TV or Not TV

[snoopy1@pig.net]

January 31, the Celtics finally get to be seen on an American TV 
network.  TBS, at 8pm.  Why?  Because the Vince Carter show is replacing 
the MJ show and the Spree show.

It used to be, along this time, the network would start amending it's 
schedule to air games with teams that had a chance of being in the playoffs 
based on their performance in the first half of the season.  The idea was, 
they'd earned national TV exposure to prime the audience for potential 
playoff matchups.


Now, they looked at the schedule and said, "we want every game with 
Iverson, MJ, Carter, Spree, Shaq" and throw in a few stinkers so Washington 
won't look so bad."
Seriously, does anyone still think the Wizards are going to end up in the 
playoffs instead of the lottery?  The Celtics started out the season on a 
mission to make the playoffs.  Along the way, they wanted to win back the 
respect lost in recent years by poor coaching, really bad drafting, and 
historically stinkeroo playing.  They did it.

The Celtics, at this time, are 9 games over .500 for the first time in a 
decade.  At 23-14, they're second in the Atlantic Division, 3rd overall in 
the conference.  New Jersey is 26-11, and playing out of their 
minds.  Milwaukee is 23-13.  Washington?  Seventh overall, with an 18-18 
record, courtesy of a totally unexpected win streak that even MJ can't 
explain without invoking Divine Intervention.  Toronto is 4th, at 22-17.

 From today to the end of the season, the Nets, leaders in the Eastern 
conference have NO tv games. No NBC, TNT, or TBS.  Nothing.  The Milwaukee 
Bucks have nine games--3/4ths of those against New York (spree), Toronto 
(Vince) LA (Shaq, unless he hits someone again), and Philly 
(Iverson).  Washington gets six more tv games this season.  New York, 
rapidly imploding, gets 13 games.  Even Miami has three, and they suck.

The Boston Celtics are one of the League's oldest teams, in a major tv 
market.  They're sending three people to the All-Star Weekend. They get one 
game.  On TBS, against Toronto.  When will people realize the only reason 
Carter led the All-Star East balloting by such a margin is because everyone 
in Canada voted for Vince?

The networks need to take a real close look at this horrible tv schedule 
and compare them to actual team records this year.  Miami doesn't deserve 
tv time, not with a record of 11-26.  Washington needs a cutback--even MJ 
doesn't fill the seats, and certainly not after getting waxed by New Jersey 
to the tune of 46 points.  Even TNT admits tehy're seeing too much of the 
Knicks on tv.

Playoff teams should be getting the greater share of tv time.  As much as 
other teams in the NBA may still hold a grudge against Red, the C's DESERVE 
air time.  Aside for wild optimists like myself, most people figured the 
best Boston would do was maybe contend for the last playoff spot.  Guess 
what, guys, they're competing for home court advantage down the line, at 
least in the East.

Not only that, the C's tend to win very close games that go down to the 
last few seconds.  Television loves that.  They hate it when a blowout 
happens.  The C's are an ideal tv team.  They win close and win 
often.  They're coming back out of the deep hole they'd been in for years, 
explosively.

Let's hope that the number crunchers look at the numbers that count and fix 
that bad rerun schedule, Just cancel the MJ show, replacing it with the 
Pierce and Walker show.

I know I'd watch.

Snoopy the Celtics Beagle