Somehow I missed seeing this on the tv guide so I was surprised to see it after the PBA show.  I started to watch it and a few minutes into it, they announce that "due to time constraints we move ahead in the action" and jump into the middle of the match.  Somehow I just can't get interested in a match that way.  To me, it's like missing the beginning of a movie.  It may be entertaining, but it just does not have my complete interest.  In fact, I am typing this out while the matches are running (so I'm not that interested) and they just jumped ahead in the action again in the next match.  Looks to be two hours of abbreviated bowling today.



 

The frustrating thing was watching it live last night...supposed to start at 8 on ESPNU...the live field hockey on ESPNU ran over, so the bowling started live at 8 but was moved over to ESPNEWS.  Then at 8:30, they moved the live bowling back over to ESPNU and it ran until about 10:35 or so.  Anyone trying to DVR it got kind of hosed.

The 'jump ahead' on re-broadcasts is a COMMON occurrence in MANY sports- just watch a rebroadcast of some of the late night NBA games...it is not at all unusual to see stuff cut out to squeeze it into the two-hour slot they set aside for the re-broadcast.

It is ALSO not uncommon to see events start on one channel in the ESPN family of networks and move to a different one.  It happens.  Yet some want to people to believe it ONLY happens to bowling events...my guess is it probably happened to at least a couple of other non-bowling events through the day just today alone, especially with some of the weather-related delays and rescheduling that was prompted by weather Friday and yesterday.

While the scheduling was kind of quirky, I enjoyed watching the telecast(s). There are some pretty good bowlers on those two teams!

That there was! I enjoyed watching it also. It is amazing how much the level of play in the NCAA piece of college bowling has improved in just the last 2-3 seasons. Just about 4 years ago unless Nebraska was in the final, it was almost unwatchable. The other programs are catching up and it was evident with Stephen F Austin's performance and talent level. Now if you could just get other schools to recognize it with NCAA.........

That would be a Title IX issue there. What sucks worse is that men's collegiate bowling isn't NCAA sponsored, so we lose a ton of good action from that. That is one of the reasons why there isn't much coverage of it on any of the sports networks, including the college channels, like ESPNU. no doubt that if that playing field was level, there would be more coverage.

Back to the action. Women's Collegiates definitely have picked up as of late, and that is even after McKewan left FDU. SFU has come on strong, Vanderbilt came up big at the Music City Clash and Kat Klash.. UMES, McKendree, and a few others are huge.. but it all comes down to the lack of airtime to get everyone's attention.

If we can get that resolved, it would be better all around.

BL.