[The 1982 CIF California Championship Division 1 finals, its influence in the history of live television is underestimated. It was a night that witnessed the miracle of live television. It provides a good template for the NBA's future broadcast strategy, as well as two iconic figures. 】
————————The 2001 published work "The ultimate assist: the relationship and broadcast strategies of the NBA and television network"/John A.Fortunnato (The ultimate assist: the relationship and broadcast strategies of the NBA and television network, author John -A-Forttoner), excerpt.
During the 15-minute intermission between the two teams, the studio at the CBS television headquarters in New York began to deliver advertisements to the TV: Burger King's beef patty burgers and Kellogg's boxed corn chips.
Neil Pearson, the new head of CBS's sports department who was appointed in November last year, asked in the studio: "It's halftime, has Nielsen transmitted the ratings data?"
After a flurry in the broadcast room, a staff member came over with a fax and said: "The data just sent in, the ratings are roughly 4.3, which is pretty good, not much different from the ratings of an NBA regular season. "
Nielsen is the largest TV ratings survey company in the United States. They use signal receivers and questionnaires to calculate the ratings of programs for various TV stations, and provide data basis for the quality of TV programs and advertising quotations.
During the halftime break, Nielsen sent the rough data collected by the signal receiver to the CBS Sports Department. This data was not accurate without processing, but this was what Pearson requested. He could not wait for the accurate data to come out.
Seeing this result, Pearson frowned, because broadcasting the CIF California Championships live was one of the important decisions he made after taking office as the head of the sports department in November.
In the 1980s, the development of the basketball market was not satisfactory, and professional basketball entered a trough. The ratings of the 1981 Finals were only 6.7, which was a quarter of the ratings of the 1979 NCAA Finals.
Taking advantage of this low point, Pearson seized on the league's pain in the broadcast contract negotiations with the NBA after taking office and won the broadcast contract at an ultra-low price of 88 million, which was regarded as Pearson's first success.
But once the contract is signed, Pearson certainly hopes that the basketball market will pick up and more people will be willing to watch basketball programs.
This CIF North-South Finals is Pearson's attempt, and a month later, on March 29, CBS will also broadcast the college NCAA finals, with high schools and universities taking turns.
He hopes that such youth sports events can attract young basketball fans, let the market see games that are different from professional basketball, and create a positive image of basketball.
"The ratings of 4.3 can only be said to be so-so. It is now halftime. By the third and fourth quarters, more and more viewers will be lost. The final result will definitely not be as good as 4.3."
Pearson was not too disappointed with the 4.3 rating, but he was not too satisfied either. He thought he had overestimated the appeal of high school games.
Although this game is full of gimmicks, the battle between Northern and Southern California also involves a Chinese team and their Chinese stars.
But the last Chinese who could attract Americans was Bruce Lee, and he has been dead for almost 10 years.
That young man named Gan, to be honest, Pearson has never watched his game. He is too busy and has no time.
However, there is something going on in California and other parts of the country that cannot be monitored in real time by Pearson and Nielsen data.
In San Francisco, at Gan's Restaurant, Chinese restaurants in Chinatown, Korean restaurants, and bars like The-Begining, many people gathered in front of the TV to watch this game.
In the first quarter, everyone drank, ate, and chatted while watching. But at the beginning of the second quarter, when Gan Guoyang sent that block, everything changed.
People began to become focused, excited, and more involved until halftime, when Gan Guoyang and Miller were fighting near the midline. People couldn't wait to watch the third quarter.
The commercials became long and some people decided to go home. 15 minutes was enough time to turn on the TV and continue watching the next game.
At night, in an underground music bar in Los Angeles, in the middle of the concert, a musician suddenly brought up a TV and said that the performance for the day was over and they had to watch a game.
There were boos below, but the musician said, this is what a dead friend of mine asked me to do. If that person reaches the finals, he must watch it anyway, go live or watch the live broadcast.
Some people yelled and left, but most people stayed to see what the game was - it turned out to be basketball, something dull and boring, not interesting.
But when the first half ended, there were more people in the music bar than before. Everyone was involved in the game. The showdown between No. 11 and No. 30 was exciting.
During the intermission, some people left again. They wanted to find somewhere else to watch the game, go to the mall, go to church, or somewhere where CBS could be received.
In his office in the Olympia Building in New York, David Stern is reviewing drafts of changes to the collective bargaining agreement one by one. He has lost count of how many times he has made changes.
Since last summer, NBA labor and management have been stuck in a quagmire of negotiations. The owners want to cut expenses and establish a new income distribution system, especially to establish a salary cap to control unrestricted salaries.
The players strongly disagreed. Stern, as the league's executive vice president of business and legal (a new position created specifically for him by O'Brien in 1980, was responsible for a package of legal, marketing, public relations, television broadcasting, etc.) , and started a tit-for-tat duel with Players Association President Larry Fleischer.
Fleischer played a crucial role in the 1964 All-Star strike, the 1970 Robertson lawsuit, and the 1976 ABA-NBA merger. He is also a well-known agent in the league.
Stern, who is 12 years younger than him, is the only person in the league who can compete with Fleischer in terms of legal experience, physical strength and cunning.
Someone knocked on the office door, and Stern just said come in without raising his head.
"David, stop being busy, let's watch a game together."
It was President Larry O'Brien's voice.
Stern quickly raised his head and asked: "What game? Today is March 1st, and there is no game in the league."
"The league is not all about basketball. Let's watch together. I watched the first half and it was very interesting. You call Granik and Bettman and ask them to turn on the TV. The more people can watch it, the better."
Stern quickly put down his work and followed Larry O'Brien out of the office.
In more corners of the United States, there are people who listen to sports broadcasts in their cars, people who turn on the radio at home to listen to games while reading newspapers, and people who are guests in other people's homes and are attracted by TV games.
Some of them turned on the TV immediately when they got home, some turned off the familiar radio and decided to turn on the TV to see what was going on, some decided to go home during the intermission, and turned on the TV again after they got home...
In the 1980s, the relationship between neighbors was not as alienated and indifferent as it was later. In middle-class communities in California, New York, Massachusetts, and Texas, young and adult men gathered together to drink and talk about sports, baseball, football, etc. Horse racing and bull riding.
At this time, someone came out and said, "Hey, it's an interesting game. Let's watch it together. My friend just called and said it was very interesting."
Or in the poor but lively black communities of Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama, the elderly sit in the yard and the children play outside.
When people passed by in twos and threes, they said: "There is a game on CBS. Everyone thinks it is good. Go back...Grandpa! Stop being in a daze in the yard and go back and open the TV cabinet!"
In that era when there was no Internet, people mainly communicated with each other by telephone, and all news releases were delayed, it was rare for a program or a game to suddenly see a sudden surge in ratings in the second half after the first half. thing.
All publicity is determined before the game. Those who pay attention will pay attention, and those who do not pay attention will not receive the news.
Unless someone gets killed during the game, it's unlikely that most people will turn on the TV in the middle of the game to watch the game.
But in this CIF California finals, the exciting second quarter brought an improvement in reputation.
At the same time, there happens to be no other major games on March 1st. All NBA teams have a break, the NCAA March Madness has not yet started, and the NFL and MLB are all off-season.
This lonely California high school basketball showdown suddenly became the focus. Maybe many people were not interested in this game, but they had more or less heard that a Chinese basketball genius seemed to have emerged in Northern California recently.
With such curiosity, they decided to turn on the TV to see what kind of game it was and what kind of Chinese stars it was.
Television receivers placed in many homes by Nielsen began picking up CBS Sports signals, which were continuously transmitted through signal towers to the company's headquarters.
The players on the field did not know that the number of eyes staring at them was increasing. They only had eyes for their opponents and the championship trophy placed on the sidelines.
The slowness at the beginning of the game disappeared. The second half started with a sharp confrontation. The Water Bell team trusted their team's only ace and kept sending the ball to Gan Guoyang's hands.
And Riverside Polytechnic High School's ability to reach the finals is not due to luck. They have extremely strong outside shooting ability. In high school competitions where zone defense is the main focus, they are invincible.
The CBS TV commentary rhythm was more than twice as fast as the first half:
"No. 11, Sonny Gan, caught the ball, turned around, faked, went in, and made a layup!"
"Riverside's quick comeback, Reggie Miller hit the shot! The ball went in, a hasty shot, but it went in."
"The Water Bell team didn't stop. They were very fast. Gan cut in from the middle to catch the ball and dunk! Wow! One-handed split dunk!"
"Riverside Polytechnic High School also hit a shot. God, I didn't even see who made it. The camera didn't follow it."
"Sonny Gan was unstoppable. He broke through the double teams of two people, used his strength to get to the basket, and got another dunk!"
"Gan blocked the opponent on defense, counterattacked, drove to the basket, Gan alley-oop, dunk! Water Clock's offense is like crazy! Does Riverside want to call a timeout?"
"No, Reggie Miller caught the long-distance shot from the bottom corner and hit it! Hoho! My god! The offenses of both sides could not stop for a moment."
The two teams played perhaps the most exciting confrontation in this year's CIF Championship in the third quarter.
Gan Guoyang basically scored all the Water Bell team's points, and Miller always hit shots in critical moments.
The offensive feeling of both of them was extremely good, and the scolding war between them never stopped for a moment.
At the end of the third quarter, the two "reluctantly" said goodbye to each other on the sideline. Gan Guoyang was no longer as controlled and mentally controlled as he had been in the past.
This guy also took advantage of it, and poured out all the things he learned from Behrman's swearing training class to Miller, and Miller took it all and gave you a few as a gift.
Behrman pulled Gan Guoyang back to the bench and said: "Gan, you played well, but you have to be calmer and don't say so many swear words."
"This guy is a piece of shit. If I don't win this game today, I will hang you in the arena, Bobby!"
"..."
The passionate duel between Gan Guoyang and Miller aroused the emotions of the fans at the scene and the audience in front of the TV.
In the United States, there is no drama more attractive than heroic confrontation.
Throughout the 1970s, there were strong players in the NBA, but no heroes.
Larry Bird and Magic Johnson were astonishing. They created a ratings miracle in the 1979 NCAA Finals, reaching 24.1, which no one could match.
But the game was actually quite disappointing. Larry Bird made 7 of 21 shots and only scored 19 points. He lost the game without any suspense. The close match that people wanted to see did not happen, leaving Bird alone. A figure holding her head and crying on the bench.
The CIF Civil War reached its climax in the fourth quarter.
No one at Water Clock can stop Miller, and no one at Riverside Polytechnic can stop Gan Guoyang.
The relatively low overall level created a knightly duel between two teenagers.
The entire fourth quarter was a replica of the third quarter. The two took a short rest off the court before returning to the court.
All eyes are on them. Miller is slender, agile and precise, while Gan Guoyang is a yellow beast.
Gan Guoyang may have had more dunks tonight than in the previous games combined. All the players in the water clock can see that Gan Guoyang really wants to win.
The score of the two teams went from 41:43 at halftime to 87:86.
The Water Bell team, which had been pressing Riverside High School, had a physical crisis at the last minute.
The 4 quarters and 48 minutes of the game were very tiring for the players.
Not resting well, not eating well, and not warming up properly all affected the players' condition.
They gritted their teeth and persisted, but Xu Xun suffered from calf cramps at the last moment and was carried off the field.
When he came off the field, his eyes were filled with tears, and he held Gan Guoyang's arm tightly, but did not say a word.
Gan Guoyang understood what Xu Xun meant. He wiped his sweat and returned to the court. This was a key attack for the team.
"Double-team, double-team him!"
Miller shouted at his teammates. Everyone knew that only Gan Guoyang on the Water Bell team still had physical fitness.
Chen Xing almost made a mistake, but Gan Guoyang came out to respond and finally controlled the ball.
The two men came to double-team, and Gan Guoyang was forced into a desperate situation outside the three-point line.
"Sonny Gan, the ball was about to be lost... He still controlled it and snatched the ball back. In the middle, Riverside Polytechnic people were chasing and intercepting him. He stepped on the three-point line and shot directly..."
Time seems to have passed a long time.
"...The ball went in! Oh my god! The ball went in! The ball went in!"
The CBS television broadcast and many announcers on the sidelines couldn't help but jump up and scream.
Gan Guoyang made an incredible long shot, surrounded by three people and almost losing the ball.
The score came to 88:87, and Shui Zhong overtook the score with a few seconds left in the game!
The entire Great Western Forum was in a frenzy. Fans no longer cared about Southern California or Northern California. They just wanted to see the showdown between heroes.
Riverside High School called a timeout, and the game still left them with a chance to reverse. The live camera naturally showed Reggie Miller.
Miller made 13 of 19 shots in this game and scored 30 points. His shooting accuracy is terrible.
Can Cheryl Miller's younger brother, like his sister, win the CIF championship and leave the glory to Southern California?
The pause ended quickly. In Neil Pearson's office at CBS headquarters, a staff member hurriedly ran in without knocking on the door. He pushed the door open and said: "Mr. Pearson, the latest email from Nielsen Company Ratings data!”
"The latest ratings data, is the game over?"
"No, it's the last moment, the ratings have already reached..."
"How many?"
"A rough estimate, 15.8, may be lower."
"What?"
Pearson couldn't believe his ears. Near the end of the game, the ratings rose to 15.8? Tripled!
Not trusting his ears, he had to trust his eyes. Pearson crawled to the broadcast room, where he found that almost everyone was gathered around to watch the game.
At the last moment, Reggie Miller's last shot!
Miller shook off the defender, caught the ball at a 45-degree angle on the right, and turned and shot one step inside the three-point line!
"Miller's last shot! The ball...the ball was touched by Gan, it was touched by Gan! He touched the ball with his finger, and the ball was caught by Gan! The game is over, the game is over!"
"The Beiqiao Water Bell Team from San Francisco won this championship! Miracle, they created a miracle! This is their first year joining CIF! Miracle!"
The TV announcer's voice was hoarse and he had reached his limit.
The entire studio cheered. It seemed like everyone supported the Water Bells and this suddenly rising Chinese team.
Pearson stood there stunned, his heart racing, a huge sense of surprise filled his chest, like a bullet hitting his atrium, the tremor spread from the center of the body to the limbs, all the way to the fingertips, toes and scalp.
His body began to tremble unconsciously.
Is this what it feels like to experience a miracle?
It's so wonderful that it makes people tremble all over.
[...At Westlake Studios in Los Angeles, I was fully committed to the production of the new album "Thriller". We worked selflessly and cared about almost nothing except music... The only exception was March 1 No. That night, I was struggling with the melody of a song, and I felt like I couldn't find that feeling. The record company kept pushing, and I felt a lot of pressure. Frank DiLeo came to me at this time. He took me and said that we would watch TV together for a while and there would be a basketball game. I refused because I wasn't very interested in basketball games, but he said the game was very interesting and I had to watch it. I watched the second half of the CIF finals, and I got to know Gan for the first time. Gan hit the winning shot at the last moment. I jumped up from the sofa and danced with excitement; but the game was not over yet. Reggie Miller had a chance to end the game. He caught the ball and shot. But Gan rushed over from far away, sideways, and knocked the ball out of the air. Then the ball fell into his hands. He raised the ball high with one hand and the whole audience cheered. He was like the Statue of Basketball Liberty. At that moment my whole body was shaking. I found that feeling, that exciting and fascinating feeling. I immediately returned to the recording studio and completed the recording of Thriller...]
————————Excerpts from the 1988 Michael Jackson biography "Moon Walk".
(End of Volume 1 "Go to be there".)
