Yesterday we noted the pathetically low television ratings returns for game one of the NBA Finals. Tonight, game two of the Finals will have to compete with the series finale of HBO's Sopranos. We can't even imagine how poor tonight's ratings will be. If game one garnered the lowest viewership since the 1981 Finals (which aired on tape delay), the prospects for tonight's contest are grim.
That's a shame. The San Antonio Spurs are becoming one of the NBA's great dynasties. LeBron James is the brightest rising star in the game. But nobody seems to be interested.
In the 1990's the NBA, with its emphasis on star player/personalities over team accomplishments, was the envy of every sports association (with the exception of the NFL). After the 1994 strike left Major League Baseball for dead, MLB remade itself (to the chagrin of the purists) into a high scoring (thanks to smaller ballpark dimensions, juiced balls and juiced up players), star personality dominated game. The traditionally conservative PGA aggressively marketed the phenom persona of Tiger Woods, which marked a drastic departure for the "gentleman's game." Seemingly, every major sport wanted a Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson or Larry Bird personality. It was all about the stars.
Oh, how things have changed. Now a decade removed from the Jordan era, the The NBA has really lost its luster.
Drive and Dish will watch the Finals tonight, but just about everybody else will be watching the Sopranos.
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1 comment:
The nba was at its peak in the 80's and early 90's. There were great players and great teams. Players had complete games, if you didn't have a complete game, you couldn't make it in the league. The league went downhill when teams started drafting players right out of high school.
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