Did Georgia, LSU Give CBS Sports Heartache Last Saturday?

Correspondent Written on September 29, 2009

ATHENS, GA - SEPTEMBER 26: Blair Walsh #57 of the Georgia Bulldogs celebrates with Drew Butler #13 after kicking the game winning field goal against the Arizona State Sun Devils at Sanford Stadium on September 26, 2009 in Athens, Georgia. (Photo by Scott Cunningham/Getty Images)

(Photo by Scott Cunningham/Getty Images)

There are always risks in signing long term contracts. An underlying theme of long deals is whether or not the value will be there as the contract goes on. That is the type of risk that CBS Sports and ESPN accepted when signing the new multi-year, megabucks media rights deals with the Southeastern Conference this year.

But one has to wonder if, after selecting fourth-ranked LSU at 14th-ranked Georgia for national broadcast this week, CBS Sports was suffering anxiety attacks watching this last weekend's games. In the final analysis, the answer is probably no.

LSU's Chad Jones running punt back for touchdown

93 Yards and a Cloud of Dust: LSU's Chad Jones runs punt back 93 yards
for a touchdown, which allowed fourth-ranked LSU to hold on to a
34-24 win over Mississippi State. Steve Franz/LSU.
Image courtesy of LSU Sports Information.

Officially, CBS made the selection of the upcoming game last week. The backroom reality is that, as Eye on Sports Media readers learned last year, this game was most likely slated for broadcast before the season started. Even then it was a risk because Georgia had lost Matthew Stafford and Knowshon Moreno.

After Georgia fell 24-10 in the season opener to Oklahoma State in Stillwater, there were a lot of question marks around the ability of Senior Quarterback Joe Cox to really lead this year's Bulldog team to a winning season.

Georgia's A.J. Green Blocks Arizona State 37-yard Field Goal Attempt

The Devils Went Down To Georgia: University of Georgia standout wide receiver A.J. Green leaps up to block Arizona State's Bobby Wenzig's 37-yard field goal attempt with 4:31 left in the game at Sanford Stadium in Athens, Georgia. Robe Saye/UGA
Image Courtesy of University of Georgia Sports Communications.

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written on September 29, 2009 Opinion