I posted this on another one of our topics, but as it is relevant on this one, I hope no one minds in the repeat.
It is truly sad how some(vast majority here in Toronto though) but not all Canadian media goes crazy over anything American.
Yet these numbers point out once again how the overwhelming majority of sports fans are not fooled with the old "crap in crap out".
March Madness is crap and it is thrown at us like it is the second coming, yet no one watches as these numbers suggest.
Here is a portion of Bill Hustons article this week from the Globe.
"Madness numbers
The Score averaged 40,000 viewers for its coverage of the first four days of the U.S. National Collegiate Athletic Association men's basketball tournament. That's down 36 per cent from Sportsnet's 62,000 average for the entire 2006 tournament.
The Score averaged 32,000 on the first day, compared with Sportsnet's 79,000 a year ago. The Score's day was Saturday (52,000).
The numbers should rise, but with 16 teams remaining, The Score will have fewer alternatives to CBS's coverage. Other handicaps: audio problems and complaints from high-definition television consumers about the quality of The Score's "stretched" picture.
CBS earned a 5.8 overnight rating (percentage of U.S. households tuned in) for the first four days March Madness. That's an increase of 3.6 per cent from last year".
Speaking of the same crap, the (C)Raptors TV numbers have been almost as pathetic they are continuosly at the 100,000 level. But wait, here in Toronto they are treated big league and get so much coverage that it is more then pathetic.
Friday
Basketball. Rockets-Raptors TSN 96,000 A one-sided loss by the Raptors, but that's low.
Sunday
Basketball. Raptors-Knicks TSN 102,000 Should have been better.
Now, this is for a team that is in first place in a bad division. If it was out of the playoff picture, it would be the NCAA numbers.
Meanwhile the poor CIS playoffs drew the same TV audience of the US side, but no one here mentiones squat.
Friday
Basketball. CIS semi-final TSN 21,000 Up against Hockey Night
Sunday
Basketball. CIS men's final TSN 38,000 For a championship game (Brandon-Carleton), low.