For the first time ever, I didn't watch last night's Clemson-Alabama game or the two semifinal games. Watched a lot of the bowls. ESPIN is an evil disgusting sanitary napkin disposable container. I've been brainstorming on ways to lead to its demise as they've destroyed so many athletic teams with their disgraceful labels:
"BCS"
"Non BCS"
"P5"
"G5"
"Major"
"mid major"
ESPIN is actively destroying athletic teams of universities around the country. Let's destroy them. Anyone else pass on watching?

Cheers!

Nah, I watched.

Watched all 3 CFP games and just about every bowl game.

I saw ua-uw but not last night's game. Busy with sick kids.

(01-10-2017 12:42 PM)billybobby777 Wrote:  For the first time ever, I didn't watch last night's Clemson-Alabama game or the two semifinal games. Watched a lot of the bowls. ESPIN is an evil disgusting sanitary napkin disposable container. I've been brainstorming on ways to lead to its demise as they've destroyed so many athletic teams with their disgraceful labels:
"BCS"
"Non BCS"
"P5"
"G5"
"Major"
"mid major"
ESPIN is actively destroying athletic teams of universities around the country. Let's destroy them. Anyone else pass on watching?

Cheers!

You missed out on a he|| of game. Did not watch last year but did this year and extremely glad I did. Probably will not miss another game and did see parts of the other two games.

I watched the championship game and it was an instant classic. Your loss if you didn't watch it.

The semifinals are more difficult simply because it's New Year's Eve. We had people over at our house and put the games on TV, but they were more in the background (especially since they weren't particularly close). New Year's Eve semifinal games were always (and will always continue to be) a really bad idea.

I watched the last 9 minutes of the 4Q of the NCG. I was lying in bed watching on my phone.

I don't believe ESPN showed a single commercial the last 9 minutes of the game. Both teams were running no huddle offense. It made for a fast moving entertaining experience as a viewer. Typically watching a game on ESPN feels like being stuck in mud.

I watched on the WatchESPN app using my mother in-laws password. I swear WatchESPN is the crappiest app ever. I watch live TV through apps like Sling, BTN, Fox Sports Go and many others and only WatchESPN has really poor quality video and constant freezes. It's the worst streaming app around. Thank god I don't pay for it.

(01-10-2017 01:41 PM)goofus Wrote:  I watched the last 9 minutes of the 4Q of the NCG. I was lying in bed watching on my phone.

I don't believe ESPN showed a single commercial the last 9 minutes of the game. Both teams were running no huddle offense. It made for a fast moving entertaining experience as a viewer. Typically watching a game on ESPN feels like being stuck in mud.

Yes, it was actually pleasantly surprising and somewhat jarring that ESPN didn't show any commercials for that last stretch of the game. Of course, since you've stated that you only watched the last 9 minutes of the 4th quarter, you missed the bazillion commercials (using the Rolling Stones' "Gimme Shelter" as the lead-in and lead-out music every time) prior to that which caused the game time to balloon to well over 4 hours long.

No. I didn't see any of the playoff games or the championship game.

I caught a few minutes of several bowl games now and then, but no game in its entirety.

Think it's your mothers-in-laws wifi. Use it at home with my wireless internet. Perhaps one or twice the picture went from HD to SD. Got my first smart TV a few months back and works great with the builtin google cast that Vizio calls smart cast. (M-series).

(01-10-2017 01:54 PM)RutgersGuy Wrote:  I watched on the WatchESPN app using my mother in-laws password. I swear WatchESPN is the crappiest app ever. I watch live TV through apps like Sling, BTN, Fox Sports Go and many others and only WatchESPN has really poor quality video and constant freezes. It's the worst streaming app around. Thank god I don't pay for it.

I have the same issue with WatchESPN. It's awful.

I didn't watch any of the playoff games. I did watch a few other bowl games.

(01-10-2017 01:54 PM)RutgersGuy Wrote:  I watched on the WatchESPN app using my mother in-laws password. I swear WatchESPN is the crappiest app ever. I watch live TV through apps like Sling, BTN, Fox Sports Go and many others and only WatchESPN has really poor quality video and constant freezes. It's the worst streaming app around. Thank god I don't pay for it.

(01-10-2017 01:59 PM)Steve1981 Wrote:  Think it's your mothers-in-laws wifi. Use it at home with my wireless internet. Perhaps one or twice the picture went from HD to SD. Got my first smart TV a few months back and works great with the builtin google cast that Vizio calls smart cast. (M-series).

I have to agree with Steve. Streaming HD video requires tons of bandwidth. The WatchESPN app actually does a terrific job of compressing that data stream - but there are still minimum requirements. Works great for me on my cable internet wifi, and I even watched some games on my cell phone while sitting with relatives at the hospital recently (while logged in to the hospital's WiFi -- I know, not a good idea, but I was desperate!).

(01-10-2017 02:17 PM)Hokie Mark Wrote:  

(01-10-2017 01:54 PM)RutgersGuy Wrote:  I watched on the WatchESPN app using my mother in-laws password. I swear WatchESPN is the crappiest app ever. I watch live TV through apps like Sling, BTN, Fox Sports Go and many others and only WatchESPN has really poor quality video and constant freezes. It's the worst streaming app around. Thank god I don't pay for it.

(01-10-2017 01:59 PM)Steve1981 Wrote:  Think it's your mothers-in-laws wifi. Use it at home with my wireless internet. Perhaps one or twice the picture went from HD to SD. Got my first smart TV a few months back and works great with the builtin google cast that Vizio calls smart cast. (M-series).

I have to agree with Steve. Streaming HD video requires tons of bandwidth. The WatchESPN app actually does a terrific job of compressing that data stream - but there are still minimum requirements. Works great for me on my cable internet wifi, and I even watched some games on my cell phone while sitting with relatives at the hospital recently (while logged in to the hospital's WiFi -- I know, not a good idea, but I was desperate!).

What internet speeds do you supposedly have? I have cable internet with Comcast and it seems like it should be fast enough, but apparently not.

(01-10-2017 01:23 PM)Frank the Tank Wrote:  I watched the championship game and it was an instant classic. Your loss if you didn't watch it.

The semifinals are more difficult simply because it's New Year's Eve. We had people over at our house and put the games on TV, but they were more in the background (especially since they weren't particularly close). New Year's Eve semifinal games were always (and will always continue to be) a really bad idea.

I've heard it was a great game. Maybe I missed out, maybe I didn't. I'm trying to take a stand. One person isn't going to do much I know. Maybe a few will join me. I want espn to stop the marginalization of many proud universities by using non-official, non-NCAA labels to destroy our school's athletic teams. That's my purpose for not watching. If I'm alone in this, so be it. I don't think I am. When ESPN stops referring to the highest attendance football and basketball programs (BYU, ECU, Air Force and Navy as examples in football) as "non-power schools" and calling Wake and Rutgers "power schools" and when ESPIN stops referring to top 25 attendence year in and out for decades basketball programs such as Dayton, St Louis, UNLV and New Mexico as "mid-majors" while claiming horrific programs like Northwestern and Oregon St are "majors" I'll watch them again.
Rigged sports media is ruining our sport. There will be more casualties: Kansas St and Iowa St and other Big 12 schools not named OU and Texas: When You think you'll never be called a "mid major" remember what happened to Rice, SMU and Houston; former SWC schools now deemed "mid-majors" by ESPN. ESPN IS COMING for OU & UT and will put them in other "power conferences" leaving you for dead if we don't change things. The effects of being labeled as "non-power" and "mid-major" are absolutely crippling.
Cheers!

(01-10-2017 02:17 PM)Hokie Mark Wrote:  

(01-10-2017 01:54 PM)RutgersGuy Wrote:  I watched on the WatchESPN app using my mother in-laws password. I swear WatchESPN is the crappiest app ever. I watch live TV through apps like Sling, BTN, Fox Sports Go and many others and only WatchESPN has really poor quality video and constant freezes. It's the worst streaming app around. Thank god I don't pay for it.

(01-10-2017 01:59 PM)Steve1981 Wrote:  Think it's your mothers-in-laws wifi. Use it at home with my wireless internet. Perhaps one or twice the picture went from HD to SD. Got my first smart TV a few months back and works great with the builtin google cast that Vizio calls smart cast. (M-series).

I have to agree with Steve. Streaming HD video requires tons of bandwidth. The WatchESPN app actually does a terrific job of compressing that data stream - but there are still minimum requirements. Works great for me on my cable internet wifi, and I even watched some games on my cell phone while sitting with relatives at the hospital recently (while logged in to the hospital's WiFi -- I know, not a good idea, but I was desperate!).

I cut the cord earlier this month.

I cancelled DirecTV after 20 years and went with an Amazon Fire Stick, local antenna and Sling TV.

I have no problems with streaming WatchESPN or anything else.

(01-10-2017 01:59 PM)Steve1981 Wrote:  Think it's your mothers-in-laws wifi. Use it at home with my wireless internet. Perhaps one or twice the picture went from HD to SD. Got my first smart TV a few months back and works great with the builtin google cast that Vizio calls smart cast. (M-series).

It had nothing to do with her Wifi since she lives in another state. I have a good wifi stream where I watch almost all of my live TV through it and never experience the issues I do while watching WatchESPN. Sling works perfectly as does the BTN and FoxSportsGo. It's only WatchESPN that is dogs***.

Iam all in with billybobby
No I did not watch the game

(01-10-2017 02:48 PM)billybobby777 Wrote:  

(01-10-2017 01:23 PM)Frank the Tank Wrote:  I watched the championship game and it was an instant classic. Your loss if you didn't watch it.

The semifinals are more difficult simply because it's New Year's Eve. We had people over at our house and put the games on TV, but they were more in the background (especially since they weren't particularly close). New Year's Eve semifinal games were always (and will always continue to be) a really bad idea.

I've heard it was a great game. Maybe I missed out, maybe I didn't. I'm trying to take a stand. One person isn't going to do much I know. Maybe a few will join me. I want espn to stop the marginalization of many proud universities by using non-official, non-NCAA labels to destroy our school's athletic teams. That's my purpose for not watching. If I'm alone in this, so be it. I don't think I am. When ESPN stops referring to the highest attendance football and basketball programs (BYU, ECU, Air Force and Navy as examples in football) as "non-power schools" and calling Wake and Rutgers "power schools" and when ESPIN stops referring to top 25 attendence year in and out for decades basketball programs such as Dayton, St Louis, UNLV and New Mexico as "mid-majors" while claiming horrific programs like Northwestern and Oregon St are "majors" I'll watch them again.
Rigged sports media is ruining our sport. There will be more casualties: Kansas St and Iowa St and other Big 12 schools not named OU and Texas: When You think you'll never be called a "mid major" remember what happened to Rice, SMU and Houston; former SWC schools now deemed "mid-majors" by ESPN. ESPN IS COMING for OU & UT and will put them in other "power conferences" leaving you for dead if we don't change things. The effects of being labeled as "non-power" and "mid-major" are absolutely crippling.
Cheers!

You're not alone. Anyway, there are at least two of us.

(01-10-2017 02:48 PM)billybobby777 Wrote:  

(01-10-2017 01:23 PM)Frank the Tank Wrote:  I watched the championship game and it was an instant classic. Your loss if you didn't watch it.

The semifinals are more difficult simply because it's New Year's Eve. We had people over at our house and put the games on TV, but they were more in the background (especially since they weren't particularly close). New Year's Eve semifinal games were always (and will always continue to be) a really bad idea.

I've heard it was a great game. Maybe I missed out, maybe I didn't. I'm trying to take a stand. One person isn't going to do much I know. Maybe a few will join me. I want espn to stop the marginalization of many proud universities by using non-official, non-NCAA labels to destroy our school's athletic teams. That's my purpose for not watching. If I'm alone in this, so be it. I don't think I am. When ESPN stops referring to the highest attendance football and basketball programs (BYU, ECU, Air Force and Navy as examples in football) as "non-power schools" and calling Wake and Rutgers "power schools" and when ESPIN stops referring to top 25 attendence year in and out for decades basketball programs such as Dayton, St Louis, UNLV and New Mexico as "mid-majors" while claiming horrific programs like Northwestern and Oregon St are "majors" I'll watch them again.
Rigged sports media is ruining our sport. There will be more casualties: Kansas St and Iowa St and other Big 12 schools not named OU and Texas: When You think you'll never be called a "mid major" remember what happened to Rice, SMU and Houston; former SWC schools now deemed "mid-majors" by ESPN. ESPN IS COMING for OU & UT and will put them in other "power conferences" leaving you for dead if we don't change things. The effects of being labeled as "non-power" and "mid-major" are absolutely crippling.
Cheers!

To the extent that it's "rigged", it's not ESPN.

It's actually very real as the Power Five (including Notre Dame) are codified in the CFP contract and under the autonomy rules of the NCAA. Now, you might not like it, but it's definitely not arbitrary or media-driven. It's pretty explicit and well-defined.

At the same time, casual fan interest is driven by brand names. To the extent that there was a lack of interest in this year's game, it pretty much had nothing to do with the lack of G5 participation and everything to do with it being a rematch. If it was Alabama vs. Michigan or USC for the championship game, then that would have driven more interest by comparison.