Why is almost every game on BTN?

[wildcatcoaster]

With an occasional FSN. No ESPN, no networks.

Only us hard core Big Ten fans see them. Might be why the national media/population has been slow to realize just how good the cats are.

 

[Booty Maximus]

Because you were expected to suck this year.

 

[its_the_sauce]

BTN must be loving this.

 

[JournCat]

Hopefully the next TV contracts have some flex scheduling. CBS has gotten a lot of late-season Ohio State.

 

[SmellyCat]

I feel like I know Stephen Bardo at this point.

 

[NUCat320]

I feel like I know Stephen Bardo at this point.

And he feels like he and Andrew Nicholson are best bros.

 

[GatoLouco]

Because you were expected to suck this year.

And we are a very small fan base compared to everyone else in the league. And no one, outside NU fans, has any curiosity to see us, since we are not Kansas.

 

[GrandRapidsCatFan]

Because you were expected to suck this year.

Every year. We're expected to suck every year

 

[its_the_sauce]

And we are a very small fan base compared to everyone else in the league. And no one, outside NU fans, has any curiosity to see us, since we are not Kansas.

Actually I believe on a national basis we've always received good ratings for football/basketball.

 

[ricko654321]

Hopefully the next TV contracts have some flex scheduling. CBS has gotten a lot of late-season Ohio State.

Yeah it seems like the current contract they only have flex schedules for the last weekend (or maybe last two weekends).

 

[ricko654321]

BTN must be loving this.

Yeah I think they are - they advertised the NU Purdue matchup all week and it did not disappoint. They even brought in Andy Katz to call the game with Revsine and the color guy (was it Hummel or Bardo?). I didn't see the ratings, but I imagine in the light pre Super Bowl competition that day it did pretty well for them. Indiana a great game also. Iowa more of a cruise. Hopefully we serve them up another gem with @Illinois tomorrow night!

We are on BTN the rest of the way too. We already had our obligatory ESPN(2) game against Michigan (they sort of drew a dud) and FS1 game (@OSU - that was a better matchup at least). I don't know exactly the rules, Styre probably does, but it's always seemed like we get at least one ESPN(2) game per year - they used to often make it NU PSU so that they could knock out two birds with one stone. Now this year they might be regretting not grabbing more of our games! Given the conference is ditching ESPN going forward anyways, I'm not too upset about it - BTN is perfectly fine with me (especially if Revsine is on the call).

 

[hdhntr1]

I feel like I know Stephen Bardo at this point.

He has been at a lot of NU games. I honesty feel he is pretty good so I do not have a problem with it.

 

[SmellyCat]

I find that the more someone does NU, the more they recognize the team is good, which is why I like Bardo.

Whoever was doing the color for the Indiana-Michigan State game (I think it was Jay Bilas) recognized Buie as one of the all-conference players last night, which was cool, though I think he picked six players on the first team (saying something like "Buie should be the other one" after he'd already picked five). That was cool.

 

[hdhntr1]

I find that the more someone does NU, the more they recognize the team is good, which is why I like Bardo.

Whoever was doing the color for the Indiana-Michigan State game (I think it was Jay Bilas) recognized Buie as one of the all-conference players last night, which was cool, though I think he picked six players on the first team (saying something like "Buie should be the other one" after he'd already picked five). That was cool.

Hopefully Buie will help the team get a few more scalps that will make it hard to not include him

 

[hdhntr1]

And we are a very small fan base compared to everyone else in the league. And no one, outside NU fans, has any curiosity to see us, since we are not Kansas.

With an occasional FSN. No ESPN, no networks.

Only us hard core Big Ten fans see them. Might be why the national media/population has been slow to realize just how good the cats are.

At least we were not on overflow channels

 

[NUCat320]

I’m perfectly happy with everything on BTN. Let the rest of the country discover these Cats on CBS (or TruTV).

Postgame interviews, press conference coverage, highlights from two games instead of all of them, analysts that cover B1G only, etc., make for a much better viewing experience. Especially the interviews.

Also, no Jon Crispin.

 

[ricko654321]

He has been at a lot of NU games. I honesty feel he is pretty good so I do not have a problem with it.

Yeah he has a bit of the Walt "Clyde" Frazier style to his color role (I don't really know how to explain it other than that). And he usually tends to toe the party line (defend the refs / coaches) and support popularly held narratives. But while in the earlier BTN years it seemed to be that he was regularly under-valuing our team, as time has gone on I don't feel that way. And as you say he's seen us enough (and/or I'm sure does his own preparation too) that his analysis is usually pretty on point.

He's not my favorite (I think Robbie Hummel is a rising star) but he's a solid color analyst for BTN. Way better than the Dan Dakich blubbering idiocy, who thankfully no longer calls B1G games for ESPN.

 

[Styre]

Yeah I think they are - they advertised the NU Purdue matchup all week and it did not disappoint. They even brought in Andy Katz to call the game with Revsine and the color guy (was it Hummel or Bardo?). I didn't see the ratings, but I imagine in the light pre Super Bowl competition that day it did pretty well for them. Indiana a great game also. Iowa more of a cruise. Hopefully we serve them up another gem with @Illinois tomorrow night!

We are on BTN the rest of the way too. We already had our obligatory ESPN(2) game against Michigan (they sort of drew a dud) and FS1 game (@OSU - that was a better matchup at least). I don't know exactly the rules, Styre probably does, but it's always seemed like we get at least one ESPN(2) game per year - they used to often make it NU PSU so that they could knock out two birds with one stone. Now this year they might be regretting not grabbing more of our games! Given the conference is ditching ESPN going forward anyways, I'm not too upset about it - BTN is perfectly fine with me (especially if Revsine is on the call).

Yeah, we have to have at least one ESPN family and one FS1 conference game per year. I'm not sure what the appearance requirements will be under the new TV deal, but expect at least a few games to be streaming-only on Peacock.

 

[NURoseBowl]

Yeah he has a bit of the Walt "Clyde" Frazier style to his color role (I don't really know how to explain it other than that). And he usually tends to toe the party line (defend the refs / coaches) and support popularly held narratives. But while in the earlier BTN years it seemed to be that he was regularly under-valuing our team, as time has gone on I don't feel that way. And as you say he's seen us enough (and/or I'm sure does his own preparation too) that his analysis is usually pretty on point.

He's not my favorite (I think Robbie Hummel is a rising star) but he's a solid color analyst for BTN. Way better than the Dan Dakich blubbering idiocy, who thankfully no longer calls B1G games for ESPN.

Yeah, Bardo's fine. Seems likable, and I enjoy his commentary.

 

[SmellyCat]

Found this long show hosted by Bardo. Lots of good NU content in here. A few references to "Andrew" Nicholson too.

 

[phatcat]

I’m perfectly happy with everything on BTN. Let the rest of the country discover these Cats on CBS (or TruTV).

Postgame interviews, press conference coverage, highlights from two games instead of all of them, analysts that cover B1G only, etc., make for a much better viewing experience. Especially the interviews.

Also, no Jon Crispin.

All this. I like BTN. No me gusta Crispy Critter

 

[DaCat]

With an occasional FSN. No ESPN, no networks.

Only us hard core Big Ten fans see them. Might be why the national media/population has been slow to realize just how good the cats are.

I think there's a lot of truth to this.

 

[NJCat]

Found this long show hosted by Bardo. Lots of good NU content in here. A few references to "Andrew" Nicholson too.

We gonna get a ton of Bardo the rest of the year. I like him.

 

[hdhntr1]

Yeah he has a bit of the Walt "Clyde" Frazier style to his color role (I don't really know how to explain it other than that). And he usually tends to toe the party line (defend the refs / coaches) and support popularly held narratives. But while in the earlier BTN years it seemed to be that he was regularly under-valuing our team, as time has gone on I don't feel that way. And as you say he's seen us enough (and/or I'm sure does his own preparation too) that his analysis is usually pretty on point.

He's not my favorite (I think Robbie Hummel is a rising star) but he's a solid color analyst for BTN. Way better than the Dan Dakich blubbering idiocy, who thankfully no longer calls B1G games for ESPN.

In most earlier years, NU deserved to be undervalued

 

[IdahoAlum]

We gonna get a ton of Bardo the rest of the year. I like him.

The pride of Carbondale.

 

[NJCat]

The pride of Carbondale.

I knew a couple of guys from Carbondale living in Hinman.