Overrated
Admittedly, I'm interested in this year's baseball playoffs because the Astros are involved in doing well. This post however, is about the disturbing myopia of certain ESPN personalities who have developed "Chicken Little syndrome" just because the hated Yankees and the only slightly more tolerable Red Sox are making tee times. Yes I know the network is based in New England and therefore a little east coast homerism is to be anticipated, but you would think the remaining four teams were competing for the Class A Midwest League title and not the World Series. Admittedly the TV ratings may be down for White Sox-Angels as compared with last year but combining both leagues you still have 3 of the 4 largest TV markets in the country involved. Don't just completely dismiss the remainder of the playoffs.
This rant was started in reaction to the comments of ESPN Radio's Doug Gottlieb who in no uncertain terms said that "baseball owed its entire increase in interest to the rebuilding of the Red Sox-Yankees rivalry." No Doug, the rebuilding of the rivalry is more a product of you and your colleagues plastering it on the airwaves every 5 minutes from March to October. Sorry you apparently can't enjoy the success of lower profile teams like the Angels, White Sox, Cardinals, and to a lesser extent the Astros (who get an amazing amount of ESPN coverage solely based on former Yankees Clemens and Pettitte. Of those two had not played in New York in past seasons, ESPN would treat the Astros as a second class team) because of I guess a stipulation in the ESPN contract. Enjoy your game of "6 degrees of George Steinbrenner" while the rest of us relax, have a beverage, and watch the games.
Song Lyric of the Day
"I wish I could go to sleep and wake up with amnesia
And try and f0rget the things that I've done
I wish I could keep all the promises that I've made you
But life I guess it goes on"
Blue October -- "Amnesia"
This rant was started in reaction to the comments of ESPN Radio's Doug Gottlieb who in no uncertain terms said that "baseball owed its entire increase in interest to the rebuilding of the Red Sox-Yankees rivalry." No Doug, the rebuilding of the rivalry is more a product of you and your colleagues plastering it on the airwaves every 5 minutes from March to October. Sorry you apparently can't enjoy the success of lower profile teams like the Angels, White Sox, Cardinals, and to a lesser extent the Astros (who get an amazing amount of ESPN coverage solely based on former Yankees Clemens and Pettitte. Of those two had not played in New York in past seasons, ESPN would treat the Astros as a second class team) because of I guess a stipulation in the ESPN contract. Enjoy your game of "6 degrees of George Steinbrenner" while the rest of us relax, have a beverage, and watch the games.
Song Lyric of the Day
"I wish I could go to sleep and wake up with amnesia
And try and f0rget the things that I've done
I wish I could keep all the promises that I've made you
But life I guess it goes on"
Blue October -- "Amnesia"
posted by Aaron at 10:15 PM
1 Comments:
I know! How could the presence of the Yankees and Red Sox possibly make this playoff series more interesting? The Yankees have won every fourth World Series, and the Red Sox broke their curse last year. Old news. The Chicago White Sox (hell, the city of Chicago) hasn't won a World Series since 1917 and hasn't been to one since 1959. The Astros have never been to a World Series, and until 3 years ago, neither had the Angels (and look at how much the Angels' roster has changed since then, for pete's sake). And let's not forget the Cardinals, the winningest World Series team in National League history, who themselves haven't won a WS since 1982. Two of the oldest teams in the majors facing two of the newer ones.
The Yankees and Red Sox are dull by comparison. The only thing I can think of is maybe a Sox-Cards rematch would have been moderately engaging. But c'mon!
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