DEFENSE MAKES FOR “UGLY GAMES.”

DEFENSE MAKES FOR “UGLY GAMES.” Another prediction that could have been made, based on the fact that the Butler-UConn game would feature lower shooting percentages and very good defense, was that a lot of critics would hate the game. Think of the low-scoring football games you’ve watched where the announcers have said that both teams were playing badly. Try to think of a time when a basketball announcer pointed out that a defender was guarding his opponent well. Sure enough, this article marvels that the announcers at halftime ripped the game, something extraordinary for any TV network, which will ordinarily encourage people to watch its programs. Greg Anthony: “the worst half of basketball I’ve ever seen in a national championship game.” Charles Barkley: “That was an awful half of college basketball.” Seth Davis: “This is a very bad showcase for a national championship game for college basketball.” Contrast these comments with the admiration for the plays made in the NBA All-Star game, where nobody is spoiling the aesthetics of the game by playing defense.