ESPN Curse?

[That Guy]

Can we please stop playing on nationally televised ESPN games? Tonight's game was by far the worst basketball game I've watched on all season, by both teams. It was literally like watching a bad middle school game, or a turnover contest.

In recent years, we seem to get nervous when the national spotlight is upon us and end up playing very poorly.

Here are the results of our nationally televised games on the ESPN networks in our last 4 seasons:

09-10
@ UNI (ESPNU) - L 52-50
@ Iowa St. (ESPN360) - L 87-68

08-09
@ SIU (ESPNU) - L 68-62
@Florida (ESPNU) - L 81-58

07-08
SIU (ESPN2) - L 70-61
@SIU (ESPNU) - L 77-64
Michigan St. (ESPNU) - L 66-61

06-07
@Mississippi St. (ESPN) - L 101-72
@VCU (ESPN 2) - W 73-64
@UNI (ESPN 2) - L 76-65
@ Iowa St. (ESPN 2) - W 76-66


So we've lost 8 in a row on the ESPN networks. We average 64.5 points a game, while giving up 73.5 points a game.

This is not what we want to be showing to national audiences, and more importantly, recruits.

That was a very winnable game tonight

[MacabreMob]

Yea... ESPN is missing out not televising Bradley if/when they play Chicago St in Peoria. We'd look good in that game.

[That Guy]

Seriously, can we get the worldwide leader to show our game vs. Northern Illinois next year or something?

[BUBraves2006]

Can we please stop playing on nationally televised ESPN games? Tonight's game was by far the worst basketball game I've watched on all season, by both teams. It was literally like watching a bad middle school game, or a turnover contest.

In recent years, we seem to get nervous when the national spotlight is upon us and end up playing very poorly.

Here are the results of our nationally televised games on the ESPN networks in our last 4 seasons:

09-10
@ UNI (ESPNU) - L 52-50
@ Iowa St. (ESPN360) - L 87-68

08-09
@ SIU (ESPNU) - L 68-62
@Florida (ESPNU) - L 81-58

07-08
SIU (ESPN2) - L 70-61
@SIU (ESPNU) - L 77-64
Michigan St. (ESPNU) - L 66-61

06-07
@Mississippi St. (ESPN) - L 101-72
@VCU (ESPN 2) - W 73-64
@UNI (ESPN 2) - L 76-65
@ Iowa St. (ESPN 2) - W 76-66


So we've lost 8 in a row on the ESPN networks. We average 64.5 points a game, while giving up 73.5 points a game.

This is not what we want to be showing to national audiences, and more importantly, recruits.

That was a very winnable game tonight

I was certainly never good enough to be a college basketball recruit, but honestly, how many people outside of MVC fans were actually tuned into this game? Do you really think that a. many recruits were watching and b. a game like this would really have any bearing upon a decision they'd make?

[That Guy]

If I was being recruited by Bradley , then yes I would absolutely make it a point to watch this game, or any other televised game. Wouldn't you want to know about a school you are considering going to? Televised games show you how a team plays (style, pace, cohesiveness, coaching decisions, etc.)

That's why I wish we would play better on nationally televised games. That, and 8 straight losses is not fun.

[BUBraves2006]

If I was being recruited by Bradley , then yes I would absolutely make it a point to watch this game, or any other televised game. Wouldn't you want to know about a school you are considering going to? Televised games show you how a team plays (style, pace, cohesiveness, coaching decisions, etc.)

That's why I wish we would play better on nationally televised games. That, and 8 straight losses is not fun.

Well, I guess I've never been in those shoes but I'd have to imagine that most kids are likely not watching an 8 pm game that isn't on ESPN/ESPN2 ... I just don't think kids (or even grown men) pay as close of attention to these sorts of things (just like newspaper articles, message boards, etc.) than we as fans often think.

And if anything, I saw a game that did have its sloppy moments, but showed a Bradley team that really battled as hard as it has had for weeks. After the atrocious effort at Missouri State, this was a welcomed surprise. BU got UNI out of its game due to good defense and rebounding - a far cry from 80 ppg against we'd been seeing lately.

Oh one more thing - kids get offered basketball scholarships so that they can play on teams. Nobody (except for the very top tier programs) likes to ride the pine for four years. So, if you see a team that has some talent but also is struggling at times too, wouldn't that make you want to go there even more? Look at DSE and Eastman! Both of these players were afterthoughts coming into the season and now they are both contributors.

I just don't think that us consistently losing on "national" tv is really going to hurt recruiting all that much.

[ChewaBrave]

While I imagine a decent amount of people saw the game, they were probably just surfing the espn channels during tv time outs in the UK-Florida game.

[unbekannt]

Well, I guess I've never been in those shoes but I'd have to imagine that most kids are likely not watching an 8 pm game that isn't on ESPN/ESPN2 ... I just don't think kids (or even grown men) pay as close of attention to these sorts of things (just like newspaper articles, message boards, etc.) than we as fans often think.

And if anything, I saw a game that did have its sloppy moments, but showed a Bradley team that really battled as hard as it has had for weeks. After the atrocious effort at Missouri State, this was a welcomed surprise. BU got UNI out of its game due to good defense and rebounding - a far cry from 80 ppg against we'd been seeing lately.

Oh one more thing - kids get offered basketball scholarships so that they can play on teams. Nobody (except for the very top tier programs) likes to ride the pine for four years. So, if you see a team that has some talent but also is struggling at times too, wouldn't that make you want to go there even more? Look at DSE and Eastman! Both of these players were afterthoughts coming into the season and now they are both contributors.

I just don't think that us consistently losing on "national" tv is really going to hurt recruiting all that much.

Agreed. I have expanded digital cable, but I don't get ESPNU unless I pay $10 more/month. Thus I don't have ESPNU. I doubt it matters unless you play on at least ESPN1/2 or a major network.

[AZ BU Fan]

Curses are for Cubs fans

Readers/Posters on this site don't like talk of anything as silly as curses.

I tried late last year to expose a bigger curse on BU (the Granger-McKay curse) than the little ESPN thing you bring up and never heard the end of it..

[squirrelgotdead]

Not to split hairs, but there have been other games on 360 (last year's BB win vs. Loyola and 07-08 W vs. Iowa State at home) there may be others, but if you take out the 360 game then I agree!