LLWS 2010

Mexico blowing upset bid. Japan hits three-run homer with two outs in top of sixth to take lead.

 

But they're still playing for the chance to get on TV.

And these district, sectional and state tournaments can sometimes have TV cameras too. About 10 years ago, the New Jersey state tournament in this thing was condensed into 2 1/2 days (doubleheader Saturday, one game Sunday night, title game Monday afternoon) because the YES Network wanted to televise the championship game and they could only come on Monday afternoon. This tournament normally lasts five days.

 

I think it's also a matter of corporations that make and/or sell products to families with children wanting to get their brand in front of familes with children, and being willing to pay ESPN oodles of money for the priviledge.

If advertisers weren't willing to buy a sufficient amount of advertising time, ESPN wouldn't do this. It does cost money for ESPN to bring crews and equipment to all of these games, after all.

Hard to believe that, 15 years ago, the only LL games on major TV were the US final (ESPN on a Friday afternoon) and the World Championship (on ABC on a Saturday afternoon). Now every LL game from the regional semifinals on is on AT LEAST ESPN, with the last three rounds being on ABC in prime time.

 

I don't think TV is the primary factor in the behavior here, because the Pony League guys are even bigger dickheads than the Little League guys and their games are never on TV.

 

I was having dinner with my girlfriend's family, who live in another part of the region. Her brother asked if I had seen their hometown paper, where on the front page a kid was crying after losing in the regional touranment. He felt it was insensitive.

I explained to him that we get countless, countless calls from parents, coaches, etc., asking for coverage of these kids. I told him that when we do go out to cover the games, we're not there to celebrate them. We're there to cover the story down the middle. If a kid crying paints the picture of what happened on the field, so be it.

I can only assume that they SE at that paper probably field a dozen calls from parents (definitely from the parents of the kid) who were bullshit, but I would have done the same thing.

 

What kind of scam is this Europe team running? This team from Germany is filled with kids who speak perfect English. They are playing Mexico. One of the Germany kids has a name that would fit in better with Mexico.

 

It's an Air Force Base, isn't it? Probably a lot of different nationalities.

 

Agree. I'm not ripping apart a little kid just because a coach is an asshole and made an inflamatory comment. It's not my job to make the coach the story for being an asshole.

I will however, save the quotes if the story develops at a later date to cover my ass. But seriously, these kids aren't high schoolers or adults.

 

Kind of like the Saudi Arabia team is the kids of oil workers.

 

As opposed to the scam that Chinese Taipei still relies on, which is the use of 19-year-olds.