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As I was sitting at my desk this morning, my TV was tuned to "the mtn," and a replay of their Saturday highlight show ("The Mountain Cap") was the morning's featured program. So, did the conference's highest-ranked team lead the show? Did BYU securing a second straight conference championship make the top of the broadcast? Certainly the Cougars winning a game that vaulted them into the Top 25 and the BCS Standings was the biggest news of the day, right?
If you've watched the mtn. enough, you know the answer to those questions.
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The powers that be determined that Air Force blowing out SDSU was the lead story, and that Utah's win over New Mexico deserved to be placed second--the highlights followed by a breakdown with the announcers at the stadium.
So, where's BYU? Where's the league's flagship school and the one program people are actually clamoring to watch?
12 minutes into the program. 12 minutes. After the first commercial break. After CSU's epic battle with Georgia Southern (I am not making this up). Just ahead of women's volleyball. At least BYU was placed ahead of the volleyball highlights, right?
Unfortunately, I'm not surprised. Two weeks ago, on a day BYU beat CSU (on the mtn.), the highlight show was led by Air Force (again), but get this--the number two story that day was Air Force-Army boxing. Boxing???! Yes, boxing!!! That day, I think BYU showed up about 15 minutes in.
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Hey, forget about BYU not getting enough national television recognition. If your league's own network buries you in their version of "Sportscenter," you've got real problems.
The mtn. may indeed perceive that BYU feels slighted by the network's low profile, and perhaps these production decisions are a way of "getting back" at BYU. I can't believe that's actually what's happening, but seeing this stuff week after week, I can't help but wonder.
Whatever the rationale, it's just bad TV.
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Memo to the mtn.: when BYU wins a conference championship in a game televised on your network, LEAD WITH IT!!
When BYU is perched just outside the top 25 and wins its 7th straight game on a day many ranked teams are losing, LEAD WITH IT!!
When BYU extends two conference record winning streaks, LEAD WITH IT!!
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