the blizzog reviews… ESPN College Game Day - B-Ball Edition

This marks the second week of ESPN’s “College Game Day“ treatment for men’s basketball.  For those that don’t know, they send their college basketball crew to a basketball arena for the day just like they do during football season.  A few random thoughts on this one….

• I like what they are trying to do, but it’s just not the same thing.  From an excitement perspecitve, there’s a huge difference between seeing the football College Game Day crew outside Carter-Finley where there are 500+ students behind them with illegible and mis-spelled signage as opposed to today’s telecast, for instance, which seemed to take place in the hallway outside of the janitor’s office at Allen Fieldhouse.  It’s somewhat anticlimatic.  I get what you are trying to do, I just don’t like how you’re going about it.  If you really want to make this fresh like the football side of things, host the show outside of the arena.  Sure, it will be cold, but you’ll also have the benefit of a lot more fans behind the set.  Try it.  I bet you’ll like it.
• Jesus I can’t stand Doug Gottlieb.  The network has made the unfortunate decision to make him the color guy on their in-studio crew for these Game Day Saturday thingers.  I’m not sure what it is about him, but every time I see him on the screen I want to punch him in the mouth.
• Despite his Dookness, I really like Jay Bilas’ college b-ball analysis.  He is ESPN’s best baskeball analsyst since David Aldridge.  (Excuse me while I pour a little out for D-Al, who is no longer with the network.)  I’m not sure if it’s coincidence or not, but in addition to taking ESPN’s “best basketball analyst“ spot from the departed Alrdridge, he’s also taken the network’s “Most Likely To Be a Cyborg“ trophy as well.  Go figure.

Anyway, ESPN, the long and short of it is this:  Stay outside.  Less Gottlieb.  More Bilas. 

You’re welcome.