The NBA set their schedule for the Finals literally months in advance (remember all those "The Finals Start June 7th" ads?), so they probably didn't see this coming. But after Game 1 was the lowest rated series opener ever to air in prime time, Game 2 is going head-to-head with the most anticipated television event of the year: the series finale of "The Sopranos."
It's not bad enough that the Finals are on the same night, but they tip off at the same time that the show does: 9PM Eastern. So what's a fan to do? David Aldridge, who is covering the Finals for the Philadelphia Inquirer, complained to asked David Stern about it, and he had a few suggestions. :
"You see, you can TiVo the thing," the commissioner of the NBA said. "It's not time-sensitive. It's fresh, like live sports events."
Slight problem: The show is being TiVoed. At my house. Unfortunately, the TiVo, the television set and the house are about 1,615 miles away.
"Well, you stay up even later and watch it when you get back to your room," the commish said, 'cause he's a helper.
Slight problem II: My hotel doesn't get the West Coast feed of HBO, which would show The Sopranos at midnight Eastern, 11 p.m. Central time.
"Well, you can get the Slingbox and have it fed to you" ...
You get the idea. If you're at the arena, you're pretty much screwed. But to be fair, I don't consider attending NBA Finals games in person "being screwed," even if it is just part of your job.
Aldridge isn't worried about viewing Sunday's "Sopranos" episode, he's worried that it will be spoiled for him, which in his situation, is a valid concern. It's hard to imagine that in an arena of 20,000 people and at a major event like this that someone won't mention the details about what went down before he gets away to watch for himself.
I'm still debating how to handle this, let's discuss.
Living on the West Coast, I receive both feeds of HBO, so I could watch at 6PM (opposite the Finals) or 9PM (after the game's over). Seems easy, right? Just watch the Finals as they happen, and catch "The Sopranos" after the game. But if I wait, I'm subjecting myself to the same dilemma that David Aldridge and countless others are facing at the arena.
I'm pretty sure most people will just blow off the first half of Game 2 and watch The Sopranos at its regularly scheduled time. But being an NBA diehard, I'm struggling here. Any of our readers having the same problem? What if you're a Spurs or Cavs fan? What will you be watching Sunday night at 9PM Eastern?
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
6-09-2007 @ 3:52PM
Cubbiessosa said...
Are you seriously kidding me? Your even considering watching a taped, fictional show over the history that is the NBA Finals? It's the most hyped player in league/sports history vs. the new dynasty. Come on. I'm not a fan of the sopranos but if it was my favorite show 24 on the same day I wouldn't even consider what to watch. NBA Diehard.
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6-09-2007 @ 4:18PM
TheHype said...
In Canada here our Mounties choose what we watch. Problem solved.
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6-09-2007 @ 4:21PM
Jklicious99 said...
I'm with you Cubbie....any real basketball fan will watch the game over Sopranos even if they are a fan of that show. Game 2 goes live only once, you can always catch a rerun of the Sopranos.
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6-09-2007 @ 4:50PM
SAY YOUR WORD said...
basketball... SAY YOUR WORD www.sayyourword.com
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6-09-2007 @ 5:41PM
Ken said...
I have to choose one of the best series on television over the basketball game...Finals or not.
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6-09-2007 @ 5:43PM
Word said...
I would rather watch women's sports over the NBA finals. Talk about horrible basketball, there's a reason the ratings suck, it's because the Spurs are too good defensively and it makes for boring, un-watchable games.
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6-09-2007 @ 5:48PM
JAB said...
Wouldn't be a delimna if the NBA didn't schedule the first two game three days apart!! Not like there was any travel involved. Wonder why they made this schedule?
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6-09-2007 @ 6:12PM
ed said...
who cares they are both about low life street thugs
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6-09-2007 @ 9:37PM
Joe Hass said...
Here's what I'd do (with a TiVo):
1. Record the game. Make sure you pad it by at least one hour (maybe more).
2. Watch The Sopranos live.
3. The moment the episode ends, start watching the game on TiVo. Fast forward through commercials, halftime, etc.
Almost always, you'll catch up with the game by the end.
Voila!
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6-09-2007 @ 10:31PM
Yeah I Can Do That said...
Will David "Jackass" Stern still get 20 million a year if anyone watches or not?
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6-09-2007 @ 10:36PM
Cubbiessosa said...
It's useless to get into an argument with you guys because you obviously aren't real NBA fans so stop commenting, your worthless.
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6-09-2007 @ 11:01PM
Luke said...
Watch The Sopranos. I can take not seeing the constant palming of the basketball that goes uncalled, traveling that goes uncalled, and the poor basketball play (in the pur sense).
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6-09-2007 @ 11:31PM
Jason said...
Here is a great idea, Watch the sopranos and when the game ends turn on espn, and in the lower right hand corner there will be a box that says breaking news that will show you the score cause nobody really cares about what happened during the game, they just care on how it ends.
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6-10-2007 @ 1:19AM
JOYCE G VILLANUEVA said...
WELL, I'M A HOUSTONIAN. PROUD TO CHEER ON THE SPURS. SO, I MUST SUPPORT THE SPURS AND THEN LATE NIGHT I WILL WATCH MY SOPRANOS.
THE SOPRANOS WILL BE MISSED BUT WATCHING THE FINALS AND SUPPORTING THE SPURS IS PRICELESS.
A MAGNET PREDICTION: SPURS WIN FIRST 2 GAMES, THEN GO PLAY 3 @ CLEVELAND WHEN THE SPURS WILL STEAL A GAME FROM THE CAVS, AND OF COURSE VICTORY AT HOME TO CELEBRATE WITH SAN ANTONIO DIEHARD FANS. WHAT DO YOU THINK?
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6-10-2007 @ 2:37AM
jammq said...
Pretty easy to see why the NBA is losing popularity . . . let's spread the playoffs arbitrarily over three different networks, having four days go by between games, suspend the best players from the best series, play no games on Friday or Saturday nights, then schedule a game against the last show EVER of The Sopranos.
Guess the S in Stern stands for stupid. And he used to be so smart.
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6-10-2007 @ 2:38AM
Cubbiessosa said...
Spurs win Game 2 and Game 3 in Cleveland then Cleveland wins 4 and 5 (b/c of the 2-3-2) and the Spurs clinch it in Game 6. 4 titles and a continuation of the dynasty.
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6-10-2007 @ 3:51AM
claytor said...
Ill pass on the (Wo)Manu flop-o-rama, and the Bowen grope show in favor of witnessing the end of one of the most critically acclaimed series of ALL time. The NBA nuked the finals with their cheap Sun-Spurs series, it all feels fixed anyway, and no, i am not a Suns fan, my team wasnt even in the playoffs this year, but i still like good basketball, which hardly, if at all, has been the case this year.
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6-10-2007 @ 5:36PM
cerealjake said...
yu gotta be kidding. this series will only go 4-5 games, such a mismatch. the sopranos, on the other hand will only end once.
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6-10-2007 @ 6:27PM
Darius-D train said...
FIRST OF ALL, I AM TOTALLY AND WILL FOREVER BE A BASKETBALL FAN FIRST OVER ALL OTHER SPORTS AND SHOWS. IT IS NOT EVEN A CONTEST WHICH TO WATCH WHEN 9:00PM COMES AROUND! THE SOPRANOS CAN EASILY BE TAPED AND WATCHED OVER AND OVER AGAIN AND AGAIN, YOU ONLY GET THE FEELING OF LIVE ACTION ONCE WHEN IT HAPPENS IN BASKETBALL AND WHEN YOU MISS IT,,, YOU WILL NEVER, EVER GET THAT FEELING OF ADRENALINE ACTION AGAIN!!!!!
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6-10-2007 @ 7:12PM
Ana said...
All the hype about LeBron James... pathetic. What a rookie, who needs maturity to go up against a seasoned team like the Spurs. I know the Spurs will Smash these Cavs in 4 games. The Cavs are light high school basketball... oh, forgot.. that's what LeBron finished!!!
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