2007 Western Conference Finals lowest rated in years?

[Fast Dunk]

Here a couple of articles:

Spurs beat Jazz; nobody cares.


The San Antonio Spurs' Game 1 victory over the Utah Jazz drew a 3.8 overnight rating, the second-lowest of the playoffs in the late afternoon Sunday timeslot for ABC. Only Game 4 of the semi-finals between the Detroit Pistons and Chicago Bulls, a game Detroit entered up 3-0, drew a lower overnight.

The 3.8 overnight is down 43% from the 6.7/15 the comparable Cavaliers/Pistons Game 7 drew on the same date last year. The rating is also down 27% from the 5.2/11 for Game 1 of the 2005 Western Conference Finals between the Spurs and the Suns, which also aired on a Sunday afternoon.

The 3.8 overnight is the lowest for an NBA Conference Final game in at least the past ten years, and likely the lowest ever. In fact, only one Conference Final game has drawn a final rating less than 4.0 in that span of time -- Nets/Pistons Game 1 in 2003, which drew a broadcast network record low of 3.5. Despite the record low rating, that game still drew a 4.8 overnight rating in a weaker timeslot (1:30 p.m).

Considering that the NBA has been incurring staggering drops from the overnight to the final rating this postseason, there is every likelihood that this game will end up with a final rating lower than 3.0 -- unheard of for a Conference Final game on broadcast television -- and it is extremely likely that the final rating for Game 1 will end up lower than the final rating for Game 1 of last year's Western Conference Final, which aired on cable (TNT).

[Fast Dunk]

NBA's worst case scenario comes true.

They are stodgy and conservative, playing conventional offense. They are led by two no-nonsense, no-frills coaches. The biggest star, and that is using the term loosely, is a stoic big man who has failed to wow most casual fans, even after winning three championships and three NBA Finals MVP awards. They play in small-markets that are apparently so out-of-touch that in one city, 2Unlimited's "Are You Ready for This?" is played during the player intros, and in the other, Tina Turner's "Simply the Best" was blared through the speakers after the team won in the second round.

These are not sexy teams. These are not big markets. And for many, these are not entertaining teams.

These are the San Antonio Spurs and the Utah Jazz, and for the next two weeks, they will be the background music to the Cavaliers/Pistons series in the East.

The two teams they eliminated, the Golden State Warriors and the Phoenix Suns, are the antithesis of these two teams. Flashy, exciting teams that play an up-tempo style. Teams that even the most casual fan would tune in to see. So far in this postseason, the highest rated games involved either of the two teams; in fact, no game without either Golden State or Phoenix has even averaged a 3.0 national rating.

Granted, the same could be said of San Antonio and Utah. After all, the Spurs and Jazz were involved in those series as well; the problem is, people were not tuning in to watch them. It is almost like saying the Jazz were involved in two of the highest rated NBA Finals ever -- that may be true, but nobody was tuning in to see Karl Malone and John Stockton in 1997 and 1998.

The Spurs and Jazz have a reputation to overcome. The two teams have played a fairly colorless style basketball on many occasions -- especially the former -- with slow, plodding games that made many fans tune out. Anyone who remembers the 1999 and 2003 NBA Finals knows that Spurs basketball is generally not something to lead someone to jump out of their seat with excitement. In fact, as offensive as this may sound to San Antonio fans, Spurs basketball is more along the lines of something the Comcast Slowskys might enjoy.

The Jazz, despite having a completely new cast of characters from the last time they were prominent, still have the reputation as a half-court, slow-it-down team that they earned during their run in the 1990s.

Nobody expects the games in this series to be wildly entertaining in the fashion of a Warriors or Suns game, though purists will likely enjoy what should be a no-frills, no-fancy passes, no-showboating, fairly emotionless series. While Golden State/Phoenix would have had final scores of 120-110 and at least one out-of-this-world highlight per night, Utah/San Antonio will likely enthrall fans with 81-74 scores and monotone expressions for six to seven games.

And none of that would have been a problem three years ago. Ratings would have been bad, but not as bad as they will be this year. Three years ago, in 2004, low scoring, plodding games were expected. There was no hope for excitement or even for overly charismatic stars. A Spurs/Jazz series would have been expected three years ago, because nobody knew of anything better.

Now, three years later, people know that there is a more entertaining product. That basketball with predictable offenses and scores in the low 80s is not a requirement of the playoffs. That teams can actually appear to have fun while playing, that games can be vibrant and have people jump out of their seats. After being tantalized with a Phoenix/Golden State Conference Final, casual and even many NBA fans will tune out -- almost in protest -- of a series that could very well set basketball back to 1999-2004 levels.

Currently, the lowest rated Conference Final of at least the last twenty years was New Jersey/Detroit in 2003 -- a series exactly like Spurs/Jazz. Two relatively unappealing teams from two relatively unappealing markets playing very unappealing, fundamental basketball. The scores in that series? 76-74, 88-86, 97-85 and 102-82, all won by the Nets. The ratings for that series were 3.5, 2.7, 4.2 and 1.9, with the two highest ratings the product of airing on broadcast television (ABC). If Utah/San Antonio goes to six or seven games, as it likely will, expect higher numbers. Despite the disaster awaiting ABC/ESPN, the ratings should at the very least be slightly within reason.

This is not to offend the fans of the Jazz or Spurs; after all, Spurs fans must know by now that most of the nation is not interested in their team. Drops of 40%, 36% and 29% for each of the three Finals the team has played in should be a good indicator of that by now. It is certainly not the fault of the San Antonio Spurs that they do not interest mainstream America; as unfair as it is, if the exact roster of the team was transfered into Laker jerseys, they may in fact be the talk of the town and leading the NBA to a new golden age of television ratings.

Then again, that may not be true; after all the New York Knicks of 1994 and 1999, teams that played a particularly gruesome style of basketball, failed to inspire the interest of most viewers. The 1994 Finals and 1999 Finals were down 31% and 40%, respectively, from previous years.

The fact may be that the Spurs and the Jazz simply just don't do it for most viewers. Whether its the just-the-facts-ma'am type of play, or the small markets, or even the lifeless color schemes of both teams (black and white for the Spurs, navy/powder blue and white for the Jazz). The package just does not work. And in the next two weeks, the NBA will see a series that may very well be a classic one. Unfortunately for the league and ESPN/ABC, barely anyone will watch.
Labels: NBA Playoffs, Ratings

[Summers]

Um... welcome to our little board... I think.

[ChumpDumper]

Thanks for providing links.


And we really don't care. We watched the game.

[LilMissSPURfect]

I watched !

[fyatuk]

Nobody expects the games in this series to be wildly entertaining in the fashion of a Warriors or Suns game, though purists will likely enjoy what should be a no-frills, no-fancy passes, no-showboating, fairly emotionless series. While Golden State/Phoenix would have had final scores of 120-110 and at least one out-of-this-world highlight per night, Utah/San Antonio will likely enthrall fans with 81-74 scores and monotone expressions for six to seven games.


Gotta love seeing this posted after a 108-100 game with many highlight reel plays in it.

Reputations are great...

[hater]

I was really bored with the game myself, and I'm a Spurs fan.

Utah vs. Spurs is just a boring matchup.

But Spurs vs. Detroit would be a different story. I can't wait to see that finals if it comes to that.

Spurs vs. Cavs would be boring, cavs are sooo boring to watch. 4 scrubs + lebronze. Nets vs. Cavs was the worst series in the entire playoffs.

[TampaDude]

We care about the Spurs. They may not be flashy, but they win and win and win...that makes us happy. :toast

[anonymous coward]

:owned :sleep

[AnkleBreaker21]

i could give a shit about the ratings as long as the spurs win.im not making money on the ratings, so screw them

[Budkin]

Here we go again...

[twincam]

Who really cares about the ratings? I mean really...who cares? The networks just want ratings.....the Spurs fans just want the trophy. Nuff said

[naico]

cavs are indeed the most boring team in the league to watch..just awfull..and drew gooden's haircut just makes it worse lol

[hater]

that being said, the 2nd quarter of yesterday's game was amazing!

the passes the Spurs were making were incredible. Manu's pass and Tony between the legs pass were some of the best plays of the whole playoffs!!!

[The Go For 4]

No surprise here.

[steppy]

Blame Dallas. They didn't keep up their end of the deal.

[MadDog73]

Who cares who's watching?


Just win baby!

[hater]

cavs are indeed the most boring team in the league to watch..just awfull..and drew gooden's haircut just makes it worse lol

I agree, cavs are just a pain to watch.

[twincam]

I mean really....who really cares?

We are not the league/network, etc.

We are Spurs fans and only care about the trophy!

Nuff said!

Please drop the over-rated "ratings" threads.

Why bother?

[ChumpDumper]

I guess you care enough to start another thread about them.

[jacobdrj]

If there aren't good ratings, you may not get to see the games on TV in the not so distant future...

[picnroll]

I guarantee this series, basketball-wise will be more interesting than watching Dertoit hammerlock LeBron for the four game sweep. Maybe Cleveland can pull out a win to make it a cliffhanger.

[DarrinS]

I'm glad the ratings are low.


Anyone remember in 1999 when they were putting the Spurs playoff games on pay-per-view?


I was like, WTF???

[hater]

If there aren't good ratings, you may not get to see the games on TV in the not so distant future...

we would see them through streaming internet, which would be better IMO

[AnkleBreaker21]

Blame Dallas. They didn't keep up their end of the deal.
:lol :lol yep fucking losers

[jacobdrj]

I don't understand why. But Utah is a fun team to watch, with a solid inside-outside game, and they play intense. All the things you need for entertaining basketball. Oh, and the Spurs are good too :rolleyes:

[LilMissSPURfect]

Blame Dallas. They didn't keep up their end of the deal.
:toast :toast

[~~Ice Man 2000~~]

:clap :clap :clap :clap :clap :clap :clap
i could give a shit about the ratings as long as the spurs win.im not making money on the ratings, so screw them

[ChumpDumper]

If there aren't good ratings, you may not get to see the games on TV in the not so distant future...False. You can even see hockey on TV.

I saw women's lacrosse on tv for chrissakes.

[The Go For 4]

I'm glad the ratings are low.


Anyone remember in 1999 when they were putting the Spurs playoff games on pay-per-view?


I was like, WTF???

I remember in the 80's they would even blackout the road games on national Tv.

[DarrinS]

Is a Cleveland fan really posting things about ratings.


Please go watch your game 5 vs. Jersey.

:sleep

[jacobdrj]

The issue is seeing it consistently, and at good times. Sure, they would be available somewhere (internet) but probably for pay (bad), and probably not at times that are conducive to watching those said games.

[Spurminator]

Not low enough. Come on, Casualfan, you can do better than that! I want NHL-bad ratings!

[Jockularity!]

Disney shot itself in the foot on this one. They spend the last series trashing San Antonio on ESPN as "boring" and "dirty." Meanwhile they ignore Utah for the entire season. So you've got a team that's been wrongly painted as boring and another that no one knows anything about because they were ignored. What did you expect, Disney?

[ChumpDumper]

Nah, it would at least be on the vs. channel.

[twincam]

I guess you care enough to start another thread about them.


sure thing buddy

[FromWayDowntown]

I think next year the league should skip the playoffs and just have fans vote on which two teams should play for the title. That way, the best interest of the fans -- so often cited during the suspension talk surrounding Suns-Spurs -- would be satisfied while ensuring that the networks don't have to apologize to their viewers about not being able to show bright shiny objects and, instead, having to show two excellent basketball teams play games of huge significance.

I understand why ratings are important, but I don't understand the willingess by some to suggest that low ratings makes a team an unworthy participant in late round games.

[Dingle Barry]

Just further proof that this country is chock full of mindless drones. This shouldn't be too surprising when over half of the country tunes in to watch someone dance with Mario Lopez.

[MaNuMaNiAc]

So basically, what they are saying is that mainstream America doesn't know shit about good basketball. Basically they don't mind getting a turd for christmas as long as it comes in bright, shiny packaging!

[duncan228]

We get the trophy even if no one watches, right?

[Dingle Barry]

Shit I mean Slater

[AnkleBreaker21]

Just further proof that this country is chock full of mindless drones. This shouldn't be too surprising when over half of the country tunes in to watch someone dance with Mario Lopez.
:lol :lol
:lol :lol
:lol :lol

[doldrums]

That's only US viewers, remember to add the global viewers . With the Spurs and Jazz that will add quite a few.

[nkdlunch]

the average american TV watcher likes to watch Nascar. yes, they enjoy watching cars go around in a circle, over and over and over.

[nkdlunch]

and I agree Cavs vs. Nets series was the ugliest piece of trash series in years.

[CosmicCowboy]

I agree, cavs are just a pain to watch.

That can't POSSIBLY be true...they have LeBron James!!! The savior of the NBA!

It would actually be funny if the Cav's miraculously scraped by Detroit and they got Spurs/Cavs in the finals...

[SpursDynasty]

I don't know why ANY mention by sports writers is made of the RATINGS that a certain series gets. So what if the Jazz-Spurs WCF is the lowest rated WCF in history? The NBA playoffs aren't here to tell us which team draws the highest television ratings, the NBA playoffs award the BEST TEAM in the NBA at PLAYING THE GAME, not the best team at drawing ratings.

So the fact that idiot writers have to insult the NBA, insult hard-working teams like San Antonio and Utah and their fans by writing pointless articles about how many ratings points team are drawing or are failing to draw just shows how much people care about real basketball these days.

The fact is that the Spurs and Jazz couldn't give a shit about how many people watch their series on at TV. They're after that trophy.

It's the same usual scenario every year: A certain team(s) gets hyped as the "best in the NBA and favorite to win" (Lakers in 03 and 04, Pistons/Mavericks in 06 and Mavericks/Suns in 07), that team doesn't make it, and the teams that do make it get credit taken away by sports writers talking about how it's the lowest NBA Finals or such in 20 years. Bullshit.

Hey, atleast the Conference Finals in the East has LeBron. He's the next Michael Jordan, right? :lol

[DDS4]

The Cavs have probably the worst offensive execution in the history of the ECF.

Give LBJ the ball and everybody else spread the floor and get out of the goddamn way.

But you probably didn't notice since you've been drinking the LBJ coolaid that the league's been pimpin' all this time.

[TampaDude]

I don't give a shit what the TV ratings are...I'm not an advertiser...I just want that trophy! :toast

[judaspriestess]

We are dealing with people who are more interested in that piece-o-crap paris hilton going to jail. That is the attention span of a "casual fan"

The comment about the team colors is stupid. Black and Silver are hella powerful colors. gay ass orange?

Spurs better win the title this year cause we probably won't see it again if ABC has their way.

But these numbers are misleading, as the NBA numbers as a whole have been on the decline for quite some time.

[timvp]

Does this mean the Spurs have to replay Game 1?

[picnroll]

People like exciting plays generated by poor execution, lax play, defnsive breakdowns and missed assignments. To many that's the highest form of basketball.

[ChumpDumper]

Does this mean the Spurs have to replay Game 1?It means they have to replay game 5 with Amare and Boris.

[Supergirl]

This really has nothing to do with the style of ball the Spurs and the Jazz play. Basketball fans everywhere KNOW Tim Duncan and are wowed by Manu.

The problem is, San Antonio is a poor city and a small market, no matter how big a city it gets. And Utah is not much of a market for basketball, either, as evidenced by the Jazz requiring an entire state to get behind their team, rather than being the Salt Lake City Jazz or something like that.

It's a shame, really, because SA plays the best basketball. But it's the same reason the city was in danger of losing its team 10 years ago - it's just not a big enough market to draw in a national audience.

[judaspriestess]

People like exciting plays generated by poor execution, lax play, defnsive breakdowns and missed assignments. To many that's the highest form of basketball.

yes very dumbed down basketball, but thats part of the dumbing down of America.

[SpursDynasty]

I remember in the 80's they would even blackout the road games on national Tv.

Didn't all home games used to be on PPV in the mid-90s? How about TNT blacking out home games?

[ChumpDumper]

Didn't all home games used to be on PPV in the mid-90s? How about TNT blacking out home games?PPV and blacking out was always the team's call. I could be wrong but I don't remember its happeneing much after McCombs sold the team.

[SpursDynasty]

Didn't the NBA announce this regular season as their HIGHEST average league attendance in NBA history?

[dbreiden83080]

Anyone VS Utah is not going to draw a big rating unless it is the Lakers playing them or they make it to the finals and it is the Cavs. Spurs/Pistons will get a pretty good rating, the 2005 series was a good rating not record breaking but good.

[Dingle Barry]

When I become a billionaire I am going to distribute television sets to every poor mexican in "tha valley" and west texas, thereby making SA the largest television market in America.

[fyatuk]

If there aren't good ratings, you may not get to see the games on TV in the not so distant future...

Not an issue as long as the Spurs occupy the ATT, they have to ensure at least all home games are televised or something like that. And no games can be PPV.

[Tek_XX]

Anyone VS Utah is not going to draw a big rating unless it is the Lakers playing them or they make it to the finals and it is the Cavs. Spurs/Pistons will get a pretty good rating, the 2005 series was a good rating not record breaking but good.

Don't think the Spurs/Pistons 2005 got a very good rating compared to other finals. But it doesn't matter, there's not much the Spurs or the league can do about it. L.A and New York could care less about this matchup and the league right now because their teams suck.

[dknights411]

Does anyone think that it might be ABC's own coverage that's driving the ratings down?

[Tek_XX]

Does anyone think that it might be ABC's own coverage that's driving the ratings down?

Don't understand it really but if a sucky heat or laker team were playing the ratings would definitly go up.

[dbreiden83080]

Don't think the Spurs/Pistons 2005 got a very good rating compared to other finals. But it doesn't matter, there's not much the Spurs or the league can do about it. L.A and New York could care less about this matchup and the league right now because their teams suck.

It did not get a good rating compared to the Lakers/Pistons final the year before because they are well the Lakers. They have legions of fans everywhere and haters that will tune in hoping they get their asses kicked. The rating was good though compared to other finals. The 2003 finals ratings were awful beyond belief thanks mainly to NJ. Trust me i live in NY and in the papers it is a running joke how nobody gives a shit about that team. They play in front of am empty arena all season. That is why they are moving to Brooklyn after next year.

[Jockularity!]

Does anyone think that it might be ABC's own coverage that's driving the ratings down?

RIGHT NOW!

[SA210]

They play in small-markets that are apparently so out-of-touch that in one city, 2Unlimited's "Are You Ready for This?" is played during the player intros, and in the other, Tina Turner's "Simply the Best" was blared through the speakers after the team won in the second round.

:lol

[dbreiden83080]

Does anyone think that it might be ABC's own coverage that's driving the ratings down?

To an extent yes because NBC did a much better job promoting the NBA playoff games tieing it in to their major primetime shows as a means of advertising. The NBA on NBC was huge, granted Jordan and the Bulls had a lot to do with it but they overall did a better job handling the games than ABC and TNT. It is hard for people to find the games a lot of time because they are on at weird times on too many different channels.

[GrandeDavid]

Blow me, critics. The final score was 108-100, not 70-66. The Spurs are a freaking blast to watch if you know about basketball.

[jacobdrj]

People like exciting plays generated by poor execution, lax play, defnsive breakdowns and missed assignments. To many that's the highest form of basketball.
Perfectly said.

The fact is, the NBA is marketed more than any other team sport, on name recognition. Jazz have none at this point. Spurs have Timmay, but he is so professional, he doesn't generate storyline interest. Ginobli and Parker do internationally, but that is neither here nor there.

[violentkitten]

so it's settled. the league is conspiring to lower its ratings in order to advance the spurs.

[braeden0613]

blame this on espn/abc...when you constantly call a team boring/vanilla, people will believe it

[dbreiden83080]

Perfectly said.

The fact is, the NBA is marketed more than any other team sport, on name recognition. Jazz have none at this point. Spurs have Timmay, but he is so professional, he doesn't generate storyline interest. Ginobli and Parker do internationally, but that is neither here nor there.

True if Timmy wanted more ratings he would need to start throwing his teamates under the bus and beating his wife. That would get morons in today's society to tune in to the games more.

[smeagol]

so it's settled. the league is conspiring to lower its ratings in order to advance the spurs.

To me what's clear is that ratings > rings.

[violentkitten]

i saw some great basketball played on sunday afternoon. the problem apparently is that it didn't involve a team from a major east coast media market and the biggest star in the game, one of the top 10 players of all time, is known as a focused and undemonstrative team player.

[violentkitten]

where's rodman to kick a cameraman in the nuts when you need him?

[Tek_XX]

Oh man the story now on PTI is low ratings, empty seats.

[coachmac87]

they said on around the horn that yesterdays game had the same rating as the games against the suns...so i guess the country just doesnt like basketball...

[CosmicCowboy]

They need someone like John Madden with his digital pen to show the "average fan" whats REALLY happening on the floor. Maybe if they understood basketball they would appreciate this series.

then again...naaaaaa

They just want defenses to part like Moses and the Red Sea so LeBron can make a sportscenter dunk.

[steppy]

I'm not sure about anyone else but it's a thing of beauty when the Spurs execute their defense perfectly and go back the other way and make a great offensive play.

Watching a team in synch like that is what makes the games enjoyable.

[timvp]

I expect more rule changes to make sure teams like San Antonio, Utah and Detroit stop making the conference finals. It's what they did after 1999, 2003 and 2005.

The bad news for the rest of the league is that teams that play as a team can overcome any rule change. It might take a year or two to get the needed personnel to adjust to the new rules, but the cream will eventually rise to the top.

[Kori Ellis]

The 3.8 overnight is down 43% from the 6.7/15 the comparable Cavaliers/Pistons Game 7 drew on the same date last year.

:lol I'm sure someone said this in the thread already, but why are they comparing a Game 1 to a Game 7? Of course, many more people would watch a game 7 - no matter what teams are playing.

[jacobdrj]

The cream does not always rise to the top. Period.

[Tek_XX]

I expect more rule changes to make sure teams like San Antonio, Utah and Detroit stop making the conference finals. It's what they did after 1999, 2003 and 2005.

The bad news for the rest of the league is that teams that play as a team can overcome any rule change. It might take a year or two to get the needed personnel to adjust to the new rules, but the cream will eventually rise to the top.

And what rule changes would that be? You must be four feet away from a Laker? Shaq automatically gets 20 uncontested dunks?

[ChumpDumper]

"Players who are young may go anywhere on or off the court at any time."

[Despot]

Not worried, next year James White will make us the most watched team in all of sports.

While I have come to accept the Spurs won't get the ratings, I would love to see the ratings for the other series this year and years past, part of me thinks the media is overplaying this and using it as a way to "punish" the Spurs for cheating and not letting the Suns win. I would love to see the ratings for the other series.

[atxrocker]

its the frickin san antonio spurs. and the utah jazz. is anybody surprised that people dont consider this worth watching. seriously?

[Spurminator]

:lol I'm sure someone said this in the thread already, but why are they comparing a Game 1 to a Game 7? Of course, many more people would watch a game 7 - no matter what teams are playing.


Wow I didn't even notice that.

What a ridiculous comparison.

Still, I hope the next game is worse.

[timvp]

And what rule changes would that be? You must be four feet away from a Laker? Shaq automatically gets 20 uncontested dunks?
Spurs win it all in '99 and then suddenly they change the illegal defense rules because the Spurs had two seven-footers who could clog the lane.

Spurs win it all in '03 and they suddenly start focusing on traveling violations because the Spurs had a lot of players who pushed the boundaries of the rule (aka the big three).

Spurs win it all in '05 and then sudden you can't touch a player at all on the perimeter. That leads to a free throw war that a Spurs team could never win.

I'm not sure it was all directly aimed at the Spurs, but it did it's just nonetheless.

[smeagol]

Who cares about ratings? I want rings.

Screw Disney.

[peskypesky]

Here a couple of articles:

Spurs beat Jazz; nobody cares.


The San Antonio Spurs' Game 1 victory over the Utah Jazz drew a 3.8 overnight rating, the second-lowest of the playoffs in the late afternoon Sunday timeslot for ABC. Only Game 4 of the semi-finals between the Detroit Pistons and Chicago Bulls, a game Detroit entered up 3-0, drew a lower overnight.

The 3.8 overnight is down 43% from the 6.7/15 the comparable Cavaliers/Pistons Game 7 drew on the same date last year. The rating is also down 27% from the 5.2/11 for Game 1 of the 2005 Western Conference Finals between the Spurs and the Suns, which also aired on a Sunday afternoon.

The 3.8 overnight is the lowest for an NBA Conference Final game in at least the past ten years, and likely the lowest ever. In fact, only one Conference Final game has drawn a final rating less than 4.0 in that span of time -- Nets/Pistons Game 1 in 2003, which drew a broadcast network record low of 3.5. Despite the record low rating, that game still drew a 4.8 overnight rating in a weaker timeslot (1:30 p.m).

Considering that the NBA has been incurring staggering drops from the overnight to the final rating this postseason, there is every likelihood that this game will end up with a final rating lower than 3.0 -- unheard of for a Conference Final game on broadcast television -- and it is extremely likely that the final rating for Game 1 will end up lower than the final rating for Game 1 of last year's Western Conference Final, which aired on cable (TNT).

Fuck off annd go lick Lebron's scrotum. It'll be hurting after y'all lose to the Pistons.

[midgetonadonkey]

Next year the league will ban defense all together. Contested shots will be met with a personal foul and blocks will be rewarded with a technical foul.

[smeagol]

its the frickin san antonio spurs. and the utah jazz. is anybody surprised that people dont consider this worth watching. seriously?
Ever watch your ugly team play?

[peskypesky]

Who cares about ratings? I want rings.

Screw Disney.

What the f has happened to basketball, when people think the best team is the one that has the highest ratings, instead of the team that wins the most games in the Finals?

As my co-worker said today, if that's how people feel, then why even keep score? Let's just give style points and forget about the rest.

[Spurminator]

2008: All baskets will now be supplemented with extra points as determined by a panel of judges including Sports TV personalities, popular former players, and one lucky fan selected in an online contest sponsored by Sprite.

Players now may be awarded up to five additional points per basket if the judges score them high on degree of difficulty, flair and finishing pose.

[pooh]

There was a game yesterday?

[ChumpDumper]

Not a Pacer game.

[smeagol]

2008: All baskets will now be supplemented with extra points as determined by a panel of judges including Sports TV personalities, popular former players, and one lucky fan selected in an online contest sponsored by Sprite.

Players now may be awarded up to five additional points per basket if the judges score them high on degree of difficulty, flair and finishing pose.

:lol :lol :lol :lol :lol :lol

Smooth sense of humor . . .

[CosmicCowboy]

What the f has happened to basketball, when people think the best team is the one that has the highest ratings, instead of the team that wins the most games in the Finals?

As my co-worker said today, if that's how people feel, then why even keep score? Let's just give style points and forget about the rest.

No shit.

Lets let The Harlem Globetrotters and the Washington Generals go head to head for 7 games.

[smeagol]

Not a Pacer game.
:lol :lol :lol :lol :lol

You guys are killing me!

[da_suns_fan__]

There was a game yesterday?


No joke!

A buddy of mine from El Paso watched it. I asked if I missed anything.

He said Duncan missed a wide open layup that he should have dunked. Thats all that stood out.

[CosmicCowboy]

No joke!

A buddy of mine from El Paso watched it. I asked if I missed anything.

He said Duncan missed a wide open layup that he should have dunked. Thats all that stood out.

:lmao

Don't you wish he had missed more Friday?...:lol

[ChumpDumper]

No Suns game either.

[CosmicCowboy]

No joke!

A buddy of mine from El Paso watched it. I asked if I missed anything.

He said Duncan missed a wide open layup that he should have dunked. Thats all that stood out.

Yeah, Duncan is pretty awful. By the end of this series he should have the longest string of playoff double doubles ever recorded in the NBA.

[Budkin]

its the frickin san antonio spurs. and the utah jazz. is anybody surprised that people dont consider this worth watching. seriously?

That's the best part. We don't really give a shit.

[da_suns_fan__]

I feel bad for people like Dave Abbot of true hoop. He can't just quit. He HAS to write something.

So he continues to write about the Suns (Mommy has a headache).

I wonder if everyone at the media table on Sunday looked at each other and said "God...this sucks."

[LEONARD]

Game 1 in SA not a sellout? I'm ashamed to be a member of SpursTalk today... :( :cry

[aaronstampler]

2008: All baskets will now be supplemented with extra points as determined by a panel of judges including Sports TV personalities, popular former players, and one lucky fan selected in an online contest sponsored by Sprite.

Players now may be awarded up to five additional points per basket if the judges score them high on degree of difficulty, flair and finishing pose.

Don't forget the dance afterward.

[ducks]

sunday afternoon people take naps
this game was a blowout in first half
most felt it was going to be a blowout
jazz sucked

[SpurYank]

Seems to me a Sunday afternoon game, when many working adults are with their children at the park, in church, or just plain would rather see it on TV and not pay $3.30 for a gallon of gas, is no reason to make a federal case out of 500 $30 seats in nose bleed sections being empty. I have been a Spurs fan for years and travel 1500 miles to SA 2-3 times a year, at a cost of well over a $1000 per weekend trip, just to see the best basketball in America, David Robinson, Tim Duncan, Tony, Manu, and all the Spurs.

I couldn't get off to watch a game in SA during the playoffs, but I did get off to watch the third game in Salt Lake City on Saturday. My wife and I are traveling 1500 miles over a two-day weekend to watch the Spurs play. I could get in my car and watch the Nets, the Cavs, the Pistons, etc, But I know where the best basketball is played. "It ain't up here where I live."

The objective in any competitive game is to win, not to please the East Coast "lovers of entertainment." This is a competitive sport.

People have got to stop crying about the superiority of the Spurs.

[Extra Stout]

Apparently, this series is so boring that not even people in San Antonio want to watch it.

[smeagol]

Let's see . . . a couple more points of rating or a ring . . .

What should I pick . . .

Darn, what a difficult choice . . .

[bdictjames]

Suns fans are boycotting the Western showdown. That has to be the only explanation

[Louie Vega]

I'm just tuned into check the score of that barnburner of a series Cavs / Pistons and the score is 56 - 55 start of the 4th quarter! What a fucken joke!

[FromWayDowntown]

I'm just tuned into check the score of that barnburner of a series Cavs / Pistons and the score is 56 - 55 start of the 4th quarter! What a fucken joke!

At this point, Pistons/Cavs is making Spurs/Warriors look like a Suns/Warriors matchup.

[jazzin7]

Who really cares about the ratings? I mean really...who cares? The networks just want ratings.....the Spurs fans just want the trophy. Nuff said

Ditto the jazz fans. Let the most boring team win and crush the East.

[Louie Vega]

Ditto the jazz fans. Let the most boring team win and crush the East.


+1

[LakerLanny]

It was an extremely boring game 1 and Detroit and Cleveland aren't exactly going to light up the Finals with anything worth watching either.

They should just pretend they played the games and give the Spurs the title now, no one would really care at this point. Once BDiddy went down, the NBA playoffs became meaningless.

[Dave McNulla]

fifty free throws in the last minute of the game? that last part was sooooo boring.

i think when a team hits 10 team fouls in a quarter, they should just count two point for the fouled team.

[dav4463]

smaller market teams = less people= less ratings. Who cares? I like good basketball. Good basketball fans will watch the series. That's what matters. A championship is no less significant if ratings are low.