Could ESPN Take the Final Four From CBS?
1-liner, College Basketball, Media Gossip/Musings November 6th. 2009, 3:30pmESPN and the Final Four: If you couldn’t get enough of the Ron Franklin-Brent Musburger-Bob Knight discussion this morning … ESPN could be getting the Final 4 if the NCAA opts out of its deal with CBS by July 31, 2010. What’s your guess as to which announcing pair/trio ESPN would trot out for the Final 4? Dan Shulman and Dick Vitale? Nantz and Packer it ain’t, but that’s a damn fun trio. (We imagine every college basketball fan outside of Tobacco Road would be repulsed by the thought of this; even thought Duke and UNC weren’t in the Final 4, Vitale would find a way to mention ‘em.) Sean McDonough, Bill Raftery and Jay Bilas? That’s a solid trio. Shulman and McDonough are basically a wash; Raftery and Bilas kinda sorta have a Bill Walton-Snapper Jones banter going on, which we enjoy. [USA Today]
33 Responses to “Could ESPN Take the Final Four From CBS?”
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November 6th, 2009 at 3:33 pm
ESPN would do a three man crew with Shulman, Vitale, and the guy they keep shoving down our throats… Bilas. He went from being pretty solid to a grouchy ass.
November 6th, 2009 at 3:36 pm
Announcing controversy aside, this would be awesome as we wouldn’t have to deal with CBS’ horrible coverage. Instead, we’d get games on simultaneously on ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNCL, and ESPNews if needed.
McDonough, Raftery, Bilas is my favorite ESPN CB crew, but I find it hard to believe that Vitale wouldn’t get the gig. I don’t care tough. I don’t find Vitale to be that annoying.
November 6th, 2009 at 3:37 pm
McDonough et. al would be the best. They are great.
November 6th, 2009 at 3:37 pm
not a fan of Raftery. not enough nuts and bolts for me
November 6th, 2009 at 3:39 pm
Awesome.
November 6th, 2009 at 3:39 pm
Nessler would probably head up the 2nd crew. He’s pretty solid.
November 6th, 2009 at 3:41 pm
not a fan of Raftery. not enough nuts and bolts for me
+ Eleventy million.
Just had a horrible thought… ESPN would probably move the NBA crews in for games. Probably not the Final 4.
November 6th, 2009 at 3:43 pm
I love Raft. Of course, it could be cause I yell ONIONS everytime I make a shot in intramural basketball, even if it’s a layup.
November 6th, 2009 at 3:43 pm
i can’t see CBS giving it up. they make too much money from it. marketing wise it’s the nice filling between the NFL Playoffs and the Masters.
November 6th, 2009 at 3:43 pm
ESPN…final four??
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
November 6th, 2009 at 3:44 pm
Two posts on this? Slow news day, eh?
November 6th, 2009 at 3:45 pm
not a fan of Raftery. not enough nuts and bolts for me
Verne and Raft are my favorite CBB announcing team.
“ONIONS!”
November 6th, 2009 at 3:46 pm
Not necessarily, the NCAA would have to agree and it would water down the ratings.
November 6th, 2009 at 3:47 pm
I don’t know. I think they have plenty of guys:
Play-by-play:
Nessler
McD
Shulman
Musburger
Mike Patrick
Dave o’Brien
Dave Pasch
Commentary:
Bilas
Vitale
Knight
Raftery
Lavin
Dykes
Fran
Hubert Davis
Elmore
Gottlieb
I could see them maybe grabbing Tirico, but none of the color guys.
November 6th, 2009 at 3:49 pm
NSR - Damn, you are good.
Also, Irish was making a funny from earlier about TBL’s opinion of Knight. Whether or not he actually likes Raf, that was funny shit. Raf is cool to me.
November 6th, 2009 at 3:49 pm
I don’t think the NCAA would care that much as long as they got their billions. And ESPN could still do regional games on ESPN and the Deuce like they’ve been doing in football to keep the ratings up.
November 6th, 2009 at 3:50 pm
and they start out in the man-to-man!
even when they don’t.
November 6th, 2009 at 3:51 pm
/doesn’t give a shit
//doesn’t understand how people could truly give a rat’s ass about college hoops
November 6th, 2009 at 3:51 pm
And if CBS loses the NCAA’s I highly doubt they’d keep broadcasting regular season games so that would free up a whole slew of broadcasting possibilites.
November 6th, 2009 at 3:55 pm
doesn’t understand how people could truly give a rat’s ass about college hoops
You serious Clark?
November 6th, 2009 at 3:58 pm
clark?
/and yes im serious, but don’t call me shirley
November 6th, 2009 at 3:58 pm
Spencer - Just looked at the games I get to see Saturday and shoot me in the face. Most suck. OSU/PSU is Top 5. Mea Culpa. Biscuits. Shot of bourbon.
November 6th, 2009 at 4:02 pm
as much as i’d love to accept your mea culpa…i can’t. that game is going to set football back 30, nay, 40(!) years.
November 6th, 2009 at 4:04 pm
SPencer = Ha. More of what it means to the big picture. Fuck Iowa. Anyhow, the KU/KSU game will be a shitfest of olympic proportions. I was so ready to have a real football team, but alas, flash in the pan.
November 6th, 2009 at 4:08 pm
but you’ll always have a morbidly obese coach in a varsity jacket…things like that cannot be rated highly enough.
November 6th, 2009 at 4:10 pm
when i went back to my parents house last month, i tried on my varsity jacket for the first time in 12 years. still fit. of course, i can’t believe i wore that everyday to school in the winter for 3 straight years. a true waste of 300 bucks.
November 6th, 2009 at 4:15 pm
math FAIL
November 6th, 2009 at 4:18 pm
CBS isn’t giving it up, and, on the miniscule chance it did, Tirico would do it. He does everything for ESPN
November 6th, 2009 at 4:20 pm
If ESPN did get, I don’t think that we would see more than one game at a time. If they had four games on, it would kill the DirecTV March Madness package.
November 6th, 2009 at 4:22 pm
HA! This made me laugh.
November 6th, 2009 at 4:41 pm
Better than a chemistry teacher in a sweatervest
November 6th, 2009 at 4:42 pm
uh.
is it REALLY better? mr. chemistry teacher has a career winning % over 80. chins ahoy can’t see his dick.
advantage…vest.
November 6th, 2009 at 4:58 pm
Uhhhhh.
Have you seen “the Secret to my Success”?
/Day Bow Bow