I know I've said it before, but they didn't listen to me -- the Bengals need a blackout.
Right now, they're the boys who cried wolf.
The team is saying they're in danger of a blackout, but nobody believes it'll happen. Fans expect the usual cycle -- an extension will be announced today, tomorrow at 1 they'll say something will be announced at 3 and then 4. At about 3:45 the local TV station will report the game will be on, and then the Benglas will follow and make it official.
This week it's a different TV station -- FOX instead of CBS -- but the script remains plausible, perhaps even probable.
For the TV station, in this case, it makes sense. It's better to buy the remaining tickets (as long as it's only about 1,000) and break even aand get the raitings for the game, rather than to refund ad sales.
Thing is, it may not get to that magic number. If not, it would break the team's streak, but it'll be better in the long run for the Bengals.
* That said, there's no way I'm paying that much money to see the Lions.
* Raiders fans are upset with an owner who won't give up control -- sound familiar? Futile is the right word in both cases.
* The NFL has implemented a stronger policy on concussions.
* Seriously, how is fantasy football any less geeky than Dungeons & Dragons? I don't play fantasy football anymore, and I probably won't play fantasy baseball next year. I just lose interest and don't really care.
* It seems there are more and more outlets to get news, but even some of the trusted ones are killing themselves by reporting rumors from less credible sources. The Cleveland Plain Dealer has repeated on one of its blogs a vague report from a place called IrishCentral.com with no other reporting or even a disclaimer that they've never heard of that site before. I mean, we all know Bleacher Report is full of crap and has been over and over, but why trust IrishCentral.com anymore than we do Bleacher Report. The bad thing is you used to kinda believe what you read from the Plain Dealer, but if they do this crap, why should you believe them anymore? Newspaper so often are trying to keep up with the internet that they forget what got you the reputation of trustworthiness in first play and you end up killing yourself. They'll say, 'it's just our blog' -- but it's still got your name on it, and that's something you worked to get to mean something.
I have no reason to believe Bleacher Reporter or IrishCentral.com have credible sources. I'd hope a newspaper did, but when they run with these kind of things, I wonder if they have the judgment to know what a credible source is.
I'm not a big believer in "sources said" but have used them, but when I was at the Post I had to tell my editor who my sources were, have more than one and at least one be a principle in the situation. Otherwise, it's rumor mongering and that's not reporting.
* Related, one of the comments in one of those crappy stories sent me to this link, which was pretty cool. It's about Brian Kelly and his offense.
* A great point from Dan Hoard -- the story UC fans are not talking about, but should, is that West Virginia will likely get the Gator Bowl nod, no matter what happens on Saturday. That means if the Bearcats drop to 11-1, they'll be in a lower bowl than the Mountaineers. Why? Money. That's what happens. But you can bet your bottom dollar that doesn't happen to Notre Dame. Another reason that's a better job. Sad, but true.
* USF's Jim Leavitt is joining the crowd and making fun of the ACC.
* FanGraphs reviews the recent Reds drafts.
* Voting for Barry Larkin is easy for one voter.
* This week's lesson in Sabermetrics: FIP.
* Congrats to Northern Kentucky women's basketball coach Nancy Winstell, who was named the Div. II coach of the decade.
* Anyone who has covered high school sports has run into this situation -- a high school player makes a mistake and it's reported and parents complain. Honestly, I've always believed parents care more about that than the player, while the player hates that it happened more than it's reported. The one thing I don't miss about covering high school sports is the parents, the kids are great.
I remember one where we had a picture of a kid crying after his team lost a big game. His parents called to complain. I honestly didn't think of anything other than "great photo" when it ran. They complained, and the only thing I could thing was, "at least the cutline wasn't, 'see why I'm crying, B6'" because inside we had a picture of him getting stiff-armed.
* PItchfork has the 20 worst album covers of 2009 (and warning, one is NSFW)
* Craig Finn compares life in Lifter Puller to The Hold Steady and he kind of gets around to one of the things I like about THS -- as I get older, the more I enjoy the positive view of THS.
* Motley Crue's Vince Neil says he's bored with boobs.
* Another article talks about how much better Parks and Recreation has been this year.
* This list of the Top 10 most-watched shows of the decade makes me sad.
* Somehow, I don't see the Freedom Tray as being this year's Snuggie.
Right now, they're the boys who cried wolf.
The team is saying they're in danger of a blackout, but nobody believes it'll happen. Fans expect the usual cycle -- an extension will be announced today, tomorrow at 1 they'll say something will be announced at 3 and then 4. At about 3:45 the local TV station will report the game will be on, and then the Benglas will follow and make it official.
This week it's a different TV station -- FOX instead of CBS -- but the script remains plausible, perhaps even probable.
For the TV station, in this case, it makes sense. It's better to buy the remaining tickets (as long as it's only about 1,000) and break even aand get the raitings for the game, rather than to refund ad sales.
Thing is, it may not get to that magic number. If not, it would break the team's streak, but it'll be better in the long run for the Bengals.
* That said, there's no way I'm paying that much money to see the Lions.
* Raiders fans are upset with an owner who won't give up control -- sound familiar? Futile is the right word in both cases.
* The NFL has implemented a stronger policy on concussions.
* Seriously, how is fantasy football any less geeky than Dungeons & Dragons? I don't play fantasy football anymore, and I probably won't play fantasy baseball next year. I just lose interest and don't really care.
* It seems there are more and more outlets to get news, but even some of the trusted ones are killing themselves by reporting rumors from less credible sources. The Cleveland Plain Dealer has repeated on one of its blogs a vague report from a place called IrishCentral.com with no other reporting or even a disclaimer that they've never heard of that site before. I mean, we all know Bleacher Report is full of crap and has been over and over, but why trust IrishCentral.com anymore than we do Bleacher Report. The bad thing is you used to kinda believe what you read from the Plain Dealer, but if they do this crap, why should you believe them anymore? Newspaper so often are trying to keep up with the internet that they forget what got you the reputation of trustworthiness in first play and you end up killing yourself. They'll say, 'it's just our blog' -- but it's still got your name on it, and that's something you worked to get to mean something.
I have no reason to believe Bleacher Reporter or IrishCentral.com have credible sources. I'd hope a newspaper did, but when they run with these kind of things, I wonder if they have the judgment to know what a credible source is.
I'm not a big believer in "sources said" but have used them, but when I was at the Post I had to tell my editor who my sources were, have more than one and at least one be a principle in the situation. Otherwise, it's rumor mongering and that's not reporting.
* Related, one of the comments in one of those crappy stories sent me to this link, which was pretty cool. It's about Brian Kelly and his offense.
* A great point from Dan Hoard -- the story UC fans are not talking about, but should, is that West Virginia will likely get the Gator Bowl nod, no matter what happens on Saturday. That means if the Bearcats drop to 11-1, they'll be in a lower bowl than the Mountaineers. Why? Money. That's what happens. But you can bet your bottom dollar that doesn't happen to Notre Dame. Another reason that's a better job. Sad, but true.
* USF's Jim Leavitt is joining the crowd and making fun of the ACC.
* FanGraphs reviews the recent Reds drafts.
* Voting for Barry Larkin is easy for one voter.
* This week's lesson in Sabermetrics: FIP.
* Congrats to Northern Kentucky women's basketball coach Nancy Winstell, who was named the Div. II coach of the decade.
* Anyone who has covered high school sports has run into this situation -- a high school player makes a mistake and it's reported and parents complain. Honestly, I've always believed parents care more about that than the player, while the player hates that it happened more than it's reported. The one thing I don't miss about covering high school sports is the parents, the kids are great.
I remember one where we had a picture of a kid crying after his team lost a big game. His parents called to complain. I honestly didn't think of anything other than "great photo" when it ran. They complained, and the only thing I could thing was, "at least the cutline wasn't, 'see why I'm crying, B6'" because inside we had a picture of him getting stiff-armed.
* PItchfork has the 20 worst album covers of 2009 (and warning, one is NSFW)
* Craig Finn compares life in Lifter Puller to The Hold Steady and he kind of gets around to one of the things I like about THS -- as I get older, the more I enjoy the positive view of THS.
* Motley Crue's Vince Neil says he's bored with boobs.
* Another article talks about how much better Parks and Recreation has been this year.
* This list of the Top 10 most-watched shows of the decade makes me sad.
* Somehow, I don't see the Freedom Tray as being this year's Snuggie.
What does it take to get on the ballot for the HOF? Is it just being retired for 5 years? I can't for the life of me figure out why Robin Ventura or Ray Lankford would even get a vote. I liked Fred McGriff, but at the same time as he was a scary hitter in the lineup, and forgive me because I could be wrong, I just don't ever remember him being a dominant you can't pitch to this guy kind of player. I know he hit a lot of homeruns, and was a good player. Anyway, just giving him a vote to hope he stays on the ballot even when you don't believe he should be in the hall of fame to me is abusing your right to vote.
Overall, I'd have to say I really like bowl games. I do enjoy the big ones still, but I just wish there weren't so damn many bowls. I mean is it really that great to get a bowl because you finished 6-6? Anyway, I guess it really doesn't matter if you aren't in a big bowl.
That being said I can see why the Gator Bowl would go with West Virginia over UC. The Gator Bowl is paying the schools a good bit of money to come and the only way to get that money back is through sponships and putting butts in the seats of the stadium.
It's unfortunate, but it's even more unfortunate to me that in a city where everyone wants a winner, it seems like UC has a hard time getting people to come see them. It took a while to sell out the home football games, and you'd think with the success last year it would've been easy. Why add to Nippert if they have a hard time selling out 35,000? Maybe I'm wrong, but when you think of other programs that are similar like UK or U of L (which had a bit of success) and even Northwestern their fans come out way more than UC's. I don't get it.
i enjoy football, so it doesn't bother me that there are a ton of bowl games. i enjoy the small bowl games of teams i've never seen over the 1,000th Tennessee game on TV or whatever SEC/Big 11/Big 12/ACC team
I disagree with your "crying wolf" theory. If the game is blacked out, the Bengals lose three hours of free advertising. I don't see a benefit.
You obviously are assuming that tickets are going unsold because people are choosing to watch the game on TV. I think tickets are going unsold because people can't afford to drop that kind of cash at this time of year, in this economy.
If Sunday's game is blacked out, I doubt you'll see a rush to buy tickets for the Chiefs game. I think you'll see a lot of people making new plans for Sunday, Dec.27.
i don't think they'll sell out the chiefs game if this one is blacked out... but a good game next year.... that's where i'm thinking ahead
the chiefs game is going to be a hard sell, either way
but i had on local radio the other day and on the official station of the bengals, the host was saying they didn't care about the blackout talk, because we all know the team will buy the tickets anyway, so why bother buying them now?
i don't think blackouts, as a whole, work. i think it's a problem with the NFL, not just the Bengals. but if you are going to use it to try to entice fans to buy tickets, you sure as hell better be prepared to use it
I can agree that it is nice to see other teams that aren't on TV every week. I guess I liked it when there were fewer bowls because it was an acheivement to get there. However, it pretty much left out anyone that wasn't in a major conference.
I don't think the economy really has that much to do with the Bengals not selling out. I'm sure it has some effect,but at the same time they had a bad product last season. I would be willing to bet that next season, they sell out the whole season at home again like they have done in previous years, just because this team has done so well. I really believe it has more to do with fickle fans than anything else. That's my opinion anyway.
The Lions game may not sell out, but either way, I will guarantee the Chiefs game will sell out (post-Christmas, playoff implications, school's out, holiday parties are over...). Not to mention, they're a far more marketable team than the Lions, even if they are in a rebuilding year.
I definitely think the economy has driven ticket sales down. I know several people in my (small) circle of friends who opted out this year.
Finally, I hate Jim Rome.