Get what?

Last weekend was the much beloved ACC basketball tournament. The first game I watched was on Thurday night between Tech and UVA broadcast by ESPN2. ESPN and the related channels (not sure if the Ocho made any appearance) broadcast the games nationally with the traditional southern broadcast produced by Raycom. If you're an ACC sports fan you'll know that there has been a long standing relationship between the conference and the various iterations of Raycom sports, and during that relationship the broadcast quality has been merely passable. Compared to ESPN and even CBS there is no contest, Raycom loses everytime in my opinion. Camera angles are terrible in football and basketball, plays and other action are missed because of bizare cut aways and bad graphic overlays, you name it and they've probably done it. I shouldn't complain too much though because it is nice to be able to watch a less popular and audience drawing event which my Yellow Jackets all too often end up playing in as half the bill, but this year's ACC Tournament took the cake for bad programming choices.

The intro, outro, during game music was completely centered around an artist called Lil' Mama and her song/rap called "Shawty Get Loose." Come on now? The ACC/Raycom must have made big bucks with that tie in. Hearing Mike Hogewood promote the song and repeatedly exclaim "Shawty Get Loose" was comedic and quickly grew old. It was ridculous. I also want to mention ESPN's bad intro/outro breaks which featured a very strange opera singer that wasn't that great, what's up with that? One message for the ACC: Dear ACC, please don't sell out anymore than you already have.

More entertaining and insightful commentary on the song below:

Raleigh News & Observer
Barry Saunders - "ACC is too loose on song"

A grad school classmate of mine that is the biggest sports fan I know and also hosts a sports radio show on the UNC student radio station WXYC
IronDog Chronicles - Pre-NCAA Rants (towards the bottom of the post)