Here’s what I loved about the Great Alaska Shootout semifinal between Eastern Kentucky and Alabama-Birmingham: The host team Anchorage wasn’t involved. Therefore, the place was near empty, while the video coverage was unaccompanied.
No games on the floor or Jumbotron to entertain the crowd at timeout. No cheerleaders, no band, no canned music or public address.
Best of all, no “play by play” or “color commentary” to tell me what’s happening as though I can’t see it. This is why I turn the sound off, though I miss the ambient noise of a basketball crowd.
It was effing wonderful. Basketball is great, except when people think basketball by itself isn’t interesting enough.
What will they do during the Utah vs. Eastern Kentucky championship game? Alaska-Anchorage will be done with their third-place game, so their broadcaster is also done, right?
As long as this is THE YEAR, maybe the basketball gods will let the Great Alaska Shootout championship game be broadcast in relative quiet.