Bucs Happy ESPN Execs Have Acid Reflux
October 2nd, 2011
BSPN suits are upset Peyton Manning won't play Monday night. The Bucs aren't.
One thing that drives Joe crazy is when — often New York types — try to belittle or brag about a sporting event based on TV ratings.
Unmitigated feces is what that is. If sports were based on TV ratings, there would be only two or three sports in existence with roughly about eight teams total.
There is nothing, not one thing, that is more overblown in sports than TV ratings. Guess who cares about TV ratings? Maybe the 32 owners in the NFL, Roger Goodell, and perhaps a dozen suits at TV networks. That’s it. Joe doubts there are 50 people walking the face of the earth whose jobs are on the line based on TV ratings.
Look, in the age of 500 channels via satellite, if Joe wants to watch a football game and few others do, Joe will just whip out his credit card and buy the damn game, real simple.
Joe just knows the suits at BSPN are crying their eyes out because hyper, happy-footed, impatient Peyton Manning is not playing Monday night and Joe just can’t be happier.
First, if it’s bad for BSPN, it’s good for sports fans. Second, there is no quarterback Joe cannot stand to watch more than Manning and his constant jumping around and his histrionics. JUST CALL THE DAMN PLAY AND RUN IT! All this jumping around. All this pointing. All this hollering. JUST STOP IT!
But of course, the main reason Joe is happy Manning is not playing is the fact that it gives the Bucs a much better chance of winning the game with Curtis Painter behind center for the Dolts.
It seems the Bucs are of the same frame of mind, so writes Rick Stroud of the St. Petersburg Times.
On the surface, it’s a big break for the Bucs. But Barber knows that kind of thinking can get a young team in trouble.
“We’re going to prepare for them as if they’re the team that dominated the NFL for so many years,” Barber said. “(Painter), obviously, is green somewhat. But the offense is still the Colts offense. You just don’t want him to get hot against us.”
The Colts are having a tough time adjusting to life without Manning, 35. No surprise there. The four-time league MVP never missed a game until this season and had a savant-like ability to call plays and dissect defenses.
Barber is correct. The Dolts will not go winless. Some team at some point this season will get tripped up by the Dolts. They do have talent.
Simply put, though it sounds like a broken record it bears repeating: Stop the run. If the Bucs can stop the run, the Dolts and Painter will not beat the Bucs. It’s that simple.
Meanwhile, Joe is so happy the BSPN executives are upset that Manning is not playing, he hopes they have have to seek counseling. Maybe that will change things at the four-letter, though very doubtful.
October 2nd, 2011 at 7:23 pm
100% agreement -GO BUCS! D needs to play with intensity right from the jump. I’m looking for Adrian to wreak havoc all night in the Dolts backfield.
October 2nd, 2011 at 7:48 pm
“there is no quarterback Joe cannot stand to watch more than Manning”
If you don’t like watching Peyton Manning, then you don’t like football.
October 2nd, 2011 at 7:53 pm
“Joe doubts there are 50 people walking the face of the earth whose jobs are on the line based on TV ratings.”
Joe, I work for Nielsen. If TV ratings stopped mattering tens of thousands would be out of a job across the world and that’s just with Nielsen alone. Don’t get me wrong, I agree what you’re saying about how the suits at ESPN are freaking out. I also agree with you on Manning….wow…..I thought I was the only one annoyed by those antics. It’s as if he’s saying, “Look at me lead!”
October 2nd, 2011 at 8:16 pm
The Bucs are going to do well, even depsite not having the largest “viewership/market”.
Bucs are going to crush just like: Butler Bulldog Basketball does in March, and Boise St. Football too.
It is proven that a team doesn’t have to be the “most expensive, or have the best location for viewership”. It is all about the players, and I believe our Bucs are going to roll on MNF in front of a national audience.
Bucs will be 3-1, and tied for 1st in the NFC South. Go Bucs!!
October 2nd, 2011 at 8:21 pm
BSPN is lame as all get out. They are not inclined to talk about the “best” teams in sports, but rather the “best” revenue markets.
I can’t blame them entirely, but I wish the Producers weren’t too cowardly, and would give credit where there is credit due, to the “best” teams in sports.
BSPN should also remove Craig James from the commentator booth. He got Leach, head coach Texas Tech, fired by acting on a lie and conspriacy.
Also, didn’t good ol’ Craig James deny playing for Coach Bear Bryant at Alabama bc he took money to go to SMU.
What a crock, I long for the day that Mark Cuban buys a Sports Entertainment group that is set forward to show “real” sports stories, and not this “wool over the eyes” Waly Disney- sister company hogwash.
October 2nd, 2011 at 9:03 pm
Im still dumbfounded on why they picked the Bucs for MNF. I admit, I was shocked.
Im thinking it had to have been some deal the Glazers made with Goodell for volunteering for that London game. The NFL does have ultimate say over who the networks can pick for Prime Time games. Likely so the networks can’t simply pick only the big market teams every single week. The NFL could have told ESPN they have to pick a Bucs game.
October 2nd, 2011 at 9:05 pm
Two words…Add execs…
October 2nd, 2011 at 9:12 pm
Completely agree its a break for us both in chances of winning the game and getting more gushing from the broadcasters that Manning is out. However, I’ll completely disagree on your opinion of Manning. He may very well be the greatest and most valuable player to suit up in the NFL (the Colts play thus far has shown that).
October 3rd, 2011 at 12:12 am
Bleh tired of hearing about ” if Manning was here…”
Espn is terrible. They have what three channels. The main one is for felating the top teams of each league, the second (espn 2) is for coverage of ice fishing or some other small market sport. The third (espn news) is for reporting about how they felated the top teams.
October 3rd, 2011 at 2:11 am
D-Rome:
What Joe meant was, no matter who watches what, you still have a job. There are only roughly 50 people in the country whose jobs hinge on who watches what.
There is no subject more overblown by so many people than TV ratings for sports.
October 3rd, 2011 at 3:32 am
BSPN started out so great, it’s hard to believe the farce they have become! Brett Farve still gets more airtime comments than the Bucs!
Manning may be a bit of a Hype hillbilly. He may also be one of the greatest QB in NFL history. I kinda wish he was playing. I believe we still beat Indy, although it wouldn’t be easy! That would be the upset that gets the team credibility( which is over rated), and confidence( which is underrated). A young team becomes a great team when it REALIZES it can beat the very best teams. We are getting there, but beating a legend like Manning would change this team forever.
October 3rd, 2011 at 5:43 am
I hate Peyton, his Deliverance looking little brother Eli, and his hillbilly daddy Archie… But man.. Peyton can play. I hate watching his histrionics and listening to his whining, but he wins football games.
October 3rd, 2011 at 6:46 am
After the Rays stomped the Rangers game 1 of the ALDS, Sportscenter did a piece of the game highlights and how impressive Matt Moore looked. Both segments lasted about a minute total. They then spent a few minutes about how the Yankees game got rained out. I would think that would just mean saying “the Yankees and Tigers game got rained out.” But noooo they went on forever. Then they talked about the Red Sox future. Then they went on to a piece about Tom Brady’s haircut. Made me sick.
October 3rd, 2011 at 8:02 am
Espo:
This is why Joe watches NFL Network and MLB Network; both far superior to BSPN.
October 3rd, 2011 at 8:07 am
Agreed, BSPN is for losers, aka red sox.
October 3rd, 2011 at 9:13 am
I like d Bucs But please don’t even talk abt Peyton. U bringing that up makes this article boring.Even bucs fan want to watch him play more than their own qb.Not that THEY DONT LIKE JOSH but he makes it fun to watch football.You don’t like watching prob the greatest qb of all time, and u call what he does jumping around. May be if Josh plays like him u might have more visit on ur website because America would want to knw more abt the Bucs. U lucky he’s not playing, and he would have jumped around on ur defense, and made ur defense look like PeeWee defense. I understand ur other reason but please dont talk abt the future HOF like that, he deserves everything he does on the field.
October 3rd, 2011 at 9:45 am
Jed:
Bucs fans don’t like Josh Freeman and would rather watch Peyton Manning jump around like an ADD child?
October 3rd, 2011 at 11:35 am
I didnt say they the Bucs fan dont like josh freeman, I said they would watch peyton before they watch Josh.