ABJ Article

[GP1]

http://www.ohio.com/sports/zips/9973171.htmlI'm not exactly sure where to start so I'll just make some points.First, local paper or not, this guy has no idea of the difference between a good football game or a bad football game. A seven point game with one minute to go and a team driving to tie constitutes a better game than OSU vs. NW for a lot of reasons. One, NW stinks and the first minute of that game was going to be the only time the game was close all day. NW lost to Duke the week before and helped Duke break their some 20 game losing streak.Second, are the egos of OSU fans really that fragile that they are going to call to complain about missing five minutes of what I would hope they know is going to be a bad game? I'll say it again. Anyone centering their day around watching OSU play a terrible NW team is a loser. Anyone who went to that game needs immediate psychiatric help. Had the Akron game gone into overtime, it would have been even that much better than the OSU game.Third, it's the fault of the Big Ten Network that the Cleveland ABC station is full of idiots? I'll let someone else explain the logic of this one. I can't.Fourth, Big Ten football is "big boy" football. I think the fans of the SEC and PAC 10 would have something to say about that. The Big Ten is currently a second rate major conference that is closer to being like the MAC than the SEC or PAC 10. I'd go as far as to say that OSU couldn't finish in the top three of either the SEC or PAC 10. One of the least competitive games Florida played all last season was against OSU. I realize that the MAC is what it is, but I'd take a close game over a blow out any day.MAC fan or not, this article is just insulting to anyone with half a brain. I just can't believe how stupid sports writers, and journalists in general, are.Take it away guys.........

[zip81]

GP...I think you're shooting the messenger here.The decision to dump the Akron game was Gary Stark of Channel 5, not the Beacon Journal.If you decide to air a game, you should man up and stick with it regardless of the number of complaints you think you're going to get....especially with a yawner like OSU-Northwestern.At first, I thought Channel 5 may have been required to cut to the OSU game because of a contract....as it turns out, they just didn't have the stones to stay with the Akron-Can't State game.

[skip-zip]

GP1....some good points.Let me add some thoughts...First, I am glad this issue is getting some media attention. It does show that people have voiced their opinion, and it certainly does not generate good publicity for one of our local tv stations. Secondly, I think they made a HUGE mistake by upsetting Akron AND Can't fans COMBINED, as opposed to it being a game that had one of the two teams pitted against another opponent from outside the area. This is a NE Ohio station, so you can only imagine how many Akron and Can't students, alums, and fans live in their viewing area. Third, there simply is no comparison between the end of one closely-matched game, and the beginning of what was sure to be a blowout. If I were a Buckeyes fan (and I never will be) I would have to consider myself to be pretty sad if I had complained about missing the first minute of that Northwestern game. Overall, I think if they had just stayed with the Akron/Can't game until it ended, they would have never heard a thing. BAD MOVE.

[ziptrumpet87]

I agree it was a very bad move. And wasn't it just the pregame show, not the actual game?

[Captain Kangaroo]

I agree it was a very bad move. And wasn't it just the pregame show, not the actual game?

Actually, they switched over to about 3 minutes worth of COMMERCIALS, then they made sure no one missed a minute of the all-important OSU/Northwestern PREGAME.What a bitch-slap to the 50,000 UA and Can't State students, and 100,000 or-so alumni in the area. Channel 5 joins the ABJ on my media "F-you" list.

[w00t]

Did anyone that e-mailed channel five about the nonsensical decision to cut to a pregame show in the last minute of a one-possession game get a response?

[GP1]

I agree it was a very bad move. And wasn't it just the pregame show, not the actual game?

Actually, they switched over to about 3 minutes worth of COMMERCIALS, then they made sure no one missed a minute of the all-important OSU/Northwestern PREGAME.What a bitch-slap to the 50,000 UA and Can't State students, and 100,000 or-so alumni in the area. Channel 5 joins the ABJ on my media "F-you" list.

I had no idea this was the case. Makes it even worse.I could see if the station was under contract to move to the OSU game, but these quotes give no indication that was the case.zip81, you're right, I was too hard on the messenger, but the little snarky remark about not being "big boys" really me. Little snide comments like that, in addition to reporting falsehoods, are what got that reporter in Oklahoma in trouble with the OK State Coach Saturday (By the way, all reporters should be exposed to public ridicule like that on a regular basis).

[Quickzips]

Did anyone that e-mailed channel five about the nonsensical decision to cut to a pregame show in the last minute of a one-possession game get a response?

I got 3 seperate responses. One guy e-mailed me twice yelling at me for not appreciating what Channel 5 is trying to do for the MAC, Akron and Can't. I posted that reply in another thread.I got another response yesterday from a lady who was much more polite, but essentially said nothing more than she was sorry I was disappointed.

[bobbyake]

We should all donate money to purchase billboard time in Cleveland/Akron that Calls out Channel 5 on there unprofessional move.

[skip-zip]

OK...this REALLY escalates this situation now. We got kicked off the air for the pregame show????????????Captain, I could be wrong, but I'd guess that there is probably several hundred thousand Akron and Can't State alums in the Cleveland viewing market. Which will even cause further problems for these people who made such an unimaginable decision.I'm just absolutely stunned. We really need to be heard on this one. This should be a much bigger story. Now, we have the ABJ problem on top of that. Not only do they misidentify the person holding the wagon wheel, but now it appears that they might not be aware that Ohio State plays in the same division as Can't and Akron. And this is our "hometown" paper??I haven't felt this aggravated since we got snubbed by both basketball tournaments back in March.

[Blue & Gold]

George Thomas is a fat bastard. His remark about the Big 10 being "big-boy football," was truly uncalled for and waaaaay over the line. And this being printed in our very own Akron BJ. Disgraceful. Fat Albert doesn't know anything about football anyway; he is much more familiar with jelly rolls.

[zen]

Actually, they switched over to about 3 minutes worth of COMMERCIALS, then they made sure no one missed a minute of the all-important OSU/Northwestern PREGAME.

There's your answer right there.They switched over to 3 minutes of commercials.Guess what, those were sponsors who very likely paid a higher rate specifically for the OSU game airtime. Not to cut away would probably have cost the station.... who knows... tens of thousands?When you run a station, it is not about viewers. It's about advertisers.You need the audience to attract the advertisers, obviously, but the advertisers are the endgame. The audience is just the lure to get them.

[zip81]

Actually, they switched over to about 3 minutes worth of COMMERCIALS, then they made sure no one missed a minute of the all-important OSU/Northwestern PREGAME.

There's your answer right there.They switched over to 3 minutes of commercials.Guess what, those were sponsors who very likely paid a higher rate specifically for the OSU game airtime. Not to cut away would probably have cost the station.... who knows... tens of thousands?When you run a station, it is not about viewers. It's about advertisers.You need the audience to attract the advertisers, obviously, but the advertisers are the endgame. The audience is just the lure to get them.

Zen:I think you nailed it.

[Captain Kangaroo]

Actually, they switched over to about 3 minutes worth of COMMERCIALS, then they made sure no one missed a minute of the all-important OSU/Northwestern PREGAME.

There's your answer right there.They switched over to 3 minutes of commercials.Guess what, those were sponsors who very likely paid a higher rate specifically for the OSU game airtime. Not to cut away would probably have cost the station.... who knows... tens of thousands?When you run a station, it is not about viewers. It's about advertisers.You need the audience to attract the advertisers, obviously, but the advertisers are the endgame. The audience is just the lure to get them.

If that's true, then why, in a million other instances, do TV stations find a way to juggle games that run over? Somehow, some way, you always see a "We will join the Team 1/Team2 game immediately following the conclusion of the [insert existing teams] game." If the game is a blow-out, OK. Cut away. But it wasn't.We moved that game to noon strictly for TV purposes. If there was a chance that it would have run over, they should have started it at 11:30am. Who could have expected they'd switch to a commercial in the last 1:30 of a tight game?There were 50 different ways they could have appeased advertisers and not stiffed the local fans. Does channel 5 really think the OSU football fans watching the end of the Akron/K.e.n.t. game aren't going stick around and watch that game's commercials when K.e.n.t calls a time out? Were the OSU fans going to turn off their TV, and only turn it on at the exact moment the OSU/Northwestern game came on? The end of that game would have had ratings just as high, and probably higher, than that of the OSU pregame. The commercials could have been worked in. The NE Ohio station that carried the Akron/K.e.n.t. game made the decision to screw us and I won't forget it.And someone please tell me Gib Shanley didn't do a commentary where he told Akron/K.e.n.t. fans angry at Channel 5 to "get a life." That was just a rumor, right?

[zip81]

I meant to say something about that...Gib Shanley.Since when is he back on Channel 5?????He hasn't been on that station in 20 years.

[Big Zip]

I mentioned it before and I'll put it here again -- George Thomas is an OSU alum. I have yet to receive a response from WEWS -- I did ask them to add a discussion thread to their website titled. Did Akron/Can't fans get screwed by cutting over to the OSU game on Saturday? Haven't checked yet to see if they posted it -- I'm guessing they didn't.

[seatea]

Actually, they switched over to about 3 minutes worth of COMMERCIALS, then they made sure no one missed a minute of the all-important OSU/Northwestern PREGAME.

What is really sad is that the OSU game was broadcast on ESPN AND Channel 5 (ABC). When I turned on ESPN to check scores, I also checked to see what other games were on (around 4:30-5 PM). Channel 5 on the menu screen listed the Michigan game. Since they have the right to broadcast in our area, the OSU game was on TWO channels. So the decision to cut away from the UA game was strictly for $$$. If anyone began watching on ESPN, why would they turn back to Channel 5?But since ESPN and ABC sports are in bed together, why would they allow duplicate broadcasts?

George Thomas is an OSU alum.

THis is the same guy (he covers OSU for the Weakcom Journal) who, on Friday September 7 (before the UA/OSU game) wrote:5) Will the freshman class continue to step up? Last week, three freshmen scored in the victory over YSU. Perhaps they know it's their time to make an impression on the coaching staff while the Buckeyes are essentially playing scrimmages, but their contributions last week proved invaluable.http://www.ohio.com/sports/thomas/9634847.htmlReport what you want, but to continually show disrespect for the team that is in the home town of the paper you write for is not right. It really says alot about the paper that employees him.

[skip-zip]

The more and more I read this thread, the sicker I get. We need to be heard.

[bobbyake]

George Thomas's article was a disgrace.

[Dr Z]

Did Akron/Can't fans get screwed by cutting over to the OSU game on Saturday?

I'm not sure about Saturday, but last night I know who did...!??! :blink:

[skip-zip]

An intelligent person could even make the argument that when they switched to 3 minutes of commercials before going to the OSU game, THAT would have made more people switch to ESPN, as opposed to if they had shown the final minute of the Akron game with a message at the bottom of the screen saying "we will switch over to the Ohio State game immediately following the conclusion of the Akron game".I don't think ANYONE would have complained about this. In fact, if you are a true NE Ohio college football fan, I think you would have been thrilled to see the exciting conclusion of the Akron/Can't game, and possibly miss a few early minutes of the Northwestern game. As for the point about losing advertising revenue, they will likely lose MORE advertising revenue in the long run by having less viewers. Advertisers pay to advertise on a station based on the number of viewers. I really think this decision will come back to haunt them....Big Time !!

[zipboy]

I sent a nice note last night but no response. I am glad they have been bombarded. We always here no one cares about Akron, the media puts on what people want. Well, they have been bombarded with messages from many fans who are upset with what they did. Now we are told to get a life for voicing displeasure.

[Dale Carnegie]

"Bottom line: WEWS made a business decision. The Buckeyes pull a significant ratings number in Northeast Ohio. It's big-boy football. While the MAC, UA and Can't State have plenty of fans in the area, the likelihood they ever will reach OSU's level for ratings is slim."I appreciate the time he took to address this issue, but his last comment does not represent the Beacon Journal very well. Big-Boy football?? Both of these schools are D1-A. In fact, if Akron ever goes undefeated, they would have a good shot at a BCS bowl like Boise State.A low likelihood they will ever reach OSU's level for ratings?? Thanks for the support. If this is how a Beacon Journal writer thinks, then this paper is not for me.The Plain Dealer's lack of Zips coverage is about the same as the Beacon Journal, but at least they have a real business section and don't have writers that refer to the Zips as "little boys".I'm making the switch and recommend others do it as well. To leave the BJ for the Plain Dealer

[zip81]

"Bottom line: WEWS made a business decision. The Buckeyes pull a significant ratings number in Northeast Ohio. It's big-boy football. While the MAC, UA and Can't State have plenty of fans in the area, the likelihood they ever will reach OSU's level for ratings is slim."I appreciate the time he took to address this issue, but his last comment does not represent the Beacon Journal very well. Big-Boy football?? Both of these schools are D1-A. In fact, if Akron ever goes undefeated, they would have a good shot at a BCS bowl like Boise State.A low likelihood they will ever reach OSU's level for ratings?? Thanks for the support. If this is how a Beacon Journal writer thinks, then this paper is not for me.The Plain Dealer's lack of Zips coverage is about the same as the Beacon Journal, but at least they have a real business section and don't have writers that refer to the Zips as "little boys".I'm making the switch and recommend others do it as well. To leave the BJ for the Plain Dealer

Don't worry...the way the Beacon is going, it will be out of business in a couple of years anyway.In fact, I hear they're close to being up for sale again.Don't be surprised if The Plain Dealer ends up owning them anyway...like they wanted to before Black came in and blew all the other bids away with a high number.

[Zipsrifle]

We're all insulted by this. The only thing we can do is voice our opinion. If enough of us make a stink, Channel 5 gets some bad media. Sure, the ABJ continues to consider UA a 2nd rate school, but at least we raised enough stink to get an article written about it. Puts some egg on Channel 5's face. As for the ABJ, I think UA should just buy the building and then evict them in the middle of the night. Then they might realize who holds the biggest stick in town.