I DISCOVERED THE PROBLEM
Since July, the Indians’ record in the final game of a series is 3-13. In every other game, they’re 24-17.
The St. Louis Cardinals are nine games out of first place in their division. The Chicago Cubs are 19 games out of first place.
But ESPN insists that Cardinals vs. Cubs is the game that belongs on Sunday Night Baseball tonight.
Baseball’s popularity is dwindling for a myriad of reasons, but I’d like to submit one reason that nobody really considers: The games that get on national television are rarely important.
For example, the Cubs and the New York Mets are a combined FORTY AND A HALF GAMES OUT OF FIRST PLACE but during their years and years of futility they have continued to be television darlings.
Why do the Mets automatically get to be on national TV constantly just because they play in a big city? That makes no sense. If I want to watch a really good baseball game, then I want to watch THE BEST TEAMS, not THE TEAMS IN THE BIGGEST CITIES.
Want to make MLB relevant again? Put the good teams on television. The Detroit Tigers, Milwaukee Brewers and Arizona Diamondbacks are all division leaders, but you wouldn’t know it if you watch ESPN because their games are on ESPN once in a blue moon. It is absolutely inexcusable for ESPN and TBS to completely ignore the standings and instead decide that we fans want to watch some other teams instead.
I could rant about this forever but hopefully I’ve made my point clear.
