The Colorado hype is nauseating. The networks are covering it like crazy because it has gotten them ratings that nobody expected from people that don’t normally follow the sport. It went from people initially watching out of sheer curiosity to something much larger once the tv networks put their thumb on the scale and starting promoting Coach Slime (and to a much lesser extent the actual football team) like they were a local Boulder tv affiliate. Ratings grew even further because people (myself included) started to hate watch the Buffaloes in the hopes of seeing them get destroyed.
It is sort of similar to what happened when, ironically, Tebow started that one year for the Broncos. It was all Tebow, all the time on the pre-game shows and weekly radios. Former ESPN employees came out after the fact saying that the execs told their producers that there couldn’t be enough Tebow talk because it was good for ratings.
I have no doubt that the network suits are promoting Colorado for ratings. Their personalities and announcers, though, seem personally invested in Coach Slime’s success and image. Very quick to rush to his defense in response to any criticism. They almost take it personally. Whatever the case, it has become a big recruiting boon for the school that isn’t deserved.
