Why is the NBA not as popular as it was?

[B00T]

As someone who currently hates basketball and finds it extremely unentertaining, this suggested format would make me watch basketball.

[Lori]

I agree that one or two things would need to be tweaked, but I don't think it would be unworkable.
If scores are tied at the end of one quarter, maybe play until they are no longer tied, or maybe play 1 minute mini-overtime, or maybe just call it a tie.

I'm pretty sure there are enough variations of foul rules that could be invented that the endgame tactics would not work except for in the last quarter/set (Heavy FT penalties for teams with lots of fouls later on in the match for example)

Again, I just thought I'd throw it out there, the details would be fun to work out, but it would take someone with more knowledge of the game than I have to know what would be balanced.

Lori

[ethan]

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I don't think many late drama games would be ruined by this. It would take a wierd combo of one team barely winning 3 quarters and blowing the other out in one.

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I think this happens more often than you think. For example, Team A wins the first three quarters by an average of 3 points. With five minutes left in the fourth quarter, Team B is winning the quarter by four points. With traditional scoring, this is a close game with a possibility for a great finish. With your system, it's over.

Also, what happens if quarters end tied? Overtime? Boooooooooooooooo

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There's overtime anyways. Total score can always be trump.

Besides, you totally ignore the fact that it livens up every quarter, making the games more watchable. Whatever percentage of games have that one specific scenario, I know that 100% of games have a first, second and third quarter that will be greatly improved from a watchability, tension and entertainment standpoint.

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Baseball could probably be doing better ratings-wise. Would you support a best-5-of-9-innings format? I realize that it's not a perfect analogy - there's more scoring in basketball, and comebacks are usually less heroic, but I really dislike the per-quarter format.

Plus, when you consider that it usually takes about 20 minutes to finish the last 2 minutes of game time in any close NBA game, the proposed format would be absolutely miserable to watch.

[Malachii]

It's too black and thugged out to really connect with white people. Sorry folks, but that's the truth. I still like it.