EVIL~! alkeiper 0 Report post Posted October 27, 2003 Well, you can twist the headline around and say baseball's ratings are on the increase. Really, the draw is when you have a marketable storyline to sell to the fans. A Red Sox or Cubs title chase has mass appeal, and people can get into it. In 2001, you had the Yankees aiming for 4 straight titles, so that was something the fans could buy into as well. Ultimately, I think wild card teams hurt the integrity of the World Series. What good is the regular season when you don't even have to win the division. I can think of once in the last five years where the two best teams in their respective leagues actually met in the World Series. Besides that, I blame the low ratings on Bud Selig's abysmal reign as commissioner. I have never in my life seen anyone so interesting in killing their own product. Selig and the owners ran around telling everyone how bad baseball was, and they wonder why ratings fell. Baseball is hurting from absolutely poor marketing of its product. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Cartman 0 Report post Posted October 27, 2003 The teams with the best record's are not always the "Best" teams. If you get rid of the Wild Card than Boston never makes the playoffs, and as we all know Boston + Playoffs = Ratings! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Fökai 0 Report post Posted October 27, 2003 S.F.: Bonds is an asshole and most people don't want to see him win. Anahiem: see Giants What are you talking about? The 2002 World Series was a WEST-COAST matchup. Most of the East Coast's casual fans couldn't have cared less about the outcome itself, even if that series was one of the best in a LONG time. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Agent of Oblivion Report post Posted October 27, 2003 I completely lost interest when the Cubs lost. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Salacious Crumb Report post Posted October 27, 2003 A lot of people can't stand Barry Bonds. He's seen as an asshole which he only added to with his post-WS tirade last season. Most people have no interest in seeing him succeed. An Angels/Giants WS failed b/c no one was interested in the Giants. EDIT: The West Coast thing factors in as well. It was horrible when the As/Sox game went to 3 a.m. earlier in the season. They have to start the games earlier on the West Coast if they expect ratings. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest FrigidSoul Report post Posted October 27, 2003 I think 2002 suffered from being on the West Coast too, but only because of the starting times hovering around 10pm EST. People have work, school, etc and can't be staying up till 1am watching a World Series where the winning team is on the other side of the nation. They dropped the ball by not moving the games to 8:15pm EST/5:15 PST Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Slayer 0 Report post Posted October 27, 2003 Oops, I did mean to say '00, '02 and '03 in my previous post I love the irony in retrospect on '00 because the entire sports media was calling for the Subway Series during the playoffs (and in '99 as well), but didn't realize until after the series was set that few people outside of the city gave a shit. But really though, there've been clunker series before then '99 - With the exception of that all century team game, nothing here was exciting enough to draw ratings, especially since the title was conceded to the Yankees already '98 - Again, title conceded to Yankees. Also, San Diego sure as hell wasn't going to draw any viewers '97 - With the exception of that final game, fairly boring series with each game's winner being determined in the early innings. I'd like to see the ratings of past World Series going back to whenever they started the whole ratings system, although, again, you'd have to factor in alternate programming over the years (even in the late 80's, there wasn't gonna be much else on, so might as well watch the games if you're a fan of the sport) Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
EVIL~! alkeiper 0 Report post Posted October 27, 2003 I think 2002 suffered from being on the West Coast too, but only because of the starting times hovering around 10pm EST. People have work, school, etc and can't be staying up till 1am watching a World Series where the winning team is on the other side of the nation. They dropped the ball by not moving the games to 8:15pm EST/5:15 PST Umm, the games DID start at 8:15, same as every year. The teams with the best record's are not always the "Best" teams. That's true. But I think we can agree that the Marlins were not the best team in the NL in '97. The Padres were not the best team in '98 (Yeah they won the division, but two teams won 100 games). The Mets were not the best team in 2000. The Giants and Angels were not the best team in 2002. And the Marlins were not the best team this year. I love the irony in retrospect on '00 because the entire sports media was calling for the Subway Series during the playoffs (and in '99 as well), but didn't realize until after the series was set that few people outside of the city gave a shit. The problem is that no one outside of dilusional Met fans gave the Mets a chance in hell of winning the Series. It was especially a disappointment considering we could've seen a Yankees/Cardinals series that year. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Ed Wood Caulfield 0 Report post Posted October 27, 2003 (edited) I'm not a Mets fan, but I was rooting for the Mets to win the 2000 National League Pennant so that a Yanks/Mets Subway Series would happen. I can now say that I have seen a New York vs. New York World Series even though I know that a Mets/Yankees Subway Series isn't the same as the Yankees/Brooklyn Dodgers or Yankees/New York Giants Subway Series back in the 1940s and 1950s. Plus, unlike the Dodgers and Giants, the Mets didn't return to the World Series for the next three years and have been terrible. Edited October 27, 2003 by Michael Joel Benoit Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
The Czech Republic 0 Report post Posted October 28, 2003 Frankly, I'm shocked at the news. I expected second to last. Seriously, did ANYBODY think after this hell of a postseason, that Florida and New York was going to draw anything more than flies? I watched nary a minute of the World Series. For all the people talking about what great baseball it was and people missed out, oh well. Is this a surprise? Great things won't sell in crappy packaging, and the blend of teal and pinstripes wasn't attracting shoppers. Here's hoping the Florida Marlins take the route of that fellow prospective-classic-finals-ruining Cinderella team, the Carolina Hurricanes: going from the finals to dead last. The team, and the great dedicated fanbase of Miami, deserve nothing less. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Vern Gagne 0 Report post Posted October 28, 2003 Ultimately, I think wild card teams hurt the integrity of the World Series. What good is the regular season when you don't even have to win the division. I can think of once in the last five years where the two best teams in their respective leagues actually met in the World Series. Who were the best two teams this year? Atlanta and New York (big suprise). That wouldn't of helped the ratings. As for the wildcard being bad for baseball. Back in 1969, there where probably people complaing that two divisions would kill the great tradition of the game. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest jpclemmons Report post Posted October 29, 2003 hey, everybody wanted to see the Cubs and the Red Sox(and I'm not much of a fan of cricket with rounders) Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
