HoyaSpirit
Bulldog (over 250 posts)
Gotta love Smitty - 1989 Big East Player of the Year
Posts: 305
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Post by HoyaSpirit on Mar 20, 2007 2:22:39 GMT -5
you're kidding - Florida is the same time as us? And I'm in Florida - man that stinks. That means that out of 3 ncaa games, I'll have had access to only the first half of belmont and 2nd half of BC. Even if I schlep 45 mins roundtrip to a bar - I'll get no sound on a small tv, b/c I'm sure they'll have Florida sound cranked and on the big screen. CBS stinks - please have ESPN take over this tourney so we get more games on TV. I can't get over all of the complaining about CBS. The fact is, when you don't live in the home market of the team you're cheering for, you have to be prepared to make some effort to see the game you want, either by watching it on your computer (FOR FREE BY THE WAY!!!), ordering the March Madness package on satellite, or going to a bar. Its just like any NFL game you've ever seen. I understand the complaints that all games should be available, but it has ALWAYS been done this way, and in any event some channels have made this concession. I think I mentioned earlier that for the second or third year in a row, the local CBS affiliate in Milwaukee made the feeds for all of the games not being shown locally available for free on alternate channels on Time Warner Cable. Anyway, I understand some people's frustration, and even with all of these options the first half of the BC/Gtown game was not available to many if not most of us. But such is life when you cheer for a team but don't live in their city. The answer is NEVER to have ESPN take over the coverage. This entire rant was prompted by that comment above. The idea of Dick Vitale turning the Final Four games into a broadcasted circus!?!? I get nauseous just thinking about it. Talk to your local affiliate and mention what other affiliates have done. Ask them to make the other games available for free on alternate channels. Big Dog - I strongly disagree. I don't like Vitale, but I can easily ignore whose calling the game and even put on Chvotkin and hear him instead. This Friday if ESPN was carrying the Sweet 16, I'd be kicking back in full comfort on my couch, watching a large tv screen from feet away, 15 feet from my kitchen and eating great food for cheap, DVR remote control in hand to watch Jeff's monster dunks 4 times if I want, able to hear play by play of the game, and getting to talk to my Pop about key plays via phone. With CBS, I'm going to drive 45 mins roundtrip, sit on an uncomfortable stool trying to glimpse a small TV far away with stick figures on it, listen to play by play of Florida game and miss key details of our game, spend a bunch of $ on crappy food if I want to eat, tell my Dad I can't hear him, have smoke on my clothes, listen to Florida fans cheer for 2 hours straight - and not even know if they're going to switch away from my game in the middle of it. And you think we should choose the CBS crap because you like Packer better than Vitale - even though you can turn the volume off if you want (which is what you'd get at at least half the sports bars anwyay) Most CBS local stations don't have a 2nd channel and they're probably not going to show the other game just because a couple hoya fans call.
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HoyaSpirit
Bulldog (over 250 posts)
Gotta love Smitty - 1989 Big East Player of the Year
Posts: 305
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Post by HoyaSpirit on Mar 20, 2007 2:23:44 GMT -5
By the way, does anyone know the coverage map yet for the Friday night game or have a link?
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Post by nepa hoya on Mar 20, 2007 8:39:09 GMT -5
Hopefully I should get the coverage maps before noon today.
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Hoya50
Silver Hoya (over 500 posts)
Posts: 805
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Post by Hoya50 on Mar 20, 2007 9:39:41 GMT -5
it would be nice if somehow (and i don't know how) you could buy the "direct tv" package for cable. i would gladly pay $100 to see all the games (do you hear me cbs) and i'm not the only person that feels that way.
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Post by ColumbiaHeightsHoya on Mar 20, 2007 9:44:08 GMT -5
Mike Ditka's bar in Chicago sucks. Even though I live in DC I was there for the weekend. They had the A&M game on twenty tv's and wouldn't change one of them despite advertising the march madness ticket. The manager was a total steak head.
We then went to ESPN zone which had every single game on except, you guessed it, the hoyas. I went back to my hotel for the second half as the game was finally covered by CBS. I will never go to Ditka's and ESPN zone can kiss my ass as well.
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Big Dog
Diamond Hoya (over 2500 posts)
Posts: 3,912
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Post by Big Dog on Mar 20, 2007 11:25:36 GMT -5
Mike Ditka's bar in Chicago sucks. Even though I live in DC I was there for the weekend. They had the A&M game on twenty tv's and wouldn't change one of them despite advertising the march madness ticket. The manager was a total steak head. We then went to ESPN zone which had every single game on except, you guessed it, the hoyas. I went back to my hotel for the second half as the game was finally covered by CBS. I will never go to Ditka's and ESPN zone can kiss my ass as well. ColumbiaHeights, I was in Chicago too. It wasn't the bars' fault. As others have noted, CBS blacks out (from satellite, from MMOD on your computer) whatever game is scheduled to be shown locally in the market you're viewing in. CBS schedule for the day in Chicago included OSU-Xavier, followed by Louisville-Texas A&M, followed by Gtown-BC. Because OSU-Xavier and Louisville-Texas A&M were both played in Lexington, when the OSU game went to overtime, it significantly delayed the start of Louisville-Texas A&M. Because BC-Gtown was the first game in W-S and had a scheduled start time of 4:45 Central, it wound up tipping off long before Louisville-A&M was over. The production teams at CBS and at the local affiliate made the obvious decision to stick with a game that was close in the second half rather than send people to the first half of another game. But because Gtown-BC was still the scheduled game, it was still blacked out. You could have gone into every single bar in Chicago and they would not have been able to show you the game. As for HoyaSpirits comments, I'm not sure where you live that requires you to drive 45 minutes to get to the nearest bar showing the game, but if its such a discomfort, why not simply go online and watch? Alternatively, see if you live in the 20 or so cities whose local CBS affiliate is offering all of the games in multicast for free. Examples: Raleigh/Durham/Fayetteville: Once again, Time Warner Cable and WRAL will give viewers the opportunity to see EVERY game played during the NCAA college basketball tournament! Time Warner Digital Cable customers can watch the regional game on WRAL cable channel 3 or check out all of the alternate games on WRAL Digital Channels 256, 257, 258 and 259. This is a college basketball fan's dream come true! Plus, select games will be available in High Definition on Digital Cable Channels 254 and 255! Milwaukee: In addition, just as it has in recent years, Channel 58 will offer NCAA men's basketball tournament games in multicast through the Sweet 16. Multicasting is presenting games taking place at the same time on different channels. Those channels are available only to digital tier subscribers. Apart from the games assigned to the Milwaukee market on Channel 58, digital subscribers to Channel 58's service can see games on 58.1, 58.3, 58.4 and 58.5. Time Warner Cable digital subscribers get games on 581, 583, 584 and 585. Charter Communications has games on 788, 583, 584 and 585. Providence, RI: Cox Communications and WPRI-TV Channel 12 announced today that through a CBS multicast agreement, Cox will offer additional NCAA Basketball Tournament games to Cox Digital Cable customers in Rhode Island. Beginning on Thursday, March 15, the NCAA Tournament games will air on WPRI-TV Ch.12 and in high definition on Cox Digital channel 701. Additional games will broadcast simultaneously on Cox Digital channels 801 and 802. Other cities: Not all CBS affiliates are willing to supply the games to local operators free-of-charge. KOIN-TV in Portland, Ore., plans to multicast the March Madness games, but GM David Lipoff said the station won’t give them to the local Comcast Corp. system unless the operator agrees to pay for the matchups. In addition to Portland, CBS affiliates also plan to multicast the basketball games in Columbus, Ohio; Detroit; Greensboro and Raleigh, N.C.; Huntsville, Ala.; Las Vegas; Lexington and Louisville, Ky.; Milwaukee; Roanoke and Norfolk; Va.; and Providence, R.I..
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hoyainspirit
Platinum Hoya (over 5000 posts)
When life puts that voodoo on me, music is my gris-gris.
Posts: 8,394
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Post by hoyainspirit on Mar 20, 2007 11:35:24 GMT -5
Mike Ditka's bar in Chicago sucks. Even though I live in DC I was there for the weekend. They had the A&M game on twenty tv's and wouldn't change one of them despite advertising the march madness ticket. The manager was a total steak head. We then went to ESPN zone which had every single game on except, you guessed it, the hoyas. I went back to my hotel for the second half as the game was finally covered by CBS. I will never go to Ditka's and ESPN zone can kiss my ass as well. If you were in Chicago, you should have gone to Gamekeepers in Lincoln Park. Great bar, full of Hoya fans.
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Big Dog
Diamond Hoya (over 2500 posts)
Posts: 3,912
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Post by Big Dog on Mar 20, 2007 11:39:08 GMT -5
If you were in Chicago, you should have gone to Gamekeepers in Lincoln Park. Great bar, full of Hoya fans. Were you there, hoyainspirit? I visited for the first time. They likewise didn't have the game on because of 'Ville-A&M. And to be honest I only found about 9-10 Hoyas fans. That may have been because I was stuck in one corner of the bar and it was insanely crowded (understandably so) for St. Patty's Day and the tournament. Gold Hoya would know better than I.
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AvantGuardHoya
Golden Hoya (over 1000 posts)
"It was when I found out I could make mistakes that I knew I was on to something."
Posts: 1,481
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Post by AvantGuardHoya on Mar 20, 2007 13:59:26 GMT -5
Naw, he wasn't there .... but he's been there for past Hoya game watchs. Poor slob's stuck in Charm City.
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hchoya
Century (over 100 posts)
Posts: 195
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Post by hchoya on Mar 20, 2007 15:02:02 GMT -5
Anyone got the coverage map?
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Gold Hoya
Golden Hoya (over 1000 posts)
Posts: 1,578
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Post by Gold Hoya on Mar 20, 2007 15:07:14 GMT -5
When traveling, ALWAYS check the consolidated game watch thread!
When in Chicago, ALWAYS come to Gamekeepers! Ditka's is a restaurant, not a sports bar. ESPN Zone is a theme park, not a sports bar.
Big Dog, there were about 25 Hoyas at Gamekeepers on Sat. but because of the St Pat's crowd, we were all scattered. Usually we have a dedicated spot.
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brooklynhoya
Century (over 100 posts)
With a kiss!
Posts: 224
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Post by brooklynhoya on Mar 20, 2007 15:31:17 GMT -5
CBS is crap- simply paying the most money for NCAA rights does not great TV coverage make. They botched the BC game, first by sticking with the L'ville-A&M game that I suspect few on the East Coast cared about, then by repeated, random cutting away during the end of the BC game, which remained as tight as any other game that they stuck with to the end. I'll take ESPN over them, every time- you can at least count on getting the whole game, plus you can mute Vitale.
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Big Dog
Diamond Hoya (over 2500 posts)
Posts: 3,912
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Post by Big Dog on Mar 20, 2007 15:43:31 GMT -5
CBS is crap- simply paying the most money for NCAA rights does not great TV coverage make. They botched the BC game, first by sticking with the L'ville-A&M game that I suspect few on the East Coast cared about, then by repeated, random cutting away during the end of the BC game, which remained as tight as any other game that they stuck with to the end. I'll take ESPN over them, every time- you can at least count on getting the whole game, plus you can mute Vitale. I'm curious how exactly the pro-ESPN people think that the "World's Greatest Sports Network"--which surely would have bombarded us every 20 minutes with "20 at 20" updates about meaningless game number 3,213 of the NBA season and whatever NASCAR race was happening on Sunday--would have covered 4 games playing simultaneously considering that it typically has only 3 networks broadcasting games on mainstream cable: ESPN, ESPN2, and ESPN Classic (ESPNNews certainly wouldn't be in play). Would it have been better to learn that BC-Gtown was available in its entirety on ESPNU? I can't stand ESPN. I watch only because its often the only way to see something. I think they've ruined the NBA and are trying to kill baseball--fortunately they can only mangle one NFL game per week. Sportscenter is the least watchable sports program on earth because its now an entertainment show and not a highlights show (they've been doing 2007 previews of every NFL Team since the Superbowl ended AND September IS SIX MONTHS AWAY), though at least ESPN News occasionally provides about five seconds worth of game highlights.
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Post by FreeNachos on Mar 20, 2007 15:55:25 GMT -5
Gold Hoya organizes the best d*mn game watches west of the beltway....
All of us in Chicago only wish he could do something about changing St. Patty's day to April...wouldn't coincide with NCAA game watching.
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brooklynhoya
Century (over 100 posts)
With a kiss!
Posts: 224
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Post by brooklynhoya on Mar 20, 2007 16:20:50 GMT -5
20 at 20 updates, unlike illogical cutaways to other games, at least allow you to continue viewing your game, plus how many times during a game do I have to hear about the latest inane plotlines for "Without A Trace" or "Cold Case"? I saw virtually every Georgetown game at home (in NYC) thanks to any combo of the ESPN networks- can't say the same for CBS. I'm more than happy to pay for their network over free CBS- you do get what you pay for. I don't watch the NBA or MLB on ESPN, so I won't comment on that, and I still count on any of the numerous showings of SportsCenter for Hoyas highlights, which I'd only get similarly via CBS through the local affiliate broadcast in DC, where I don't live.
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Post by philipvu94 on Mar 20, 2007 19:03:09 GMT -5
I can't get over all of the complaining about CBS. The fact is, when you don't live in the home market of the team you're cheering for, you have to be prepared to make some effort to see the game you want, either by watching it on your computer (FOR FREE BY THE WAY!!!), ordering the March Madness package on satellite, or going to a bar. Its just like any NFL game you've ever seen. I know I'm a guest here, but I just wanted to quote the above for truth. It's just a fact of life. They can space the games out more, which would probably be a very good idea. Or keeping the present schedule, they can put them on other outlets, which they have done with MMOD or DirectTV. I suppose we all have our own budgets, but I'm pretty poor and I don't think $50 a year to have beers and watch three tournament games at a sports bar is outrageous. The problem that CBS has not addressed... [EDIT: Never mind, you covered it above, and the same thing happened with WSU-Vanderbilt because of the Lexington games.] Fortunately I could use my computer to watch the first half on MMOD with four people gathered around a monitor and a 60 second lag. I presume the bar was getting its wifi from a non-local provider, because they're supposed to block "local" games there too. They should be able to block games with better granularity, or at least err toward giving people a few extra minutes of a game that's showing locally. Blocking out whole games when the local market isn't really showing the whole game is just paranoid.
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Jack
Diamond Hoya (over 2500 posts)
Posts: 3,411
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Post by Jack on Mar 20, 2007 19:43:24 GMT -5
All of us in Chicago only wish he could do something about changing St. Patty's day to April...wouldn't coincide with NCAA game watching. Actually, St. Patricia's feast day is in August. Now that St. Paddy is a whole different story.
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Post by toomanywords on Mar 20, 2007 20:42:49 GMT -5
Fortunately I could use my computer to watch the first half on MMOD with four people gathered around a monitor and a 60 second lag. I presume the bar was getting its wifi from a non-local provider, because they're supposed to block "local" games there too. They should be able to block games with better granularity, or at least err toward giving people a few extra minutes of a game that's showing locally. Blocking out whole games when the local market isn't really showing the whole game is just paranoid. The issue isn't the Wi-Fi source, it's where you told CBS you lived when you signed up for the Sportsline/MMOD account. I'm pretty sure you could avoid blackout issues if you gave them an address in a place where the Hoyas weren't scheduled to be shown. Not 100 percent certain, though, so if anyone has better info, might be worth posting.
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Post by bostonhoya05 on Mar 20, 2007 22:13:23 GMT -5
Do we have a clearance map yet?
TV Guide Online here is showing "Regional Semifinals (BC vs. Villanova, Florida vs. Georgetown)" - HA
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DanMcQ
Moderator
Posts: 30,715
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Post by DanMcQ on Mar 20, 2007 22:19:25 GMT -5
Fortunately I could use my computer to watch the first half on MMOD with four people gathered around a monitor and a 60 second lag. I presume the bar was getting its wifi from a non-local provider, because they're supposed to block "local" games there too. They should be able to block games with better granularity, or at least err toward giving people a few extra minutes of a game that's showing locally. Blocking out whole games when the local market isn't really showing the whole game is just paranoid. Not true - I was unable to watch the Hoyas first round game on MMOD in the Boston area using either the account with my home zip code or the one with the San Francisco zip code - both gave the "local blackout" message. CBS appears to be blocking by IP address. Someone posted a mirror/proxy site that worked however. Search the prior MMOD / CBS stinks threads and you may find it. The issue isn't the Wi-Fi source, it's where you told CBS you lived when you signed up for the Sportsline/MMOD account. I'm pretty sure you could avoid blackout issues if you gave them an address in a place where the Hoyas weren't scheduled to be shown. Not 100 percent certain, though, so if anyone has better info, might be worth posting.
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