Topic: Television

There's nothing wrong with some idle speculation on the NCAA Tournament, especially as March approaches. But a little bit less of ESPN Bracketologist-in-chief Joe Lunardi, and the silly, over-certain pseudoscience he sells, might do us all some good.

Derrick Rose is a great player, and his injury was indeed a big deal. But the attempt by Adidas to turn him and his recovery into a Cause We All Can Believe In just feels... well, dumb, but also kind of sad.

There's a difference between information and data, at least as the two make themselves felt in televised sports. The former helps you understand what's happening on the court or field or floor, and why. The latter is a burped-up number or acronym, free of context or anything else. Both are a big part of watching sports on TV. The latter, sadly, seems to be winning.

NBC's Olympics broadcast is athletic competition communicated with an unheard-of level of editorial control. In truth, it often looks a lot like the network's regular primetime programming and not all that much like sports. It’s a spectacle guaranteed to bring in viewers and hopefully establish NBC as a home for quality programming. The problem with this plan is that most viewers are not completely stupid.