If I were a blind man trying to enjoy the BYU vs Colorado Alamo Bowl over the weekend, I'd struggle to find my remote before lucking into ESPN in time for kickoff. I'd have no clue that the Cougars were so dominant in this one, though.
Viewers from fanbases across the country share one sentiment regarding the Alamo Bowl, whether supportive of BYU or their Big 12 foe: the ESPN broadcast had no content prepared for the Cougars.
You'd be naive to expect an entity like ESPN to ignore Colorado's talented lineup, with the Heisman Trophy winner and top-rated quarterback prospect sharing a sideline, but even down 27-0, the coverage crew couldn't stop talking about the Buffaloes. Observers around the nation grew tired of the blatant favoritism before the game even finished.
"He walked up out of [the production meeting] and said to us, 'Talk about BYU just a little bit, would you?' Well, we're talking about [Connor Pay], and we're talking about BYU now. I'm sure the fans in Provo would love us to talk about BYU the whole night..." - Dave Pasch. pic.twitter.com/iC6GPxbseZ
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) December 29, 2024
BYU would win the game by a score of 36-14, with the outcome never in doubt past the second quarter, where BYU would lead 20-0 entering the half. Still, exiting the halftime break, ESPN's graphic broke down the statistics of Colorado's top two, with no mention of the dominant party in the slightest.
When the Buffaloes finally broke their first points of the contest with just over 6 minutes remaining in the third quarter, SportsCenter shared their first highlight of the most anticipated non-playoff bowl game.
Colorado is being dragged by BYU, and this is the only clip from the game you put out. https://t.co/dqYCyAzuQv
— Jason Grefer (@JasonGrefer) December 29, 2024
Even after the final whistle blew, the headlines read all Colorado.
Congrats on a great win, BYU! pic.twitter.com/cFPitRq5J6
— RedditCFB (@RedditCFB) December 29, 2024
This is indicative of a greater problem facing sports coverage. Large corporations like ESPN only care about clicks, views, and impressions. Whatever will draw the most eyes to their site is the priority, regardless of the true story. Highlights, context-deprived clips, and big names are the essence of sports in their view.
It felt great to see BYU ruin the narrative. In a game the Cougs led from start to finish, the commentary crew gasped for air as they desperately clung to every Deion Sanders, Shedeur Sanders, or Travis Hunter talking point while Kalani's well-prepared crew delivered score after score.
As ESPN choked down some humble pie, BYU kept piling scoops of vanilla. Equal parts aggravating and delicious.
Did ESPN, Disney, FOX, or any news source of significance hear the fans' disgust at their poorly-prepared coverage? Likely not.
Disney and its properties have become the empathetic empire they displayed in the ironically-produced Disney+ show Andor. As the titular Cassian Andor elaborated when warned the empire could punish him for speaking out, "You think they're listening? You think they care enough to make an effort?"
Was this a shot at BYU? No, and to think so would be too much of a conspiracy theory. The root of this issue is what the media values now. Headlines and highlights need only the biggest stars, the biggest names, the biggest hits. For this reason, you'll rarely see highlights from the Washington Wizards, Utah Jazz, or similar small-market teams on national news sites.
They don't care, but they need to change before sports fans share that indifference.