As if you didn't know....

[clif]

yes Clif - try to follow me here - a) yes, the game needs to be sold b) you can't sell a game that is a horrific matchup so c) you have to resort to what what you were complaining about - which was the myth of the "85 Bears redux" - people want to tune in to history and that is how the game was sold all week - in SI, on every Sportscenter, in every column - people were talking about 16-0 already - they were talking about the Bears and how they would come out and people could get a look at the greatest thing in 20 years and how did that pay off? With record ratings. Not sure how that makes them look silly.

Umm when the next "16-0" "monsters of the midway" (5 weeks into the season) suddenly looked about as inept as any team has ever looked in primetime to a crappy Cards team.

America loves the underdog and you can't tell me that angle would not have garnered as much attention as this whole '85 bears crap. Outside of Chicago..who really cared? As of fan of another team... did anyone tune in to see history in week 6?

 

[Cheesebeef]

what are you talking about, the media all week or the pregame show? because that pregame show did not sell the game.

I stand by my original statement, the pregame show is TOO LATE to be SELLING a viewer to watch a game. if they're watching the pregame, its because they have ALREADY DECIDED they are going to watch the game.

When have you ever seen someone tune into a pregame show, and then turn the tv off when the game starts?

okay. I'll stand by my idea that there is never a moment in TV when the first thought isn't - SELL, SELL, SELL.

 

[Evil Ash]

So all the talk of '85 Bears and 16-0 season didn't get people to tune into the game? The game might have kept them there, but the hype is what got them watchign in the first place. You don't just get record ratings unless people are looking forward to a game/television event.

But the question is when did they tune in? Come on cheese you know that everything in TV and radio is based on qtr hours.

The 11.7 rating was an overall rating but people might have tuned in after it looked like a major upset was going to happen or during the Bears unlikely comeback.

 

[Cheesebeef]

Umm when the next "16-0" "monsters of the midway" (5 weeks into the season) suddenly looked about as inept as any team has ever looked in primetime to a crappy Cards team.

America loves the underdog and you can't tell me that angle would not have garnered as much attention as this whole '85 bears crap. Outside of Chicago..who really cared? As of fan of another team... did anyone tune in to see history in week 6?

3rd highest rated event IN THE HISTORY OF CABLE - We're not just talking sports, we're talking across the board. Apparently, a TON of people tuned into to watch history. They stayed to watch an unbelievable game.

I can't believe you're telling me that people would have tuned in just as much to the underdog story being sold. There's always underdogs - there's very few things that are considered "special" which is what the network was selling the Bears as.

 

[Rivercard]

suddenly looked about as inept as any team has ever looked in primetime to a crappy Cards team.

You gotta give AZ some credit Clif. That was not a crappy Cardinals team out there (until the last 6 minutes of course). The Cards definitely came to play and showed what they are capable of. Now if we could only lobby the commish to shorten games to three quarters we'd be in business.

 

[Cheesebeef]

But the question is when did they tune in? Come on cheese you know that everything in TV and radio is based on qtr hours.

The 11.7 rating was an overall rating but people might have tuned in after it looked like a major upset was going to happen or during the Bears unlikely comeback.

that could be, and there's no doubt the actual game played into the numbers, but games that record record numbers have their base at the beginning Ash and rise at that point.

But even saying that, you do realize that selling the Bears as the 85 BEARS REDUX is what would make people tune in to see what looke dlike a blowout, right? Again, it was to see THE BEARS and what was happening to them. If this was just the Cardinals blowing some lead to the Lions, do you think it would have recorded record numbers? No - it was because of the hype surrounding the game and surrounding the team which is why people probably started watching later which also attributed to the 3rd highest rated cable show ever.

 

[Evil Ash]

that could be, and there's no doubt the actual game played into the numbers, but games that record record numbers have their base at the beginning Ash and rise at that point. Otherwise, wouldn't you expect that the single-greatest Super Bowl upset of all time - the NE V. Rams Super Bowl would have recorded record numbers? You had a prohibitive 11 point favorite, past Super Bowl Winner going up against a plucky Patriots team that no one gave a chance and we had one of the greatest Super Bowls ever, but the numbers didn't bear that out. Even when a game's great, you're base is what sets you apart from the rest of the field, especially when we're talking about setting records.

Not to mention, don't you think that the Cardinals beating this supposed MEGA-TEAM - the fact that they were sold as the 85 Bears made people tune in. Again, it was to see THE BEARS and what was happening to them. If this was just the Cardinals blowing some lead to the Lions, do you think it would have recorded record numbers? No - it was because of the hype surrounding the game and surrounding the team which is why people probably started watching later.

It was probably a combination of several factors. I'm guessing that there are quite a few people like me when watching a primetime NFL game where my team isn't involved, I watch the first 15 minutes and if the game is good I'll keep watching (of course when I say good, it doesn't have to be close. It can be a case of a blowout by the underdog which is what happened Monday Night) or if the game isn't enertaining I'll change the channel.

After the Bears went 3 and out and the Cards promptly marched it down the Bears throats, they suddenly were intrigued and wondering WTF is going on. Of course there were other factors ... for example some people wanted to see the "awesome 85 redux" Bears, others watched for the primetime debut of Leinart (this probably helped in the LA market and with female viewers), plenty of the people here wanted to watch the Cardinals (this is a football town waiting to explode), and then the game itself brought people in from the upset looking like it was going to occur to the miracle, vomit-enducing comeback by the Bears.

If it was just their selling of the game, people wouldn't have watched that first qtr hour because according them this game was over before it started. However people did tune in for a number of different reasons and lead to a great thing for ESPN

 

[bratwurst]

okay. I'll stand by my idea that there is never a moment in TV when the first thought isn't - SELL, SELL, SELL.

I said they were selling, what they aren't selling, is the game. They're selling their brand. You heard what I was saying, but you didn't listen to it.

 

[Cheesebeef]

I said they were selling, what they aren't selling, is the game. They're selling their brand. You heard what I was saying, but you didn't listen to it.

yeah I did - I just didn't clarify - they're doing both - they're selling their brand and the game.

 

[clif]

A good team doesn't need to be sold IMO. They sell themselves by their play. The show was based on with "annalyst" could come up with the wittiest way to describe how the cards have no shot. I'm sorry, but if that is "selling" then ESPN sucks out loud.