Ratings down... Lack of Yanks-Sox to blame

by DaBard on Jul 9, 2008 3:45 PM CDT

You know how we Midwesterners get tired of the Yanks-Sox? Heck, Al makes a point of saying it when he recaps the regional coverages.

Well, it turns out we Midwesterners are bad for business. Ratings are down because the Yanks and Sox aren't playing all that much yet.

We have a moral obligation to turn this around. Here's my plan:

* Nothing is more important than watching the Cubs game if it's on Fox or ESPN. NOTHING.

* Yes, Joe Morgan is an idiot and Tim McCarver could be his stupider brother. But you must mute. Do not switch to the WGN feed. Do not listen to the radio. Do not "watch" on Yahoo on your Blackberry.

* You can mow the lawn later.

* The garage isn't that dirty.

* The trash man isn't coming on Saturday, so tell your wife the trash can wait. (Yes, you can race out during a commercial, but you risk falling into the Honey-Do Web at that point. Be strong!)

* Your teenager's car will still be in the ditch after the game.

* The faucet will still be flooding the bathroom, and it needed cleaned anyway.

* The beach just gets sand in your suit.

* Your wife will understand if you miss labor, especially if it's your second or third one.

For the women that frequent this site, please understand that I do not mean you when I reference the wives and girlfriends here.

NOTHING IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN TURNING THIS AROUND. The very future of our sanity as baseball fans depends on not being force-fed Yanks/Sox for the rest of time.

This is a FanPost and does not necessarily reflect the views of SB Nation or Al Yellon, managing editor (unless it's a FanPost posted by Al). FanPost opinions are valued expressions of opinion by passionate and knowledgeable baseball fans.

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Comments

I'll tell you what's to blame...

Crap announcers.

Current temperature in hell: 46 degrees F - and falling!

by wnielsen on Jul 9, 2008 3:48 PM CDT reply actions

Maybe it's because almost all of the games are still Yanks or Sox

by Texas Wahoo on Jul 9, 2008 3:58 PM CDT reply actions

Aren't ratings determined by selected people who have special boxes hooked up to their TV's?

Unless that’s changed, I think we can all go about living our lives as normal.

We have every right to dream heroic dreams. Those who say that we're in a time when there are no heroes, they just don't know where to look.
Ronald Reagan

by snley on Jul 9, 2008 4:09 PM CDT reply actions

+1

I’ve always wondered about that, though. I mean, what if a guy really liked Small Wonder?

I'm thinking you weren't burdened with an overabundance of schooling, so why don't we just ignore each other til we go away.

by neverAcquiesce on Jul 9, 2008 4:11 PM CDT up reply actions

Seriously, who ever had anything better to do on a Sat afternoon than watch Small Wonder?

We have every right to dream heroic dreams. Those who say that we're in a time when there are no heroes, they just don't know where to look.
Ronald Reagan

by snley on Jul 9, 2008 4:18 PM CDT up reply actions

Wouldn't want to live in that world.

I'm thinking you weren't burdened with an overabundance of schooling, so why don't we just ignore each other til we go away.

by neverAcquiesce on Jul 9, 2008 4:19 PM CDT up reply actions

Exactly

Unless someone here on BCB that reads this post has a Nielson box on their TV, this will have no effect.

by StevenABQ on Jul 9, 2008 5:03 PM CDT up reply actions

TV Should Be Happy With Standings

When we look at the big market teams, the Angels, Cubs, and White Sox are all in first place. The Dodgers are only a game out, and the Mets are only 1.5 games out. Those Yankees are 7.5 games out but have a 48-42 record. The Yankees still have a decent shot at the wild card.

St. Louis is a relatively small market, but the Cardinals have a large fan base that extends far beyond Missouri and the southern half of Illinois. St. Louis is only 3.5 games back and lead the NL wild card race. Boston is a relatively large market with a huge Red Sox nation following. The BoSox are 3 games out and leading the AL wild card race.

The “right” teams are in contention to get good TV ratings.

"The big possum walks late." - Harry Caray

by memphiscub on Jul 9, 2008 4:12 PM CDT reply actions

Well, that would be the case.

If ESPN doesn’t feature teams from those 2 major markets—obviously, the NY/Boston markets might not be watching Chicago/St. Louis. There are more ‘eyeballs’ in those markets…...and, with the transplants from those cities across the country, there’s interest in those teams OUTSIDE New England/New York City & state.

We anguish way too much about this. Think about teams like the Padres. Even when that team is good, it’s never featured anywhere. Those fans are even more frustrated, and point at teams like the Cubs - in their words - who ‘get all the attention.’ Even Padres broadcasters whine and complain about this topic.

Everything is relative. This is a non-issue.

by San Diego Smooth Jazz Man on Jul 9, 2008 4:18 PM CDT reply actions 1 recs

No kidding.

Cough, cough, WGN, cough.

We got it pretty good.

I'm thinking you weren't burdened with an overabundance of schooling, so why don't we just ignore each other til we go away.

by neverAcquiesce on Jul 9, 2008 4:27 PM CDT up reply actions

This is a non-issue.

He seems to have a flair for these kinds of posts….they are pieces of flair, if you will.

Alan Trammell: Assistant (to the) Manager

by northsider on Jul 9, 2008 4:28 PM CDT up reply actions

So he's just accumulating

his requisite fifteen?

I'm thinking you weren't burdened with an overabundance of schooling, so why don't we just ignore each other til we go away.

by neverAcquiesce on Jul 9, 2008 4:33 PM CDT up reply actions

Flair SD Style

by StevenABQ on Jul 9, 2008 5:08 PM CDT up reply actions

+1

Simple demographics, people. Enjoy your local telecasts and forget about the network coverage. At least you get to see your teams in Chicago. Only those who don’t have a legitimate gripe.

by Fraggin Judge on Jul 9, 2008 6:46 PM CDT up reply actions

Funny

I was in Ohio this past weekend and was looking forward to watching some Cubs baseball on a saturday afternoon. NOPE….Redsox vs. Yankees. I think I watched Redsox v Devil Rays on Monday and Wednesday. Redsox v Yankees on Saturday AND Sunday night. Honestly, I’m ok with the fact that the Cubs are not on every Fox or ESPN game but quit with the freakin’ Redsox already. I have to admit that I do like to see Kevin Youkilis throw a fit when he gets out. Other than that, I am sick of them. GO Cubs!

when asked about his performance against the Reds - Lieber said the following
"Well obviously I made some bad pitches today, left to many over the plate and they got good wood on the ball. The only good thing was that I was able to get back into the clubhouse earlier then I planned so I could eat."

by 1060 W Addison on Jul 10, 2008 9:51 AM CDT up reply actions

It ain't the Cubs dragging the ratings down

it’s that they were playing the always uninspiring White Sox.

Given even a half-way decent opponent, TV execs know Cub games draw massive numbers. Remember in the 2003 NLDS how the Cubs got primetime and the Yanks had to play in the afternoon? George was spinning through the ceiling.

Dome-san!!

by Goat Whisperer on Jul 9, 2008 4:25 PM CDT reply actions

cue the Crawdad in 3 ... 2 ... 1 ...

Alan Trammell: Assistant (to the) Manager

by northsider on Jul 9, 2008 4:30 PM CDT up reply actions

I can almost see the Onion article now...

“ESPN, FOX demand 162 Yankees-Red Sox games a year”

"I see great things in baseball. It's our game - the American game." - Walt Whitman

by hip2bsquare on Jul 9, 2008 4:36 PM CDT reply actions

That's not an onion article,

that’s reality.

"Prince Fielder Dies Of Inside-The-Park Homerun" - The Onion

by DTJchris on Jul 9, 2008 5:34 PM CDT up reply actions

Do what I do...

...when the Red Sox or the cursed yankees are on tv, I change the channel. I’d rather watch SpongeBob than the AL NY team. I’ve got WGN or gamechannel when I want to watch the Cubs.

I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it. ~Voltaire

by Jettero2112 on Jul 9, 2008 4:56 PM CDT reply actions

I love baseball

Man, I’ll watch any game if the Cubs are not on. However, Yankees would be pretty far down my list if there are other games on TV. Gotta love day baseball, means you still get to watch baseball at night on the tube.

by StevenABQ on Jul 9, 2008 5:05 PM CDT up reply actions

I love baseball as well.

I had my grandpa bring me up with three rules for baseball:
1. Love the game first
2. Don’t do the bandwagon…root for your team no matter how they play.
3. NEVER root for the Yankees, under any circumstances.

I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it. ~Voltaire

by Jettero2112 on Jul 9, 2008 6:43 PM CDT up reply actions

According to a Red Sox fan I talked to

The Red Sox are the most popular team in the world… and there are probably more Red Sxo fans in Chicago and Milwaukee than there are Cubs and Brewers fans.

by daeviant on Jul 9, 2008 5:50 PM CDT reply actions

bullshit

"Prince Fielder Dies Of Inside-The-Park Homerun" - The Onion

by DTJchris on Jul 9, 2008 5:58 PM CDT up reply actions

Wrong.

Although I might admit that the Yankees and the Red Sox are the biggest fan bases in baseball, with the Cubs up there as well. Bigger markets mean more fans, although I find it a shame that some of baseball’s best stories get lost due to ESPN cramming the New York and Boston sports scenes down everyone’s throats. Casual (very casual) fans probably do not know about a lot of the great young players (especially in the NL) but I bet everyone knows about Jason Giambi’s ‘stache. Some might not know who, say, Hanley Ramirez is, but I bet most know that A-Rod and his wife are having problems.

Winning breeds fans, like it or not. Cubs win the WS, and Cubs fans will be crawling out from under rocks all over the country.

Free Ronny Cedeno

by Kansas25 on Jul 9, 2008 7:51 PM CDT up reply actions

+1

Though cubs fans complaining that there is not enough cub coverage sounds funny to a cubs/oakland a’s fan like myself. When you can watch more A’s telecasts in Sacramento than in Oakland (don’t ask me how), then you experience a unique type of hell. Also, how many things did you really know about the A’s before the Harden trade? If the Yanks or the BoSox had the major’s lowest team ERA like the A’s have, ESPN would’ve been all over their nuts.

Everyone knows ESPN stands for the Eastcoast Sports Preferred Network.

I’m sure if the Cubs won the world series, dead people would be clawing out of the grave a la thriller to celebrate what they could not do in the living.

Green Hulk Fists

by oaklandSMASH on Jul 10, 2008 2:29 AM CDT up reply actions

Too bad

75% of them don’t know who Ted Williams, Carlton Fisk, Wade Boggs, Yaz, or Bill Buckne’r are.

I have a couple Red Sox fans for friends. They are real fans that know their stuff, but after going to the O’s/Red Sox series in Baltimore I have this theory. The Red Sox are simultaneously the Nickelback and Justin Timberlake of baseball in regards to their fanbase. The majority of their new fans(post ‘04) are fans because it is the “thing to do”. They like that green hat with the “B” on it, they loved that movie with that guy

"You know my old saying: live it up, the meter's running. I've always said that if you don't have fun while you're here, then it's your fault. You only get to do this once." - Harry Caray

by MorePiePlease on Jul 10, 2008 7:18 AM CDT up reply actions

Accidentally hit "POST"

...from Saturday Night Live, and that song by that fake Irish band is pretty catchy. Plus, ESPN says their the best so they must be.

"You know my old saying: live it up, the meter's running. I've always said that if you don't have fun while you're here, then it's your fault. You only get to do this once." - Harry Caray

by MorePiePlease on Jul 10, 2008 7:21 AM CDT up reply actions

By "Nickleback" or baseball

I thought you meant they make crappy music.

Jokes aside, I totally agree. I can’t tell you how many people I run into in Chicago wearing Red Sox hats, and when I comment on “their” team, they either have no clue what I’m talking about and they’re wearing the hat because it was a gift, or they’re tourists.

by daeviant on Jul 10, 2008 8:24 AM CDT up reply actions

That's what happens when you

are a winner. I rarely saw Bosox gear in SD until that first World Series victory. Now, every other cap I see has a “B.” Did everybody evacuate Boston in the past 5 years? No, it’s local fans jumping on an AL winner…..Cubs fans, as we know are everywhere. If the Cubs finaly get the job done, you will see more Cubs gear in every nook and cranny of this country, as the bandwagoners jump on.

Win or lose us old-schoolers hang on because it’s the right and moral thing to do.

by San Diego Smooth Jazz Man on Jul 9, 2008 7:48 PM CDT reply actions

Agree on the last sentence...

I have to admit that I wish the Cubs had a smaller fan base (although it does bring in more revenue) simply due to the fact that I would like to be in a select company. I’m not going to judge someone who claims to be a fan but might not know the Cubs roster, but it does lose a little appeal that people hop on and off the bandwagon as success comes and goes.

Free Ronny Cedeno

by Kansas25 on Jul 9, 2008 7:54 PM CDT up reply actions