November 5th and the 'Game of the Century' was looking awfully good. From a distance, you could see #1 LSU at #2 Alabama glowing. That 3:30 CBS game, the whole day would revolve around it. Then, instead of going to bed all hyped up like the Big 12 makes us do, we would finish the night with South Carolina at Arkansas...in a battle for the #3 & #4 teams in the SEC.
Well, SEC fans, that ain't gonna happen. CBS called up ESPN and made a deal so that the LSU/Alabama game could be at 8:00..in primetime. By contract, CBS only gets one primetime game per year, and they already used that up when they broadcast Alabama at Florida. But ESPN said okay to the trade and they will play the typical 7:00 ESPNU game at 3:30. So Ole Miss at Kentucky will sit, all by its lonesome, as the only SEC game on at 3:30. The undisputed worst two teams in the conference will duke it out to stay out of the cellar...and they will have the main stage. No, not LSU/Bama...the two best teams in the conference and nation...but Ole Miss and Kentucky.
Since there was a trade, ESPN's usual primetime games go on. And one of them is the afore-mentioned South Carolina/Arkansas game. Both teams are currently 6-1, both are Top 15, and this game will likely have huge East and maybe even West division implications. But you'll only see the first quarter, because there's no doubt...45 minutes in you're going to switch it to 'the game of the century'. Let's face it, with 5 straight national championships for the SEC, with LSU and Alabama running through that conference like it's nothing...this is the National Championship Game. Forget about January...this is it. That's what I will call it now. The SEC Championship Game is more prestigious anyway..that will take place in December, this will be for the National Title.
So...the South Carolina at Arkansas game will be broadcast against the National Championship Game? This is nuts. And even more nuts for me because Mississippi State is playing UT-Martin at 7:30 on CSS. So I've only got 30 minutes to watch before the National Championship Game comes on?! I love MSU, but I love the SEC too. I want to watch that game. And while CBS' deal about being the only SEC game on is sometimes annoying, it was going to come in handy here. We were all going to watch our teams play and then get to watch the National Championship Game. But no...
If you've got tickets to one of these night games...set the DVR. If you don't, this will be tricky. In one of my first posts on this blog, July 27, 2010, I detailed the art of watching sports on TV. November 5th is the Superbowl of watching sports on TV. Change the batteries in the remote...clear the path to the toilet for swift entry and exits. Make sure you've eaten dinner before 7:00. Make sure your wife or girlfriend has something to watch in the other room. Make sure the kids are occupied with non-noise related toys. Don't drink beer, you need to be fully aware of the situation (and take less bathroom breaks). This is it, don't get scared now.
This is how I will be handling the situation: First, prioritize. #1: Bama/LSU, #2: MSU/UT-Martin, #3: South Carolina/Arkansas, #4: Any other big time national game, #5: MTSU/Tennessee. My DVR only holds 2 recordings. So, I'm only going to be able to record one game so I can switch channels. Since Bama/LSU is the #1 game, that gets the little red dot. Outside the #3 game, I just don't care enough, so this is how it goes...
I'm going to go ahead and record the MSU game as well, and do a little maneuvering. The MTSU/UT game starts at 7:00, provided Ole Miss/UK isn't a great finish still going on, I'm starting there. Then, promptly at 7:15, change it to USC/UPig. I'm watching the entire 1st quarter - switching to the UT or other national game during commercials, then saying goodbye to the USC/UPig game. Usually ESPN show a replay of its games in the middle of the night...I'll look for it on the guide and record for a Sunday re-watch. At 8:00, the LSU/Bama game will be starting, and since I've got two recordings going on it is going to knock me off. Good timing anyway, I'm starting the MSU game....and I'm watching the entire first half...commercial free. By now it should be 9:00, and hopefully State will be winning by three scores. Time for the National Championship Game! I'll keep MSU recording while I watch the entire first half commercial free. By 10:00 I'm at halftime, about 30 minutes behind real time. I stop the recording for the MSU game (which should be in the 4th quarter by now) and flip around the other games to see what is happening. The USC/UPig game should be close to the end, and I'll see what else is out there. But not for too long...I don't want to accidentally see the score of the National Championship Game on the bottom line (which may now be mid-way through the 3rd quarter).
A quick check of the MSU score in live time and I'm back to the National Championship Game...and if heaven forbid the game is close then I will watch the rest of it, but if it isn't then I'll just start the recording again and enjoy the rest of the N.C.G. By this time I should be 45 minutes or so behind real time. Not to worry, halftime is 20 minutes..fast forward through that and I'm only 25 minutes behind. Now I can enjoy the game with no commercials. And most likely I will hit live time with about 5 minutes to go. And I'll watch the rest of the MSU game on recording after the NCG is over.
I've got a plan, but no thanks to CBS. This could've all been avoided if they'd kept the traditional 3:30 start time. Oh well, got to make the adjustment.
JB
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