MLB Playoffs

[Songbird]

A little subliminal MasterCard ad there before the first pitch. Sneaky bastards.

 

[Oz]

Early prediction: Carpenter throws a 12-hitter.

Corrected.

 

[JBHawkEye]

It's 43 degrees here at Busch.

I'm hoping the PowerBook doesn't freeze.

 

[Ralph Waldo Henderson]

Lowest TV ratings so far of any World Series.

The fragmentation continues.

TV executives can go suck it, for not understanding that ratings are going to CONTINUE going down from 10, 15, 40 years ago, as long as there are 800 more channels to choose from. It is IMPOSSIBLE to regain the ratings they once had.

Like the dinosaurs, that time is extinct. And comparing that time to this time is an exercise in futility. It doesn't mean ****.

Or it could mean the sport has declined in popularity. A Variety reporter (who I guess is considered an expert enough to be quoted) nailed it:

Variety reporter Rick Kissel suspects that focusing too much on bigger markets has hurt baseball overall.

"One thing that may be hurting baseball is that Fox and ESPN put so many of their eggs in the basket of the Yankees-Red Sox rivalry. Maybe if they tried to capitalize on the stories elsewhere in the league, fans would be more invested in other teams."

http://www.allheadlinenews.com/articles/7005280727

 

[Songbird]

Edmonds goes grannny here?

 

[Omar_dont_scare]

Christ how bad is McCarver? And Buck had some rough moments in Game 2... is McCarver's bad announcing contagious?

 

[micropolitan guy]

The World Series just hit an all-time low. Chris Meyers shilling for tacos in the bleachers. Fox is quality stuff!

 

[buckweaver]

Or it could mean the sport has declined in popularity. A Variety reporter (who I guess is considered an expert enough to be quoted) nailed it:

Variety reporter Rick Kissel suspects that focusing too much on bigger markets has hurt baseball overall.

"One thing that may be hurting baseball is that Fox and ESPN put so many of their eggs in the basket of the Yankees-Red Sox rivalry. Maybe if they tried to capitalize on the stories elsewhere in the league, fans would be more invested in other teams."

http://www.allheadlinenews.com/articles/7005280727

Yeah, that's part of it, Ralph. Baseball's been good at shooting itself in the foot the last decade or so. (Before that, they were good at cutting off the leg to save the foot. So it's a step up, at least.)

But their marketing has always sucked. MLB has no idea how to sell the game -- probably because they never had to sell it before. It sold itself. But that was because there was not much to sell, elsewhere.

So I think it's mostly the result of consumers having more options for keeping up with sports, and non-sports too. When you have more options, naturally you're going to have more people

I mean, consider the NFL: Was there a day during the offseason when we didn't hear about something football? It never went away. If it wasn't T.O., it was Favre's will-he-won't-he saga. Then it was Big Ben's motorcycle accident. We had 24/7 predictions for a month before the draft, and analysis of the picks for a month after it. It never went away.

But football is played on Sunday afternoons when everyone (conceivably) can watch, or go to, a game. Kids stay interested that way, and when you hook 'em young, they usually stick around.

Baseball, in contrast, keeps shooting itself in the foot with kids -- namely, by pricing kids out of the "cheap" seats, by pricing kids out of baseball cards (I remember getting like 15 cards in a pack for $0.50, plus the all-important stick of gum, and I'm not that old), by pushing playoff games way past kids' bedtimes.

It's all about Wall Street and, well, Wall Street doesn't give a ****.

 

[Angola!]

As I was driving back to my office from a volleyball match my mom was giving me updates over the phone and she asked me how in the world does Ronnie Belliard look so young when he was playing for the Braves so long ago.
I kindly told her that was Rafael Belliard, not Ronnie.

 

[DisembodiedOwlHead]

As I was driving back to my office from a volleyball match my mom was giving me updates over the phone and she asked me how in the world does Ronnie Belliard look so young when he was playing for the Braves so long ago.
I kindly told her that was Rafael Belliard, not Ronnie.

And he got fat, too.

 

[Angola!]

All of this pregame shtuff reaks of effort. Too much. But Mudbone, you're right about the background music.

Early prediction: Carpenter throws a 2-hitter.

Excellent call so far Songbird.

 

[User 1019]

Jo Dee Messina. I'd hit it.

 

[buckweaver]

What's with all the ****ing country singers? ****.

If the Cardinals don't bring out Nelly -- who is as proudly St. Lou as any artist on earth -- for one of these songs this week, I'm going to be pissed.

I hate "God Bless America" at baseball games. Hate it.

 

[RokSki]

Jo Dee Messina. I'd hit it.

No question, especially if she wears those jeans

 

[JBHawkEye]

Folks, it's Billy Ray Cyrus and his daughter singing the anthem tomorrow night.

Oh, and during one inning they played a Chevy commercial on the big screen. This IS our country.

God, can't get away from the commercial at the ballpark.

 

[RokSki]

Red State, baby, Red State

 

[slappy4428]

Jo Dee Messina. I'd hit it.

 

[Chi City 81]

GODDAMMIT!!! GET THE ****ING GAME OVER WITH ALREADY!!!

 

[Angola!]

GODDAMMIT!!! GET THE ****ING GAME OVER WITH ALREADY!!!

Only one more strike.

 

[Chi City 81]

GODDAMMIT!!! GET THE ****ING GAME OVER WITH ALREADY!!!

Only one more strike.

Thank God.