Add Cleveland radio host Ken Carman to the millions of sports fans who were entranced by Caitlin Clark and the NCAA women’s basketball tournament this year over the men’s tourney.
Reacting to the men’s title game on The Ken Carman Show with Anthony Lima on Tuesday morning, Carman called men’s college hoops a “chore” that made him “bored to tears” this season while the women’s game was full of “big stories.”
“I have never been less interested in men’s college basketball to the point where it is just a chore,” Carman said. “I do sit there and think if I didn’t watch the tournament games, would anyone really care?”
Carman forced himself to pay attention to and cover Ohio State basketball out of Cleveland this year because it was a transitional year for the program. He checks in on men’s Big Ten basketball from time to time and will cover Ohio’s many mid-majors if they get hot. But in 2024, it was a slog.
“I sat and watched and [turned] on Saturday ESPN basketball,” Carman said. “I did not want to do it this year. I hated doing it this year, because I’m bored to tears. I had no story. Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese, Dawn Staley. Stories. It being in Cleveland, stories just falling out of the sky right into your laps. Big stories. The race issue, the women vs. men issue that was there, obviously it being in Cleveland … that all being there. And then in the men’s game … I had nothing.”
After watching Clark lead Iowa to the title game again and seeing the rematch with LSU in the Elite Eight, Carman was sucked into women’s basketball in a real way. He said he may even try watching the WNBA for the first time.
“Say what you will, that WNBA Draft is on the 15th,” Carman said. “I don’t know when the season starts. I’m going to find out because I’m going to see Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese play, I can guaran-damn-tee you that. At least the first game. I don’t know how many games I’m going to actually watch, but I’m going to be in on it.”
Later in the evening, Carman elaborated on X (formerly Twitter), clarifying that he does not plan to stop watching men’s college basketball but the sport is “broken” for him as a fan.
Other than my play-by-play days, my interest in Women's College Basketball has never been higher. In my entire life, my interest in Men's College Basketball has never been lower. It's broken to me. I only watch because I have to. It's become a chore.
— Ken Carman (@KenCarman) April 9, 2024
It wasn’t just Clark’s logo threes. Many games in the tourney did big numbers, and fans who tuned in now know the main storylines and stars heading into the WNBA season and next year’s college season.
Carman is just saying what many are likely feeling coming off the Clark phenomenon at Iowa the past two years.
About Brendon Kleen
Brendon is a Media Commentary staff writer at Awful Announcing. He has also covered basketball and sports business at Front Office Sports, SB Nation, Uproxx and more.