Television's Favorite Son
posted by Scott Hood on Tuesday, September 18, 2007
Some of you couldn’t understand why CBS would turn down Georgia-Alabama to telecast the Gamecocks’ first trip to Tiger Stadium since 2002. You may remember that game. USC played well in the first half but collapsed in the second and ended up on the wrong end of a 38-14 score.
Here we go again. This time the nation will be watching.
There’s two fundamental reasons why CBS chose to show the USC-LSU game.
1. Steve
2. Spurrier.
You must understand that the TV industry thrives on controversy and personalities. That’s why we get a steady diet of Hollywood celebrities whenever we turn on the tube.
There’s no bigger lightning road in college football than Spurrier. He’s the coach other fans love to hate. He says what he feels. He says what he thinks. He’s not afraid to hurt people’s feelings. He’s not afraid to take subtle shots at opponents and rivals.
Yes, he’s politically incorrect.
But that’s why he’s Spurrier.
There’s also one other thing you need to know about Spurrier: people watch when he’s on TV. They may love. They may hate him. But they still watch.
It’s all about the eyeballs.
ESPN figured that out a while ago. That’s why the self-proclaimed world-wide leader in sports opened the 2005 season by televising the USC-UCF game.
Spurrier’s return to college football was one of the biggest stories in college football that year.
Spurrier is also the main reason ESPN had USC play two Thursday night games last season. The Auburn game was one of ESPN’s highest rated games of 2006.
Why did so many people watch? They wanted to see if Spurrier could upend the No. 2 team in the country. He almost pulled it off, as USC fell a desperation pass into the end zone short of upsetting the Tigers.
Spurrier is also the primary reason USC will open the 2008 season with a pair of ESPN Thursday night contests against North Carolina State and Vanderbilt.
ESPN loves Steve Spurrier.
Why? Simple. Spurrier is ratings gold.
Tony Barnhart of the AJC said it best: Spurrier is a rock star.
Throughout the country, college football fans may not know much about the South Carolina players (most couldn’t name five players), but they do know Spurrier is the head coach of the Gamecocks.
So they watch whenever USC pops up on TV. Even if it’s just to yell at the TV.
If you don’t think personality and controversy count for something in TV, why do former players/blowhards like Michael Irvin, Keyshawn Johnson and Deion Sanders contaminate the studios of all those Sunday NFL pre-game shows?
Here’s why: controversy sells.
Spurrier is controversy.
You figure out the rest.
CBS will get exactly what they want on Saturday: millions of people glued to their TV sets to see if Spurrier can lead USC to another road upset.
Some will be rooting for Spurrier. Some will be rooting against him.
But they will be watching.
You can be sure there will be lots and lots and lots of camera shots of Spurrier stalking the sidelines throughout the three-hour plus broadcast.
It’s capitalism at its finest – give the consumers what they want.
Maybe CBS will get lucky and Spurrier will toss his visor.
Les Miles who?
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I saw through my laptop computer some of your puzzled looks when it was announced Sunday that CBS would nationally televise this Saturday’s USC-LSU game from Baton Rouge, La.
Some of you couldn’t understand why CBS would turn down Georgia-Alabama to telecast the Gamecocks’ first trip to Tiger Stadium since 2002. You may remember that game. USC played well in the first half but collapsed in the second and ended up on the wrong end of a 38-14 score.
Here we go again. This time the nation will be watching.
There’s two fundamental reasons why CBS chose to show the USC-LSU game.
1. Steve
2. Spurrier.
You must understand that the TV industry thrives on controversy and personalities. That’s why we get a steady diet of Hollywood celebrities whenever we turn on the tube.
There’s no bigger lightning road in college football than Spurrier. He’s the coach other fans love to hate. He says what he feels. He says what he thinks. He’s not afraid to hurt people’s feelings. He’s not afraid to take subtle shots at opponents and rivals.
Yes, he’s politically incorrect.
But that’s why he’s Spurrier.
There’s also one other thing you need to know about Spurrier: people watch when he’s on TV. They may love. They may hate him. But they still watch.
It’s all about the eyeballs.
ESPN figured that out a while ago. That’s why the self-proclaimed world-wide leader in sports opened the 2005 season by televising the USC-UCF game.
Spurrier’s return to college football was one of the biggest stories in college football that year.
Spurrier is also the main reason ESPN had USC play two Thursday night games last season. The Auburn game was one of ESPN’s highest rated games of 2006.
Why did so many people watch? They wanted to see if Spurrier could upend the No. 2 team in the country. He almost pulled it off, as USC fell a desperation pass into the end zone short of upsetting the Tigers.
Spurrier is also the primary reason USC will open the 2008 season with a pair of ESPN Thursday night contests against North Carolina State and Vanderbilt.
ESPN loves Steve Spurrier.
Why? Simple. Spurrier is ratings gold.
Tony Barnhart of the AJC said it best: Spurrier is a rock star.
Throughout the country, college football fans may not know much about the South Carolina players (most couldn’t name five players), but they do know Spurrier is the head coach of the Gamecocks.
So they watch whenever USC pops up on TV. Even if it’s just to yell at the TV.
If you don’t think personality and controversy count for something in TV, why do former players/blowhards like Michael Irvin, Keyshawn Johnson and Deion Sanders contaminate the studios of all those Sunday NFL pre-game shows?
Here’s why: controversy sells.
Spurrier is controversy.
You figure out the rest.
CBS will get exactly what they want on Saturday: millions of people glued to their TV sets to see if Spurrier can lead USC to another road upset.
Some will be rooting for Spurrier. Some will be rooting against him.
But they will be watching.
You can be sure there will be lots and lots and lots of camera shots of Spurrier stalking the sidelines throughout the three-hour plus broadcast.
It’s capitalism at its finest – give the consumers what they want.
Maybe CBS will get lucky and Spurrier will toss his visor.
Les Miles who?
- Permalink, Discuss, Blog Home
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Scott Hood. Since February of 2005, Scott has covered the South Carolina football, men's basketball and baseball programs for GamecockCentral. He may be reached by email at scottblog(at)gamecockcentral.com. Replace (at) with @.