NCAA Hoops Tourney Coverage Has It Flaws

By Allen Bacon
Editor
Bosco: The Blog

When it comes to covering a sports event, CBS television really gets it right when they do the NCAA Basketball tournament every year.

Regional coverage of the teams from your area, mixed with bonus coverage of other games in progress orchestrated by a team of experts from their headquarters explaining where you are going and giving comprehensive analysis...what's not to like?

The first two days of the tournament are crazy....32 games in two games...and CBS has a broadcast team and facilities at every site to be at every single one of those games.

Last year CBS started something that I hope catches on in other sports. CBS offered every single game of the tournament for free on the internet on CBS.com. And they make money doing it. Ad revenue is up over last year again from this service . MLB are you listening? NFL are you listening? English Premiere Soccer are you listening? You see, the National Hockey League is even ahead of the three aforementioned leagues because they offer all their games for free over the internet. I can listen to any game at any time on the web over NHL.com. But I digress...

Utilizing the same idea, Westwood One Radio does an excellent job on the radio side with the NCAA Basketball tournament as well but in one sense they do something better...they go to the most compelling games at the time. On Thursday night, Westwood One didn't stick with the UCLA game as they were blowing out a 16 seed in Anaheim. Tommy Tigue and the guys got us out to close games involving Arizona and in Omaha where Cal State Fullerton was making it interesting against Wisconsin.

I couldn't say that about the CBS television west coast coverage. They continued to stay with the UCLA laugher longer than they should have. Even when you could see the fans leaving the Honda Center in droves they refused to leave the game. They would only switch to the Arizona game during breaks. A note to CBS: I don't care if UCLA is our market team, we don't enjoy watching them beat up on some team like St. Mary's Sister of Mercy. We want potential buzzer beaters and drama with our basketball.

Listen to coverage of the tournament on Bosco Radio: Sports Channel