ESPN, BTN and the rest of the sports media

[BobbCat14]

I am so sick of the media coverage of this team. Every talking head dope on TV starts their piece with “for the first time ever” or “the last time NU did this or that” or “ its been X years since” or the new, diss du jour: “despite 3 out of conference losses...”.

Every win is “miraculous”. And the result of a “team whose sum is better than the whole of its parts” that just “pulls games out somehow”.

Every win is “surprising” and an “upset” by “overachievers” that “punch above their weight” despite “having no P5 offers out of high school”.

This whole narrative is an insulting load of crap.

The team has won 13 of its last 14 Big Ten games. Only one team in the Big Ten has done that. It’s not Ohio State. It’s not Michigan. Or MSU or PSU or Wisconsin or Iowa. It’s Northwestern.

I know the media is lazy. And many are not particularly bright. But how dim can they get?

Why should we trust any analysis these clowns do when they can’t (or won’t) do the simple analysis of figuring out who wins games and who doesn’t? When are they going to figure out that the surprise is not a Northwestern win. It’s when Northwestern doesn’t win!

Get your collective heads out of your collective ass.

 

[zeek55]

You finally unloaded.


Think you'll find a lot of agreement this time.

 

[MotownMedilldo]

Any national praise of NU from sports pundits is usually backhanded and rooted in the idea that this is the best Northwestern can do. #NorthwesternOfAllPlaces

 

[BobbCat14]

Any national praise of NU from sports pundits is usually backhanded and rooted in the idea that this is the best Northwestern can do. #NorthwesternOfAllPlaces

Precisely.

 

[phatcat]

I am so sick of the media coverage of this team. Every talking head dope on TV starts their piece with “for the first time ever” or “the last time NU did this or that” or “ its been X years since” or the new, diss du jour: “despite 3 out of conference losses...”.

Every win is “miraculous”. And the result of a “team whose sum is better than the whole of its parts” that just “pulls games out somehow”.

Every win is “surprising” and an “upset” by “overachievers” that “punch above their weight” despite “having no P5 offers out of high school”.

This whole narrative is an insulting load of crap.

The team has won 13 of its last 14 Big Ten games. Only one team in the Big Ten has done that. It’s not Ohio State. It’s not Michigan. Or MSU or PSU or Wisconsin or Iowa. It’s Northwestern.

I know the media is lazy. And many are not particularly bright. But how dim can they get?

Why should we trust any analysis these clowns do when they can’t (or won’t) do the simple analysis of figuring out who wins games and who doesn’t? When are they going to figure out that the surprise is not a Northwestern win. It’s when Northwestern doesn’t win!

Get your collective heads out of your collective ass.

We are not impressive. We just win. I don't follow the NFL, but it is like when the Giants beat the undefeated Pats

We have like a +1 differential per game. Even our defense, which is crazy impressive, doesn't light up the scoreboard. Not a lot of picks or sacks, give up a lot of (passing) yards.

Just win, baby

 

[NUCat320]

Late in the broadcast, the Fox guys dedicated significant airtime to Northwestern’s “dominance” of the Big Ten West, citing 13 of 14 wins.

Of course, that was in context of the broadcast.

 

[zeek55]

Any national praise of NU from sports pundits is usually backhanded and rooted in the idea that this is the best Northwestern can do. #NorthwesternOfAllPlaces

Honestly (and this is directed at the OP), the only way to change this perception is win the biggest games.


Until we can win Big Ten championship games or NY6 bowls where we're playing top teams playing at peak levels, people will always find excuses when we win.


If we beat a good team, people say it's because that team is down like all those people saying the Big Ten West is down now that we won.


The good news: we can and will change that narrative. We've got chances at two more marquee wins this year. Then next year the Johnson era begins.

We're entering (or are already in as I'd argue) a potential golden era of Northwestern sports (fb+bb). Perception will change as wins keep rolling in...

 

[its_the_sauce]

Who cares, don't take it personally.

 

[Hungry Jack]

Agree with OP. The national sports media narrative about Northwestern football is tired, unthinking, and bogus.

I’d rather hear these guys talk about the evolution of Mike Gundy’s mullet than listen to their crap about NU.

 

[Wrestlerneverdiesasacatfan]

I am so sick of the media coverage of this team. Every talking head dope on TV starts their piece with “for the first time ever” or “the last time NU did this or that” or “ its been X years since” or the new, diss du jour: “despite 3 out of conference losses...”.

Every win is “miraculous”. And the result of a “team whose sum is better than the whole of its parts” that just “pulls games out somehow”.

Every win is “surprising” and an “upset” by “overachievers” that “punch above their weight” despite “having no P5 offers out of high school”.

This whole narrative is an insulting load of crap.

The team has won 13 of its last 14 Big Ten games. Only one team in the Big Ten has done that. It’s not Ohio State. It’s not Michigan. Or MSU or PSU or Wisconsin or Iowa. It’s Northwestern.

I know the media is lazy. And many are not particularly bright. But how dim can they get?

Why should we trust any analysis these clowns do when they can’t (or won’t) do the simple analysis of figuring out who wins games and who doesn’t? When are they going to figure out that the surprise is not a Northwestern win. It’s when Northwestern doesn’t win!

Get your collective heads out of your collective ass.

Let's beat Minnesota and Illinois. Make it 15-16

 

[MotownMedilldo]

Honestly (and this is directed at the OP), the only way to change this perception is win the biggest games.


Until we can win Big Ten championship games or NY6 bowls where we're playing top teams playing at peak levels, people will always find excuses when we win.


If we beat a good team, people say it's because that team is down like all those people saying the Big Ten West is down now that we won.


The good news: we can and will change that narrative. We've got chances at two more marquee wins this year. Then next year the Johnson era begins.

We're entering (or are already in as I'd argue) a potential golden era of Northwestern sports (fb+bb). Perception will change as wins keep rolling in...

I agree 100 percent. That's why I want to see domination not close wins.

 

[Dugan15]

I am so sick of the media coverage of this team. Every talking head dope on TV starts their piece with “for the first time ever” or “the last time NU did this or that” or “ its been X years since” or the new, diss du jour: “despite 3 out of conference losses...”.

Every win is “miraculous”. And the result of a “team whose sum is better than the whole of its parts” that just “pulls games out somehow”.

Every win is “surprising” and an “upset” by “overachievers” that “punch above their weight” despite “having no P5 offers out of high school”.

This whole narrative is an insulting load of crap.

The team has won 13 of its last 14 Big Ten games. Only one team in the Big Ten has done that. It’s not Ohio State. It’s not Michigan. Or MSU or PSU or Wisconsin or Iowa. It’s Northwestern.

I know the media is lazy. And many are not particularly bright. But how dim can they get?

Why should we trust any analysis these clowns do when they can’t (or won’t) do the simple analysis of figuring out who wins games and who doesn’t? When are they going to figure out that the surprise is not a Northwestern win. It’s when Northwestern doesn’t win!

Get your collective heads out of your collective ass.

The answer is as follows:

NU is the dominant team in the Big Ten west. They have wrapped the championship with 2 weeks left to play!!

All games this year:

Offense - 23.6 ppg
Defense - 23.0 ppg.

It is pretty miraculous that a team that loses to Duke and Akron at home and is statistically as unimpressive as we are has won the west with 2 games to spare. No shame in that, but this is an odd and wonderful story.

 

[Alan Smithee]

It IS the first time a division winner went 0-fer in conference play. Losing to ND this year is no disgrace, but that story is unusual.

That doesn't make us bad - it makes (or ought to) our story odd and unusual and interesting.

Sometimes playing clean games and pretty heads-up football doesn't seem to be decisive, but this year I think it has been a key contributor. Imagine where we'd be if we were similarly consistent in not turning the ball over.

 

[SmellyCat]

I would love to see this perception change more quickly, but it takes time. It took half the season in 1995 before anyone realized the wins over Notre Dame, Michigan, etc. weren't upsets, that the team was really good, and then 1996 with the loss to Wake Forest they had to start all over again. 2000 was a fluky offense and a defense that was exposed in San Antonio. Since then - almost two decades - Northwestern has been an average to above-average team. Even in the worst years, they've been nothing like they were in the dark ages. People are slowly and grudgingly seeing that NU isn't an easy out anymore, but those old habits die hard.

I look forward to the day that people say things like "the road to the Big Ten West goes through Evanston." We're not there yet, but we will be. Maybe it'll take the 1-2 punch of a Big Ten championship and Rose Bowl win to do it.

 

[MRCat95]

The answer is as follows:

NU is the dominant team in the Big Ten west. They have wrapped the championship with 2 weeks left to play!!

All games this year:

Offense - 23.6 ppg
Defense - 23.0 ppg.

It is pretty miraculous that a team that loses to Duke and Akron at home and is statistically as unimpressive as we are has won the west with 2 games to spare. No shame in that, but this is an odd and wonderful story.

In B1G Games:

+6.0 Margin
Offense 25.9
Defense 19.9

Iowa is +6.2 by the way
Offense 28.6
Defense 22.4

Although Iowa got to play Maryland, Indiana and Minnesota already skipping Michigan and Ohio State.

B1G-only stats...
https://bigten.org/confstats.aspx/2018-19/fb/confonly?path=football#team

 

[pawildcat]

Agree with OP. The national sports media narrative about Northwestern football is tired, unthinking, and bogus.

I’d rather hear these guys talk about the evolution of Mike Gundy’s mullet than listen to their crap about NU.

I think the coverage can get tired, but on the other hand when was the last time NU won a conference or division title? I believe it was 2000, correct? We're having a nice run lately, but we don't exactly have a history of running roughshod over the Big Ten. While I don't believe that every win is "miraculous," I have to say I do think it's sort of miraculous that a team that blew a game to a below-average MAC team earlier in the year has now clinched the B1G West with two games to go. Anyone who REMOTELY saw that one coming is a far better prognosticator than I.

 

[Hungry Jack]

I think the coverage can get tired, but on the other hand when was the last time NU won a conference or division title? I believe it was 2000, correct? We're having a nice run lately, but we don't exactly have a history of running roughshod over the Big Ten. While I don't believe that every win is "miraculous," I have to say I do think it's sort of miraculous that a team that blew a game to a below-average MAC team earlier in the year has now clinched the B1G West with two games to go. Anyone who REMOTELY saw that one coming is a far better prognosticator than I.

I think there is a pretty clear bias against NU in the national media. It is not necessarily an irrational thing, motivated by dark forces, but there is a lack of belief in the legitimacy of our competitiveness. Given how we have fared in the last decade or so against Iowa, Wisconsin, MSU, and other programs perceived as strong, I think the national media sells us short. I get where it comes from. I was there for the tail end of the Dark Ages. But the Dark Ages are clearly over.

On the Fox pregame before Iowa, Smith said something to the effect of "If Northwestern is to have a chance..." The loss to ND was framed largely as a moral victory for NU. It's gotten very old for me.

 

[Fitz51]

jNW?

 

[freewillie07]

We are not impressive. We just win. I don't follow the NFL, but it is like when the Giants beat the undefeated Pats

We have like a +1 differential per game. Even our defense, which is crazy impressive, doesn't light up the scoreboard. Not a lot of picks or sacks, give up a lot of (passing) yards.

Just win, baby

This. I love that NU finds a way to win, even if it’s ugly and stress-inducing. But it’s not going to win over a lot of people who are looking for a simple narrative and using history as a guide. To change it, NU needs to not just win, but win decisively.

 

[zeek55]

I think the coverage can get tired, but on the other hand when was the last time NU won a conference or division title? I believe it was 2000, correct? We're having a nice run lately, but we don't exactly have a history of running roughshod over the Big Ten. While I don't believe that every win is "miraculous," I have to say I do think it's sort of miraculous that a team that blew a game to a below-average MAC team earlier in the year has now clinched the B1G West with two games to go. Anyone who REMOTELY saw that one coming is a far better prognosticator than I.

I think there is a pretty clear bias against NU in the national media. It is not necessarily an irrational thing, motivated by dark forces, but there is a lack of belief in the legitimacy of our competitiveness. Given how we have fared in the last decade or so against Iowa, Wisconsin, MSU, and other programs perceived as strong, I think the national media sells us short. I get where it comes from. I was there for the tail end of the Dark Ages. But the Dark Ages are clearly over.

On the Fox pregame before Iowa, Smith said something to the effect of "If Northwestern is to have a chance..." The loss to ND was framed largely as a moral victory for NU. It's gotten very old for me.

Here's the issue though: to change media narratives, you have to change the frame of reference.

Right now the "framing" about our program is that we're a middle-of-the-road program in the Big Ten that consistently goes to bowl games and punches above our weight at middle/upper tier programs in the Big Ten (especially Wisconsin, Iowa, and Michigan State, and I guess Nebraska when they're not bad). That's the good side of our framing; the bad side is we have let downs against bad teams like Akron, Illinois State, and that our depth has been suspect as a result of those letdowns.


And we struggle to put away games against the biggest programs: Michigan, Ohio State, or Penn State when they're good, and we haven't really "broken through" to the point where we have a big run of seasons with marquee wins on big stages.


To get the kind of respect that you guys all want, we have to change the frame.

Games that change the frame? Big Ten Championship game this year. Bowl game this year if it's against a big name SEC team in Citrus or Outback bowls or even bigger if it's the Rose Bowl.

Next year: week 1 against Stanford, weeks 3-5 Michigan State/Wisconsin/Nebraska, week 7 against Ohio State game, Big Ten Championship, bowl game.

Changing the frame will require us to really start pushing deep into the year as a ranked team and no longer as just an upset minded team.


Go into the Ohio State game next year as a 3-2 or 4-1 team and we'll probably be a top 20 team before that game. Knock off Ohio State and we'll be top 10. Ride that top 10 ranking to the end of the season.

That's the kind of year that changes perceptions about the program, and the Hunter Johnson hype will be over the moon. He'll be getting Heisman talk for 2020.

That's a lot to put on a guy that hasn't played a down for us, but reality is that I'm sure he has those expectations for himself. He's a 5 star that was beat out at Clemson by a guy heralded as the best QB prospect since Peyton Manning (by the usual media hypemen).

Earn that kind of hype and the buzz around Northwestern will be the same as the buzz was around Andrew Luck's Cardinal. We could ride that kind of hype for a decade with a dramatic uptick in recruiting that reinforces the uptick in results and creates a feedback cycle that extends the winning for years beyond.

 

[BobbCat14]

On the Fox pregame before Iowa, Smith said something to the effect of "If Northwestern is to have a chance..." The loss to ND was framed largely as a moral victory for NU. It's gotten very old for me.

That’s exactly the kind of biased crap language that drives me nuts. Why is it never “if Iowa is going to score against a superb NU defense, they’re going to have to pull out all the stops”?

Our front 7 is as good as just about any in the country. It’s been clear for 2 seasons now. Nobody runs on Northwestern. Ever. Why don’t they just say that instead? They’d have a much greater chance of being right than babbling about how amazing Iowa’s three-headed monster at RB this year is even. better than the almighty, etherial talent they had at RB last year (which, by the way, we also kept under 100 yards last year).

 

[seavue617]

Al Davis was right about one thing - just win baby. I don't frankly care if we win decisively as long as we win. We are a difficult out for most teams because we do not generally beat ourselves. Sadly, we do tend to not play well (read lose) when we are a heavy favorite. But our usual early season losses to underdogs actually kind of works out for us on several levels. The media gives us no respect, our BigTen opponents take it for granted that they will easily beat us and it also motivates our players that we are disrespected. By the time the media and other teams have figured out that we actually are pretty good, we are already bowl eligible again. What a surprise!

 

[Pete Purple]

The narrative I guess I’d like better would be the “always dangerous Northwestern”. But, I’ll take cardiac ‘cats with results over the respect of the media! Not an excuse, but... CT clearly is still not 100%.

 

[zeek55]

We're getting a ton of respect right now, but you have to win to keep respect:

Look at the headline on ESPN's Poll roundup: http://www.espn.com/college-footbal...tern-wildcats-ranked-no-24-ap-top-25-poll-win

'The number of teams with at least three losses increased from seven to 10 this week, including two teams (Northwestern and No. 25 Mississippi State) with four losses. Last year, the Top 25 released after week 11 of the regular season included six teams with three losses and none with four.

The last time two four-loss teams were ranked this early in the season was Nov. 7, 1999, when No. 22 Purdue and No. 24 Ohio State were each 6-4.'


What that means is that the media members that vote are saying "okay looking at Northwestern's wins, we'll rate them above a bunch of 3 loss teams (including Duke that they lost to) because of the quality of those wins"...

But you have to keep winning to justify your ranking. Beat Minnesota and Illinois soundly and then we roll into the Big Ten championship game with people believing we have a shot to knock off Michigan or Ohio State.

 

[zeek55]

Last point as I made on another thread: this Big Ten championship game will be the most watched Northwestern game in a long, long time; probably since the 1995-1996 seasons.

We're going to probably have over 10 million people watching this Big Ten championship game assuming Michigan or Ohio State is ranked in the top 4 with a shot at the playoff.

That's where we can make an impression on a ton of people that haven't seen much of us...

 

[Pete Purple]

Thx for the link. You’re right, some respect.

 

[Purple Pile Driver]

We're getting a ton of respect right now, but you have to win to keep respect:

Look at the headline on ESPN's Poll roundup: http://www.espn.com/college-footbal...tern-wildcats-ranked-no-24-ap-top-25-poll-win

'The number of teams with at least three losses increased from seven to 10 this week, including two teams (Northwestern and No. 25 Mississippi State) with four losses. Last year, the Top 25 released after week 11 of the regular season included six teams with three losses and none with four.

The last time two four-loss teams were ranked this early in the season was Nov. 7, 1999, when No. 22 Purdue and No. 24 Ohio State were each 6-4.'


What that means is that the media members that vote are saying "okay looking at Northwestern's wins, we'll rate them above a bunch of 3 loss teams (including Duke that they lost to) because of the quality of those wins"...

But you have to keep winning to justify your ranking. Beat Minnesota and Illinois soundly and then we roll into the Big Ten championship game with people believing we have a shot to knock off Michigan or Ohio State.

We can pound Minny and Lovie and The only ones that will believe NU has a shot are the players, coaches and fans of NU. National narrative won’t change much going into the game. The only belief that really matters belongs to the players and coaches.

 

[zeek55]

We can pound Minny and Lovie and The only ones that will believe NU has a shot are the players, coaches and fans of NU. National narrative won’t change much going into the game. The only belief that really matters belongs to the players and coaches.

You're probably right in a general sense, while people respect us winning the West and respect our wins, the reality is just that the championship game is that much more important.

As I mentioned before, this'll be the first time we play in front of 10 million+ since the mid-90s. That's how big an opportunity this is. These are the kinds of games where you get millions of people watching and learning about the program.

 

[Purple Pile Driver]

You're probably right in a general sense, while people respect us winning the West and respect our wins, the reality is just that the championship game is that much more important.

As I mentioned before, this'll be the first time we play in front of 10 million+ since the mid-90s. That's how big an opportunity this is. These are the kinds of games where you get millions of people watching and learning about the program.

We need to put out a respectable performance in the game. A win and NU is on the map for the foreseeable future, a blow out loss and NU gets ridiculed. Just the way it is.

 

[zeek55]

We need to put out a respectable performance in the game. A win and NU is on the map for the foreseeable future, a blow out loss and NU gets ridiculed. Just the way it is.

Duke 2013 is probably the best example of a team with a similar season to ours that got annihilated in their championship game and everyone thought "yep, Duke is who we thought they were, just the best of a weak division"...

We're well ahead of them in public perception since we've been a bit more consistent at winning games against better teams, but yeah we have to make a game of the championship, and of course, winning changes everything.

 

[TampaWildcat]

The irony is that a number of these talking heads and their staff writers are NU alums.
The link of Medill and the Speech school grads is a strong job pipeline into the media market.

 

[DaCat]

We need more Purple Pride!

 

[hdhntr1]

I am so sick of the media coverage of this team. Every talking head dope on TV starts their piece with “for the first time ever” or “the last time NU did this or that” or “ its been X years since” or the new, diss du jour: “despite 3 out of conference losses...”.

Every win is “miraculous”. And the result of a “team whose sum is better than the whole of its parts” that just “pulls games out somehow”.

Every win is “surprising” and an “upset” by “overachievers” that “punch above their weight” despite “having no P5 offers out of high school”.

This whole narrative is an insulting load of crap.

The team has won 13 of its last 14 Big Ten games. Only one team in the Big Ten has done that. It’s not Ohio State. It’s not Michigan. Or MSU or PSU or Wisconsin or Iowa. It’s Northwestern.

I know the media is lazy. And many are not particularly bright. But how dim can they get?

Why should we trust any analysis these clowns do when they can’t (or won’t) do the simple analysis of figuring out who wins games and who doesn’t? When are they going to figure out that the surprise is not a Northwestern win. It’s when Northwestern doesn’t win!

Get your collective heads out of your collective ass.

Their analysis is generally wrong so why would you care to listen to them anyway unless you want to laugh at them afterwards. I enjoy that.

 

[EvanstonCat]

The answer is as follows:

NU is the dominant team in the Big Ten west. They have wrapped the championship with 2 weeks left to play!!

All games this year:

Offense - 23.6 ppg
Defense - 23.0 ppg.

It is pretty miraculous that a team that loses to Duke and Akron at home and is statistically as unimpressive as we are has won the west with 2 games to spare. No shame in that, but this is an odd and wonderful story.

Well, I'd say there is some shame in losing to Akron, but I'm trying to move on from that. The B1G West title is helping some.

 

[BobbCat14]

You're probably right in a general sense, while people respect us winning the West and respect our wins, the reality is just that the championship game is that much more important.

As I mentioned before, this'll be the first time we play in front of 10 million+ since the mid-90s. That's how big an opportunity this is. These are the kinds of games where you get millions of people watching and learning about the program.

True. And what they’re going to learn about the program is dictated by ex-jocks harboring preconceptions and talking head media who don’t know a thing and are too lazy to do anything than dust off old, dated and most importantly, inaccurate, talking points.