Tuesday, August 9, 2011
Television Coverage Beginning Already
ESPN began broadcasting the United States regional championship games in 1998 on ESPN2, and the ratings for the Little League World Series have exploded ever since. Toms River East American became the darlings of the LLWS, especially Todd Frazier. With the expansion of the LLWS to 16 teams in 2001, it became even bigger. Every US game was televised, and the Danny Almonte phenomenon and then scandal became national news. Now, every game of the LLWS can be seen in some way on the ESPN family of networks including all the international games.
As of last year, ESPN and Little League expanded again. Almost every regional semifinal game is now being televised, and even pool play games in the New England region are being covered by NESN, a regional sports network. Coverage kicks off today with the Southwest regional semifinals.
As someone who loves Little League, its great to be able to see two extra teams in each region after reading about them for the last couple weeks. It kinda puts a face with a name. However, I hate that these games are on TV now. For years, many a coach decided what he was playing for. Should he play to get to Williamsport or play for the TV game? Now, making the semifinals puts you on TV at least once. I think it's a little overboard. Making the regional final is no longer special for that reason.
Not only is it no longer special to be a regional finalist, it makes it that much harder because television has completely dictacted the regional schedules. Certain teams are in certain pools or play certain states specifically for television. The days off have been changed to accommodate the television schedule as well.
I'm all for ESPN doing this tournament. Televising the regional finals was the best idea yet in terms of expanding the LLWS coverage. Going to the semifinals is a huge stretch though. I'm definitely not a fan.
Of course, every semifinal game will on my DVR when I get home from Bristol, CT at the end of the week.
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5 comments:
agree 100%
Little hypocritical and you contracict yourself. Some teams and especially those children have given up there entire summer to play ball and if 20 years from now more children grow up and can tell their children and league players that they played in a regional final that was aired on TV; that will be a great motivator. It's been a long road for many so if the road stops at a regional final, thank goodness for ESPN and NESN and MLB at Ripken for airing their games. It's a memory never forgotten, just ask a parent, a player and a coach. You've done one of the three, it's time to get the whole package and see what a thrill it is as a parent and what a thrill it is as a coach to lead a bunch of kids to a championship now leading them to a nationally televised game on ESPN, than that is just gravy and a cherry on top. Thank you ESPN.
I meant to be hypocritical and contradictory. I, as a lover of LL baseball, enjoy watching as much as I can. I think it hurts the product though when you see games like Colorado vs. Texas East with two of Texas' runs being scored by a catcher and pitcher who are asleep at the wheel.
It makes the baseball look less impressive.
The point is, if you are playing on TV, you should be a really good team. Before this year, everyone knew to get on TV you had to make a regional final. That's the way it should be. You should earn that right.
You couldn't be more wrong. Josh and I will watch the video of our televised game for years to come and he with his kids. That is what it is about, nothing else..
@Don,
From that point of view, I understand. I actually don't have much of a problem with NESN televising those games. It's a regional audience. That's fine. MSG Network and YES Network have done the NY and NJ state tournaments in the past.
I think ESPN's national coverage is where it becomes a little much this early.
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