Don't you hate it when the people who program your sports don't know a damn thing about the games? Our CBS affiliate, WFOR-Channel 4 appears to have made several horrible decisions regarding its TV coverage of March Madness today.
The second game, at 2:30, they have Georgetown-Belmont -- which has every indication of being a blowout dud. Just ten minutes later starts the Oral Robert-Washington St. game, which a lot of people believe is going to be a competitive barn-burner with great upset potential.
The next featured game, at 7, is Duke-Virginia Comm. Okay, this should be a decent game so I can't complain too much about missing what I think will be a superior game in Marquette-Michigan State.
The next choice is just ridiculous -- the late game will feature UNC-Eastern Kentucky. This is 1vs.16 nonsense. At the same time a very competitive and exciting game will be playing out: Indiana vs.
Gonzaga.
I know they move from game to game a lot, so maybe we'll be spared the blowouts, but why set us up for boredom? I've been there before, where they stick on the featured game for way, way too long. I don't know if this is WFOR's fault or if it all emanates from the home CBS office, but it's bad planning and a disappointment to real fans.
Horribly, Florida plays Jackson State (ugh) tomorrow night at 9:50. That's about the same time as one of the great first round games, Kentucky-Villanova. WFOR and CBS, listen to me and listen good, nobody wants to see a blowout, not even Florida fans. When the Gators get up by 15 or 20 and the game is out of reach (likely by the end of the first half), switch it. Don't hang around. There's great basketball to be watched and it's your responsibility to deliver it. In the end, just remember to try not to be douche bags.
(I just found what could be the cure for the sometimes dopey TV coverage -- CBS is offering the games free on-line. I'll see how this works later tonight and report on it.)
