, and Pitt is hosting Syracuse, where are you going to go?

Most similar such tiny schools are at least located in equally tiny rural towns that treat the local college like it's a big deal. Bobby Mo doesn't even get that. Ever.

As a program, RMU has a 3,500 seat gym that they have sold out about four times in 40 years. That gym draws bigger crowds for HS playoff games than it ever does Colonials games. Hell, HS GIRLS basketball playoff games draws bigger crowds than RMU men's hoops. They play Pitt every single year and I don't remember them ever having beaten Pitt. Ever. I'll bet you they are at most 1-30 against Pitt and the record may be more lopsided than that. We're talking about a program that until the last few years (when now Rutgers coach Mike Rice took over) they could never even beat - or remain competitive with - Duquesne. That is the level of mountain we are talking about here and it is substantial regardless of the state of this year's UK team.

That is why I am THRILLED to see them get this much attention. They deserve it, IMHO.

The story going in was how incredible it was that little Bobby Mo was hosting the the defending national champion Kentucky Wildcats - arguably the greatest program in the history of college basketball. I can't even imagine Pitt playing at RMU and the Panthers are a good 25 notches below UK on the prestige meter. It is absolutely incredible that the Wildcats were playing there at all. Nobody could believe that the game was even being played where it was being played. It was like something out of a cheesy movie. And of course it had a fairy tale ending - just like any cheesy movie would.

The other story was that John Calipari - a Moon native - was coming home. Trust me, they would have been thrilled just to say that UK once played in their gym. Had they lost by 50 points they still would have boasted about that feat for years and years. To now be able to say that not only did they host Kentucky but they also BEAT the mighty Wildcats in their gym, well, to them that IS their equivalent to the Miracle on Ice. They will definitely put plaques up all over the place commemorating the feat and maybe a statue too. It is a BIG deal in Moon.

For ESPN it was a slow news day. Nobody gives a schitt about the play-in games to the NCAA's and the NBA was mostly off. NFL free agency was last week and MLB is still in spring training. The four letter treats the NHL like it's some obscure Canadian beer league so that's never a factor (which is absurd). Even the goofy little X Games haven't started yet so they can't even talk about who does the best flips on their snow mobiles. So they were looking for something to cover and David gave it to them by taking down Goliath - even if it was in the NIT. And oh by the way, the game - and tournament - was televised by...you guessed it, ESPN.

Good for Bobby Mo and good for ESPN!

Nobody outside of Moon Township and Lexington will remember anything about that game by about 8 p.m. tomorrow night.

Dr. its funny that RMU is the only College Hockey Division I program in Pittsburgh. They may get an at-large bid to the NCAA Hockey Tournament.

(03-20-2013 10:02 AM)OrangeCrush22 Wrote:  It was a bigger game than the two play in games yesterday.

And we have a winner.

Kentucky basketball is a "brand" that dwarfs any school that played on TruTV last night.

Let Robert Morris have its day in the sun.

(03-20-2013 11:23 AM)curtis0620 Wrote:  Dr. its funny that RMU is the only College Hockey Division I program in Pittsburgh. They may get an at-large bid to the NCAA Hockey Tournament.

Yeah, I've been to Neville Island for a few games and they are a lot of fun.

(03-20-2013 11:04 AM)Dr. Isaly von Yinzer Wrote:  Nobody outside of Moon Township and Lexington will remember anything about that game by about 8 p.m. tomorrow night.

I disagree on this one point. Cal and the "one and dones" represent something in college basketball that many despise. The failure of this UK season culminates with the loss at Robert Morris.

Robert Morris will continually be brought but as an example of how Cal's One and Done system can be a failure. As long as Cal is at UK this Robert Morris game will supplement his critics.

Go Bobby Mo!!!!!!!!

(03-20-2013 11:29 AM)Dr. Isaly von Yinzer Wrote:  

(03-20-2013 11:23 AM)curtis0620 Wrote:  Dr. its funny that RMU is the only College Hockey Division I program in Pittsburgh. They may get an at-large bid to the NCAA Hockey Tournament.

Yeah, I've been to Neville Island for a few games and they are a lot of fun.

BTW: I actually attended RMU (was RMC back then). Class of 1982.

Why are they covering RMU/UK so much?

Because ESPN covered the game. They didn't cover the First Four games.

I saw the RMU/UK game beat the first four games TV ratings.

Hey Guys come on We're loving this.

(03-20-2013 09:39 AM)Caltex2 Wrote:  

(03-20-2013 09:33 AM)DexterDevil Wrote:  What should they put in the headlines? Texas and Houston in the CBI? There isn't much else on and I thought it was a pretty big deal compared to anything else that happened yesterday.

I didn't say they shouldn't have covered it and show some highlights. But they just got done interviewing Morris' coach and did a list of the biggest upsets in sports history. Really? This NIT upset compares to App. State-Michigan, The Miracle on Ice, N.C. State-Houston?

Don't get me wrong, it was fun to see but wow, calm down.

Wow...I love your pic... Kinda like the B1G/SEC stalking their next victim.

(03-20-2013 12:09 PM)CardFan1 Wrote:  Hey Guys come on We're loving this.

Yes, indeed. All hail Cal's one and done basketball program.

Because how else are you going to get Kentucky to actually play a smaller school at their place? A stroke of scheduling luck made it happen. Long Beach State hosted North Carolina this year. These type of games need to take place more often.

(03-20-2013 01:22 PM)jdgaucho Wrote:  Because how else are you going to get Kentucky to actually play a smaller school at their place? A stroke of scheduling luck made it happen. Long Beach State hosted North Carolina this year. These type of games need to take place more often.

Well at least it makes the case for the NCAA Selection Committee I guess.

(03-20-2013 11:38 AM)ULdave Wrote:  

(03-20-2013 11:04 AM)Dr. Isaly von Yinzer Wrote:  Nobody outside of Moon Township and Lexington will remember anything about that game by about 8 p.m. tomorrow night.

I disagree on this one point. Cal and the "one and dones" represent something in college basketball that many despise. The failure of this UK season culminates with the loss at Robert Morris.

Robert Morris will continually be brought but as an example of how Cal's One and Done system can be a failure. As long as Cal is at UK this Robert Morris game will supplement his critics.

Go Bobby Mo!!!!!!!!

Believe me - I have no love for Kentucky or Coach Cal whatsoever, but this is hardly an indictment of the One and Done system. The team won a national championship last year and has a good chance of being starting next season as the #1 team in the country (and almost certainly a lock for the top 5). They'll end up better off more often than not (even if people hate them).

(03-20-2013 03:24 PM)Frank the Tank Wrote:  

(03-20-2013 11:38 AM)ULdave Wrote:  

(03-20-2013 11:04 AM)Dr. Isaly von Yinzer Wrote:  Nobody outside of Moon Township and Lexington will remember anything about that game by about 8 p.m. tomorrow night.

I disagree on this one point. Cal and the "one and dones" represent something in college basketball that many despise. The failure of this UK season culminates with the loss at Robert Morris.

Robert Morris will continually be brought but as an example of how Cal's One and Done system can be a failure. As long as Cal is at UK this Robert Morris game will supplement his critics.

Go Bobby Mo!!!!!!!!

Believe me - I have no love for Kentucky or Coach Cal whatsoever, but this is hardly an indictment of the One and Done system. The team won a national championship last year and has a good chance of being starting next season as the #1 team in the country (and almost certainly a lock for the top 5). They'll end up better off more often than not (even if people hate them).

And just committed the #3 recruit in the country today...