Interesting article in the Times today about how unwelcome all these off days have been for the teams involved in the ALCS. Scioscia is less than pleased about the random off-day in the middle of the Angels' home stand, and all around people agree that this series has taken way too long. The reason we are guaranteed baseball in November this year, states the article, is that MLB decided Saturday, the day the World Series traditionally starts, was the reason for the rating slumps of recent years and that moving the start of the WS to Wednesday would fix that.
Let me get this straight. Saturday, a night when pretty much everyone who cares to watch is free, is worse for ratings than Wednesday, a night everyone has to get to bed so they can get up for work the next morning? Is the unemployment rate really that bad now?
The reason no one has watched the WS in the last few years is because nobody outside of Dick Vitale and citizens of Philadelphia cares who wins between the Rays and the Phillies. No one cares if Boston beats St. Louis (sorry Boston, despite your deepest wish, you're not America's team in any sense of the word, you're New Hampshire's, Massachusetts', and Rhode Island's team). Nobody cares if the White Sox beat the Astros. That's not to say none of these series have had compelling baseball, it's just to say that none of these teams really capture the national attention (which spans about three seconds now-a-days).
Not to mention, Baseball fandom is still fairly regional. What do I mean? People root for their team more than they do the sport. If they're not in it, they don't watch. Which is why scheduling random off-days during the LCS so that each network can have exclusive baseball nights is stupid. American League fans, by and large, don't watch the NLCS. They don't care. They'll check the score the next day just to find out who is advancing and who the AL champ will have to play in the WS.
So, in conclusion, MLB has no idea what it's doing and I'm essentially pissed at them for last night's act of God.
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7 comments:
"sorry Boston, despite your deepest wish, you're not America's team in any sense of the word, you're New Hampshire's, Massachusetts', and Rhode Island's team"
I know it may be hard to believe, and maybe its the copius amounts of warm guiness you are drinking at breakfast time over there in jolly old England, but Conneticuit, Maine and Vermont count as States, too. I'm told that upon hearing about you leaving them off, they responded by tipping cows and housing a pint of Ben and Jerrys. Conneticuit didnt care much, because they know they suck.
I knew that line would elicit a Fred Trigger comment. I left CT out because it's a fifty-fifty split there. Maine and Vermont are too cold and cow populated, respectively, to merit a mention. Trust me, the guiness said so.
I'm from Vermont originally. It's a split state. I would say it's somewhere around 60/40 Red Sox in VT. The folks in Maine are diehard though.
There's no need to belittle our state. Ben and Jerry's is delicious btw.
I agree though, if the Yankees aren't in the World Series who cares. If the Red Sox are in it I actively avoid watching.
haha, no disrespect to maine and vermont, I was just being a smartass. And yes, Ben and Jerrys is very delicious. I lived in NH for 10 years and believe it or not, I never went up to Vermont even though they have awesome skiing so, shame on me. I was stationed in Maine for 2 years and....I was not a fan. I did enjoy going to york beach, though.
The days off are killer... instead of being a cohesive championship series, its just a mess.. I think the phillies are collecting dust, waiting to face the _________ (not trying to jinx anything).. its ridiculous...
vermont and conneticuit seem like nice enough places.... maybe a good place to raise the kiddies...idk.. all these off days are makeing me delirious
THIS JUST IN:
HELLYEAH!!!!!!!
It's great tosee the other guy choke for once!
Joe
I hear that Joe..... this feels... awesome!!!!!
amazing.... nothing describes how elated we all were when mo got that last strike..... works not over yet, but for now.. tonight.. yankee universe is rejoicing
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