yeah, but hasn't the ratings also been dropping for the past couple years? Last I checked, phillies and rays were bringing in record low tv attendance. I agree with furcalchick, they need to do something
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P-p-p-playoffs! '08
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yeah, but hasn't the ratings also been dropping for the past couple years? Last I checked, phillies and rays were bringing in record low tv attendance. I agree with furcalchick, they need to do something
I think it's only a matter of time before some fans start calling for using instant replays on ball and strike calls. I mean, if someone is called out on strikes in a game-winning situation, and the magic box shows the pitch to be out of the zone, then didn't the ump give the game to the other team? We've already got instant replays for home runs. I see no end to this logic, especially when some announcers constantly harp on umpire's calls. I think it's going to take a major fan uprising to stop this wave of second-guessing by the announcers, but I don't see it happening since so many fans seem to have gotten swept up in it.
I want my game back. Any chance of getting it?
Me, facetious? Doesn't Bud Selig have a direct line to God? He should use it!
You know what's really not right about this whole thing, the fact that whenever this game starts again, they'll have their best pitcher out there, probably on 2-3 days' rest between innings, yet we have no option to put Kazmir back out. Nevermind the fact that Kaz was also pulled because of bad calls.
TV ratings have been on the decline for all major sporting events. The Rays don't have a large fanbase and the Phillies' is very localized. There isn't a diaspora of fans around the country for either team the way the Yankees, Cubs, or Red Sox have. That means less interest in the rest of the country. Not much anyone can do about that.
What exactly would they do in terms of start time to increase ratings? If they push the game back later, the east coast stays up too late. If they push it ahead, much of the west coast misses the start. It's doubtful that anyone would like a tape delay for the west coast. Ratings aren't high enough for afternoon games. I don't see that there are many options.
I don't follow. How does the suspended game put Tampa at a disadvantage in terms of their pitching rotation?
It is what it is. I think we get often get so emotionally invested in this game that we forget that it is a game. Luck plays a big part in who wins in the end. We can shake our fists and curse the Baseball Gods all we like, but it doesn't change the outcome. Then next Spring it starts all over again.
Hamels is still in the game, while Kazmir is not. They will have Hamels pitching like it's a completely new game, so he'll have the arm to go a "complete" game. We'll have Balfour in to start it, but he'll go 2 innings, max. After that, it's to the bullpen. Philly doesn't actually have to go to the bullpen in this case, they can leave their starter in to finish, since it's only 4 innings.
It's funny you think rays are at the disadvantage with this. Our ace had his night cut short, and no he isn't coming back when they resume it. He said he isn't even sure if he can play in game 7 on Friday.
btw they just announced that the game will not be on for tonight.
I agree with nizz. Hamels has thrown 75 pitches, which is basically a full start. They won't put him back out there when the game resumes. But he will have some extra rest if they need him to come back for Game 6 or 7.
Actually, maybe you'd be better off if Hamels did resume the game. Philly's bullpen -- especially Lidge -- has been very good.
i blame espn for the decline of tv ratings. they only promote a few teams and ignore all other teams, pretty much putting their eggs in a few baskets (yankees, red sox, cubs). the only sport not suffering from this is the nfl right now. i would like to have more equal coverage of each of the teams.
and on the game start time, i think starting the games between 7-8 pm would be ideal. and i say this for west coast viewers...dvr the game. it's much better now than it was even 10 years ago. you can come in while the live game is in the third inning, and you can start from the beginning of the game and skip commercials and eventually get to live action by the end of the game. and i would think most people would want to see the end of the game instead of the start of the game. no tape delays required for the west coast, and everyone is happy.
don't you mean 9 pm?
no, i was just saying that many people own a dvr now (i know not everyone does), that in the terms of ratings, starting a game at 7:30 et may not be a hard hit for the west coast as it was 10 years ago when nobody owned one. and i lived on the west coast for a while, and i missed some starts, but would rather see the finish of the game.
So why don't fans on the East Coast DVR the games and watch them the next day?
You don't know Cole
Don't get me wrong cause I love him,but he's alittle to "left coast" for me
Not true. Although the NFL has higher ratings than the other major sports, its ratings have declined relative to 15 or 20 years ago as well. It's not really a function of sports being less watchable, but of the TV audience fragmenting into many more smaller slices. There are far more channels to choose from than there were then, and consider how much less TV people watch because of the Internet. There just aren't as many eyeballs on any given program anymore.
You're never going to get parity in media coverage. The bigger markets are always going to get more face time and advertising dollars. That's not something that baseball can change or that ESPN can make happen all by itself.
The advertisers wouldn't be happy. Tell your sponsors that the whole west coast will be watching their commercials on fast-forward and see what they do with their money. And as IJ pointed out, it's ridiculous to expect your entire audience to have a DVR.
Again, I don't see what better time slot could be chosen. I would prefer the games be on later and not earlier. But it's not all about me, is it?
All you've done this entire post season is complain. And it continues into the World Series despite "your" team being in it.. Jesus H. on crutches. The Rays aren't getting enough respect,the media is against them,ESPN is biased, internet message boards,the weather,the start times,the umps,little green men in the stands blah blah blah...
In regard to start times,it's all about $$$$$..And that's the way it is with every professional sport in this country. Whether it's Selig,Gooddell,Sterns or Bettman all that matters to each of them is how much $$$$ can they bring in.And anybody that thinks otherwise,is naive at best..
No they won't.. Hamels is out.. That wasn't fair for the Phillies.. They had to have their team out there in that crap for the top of the 6th while the Rays get to field their half of the 6th inning on a perfectly dry field.. Hamels said he couldn't throw anything but fastballs because he couldn't feel the ball.. Let the Phillies play their half of that inning against a pitcher who can only throw fastballs and with fielders who can't charge the ball.. This was a very big advantage for the Rays..
That being said, as a Phillies fan and season ticket holder- I find this Rays team to be very likable.. Their manager is a great guy, and they are just relentless as a team.. They hit, they run, they field well- they're a fun team..
Real baseball fans don't like announcers dumbing down the coverage either. Fox has to appeal to a larger audience to get people to watch so they dumb it down.
I haven't met anyone, casual or real baseball fans, who like the dumbed-downed coverage. I think everybody recognizes how bad this has become, except apparently the networks.
especially since joe buck spends his weeknights watching reality tv.
for example, the announcers kept talking about joe maddon making 'stupid' moves in the playoffs, and i've seen him make crazy moves that work out most of the time like walking a man with the bases loaded, so it's not new. i have thought for some time that the best source for knowing a team is the home team announcers.