College Basketball

Does America love the underdog? Colin Cowherd says no

Published Mar. 28, 2022 8:27 p.m. ET

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Does America really love a good underdog story?

The country gets at least one of the sort every March, as some unbeknownst small-town program upends a higher-ranked competitor, and begins its Cinderella journey toward immortality in the NCAA Tournament.

This March, that squad was the Saint Peter's Peacocks, which made handiwork of No. 2 Kentucky, No. 7 Murray State and No. 3 Purdue, becoming the first 15-seed to make the Elite Eight.

But not everyone was wowed by their titillating performance.

"I don't love underdogs," Colin Cowherd revealed Monday on "The Herd."

"The truth is, you don't love underdogs. I see the television ratings, and the ratings are bigger when Coach [Krzyzewski] is on the air, and when the Yankees are on the air, so quit telling me you're rooting for the Tampa Bay Rays and Saint Peter's, because the ratings shrink when they're on. Cinderella's a myth."

Saint Peter's bowed out to North Carolina a game before the Final Four, leaving UNC, Duke, Kansas and Villanova as the last teams left.

"Put Boise State in a Bowl game, the ratings go down," Cowherd said. "Put Ohio State in a Bowl game, the ratings go up. Our Final Four is going to be bluebloods. That's what I like to watch, we all know the backstory of Duke, North Carolina, Kansas and Villanova. I love a good ending to a great story, and this is Mike Krzyzewski's last year.

"Saint Peter's has no business winning this tournament. … Duke has the best coach, four first-round picks in its starting lineup, and the other guy's probably a second-round pick. Saint Peter's was a cute story — it wasn't that interesting. I wasn't rooting for them." 

Do the ratings support Cowherd's argument? Do folks love an underdog or not?

FOX Sports looked at viewership ratings of the top 10 Super Bowls during the ultimate winner's era — Tom Brady's, to be exact — to determine whether consumers really do turn out in higher numbers for the best of the best. 

FOX Sports did the same for NBA Finals series dating back to 2000, and here's how all the numbers stack up.

Top 10 Super Bowls since 2000

1. 2015: NE-SEA — 47.5 TV rating
2. 2012: NE-NYG — 47.0 TV rating
3. 2014: DEN-SEA — 46.7 TV rating
4. 2016: DEN-CAR — 46.6 TV rating
5. 2013: BAL-SF — 46.4 TV rating
6. 2011: PIT-GB — 46.0 TV rating
7. 2017: NE-ATL — 45.3 TV rating
8. 2010: IND-NO — 45.0 TV rating
9. 2018: NE-PHI — 43.1 TV rating
10. 2008: NE-NYG — 43.1 TV rating

In the football department, the top 10 returns an even split in games that featured Brady vs. games that didn't. The top two come as no surprise: The Pats' riveting back-and-forth affair against Seattle that culminated in Malcolm Butler's goal-line INT came in at the top spot, while the second of Eli Mannings' Super Bowl championships is second.

In spots 3-6 are matchups that were absent of Brady's presence, while his historic comeback against Atlanta owns the seventh spot. Peyton Manning and Drew Brees take the cake at No. 8, and Brady rounds out the list at No. 9 and No. 10.

Let's look at the NBA Finals list.

1. 2001: LAL-PHI — 12.1 TV Rating
2. 2015: GSW-CLE — 11.6 TV Rating
3. 2000: LAL-IND — 11.6 TV Rating
4. 2004: LAL-DET — 11.5 TV Rating
5. 2016: GSW-CLE — 11.4 TV Rating
6. 2017: GSW-CLE — 11.3 TV Rating
7. 2010: LAL-BOS — 10.6 TV Rating
8. 2013: SAS-MIA — 10.4 TV Rating
9. 2002: LAL-NJN — 10.2 TV Rating
10. 2011: DAL-MIA — 10.2 TV Rating

Stars run the table in this compilation. Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O'Neal and Allen Iverson's legendary Finals face-off comes in at first on this list, and that same Lakers dynamic duo owns the third and fourth slots as well.

LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Kevin Durant have the second-highest ratings, as well as the fifth and sixth. Bryant made his second appearance at seventh and third at No. 9, while the James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh trifecta lands at eighth. Their first Finals appearance as a group comes in at 10th.

Maybe Cowherd does have a point after all — but that doesn't mean underdogs don't draw ratings on occasion.

The Peacocks set television ratings ablaze, garnering the highest number of Sweet 16 views in 11 years during its victory over Purdue. Their first two matchups also landed them in the Nielsen Top 20.

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