http://awfulannouncing.blogspot.com/2008/10/game-five-gets-good-rating...ut-rays
It was a forgone conclusion that this World Series was going to be the
low, but exactly how low? Even with the help of a 3 1/2 inning
primetime game, that pulled a the 2008 out of the lowest rated spot in
World Series history. The overnight total for last night's Game Five
continuation was a 13.4 and when you average all of the game out the
grand total should be around the low to mid 9.0's once all the numbers
are collected. Not only is that .5 less than the previous low of 10.0
in 2006, but it obviously marks the first time a World Series averaged
under 10.0.
I think the ultimate sentiment is that the World Series has just lost
the overall luster that it once had. In fact even Peter Gammons thinks
that it might be time to overhaul the entire October Event....
In the mid-'90s, several owners went to a Miami Super Bowl and
discussed the notion of having a 10-day World Series at a neutral
site. They'd have to get local fans to buy into destination and
vacation packages. There wouldn't be the feel in Anaheim, San Diego or
Los Angeles that there is in New York, Chicago, St. Louis or Boston.
But then the Cardinals are the only team since the 2002 Angels to win
in front of their home fans. It would be a hard sell, but the notion
of a World Series week has some advantages.
May I suggest Punta Mita, Mexico? The Four Seasons would be a perfect
headquarters hotel. Anguilla would work.
The World Series is, after all, significant television programming,
and the good folks at Fox would love predictability. It's better than
the official first dud of the fall TV season, "The Perfect Storm Hits
the World Series."
There are a lot of questions that will be weighed after this, the
worst World Series in memory. The first? With plummeting television
ratings and the collapse of the economy, will the free agent market
continue to inflate, or will it cool the market? The impact of this
World Series may last right through into January.
Wow. That's pretty depressing. I don't know if something as drastic as
Gammons is suggesting needs to be done, but something has to change. I
personally enjoyed this World Series because of its overall
randomness, both the teams involved and the 3.5 inning shootout, but
the majority of Baseball fans don't think like I do. The "Winter
Meetings" should be extra interesting come December.
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