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The Pac-10 Gets Aggressive
Taking a page from Madison Avenue sharpies, the Pac-10 Conference took to the road in late July for a whirlwind media tour which included several stops in the Big Apple and ESPN’s studios in Bristol, CT. Why would a conference based on the Left Coast bother to schlep cross country to woo markets where most of the population is in full-throated snoring mode by the time the league’s games tip off? Answer: because its leadership is clearly brilliant and knows a great opportunity when it sees one. Commissioner Larry Scott and his entourage drew incredible news coverage and awareness in the New York Metro area, frankly, climbing through the window left wide open by the Big 10 when its recent expansion didn’t include the addition of an East Coast member. If ever there were a perfect time to make a splash in the world’s Number One media market (and polish the league’s image before the all-important TV negotiations), this was it.
As the fall and winter sports seasons unfold, it will be interesting to see if there is any lessening of the East Coast bias -- as perceived by those out West -- and if there’s any impact on the polls, particularly in men’s basketball. At the very least, as avid sports fans and highly competitive “bracketologists” ourselves, the Pac-10 (and the other far-west conferences) would do us a solid by keeping their word and starting some games earlier so we can make our March Madness picks without having to guess half the time.