Andy Katz Opens Mouth Again

[BCPanther]

Northern Iowa, as expected, got the outside income needed to bump up coach Greg McDermott to $350,000 (AD Rick Hartzell initially indicated it would be $325,000, but more money must have been found). The contract goes until 2008-09. That's fine. But keep in mind, if coach Steve Alford were to go to Indiana, McDermott would be a player for Iowa's job. That doesn't mean he wouldn't honor this contract, but the Hawkeyes would be offering nearly double, and that could be too much to walk away from. Stay tuned.

What "Expected Income"?? At least he didn't try to quote something Hartzell really didn't say. He made it seem like everyone knew this was on the way. It surprised a lot of us and we are pretty close to the program.

I don't think I can ever take this guy seriously ever again. Just another uninformed article by the East Coast Hype Machine.

[ejacobson]

Wow, just wow. If I ever go to Bristol, I am going to buy one of those Tshirts from Spencer Gifts that says "I see stupid people" and make sure to wear it around on the tour. (I have no idea such a tour even exists but its likely as ESPN now has a cell phone, and cell service).

I cannot believe the Lunardi, Whelliston, and Forde all work for the same company as Katz, Vitale, Phelps, Bilas, and the rest of the alumni of every school from the ACC and Big East.

[panther2317]

right on ejacobson...there really needs to be some midwest and non-BCS talent on at least one of their shows.

[SteinPizza]

They do, it's just in a sport that's more midwest dominant - college football. Like it or not, a very large percentage of the nation's population lives on the eastern seaboard, specifically within a 3 hour drive radius of New York City (which includes Bristol). I think they're just as biased as you guys, and it showed up to me huge last fall during the baseball playoffs, when all ESPN talked about was the Red Sox and Yankees, as the White Sox were absolutely dominating everyone they played. It is what it is.

[Matt Trump]

They do, it's just in a sport that's more midwest dominant - college football. Like it or not, a very large percentage of the nation's population lives on the eastern seaboard, specifically within a 3 hour drive radius of New York City (which includes Bristol). I think they're just as biased as you guys, and it showed up to me huge last fall during the baseball playoffs, when all ESPN talked about was the Red Sox and Yankees, as the White Sox were absolutely dominating everyone they played. It is what it is.

Yes, but the difference is that they are a major network claming to be the leader in Sports Entertainment. They now have the resources to expand their horizons but they choose not to. Its a combination of laziness and that all mighty dollar.

[SteinPizza]

I don't like it any more than you guys do. We've had this conversation on other threads, but keep in mind, it's always about the "almighty dollar." ESPN is in business to sell advertising, not to provide a public service. They are the leader in sports entertainment by default as they're the only nationwide sports network. That does not justify a bias, and we all know it's there in one to some extent. Unfortunately, there's nothing any of us can do about it, except have a MVC team beat one of them in the tourney. It's not so much the ACC schools that bother me, but the east coast basketball only schools (Villanova, Seton Hall, Georgetown etc.). They really seem to favor them without justification.