Mentally challenged schedule setting monkeys at it again.

Submitted by Logan88 on

Well, they've done it again!

The bright folks at the WWLIS (aka ESPN) have seen fit to show OSU against a TERRIBLE opponent on national T.V for a second time this season. The OSU @ Minnesota game is going to be shown at 8 PM on ABC this Saturday.

Remember earlier in the season when we were treated to a 3:30 PM ABC showdown of Eastern Michigan @ OSU? Now this classic against 1-7 Minnesota?!?!? I can only assume that someone in the ESPN T.V. scheduling department has a serious hard-on for OSU.

The reason I complain about this is that I watch T.V. so infrequently (pretty much just college football games) that I don't bother to get anything but basic cable, so I don't get ESPN and its myriad variants in HD. The only games I can watch in HD are on the major networks and I get forcefed an OSU v. Minnesota game. Seriously? I guess it is a conspiracy to force everyone to upgrade to digital cable.

mbrummer

October 25th, 2010 at 10:29 AM ^

1 ranked team  > 0 ranked teams. (I know we are ranked in one poll but barely)

Also, I think it might be in the ABC contract that ABC has to show at least one game per school per year.  Not sure on that.  Someone help.

Also, Minnesota-OSU will only be shown in the Big 10 footprint, while the rest of the country will get USC- Oregon.

So Michigan being on ESPN actually means more tv sets throughout the  country being able to see Miichigan.

jcgary

October 25th, 2010 at 10:44 AM ^

Well the week you referred to with OSU/EMU on ABC at 3:30p did you notice the rest of the Big Ten games that week???  9 MAC teams & 2 FCS teams (I-AA).  That is why they were on ABC. 

As for this week most Michigan fans not in the midwest will be really happy because if the game was on ABC then most of the country would not be able to watch that game.  So even though it isn't good for you it is good for the University as a whole. 

MaizeAndBlueWahoo

October 25th, 2010 at 10:48 AM ^

ESPN isn't basic cable?  I've never seen an arrangement where ESPN isn't basic cable.  Might be time to switch cable providers, or upgrade to what can't be all that much more expensive of a channel lineup.

MaizeAndBlueWahoo

October 25th, 2010 at 11:03 AM ^

O I C.  Now that I read it again, yeah.

Well in that case, Jesus H. Christ, if you're gonna spring for an HD TV and not a little extra each month for a package that'll ACTUALLY LET YOU USE IT, you have nobody to blame but yourself.  Also, this is a very, very spoiled complaint: wah wah wah I can't watch in HD my viewing experience is ruined.  Horrors.

MGoCards

October 25th, 2010 at 11:20 AM ^

I hate watching games in SD too and when I get stuck with an ESPNU game it means both SD and Pam Ward.

But, yeah, there are people in Haiti dying of cholera. I haven't even ever uttered the word "cholera" up til this week without it being preceded by "Love in the time of" so, yeah, some perspective is always nice.

"You may not haaaave, sister, the latest dress... golden jewelry, diamonds and all the rest." 

 

Dig in the scene (in SD) with a gangsta lean. Woohoo.

Logan88

October 25th, 2010 at 2:38 PM ^

As I stated I hardly ever watch broadcast T.V., so no need for a $100 a month digital cable subscription. I do have a Blu-ray player (and even an HD-DVD player) and a plethora of HD movies that I love to watch on my HDTV.

I think that digital cable is like an extra 50 bucks per month and as I said I only watch CFB. That would be a LOT of extra money to spend each month to only watch a few CFB games in HD.

Btw, my complaint was primarily about the fact that OSU was on national TV in a game that will be over by halftime. Why couldn't they just make the USC/Oregon game the only game on ABC that night?

jcgary

October 25th, 2010 at 3:40 PM ^

To be clear OSU is not on National TV.  They will only be on in the Big Ten footprint.  The only way to get the OSU game outside of the Big Ten footprint is to either subscribe to ESPN Gameplan or go to a bar.  So with the decision ESPN/ABC made was a good one for Michigan because they will be on National TV and OSU will only really be on in their region. 

Clarence Beeks

October 25th, 2010 at 3:31 PM ^

Also, this is a very, very spoiled complaint: wah wah wah I can't watch in HD my viewing experience is ruined.  Horrors.

To be fair to people who have the sentiment expressed by the guy you are responding to, sometimes it's not just being an "HD snob".  Watching a SD broadcast on the particular TV that I have was a painful experience the first year that I had it.  The HD picture is friggin' awesome, but for some reason (that I figured out later) SD is of such awful quality that it's literally makes you nauseous watching it.  I would actually go to the bedroom and watch it on the old, SD set.  Then I figured out something out: switch the setting from widescreen to "normal" (or whatever the setting is that shrinks the screen and puts the "bars" on both sides).  Apparently, the difference between HD and SD (at least for ESPN's broadcast) isn't just picture quality, but also that the SD signal is not sent in widescreen format, which makes the picture look just awful on a HD set.  After I figured that out, I can deal with changing the setting to "normal" width and the picture actually doesn't look bad at all (about on par with my old SD set, if not a little better).

Ziff72

October 25th, 2010 at 11:07 AM ^

I used to complain about this all the time, but the facts are the networks are monkeys.  they show whatever gets the best ratings.  Local always trumps national. Big name beats middling teams.

Blame society for sucking.   I used to scream all the time back when there was no ESPN2, ESPN U etc...   3:30 game #17OSU vs Indiana ABC instead of    #1Nebraska vs # 2 Oklahoma.  No options other than the SEC game on CBS. 

That was tough. 

michgoblue

October 25th, 2010 at 11:08 AM ^

Call you cable company - tell them that you would like to upgrade your package to the higher package  effective immediately.  There is no service call - just flipping a switch on their end. 

After the game, if you don't want to keep the upgraded package, you can always call back and drop back town to your prior.  At most, they will make you keep it for a month, and even if they do, that would be at most $20-$30 dollars (well worth it to watch our only night game in HD). 

michgoblue

October 25th, 2010 at 11:14 AM ^

A quick question on this.  It looks to me like we are on ESPN / ESPN HD nationally.  No coverage map.  Is this correct?  I am always afraid that I am missing something and that I won't be getting the game.  Can someone please set my mind at ease. 

michgoblue

October 25th, 2010 at 11:29 AM ^

Thanks (and +1).  But breathe easy?  Are you kidding?  Now I need to figure out: (1) what I am going to eat for the game; (2) which Michigan shirt to wear; (3) how to best get through an entire day leading up to one of the biggest games of the season; and (4) how to convince my in-laws that we shouldn't go to an early dinner for their anniversary (what is so special about 35 years, anyway - can't we celebrate 36???) because I know that I will be way too stressed to want to field the inevitable 100 questions about how we are going to play, whether we will win, what wil happen to RR if we don't, will Denard not be able to run, etc.

Oh, no breathing easy for me.  Lots of important decisions to make.

Blue_Sox

October 25th, 2010 at 11:37 AM ^

My apologies, but I believe I am the victim of false advertising here. I didn't know there were so many other factors conspiring against your enjoyment of the game. I must say I don't know how you are going to get through this week with all that hanging over your head. But hopefully it will all be worth it and you can be rewarded with an M win!

M go Bru

October 25th, 2010 at 1:36 PM ^

Logan 88,

ESPN provides numerous online computer viewing options for football games.  I myself only have regular TV, no cable. I typically watch UM games at a friend's house in HD on his 46" large screen plasma TV who has all the cable channels including the BTN.

This past saturday I viewed the MSU-Northwestern game on computer at home. It was one of 4 games offered by ESPN in the 12:00 time slot. The resolution is not the best and at times there is a skip in the transmission, but it's better than nothing.

Typically ESPN 3 games are shown on computer as are the Thursday night games.

However, I'm not sure if ESPN indicates if the other ESPN games are going to be on computer in advance.