Lowest World Series Ratings

**SPTO** · 10-26-2005, 09:57 AM

Re: Lowest World Series Ratings

Well there are a few factors:

1) as much as people bitch about them the Red Sox and Yankees sure grab a lot of fairweather fans/casual fans to watch the games. You can't deny that.

2) FOX is doing a horrible job at presenting the games. This is the 2nd year in a row where i'm watching the MLB International feed of the World Series thanks to Buck and McCarver. FOX needs announcers who are more knowledgable about the games in which they call. I'd love it if they tried to steal some of the ESPN guys, Dan Shulman in particular.

3) The start times are horrible. I know they want the primetime slot but let's face it, 8:30 is too late for the majority of east coast audiences which make up a huge percentage of the audience. I'd love it if they did an afternoon game but that's not going to happen. I would be happy if they had 7 or 7:30 start times.

**ChicagoNVA** · 10-26-2005, 10:00 AM

Re: Lowest World Series Ratings

Who cares.. I don't.

Go White Sox..!!

No ratings will put a damper on how I am feeling right now.

**Stu** · 10-26-2005, 10:08 AM

Re: Lowest World Series Ratings

Originally posted by SportsmanTO

Well there are a few factors:

1) as much as people bitch about them the Red Sox and Yankees sure grab a lot of fairweather fans/casual fans to watch the games. You can't deny that.

2) FOX is doing a horrible job at presenting the games. This is the 2nd year in a row where i'm watching the MLB International feed of the World Series thanks to Buck and McCarver. FOX needs announcers who are more knowledgable about the games in which they call. I'd love it if they tried to steal some of the ESPN guys, Dan Shulman in particular.

3) The start times are horrible. I know they want the primetime slot but let's face it, 8:30 is too late for the majority of east coast audiences which make up a huge percentage of the audience. I'd love it if they did an afternoon game but that's not going to happen. I would be happy if they had 7 or 7:30 start times.

I agree with all 3 of those points, especially #2. I can't take listening to Buck and McCarver, especially McCarver. He simply doesn't do his homework, and I think even casual baseball fans realize this. A perfect example of this is when he was doing a Red Sox vs Yankees game this year and blasted Francona for starting Mirabelli with Wakefield on the mound. Everyone knows that Mirabelli always catches Wakefield, yet this person who is supposed to provide us with insight into the game doesn't. Simple stuff like this, along with routinely botching name pronounciations drives me insane. It's Bronson Arroyo, you freakin jackass, not Brandon!!

**mjb2124** · 10-26-2005, 10:10 AM

Re: Lowest World Series Ratings

Originally posted by ChicagoNVA

Who cares.. I don't.

I do. I think it shows a large problem in the way the WS is being presented.

**mjb2124** · 10-26-2005, 10:13 AM

Re: Lowest World Series Ratings

Originally posted by SportsmanTO

Well there are a few factors:

1) as much as people bitch about them the Red Sox and Yankees sure grab a lot of fairweather fans/casual fans to watch the games. You can't deny that.

2) FOX is doing a horrible job at presenting the games. This is the 2nd year in a row where i'm watching the MLB International feed of the World Series thanks to Buck and McCarver. FOX needs announcers who are more knowledgable about the games in which they call. I'd love it if they tried to steal some of the ESPN guys, Dan Shulman in particular.

3) The start times are horrible. I know they want the primetime slot but let's face it, 8:30 is too late for the majority of east coast audiences which make up a huge percentage of the audience. I'd love it if they did an afternoon game but that's not going to happen. I would be happy if they had 7 or 7:30 start times.

Good post SPTO. I agree with all 3 points.

My biggest gripe is #2. I can't stand Buck and McCarver and the way they announce I game. It feels as though their target audience is a person who's never watched a game of baseball in their lives. Maybe that's what FOX is going for? I'm not sure, but I do know I don't like it!!!

**Skerik** · 10-26-2005, 10:27 AM

Re: Lowest World Series Ratings

Originally posted by joeboo

Good post SPTO. I agree with all 3 points.

My biggest gripe is #2. I can't stand Buck and McCarver and the way they announce I game. It feels as though their target audience is a person who's never watched a game of baseball in their lives. Maybe that's what FOX is going for? I'm not sure, but I do know I don't like it!!!

I hate this too. There's nothing worse than being talked down to, and that's exactly what Buck and McCarver do as they feel they need to teach us the game of baseball like a group of elementary school children. You can market to hardcore and casual baseball fans at the same time without insulting everyone's collective intelligence.

I also agree on the 8:30pm start times. If it's too late for me of all people, it's too late. I crashed in the 10th inning late night, at freaking 12:30am....

**VanCitySportsGuy** · 10-26-2005, 10:42 AM

Re: Lowest World Series Ratings

I feel sorry for the East Coast fans. If you have to get up early to go to work or school it's hard to stay up really late to watch the games.

There's too much loyalty shown to McCarver. He's been involved in the most WS from a broadcasting standpoint. I understand you have to cater to a certain extent to the casual/new fan tuning in, but McCarver is still a rambling idiot.

I would like to see Dan Shulman/Buck Martinez call the games for Fox. I don't know if ESPN would let them do that for one series though.

A big reason ratings are down is because it doesn't feature the Yanks or Red Sox. Any WS that doesn't feature either team isn't going to be a "sexy" matchup. But I'm a little bit surprised the WS ratings are so low because Chicago and Houston are major US markets in terms of population. It's not like it's a Royals vs. Brewers matchup.

**Ed_Farias** · 10-26-2005, 10:47 AM

Re: Lowest World Series Ratings

I think you all nailed it. It's all because of Tim.

http://bobfinnan.com/TimMcCarver/

Great site

.

And another

shutuptimmccarver.com

http://www.shutuptimmccarver.com/gems.htm

This domain may be for sale!

**ehh** · 10-26-2005, 10:48 AM

Re: Lowest World Series Ratings

It's a shame they're that low since it's been a great series so far, despite the fact that Chicago is up 3-0. It's the most exciting lobsided series I've seen in a long time.

And besides, ratings are only high when casual viewers are watching. It really doesn't mean much.

**Stu** · 10-26-2005, 10:53 AM

Re: Lowest World Series Ratings

Originally posted by Ed_Farias

I think you all nailed it. It's all because of Tim.

http://bobfinnan.com/TimMcCarver/

Great site

.

And another
http://www.shutuptimmccarver.com/gems.htm

The McCarver Drinking Game
Here's how to play:
Get a bottle of your favorite booze and a shot glass and...
1: Drink every time Tim uses a multi-syllable word incorrectly.
2: Drink every time Tim states the obvious like it is a profound insight.
3: Drink every time Tim calls the play wrong.
4: Drink every time Tim gets a player's name wrong.
5: Drink every time one of Tim's inane comments is met with stoney silence by the other broadcasters in the booth.

**SPTO** · 10-26-2005, 10:59 AM

Re: Lowest World Series Ratings

Originally posted by asianflow

I would like to see Dan Shulman/Buck Martinez call the games for Fox. I don't know if ESPN would let them do that for one series though.

They were the best broadcast team in Baseball for a few years. I just loved the chemistry those two had. Dan Shulman is said to be thought of highly by the ESPN brass but I think it's a bit of a slap to the face by having Jon Miller and Joe Morgan doing the radio call of the WS. Half the time it sounds like Morgan is forgetting he's on the radio. Miller is doing Yeomen's work.

**Cubs Suck** · 10-26-2005, 11:18 AM

Re: Lowest World Series Ratings

Yeah Fox does need to get some new faces in the booth. Those guys are a couple of idiots. I would rather listen to Chip Carey and Steve Stone than those two.

And Yes Chicago is a major TV market, but when your the red headed stepchild to the Cubune, not much you can do about it. People here in Chicago don't want to be Whitesox fans, cause the Sox aren't as "cool" as the Cubs.

Not much you can do about the low ratings. If people think that the game isn't worth watching, then fine, don't watch. But for those of us who do tune in to watch the games, we are getting entertained by close, dramatic games.

**Dice** · 10-26-2005, 11:23 AM

Re: Lowest World Series Ratings

Originally posted by joeboo

I think this should show MLB that they need to change a few things. The FOX broadcast is one of them. I also have heard many people complaining about the 8:30 start time. Too late for some East Coast people to stay up and watch the entire game, but it is good for the West Coast.

I'm pretty sure many would be happy if Buck and McCarver were gone!

I don't think the start times makes a difference in ratings. They have been starting WS games between 7-7:30pm on the weekday for as long as I've been watching the WS. And if people on the East Coast are complaing about the Series is because the Yankees nor Red Sox are playing. Yankees played one World Series game(I think it was 2001) and it went into like 12 innings and the game wasn't over until like 11:45pm CST(12:45am EST). I don't think anybody complained then.

The White Sox/Astros is the most unimpressive World Series outside of Houston and Chicago. But so what. Get used to seeing the White Sox in more of these.

**mjb2124** · 10-26-2005, 11:41 AM

Re: Lowest World Series Ratings

Originally posted by Dice

I don't think the start times makes a difference in ratings. They have been starting WS games between 7-7:30pm on the weekday for as long as I've been watching the WS. And if people on the East Coast are complaing about the Series is because the Yankees nor Red Sox are playing. Yankees played one World Series game(I think it was 2001) and it went into like 12 innings and the game wasn't over until like 11:45pm CST(12:45am EST). I don't think anybody complained then.

Time probably doesn't make a difference in ratings (holding the ratings from start to finish would be different though). It's just not easy for those of us on the East Coast to stay up to watch these games. I don't know when last night's game ended, but it was entirely too late for someone who has to get up at 6am for work.

I actually prefer NOT to see the Yanks or Red Sox in the WS. It's nice to see different teams, but it's also pretty sad that 2 teams who haven't been in a WS in ages, can't draw an audience. I think it says a lot about how the WS is viewed and how FOX has marketed it.

Things need to change because when the "National Pastime" can't draw an audience, there's a serious problem.

Lowest World Series Ratings

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