The College World Series Debate – The Verdict

June 19, 2009

Read Sports Geek and Loyal Homer’s arguments.



After reading the arguments and many comments on this topic, I came to a realization. There doesn’t seem to be much middle ground when it comes to opinions about the College World Series. You either love it, or you just don’t care.

To Sports Geek’s point, there are fans of the event, like our friend Ryan, who believe that the College World Series actually presents more for a fan to love than March Madness or Bowl Week. He commented that college baseball carries with it an inherent purity that is lacking from some of the more commercially marketed events. In contrast to that, as Loyal Homer argues, there are many out there who feel that the College World Series is lacking something (besides fans).

Unfortunately for Sports Geek, it was that same realization which led me to the conclusion that the winner of this debate is…

LOYAL HOMER!!!!!!

Despite the mass commercialization and often questionable motives wrapped up in college basketball or college football, both carry with them a universal appeal. Even Mrs. Bleacher Fan fills out a March Madness bracket!!! College World Series just does not possess that same allure, as proven by Loyal Homer’s challenge to name the 2 teams who played in the finals of the 2008 CWS. Did you know the answer? I didn’t.

To Sports Geek’s credit, there are definitely moments of excitement and inspiration wrapped up in the CWS. Those moments can lead to some very dramatic games. While I cannot deny the existence of that drama in the CWS, I also have to acknowledge that the same drama exists in any sport or competition. THAT’S what makes competition so great. Whether lacrosse, bowling, or darts… EVERY competitive event presents an opportunity for drama, excitement, and a chance to root for the underdog. The CWS does not solely own that magic.

There are likely many reasons why the CWS is unable to attract a mass fan base. Sports Geek accurately points out that the collegiate basketball and football programs provide a much more transparent avenue into professional athletics. Another comment, posted by our friend 4thquarterpunts, brought up the fact that college baseball fails to appeal to the Midwest and Northeast regions of the United States. With such little participation from conferences such as the Big 10 and schools from NY, Philadelphia, or Boston, a very large and vocal college sports fan base has no vested interest in the event.

Whatever the reason, there is one point which was universally agreed upon – the CWS must answer the question of how it can better appeal to fans. Until then, it will always be third best.

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Posted by Bleacher Fan

The College World Series Debate – CWS… or should it be WCS!?

June 18, 2009

Read the debate intro and Sports Geek’s opinion.



Hello friends of The Sports Debates. Until the intro written by my colleague Bleacher Fan, did you even realize that the College World Series was going on? Any takers? Last call? Yeah that’s what I thought! Complete silence!!! So instead of calling it the CWS, let’s just call it the WCS!!!

The Who Cares Series!!!

I have a quick pop quiz for all of our educated readers. Who won the World Series in 2008? Who won the Super Bowl in 2008? Who won the BCS Championship in 2008? Who won March Madness in 2008?

Chances are good that you knew the answers to all four of those questions. But for those who didn’t know the answers… the Philadelphia Phillies won the World Series, the New York Giants won the Super Bowl, the LSU Tigers won the BCS Championship, and the Kansas Jayhawks won March Madness.

Now, here’s a tough question for you. Who won the College World Series in 2008? As a bonus, tell me the team that finished second in the College World Series. I’m waiting guys (key Jeopardy final question theme music). What is your answer?

What is?????????

I’ll bet you that Sports Geek doesn’t know the answer! Honestly, Sports Geek, did you know? I actually did know the answer because I live in the middle of SEC country. I’ll be honest though. Any other year and I wouldn’t have known. In last year’s CWS, in the battle of the Bulldogs, Fresno State defeated Georgia.

It’s too early to break down ratings for this year’s CWS, but last year, the CWS averaged a whopping 1.4 million viewers on ESPN and less than 1 million viewers on ESPN2. You know what the sad thing is? It was the highest rated College World Series ever!

Excuse me while I laugh!!! And this weekend, I will bet you that the U.S. Open in golf will draw at least 4 times as many viewers, and even more if Tiger Woods is in contention.

I’ll tell you while it is rated so low. Quite simply, there is no name recognition with the players. Can you name one player off of last year’s Fresno State team? I didn’t think so! It’s the same reason no one tunes in for the MLB Draft. The vast majority of college baseball games are not televised. Thus, it is harder for the regular John Doe sports fan to follow any of the teams. Mr. Doe doesn’t develop that “relationship” with the players and the team the way he would with a major league player and team.

Is the College World Series entertaining? To a degree… yes. But if I am flipping through the channels and I come across it, chances are I will keep on flipping!

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Posted by Loyal Homer

The College World Series Debate – It’s the Best Sporting Event No One Watches

June 18, 2009

Read the debate intro and Loyal Homer’s opinion.



What makes college sports (think basketball and football) great? Passion. Loyalty. Youth. Energy. Every college sporting event ties these characteristics together, creating a contagious atmosphere that spreads like wildfire. In fact, nothing in the US compares to the passion seen from fans in college sports.
Baseball shares the same characteristics seen in college sports. Look at how other cultures cheer for baseball, for example. Consider the national obsession that is seen in places like Japan and Puerto Rico.

Enthusiasm for baseball and college sports exists within American culture. So why is college baseball, specifically the College World Series, not part of mainstream sports culture?

It’s not a lack of good competition. A fan of baseball in its most pure form must appreciate college baseball more than any other level. Hitters are asked to be fundamentally sound by moving runners from second to third on ground outs to second, bunting players over, etc. Pitchers are asked to pitch more often and with less role definition, creating the formula for truly amazing performances.

Let’s look at a recent example of a CWS game – the Arkansas-Virginia elimination game in Omaha – to see if the CWS has enough intrigue to appeal to fans. Here’s the 12-inning drama that unfolded: Arkansas’ Brett Eibner hit a two-out, two-run homer in the top of the ninth inning to tie the game at three. Just a half-inning before that, Arkansas ace Dallas Keuchel was asked to enter the game in relief (his first appearance in relief on the year) to preserve the score. He then pitched three additional innings to close out the game – including allowing the leadoff runner to make third base in the bottom of the 12 inning – before striking out the final two batters to end the game. Drama, excitement, and a comeback – everything a good sporting event needs to capture the heart and passion of the fan.

The proper ingredients for making the College World Series a major success – on par with its two more popular counterparts that Bleacher Fan outlined in the debate intro – exist. If the right ingredients exist, then it’s fair to say that the College World Series is a great sporting event – even if it struggles in television ratings.

A couple of factors contribute to the ratings struggle. First, college football and basketball are the de facto AAA affiliate of their professional counterparts, with the top college athletes transitioning to the professional ranks in a very visible way. It’s not as smooth in baseball, where the gap in talent level between the college and professional ranks is much wider. Second, national television – mistakenly – pays very little attention to college baseball until the College World Series. The broadcast model for ESPN is similar to NBCs approach to the Olympics. Once the event starts, the model builds the personal stories from the past year into the broadcast to try and hook viewers. A more effective method of hype-building for the College World Series would be to show a College Baseball Game of the Week for every week of the season on one of the many ESPN channels (ESPN Ocho??). Get the ESPN hype machine involved to broadcast the passion, tailgating, and fervor that already exist within college baseball.

The challenge for the marketing people behind the CWS is to tap into the intense passion seen in college sports and baseball. The College World Series is already a great sporting event, complete with all of the elements that sports fans crave – making it the best sporting event with the least national visibility. College baseball isn’t a niche sport; it just lacks the type of marketing hype and multi-platform promotion afforded to college basketball and football. Once the hype and promotion communicate the pageantry and passion of the College World Series, we’ll have to find another event for this debate.

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Posted by Sports Geek

The College World Series Debate – If a Game is Played and Nobody Watches, Does it Count?

June 18, 2009

Check back today to read Sports Geek and Loyal Homer’s arguments.



March Madness is, arguably, the single best sports competition in America.

Bowl Week is a chance to see the college football powerhouses face off in separate but (mostly) equal battles for bragging rights.

Both of these post-season college events, orchestrated by the NCAA, are designed to play out as the epic climax of their respective sports following a build-up of drama, upsets, and excitement over the course of each regular season. Because these are college events, run by the NCAA, there is no money on the line. (And, if you believe that, I’ve got a bridge to sell you.) These events are all about bragging rights, the opportunity to earn glory for your beloved employer (I mean university).

The amount of money generated by these events is astounding. Both command national media attention, and both are coincidentally timed with some of the highest absentee rates in all of Corporate America!

The popularity of these events is enough to rival even the Super Bowl, which is generally accepted as the king of sporting events and is often regarded as an unofficial national holiday.

But wait a minute… aren’t we forgetting something? Like Macaulay Culkin in Home Alone, the scrawny, geeky, often overlooked College World Series (CWS) is left behind while it’s bigger and much cooler brothers get to run all over the country, creating excitement wherever they go.

The College World Series (which is going on right now, in case you needed reminding – I’m not joking, here’s some proof), contains the exact same formula for success that March Madness and Bowl Week have. Collegiate-level athletes, competing in a national tournament, complete with Cinderella Stories, all building up to the spectacle that is (or SHOULD be) the College Baseball National Championship.

So, where does the national championship take place this year? Who’s the favorite? Which teams are the likely Cinderella stories this year, and which teams are destined for a rude and painful fall from grace?

For those of you who know the answers to those questions (thanks for all your support, Moms and Dads of the players!), you can attest to the excitement that goes on at the CWS. To the vast majority of the population, though, you probably have no clue as to how those questions should be answered.

How is it that in this country where baseball is considered the national pastime, that the College World Series seemingly fails so miserably at attracting the excitement and fascination that March Madness and Bowl Week are able to realize? Thank goodness we have Sports Geek and Loyal Homer on our side to help us find out the answer to these types of questions.

The question we are debating today:

Is the College World Series the best sporting event with the fewest viewers?

Sports Geek will argue that the College World Series is the best sporting event with the fewest viewers, and that it commands the same excitement and drama as its basketball and football counterparts do with drama that many sports fans are missing.

Loyal Homer will argue that the College World Series, despite a formula for success, is just not that appealing. He will take the position that there are other sporting events out there which deserve the media attention more than the CWS, and that the fans know exactly what they are missing – they just don’t care.

So if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got Game 10 of the Bracket 2 Super Regional to watch, because my whole office pool is riding on a potential upset!!!

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Posted by Bleacher Fan

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