With the Men’s and Women’s NCAA Basketball Championship games being played this past Monday and Tuesday nights it left a great opportunity to compare and contrast.
Monday night featured Kentucky versus Kansas for the Men’s championship. The game was played in Louisiana’s Superdome, home of the NFL’s Saints, because it was played in a football stadium seating capacity was much greater shown on the seating chart.
While the Men’s tournament was played on a much bigger stage, the Women’s played in Denver’s Pepsi Center, home to the NBA’s Nuggets. Seating capacity for the Baylor versus Notre Dame game was much smaller at just under 20,000.
While the Men’s tournament was played on a much bigger stage, the Women’s played in Denver’s Pepsi Center, home to the NBA’s Nuggets. Seating capacity for the Baylor versus Notre Dame game was much smaller at just under 20,000.
Viewers aside both games were competitive at times but resulted in lopsided victories for Baylor and Kentucky. As we discussed in class with both teams featuring a tall and dominate post player, both of which won their respected Player of the Year awards, both games focused on those players. Comments about those athletes were for the most part positive and it seemed as if they could do no wrong. It took up until the second half for 6’10” Anthony Davis scored but the entire game they praised him instead of giving much of any credit to Kansas’ defense.
I felt in the Baylor game they did a better job focusing on both Brittney Griner and the matchup between Baylor’s guard Odyssey Sims and Notre Dame’s guard Skylar Diggins.
Another interesting point I noticed it seemed like with the women athletes they were focusing more on their off the court personalities rather with the men was more about their game. I enjoyed the Women’s pregame “meet the team” and wish the Men’s would put more of a focus on that aspect as well, they are student-athletes!
Aside from the commentators I thought both games were well done from the broadcast phase, they both seemed fair. I thought it was a little detracting how much they showed Robert Griffin III at the game, but I can see both sides to doing so.
Wrapping up the coverage it was unfortunate that the Women’s game had to end on a low point with Notre Dame’s Coach McGraw making comments on Griner’s game in what can be seen in a negative light.
-Tony Fritsch
-Tony Fritsch
Well written Tony! Just to comment on a few of the things that you mentioned. First off I really enjoyed the “meet the team” of each team’s starting lineups in the women’s game. It was cool to see some of the athletes that some people may idolize mentioning things they enjoy outside of basketball that anyone can relate too. As for the attendance it’s inevitable the men’s have a much larger fan base, the NCAA can get away with putting them in a football arena. The NCAA can make a ton more money with the game in the superdome then they could in any basketball arena. Back when the women’s final four was hosted in Cleveland I attended the games and I thought the atmosphere was great. I think it’s better for women’s games to have a packed arena then to play in a half full superdome. Side note: I couldn’t believe that RG3 cut down a piece of the net! In my opinion that just goes to show that although it may seem like women’s sports are progressing… they aren’t as much as we think.
ReplyDelete-Alyssa Robinson
I feel that even though this time around the women's broadcast was more about getting to know the team, usually men's games do a better job of describing the players on a personal level. I felt the difference between the two games was that while Baylor's Brittany Griner was the main reason while Baylor dominated, in the men's game Kentucky outmatched Kansas in every way. In the women's game when a player comes around like Baylor's Brittany Griner teams have no answer for a player of that magnitude. Just like the Connecticut teams of a few years back with Maya Moore their are certain players and or teams that the rest of the teams have no answer for which makes the games lopsided. Even though this year's game was close in the beginning we all knew what the end result. The woman's game does not have the same parity that the men's game does and I feel that hurts their game in some ways.
ReplyDelete~Max Householder