[lsmant]

LSU vs Miami was 9-8 nearly at the end of the 1st quarter when I turned it off.  I don't really care about who wins, and there was no reason at all to watch this travesty for the pleasure of seeing beautiful basketball.

I haven't watched a lot of men's basketball since the Montgomery/Johnson era.  Has MBB become a constant defensive slugfest? 

When I was watching both MBB and WBB I preferred WBB because it seemed like more of a team sport, and it involved more assists, passing, and teamwork to get players open.  The very fact that women were not as fast or strong as men was a major advantage in my book, since it made the game more of a team sport and there were fewer individuals who could "take over" the game on their own.

But more and more I see defensive battles, pushing and shoving in the paint, low low scores (9 to 8 sheesh!) and I wonder if the game is worth watching. 

How about some rules changes to make the game more offensive?  Trapezoidal key, 3 seconds in the paint for defense too, etc.?  Because under the current rules I just turned off 3/4 of an elite 8 game as unwatchable, unfun, uninteresting. 

But maybe there are some of you who love to watch basketball defenses and revel in games in which neither team gets to 60?

I agree with everything you are saying. No exceptions. More than 20 years ago my dad asked me why I liked watching basketball. The dance, I replied. And he understood exactly what I meant. The dance is gone. It’s a race, a slugfest. If I wanted to watch games for that…well, I don’t. And I mourn the loss of the dance where skill and respect and following the rules wins games. My dad and mom would be sad as well.  My husband agrees with you, too. Not to mention missing watching as freshmen come in and following them for 4 years. But that’s another subject.

[lsmant]

LSU vs Miami was 9-8 nearly at the end of the 1st quarter when I turned it off.  I don't really care about who wins, and there was no reason at all to watch this travesty for the pleasure of seeing beautiful basketball.

I haven't watched a lot of men's basketball since the Montgomery/Johnson era.  Has MBB become a constant defensive slugfest? 

When I was watching both MBB and WBB I preferred WBB because it seemed like more of a team sport, and it involved more assists, passing, and teamwork to get players open.  The very fact that women were not as fast or strong as men was a major advantage in my book, since it made the game more of a team sport and there were fewer individuals who could "take over" the game on their own.

But more and more I see defensive battles, pushing and shoving in the paint, low low scores (9 to 8 sheesh!) and I wonder if the game is worth watching. 

How about some rules changes to make the game more offensive?  Trapezoidal key, 3 seconds in the paint for defense too, etc.?  Because under the current rules I just turned off 3/4 of an elite 8 game as unwatchable, unfun, uninteresting. 

But maybe there are some of you who love to watch basketball defenses and revel in games in which neither team gets to 60?

I agree with everything you are saying. No exceptions. More than 20 years ago my dad asked me why I liked watching basketball. The dance, I replied. And he understood exactly what I meant. The dance is gone. It’s a race, a slugfest. If I wanted to watch games for that…well, I don’t. And I mourn the loss of the dance where skill and respect and following the rules wins games. My dad and mom would be sad as well.  My husband agrees with you, too. Not to mention missing watching as freshmen come in and following them for 4 years. But that’s another subject.