Making the World Series relevant again

[Milw]

Originally Posted by DSpivack

Do you watch the NBA Finals, NHL Stanley Cup Final, and the Super Bowl?

No, no, and of course. But then again, I don't follow the NBA or NHL. I also consider myself a bigger baseball fan than football fan.

[Nellie_Fox]

Originally Posted by Milw

I'm a diehard White Sox fan--I watch 150+ games per year on TV, and attend 10-12 in person. I live and die with the Sox.

I watched exactly zero innings of this year's World Series, and I think I maybe watched 20 innings of the postseason in total. I just didn't care.

I don't know what that says about me or baseball. Maybe nothing. But I gotta think if someone like me, who devotes his entire summer to baseball, doesn't care enough about the World Series to watch any of it, that MLB has some kind of long-term problem on its hands.

I didn't watch any of the postseason at all, and I don't ever remember doing that before. The only explanation I can come up with is that I was just drained by the Sox getting eliminated so late after leading the division pretty much all year.

Originally Posted by DSpivack

Do you watch the NBA Finals, NHL Stanley Cup Final, and the Super Bowl?

No, yes, and usually.

[doublem23]

Originally Posted by Nellie_Fox

I didn't watch any of the postseason at all, and I don't ever remember doing that before. The only explanation I can come up with is that I was just drained by the Sox getting eliminated so late after leading the division pretty much all year.

This is exactly how I felt, too. Couldn't muster myself to watch any postseason baseball really, except for maybe an inning here and there, maybe have a game on in the background, and just watch the highlights in the morning.

Probably also fuels the prominance of the Super Bowl over the World Series, too. The baseball season is so long that by the end, even the most diehard fans are ready for a break, except for say the teams actually in the World Series. Football, the maximum number of games your team can possibly play is 20. There's still a desire for football, even after your team is out.

[Chez]

Originally Posted by doublem23

Probably also fuels the prominance of the Super Bowl over the World Series, too. The baseball season is so long that by the end, even the most diehard fans are ready for a break, except for say the teams actually in the World Series. Football, the maximum number of games your team can possibly play is 20. There's still a desire for football, even after your team is out.

I think you've touched on why football has overtaken baseball as the most popular sport in the U.S. Being a devoted baseball fan is hard. It takes a major time commitment -- games every day. Football is essentially a one day a week commitment. It's a lot easier to carve out 3 hours on a Sunday to watch the Bears than 3 hours every day to watch the Sox. With so many entertainment options available, many people simply aren't willing to (or don't have the time to) make the commitment.

Same logic holds true for the Super Bowl vs. the World Series. Just my opinion. Baseball is a great game (I think the greatest), but it's not for everyone. A best of seven series will never be as compelling to the casual fan as a one-game winner take all event.

[doublem23]

Originally Posted by Chez

I think you've touched on why football has overtaken baseball as the most popular sport in the U.S. Being a devoted baseball fan is hard. It takes a major time commitment -- games every day. Football is essentially a one day a week commitment. It's a lot easier to carve out 3 hours on a Sunday to watch the Bears than 3 hours every day to watch the Sox. With so many entertainment options available, many people simply aren't willing to (or don't have the time to) make the commitment.

Same logic holds true for the Super Bowl vs. the World Series. Just my opinion. Baseball is a great game (I think the greatest), but it's not for everyone. A best of seven series will never be as compelling to the casual fan as a one-game winner take all event.

All absolutely true. And gambling.

[TDog]

Originally Posted by DSpivack

Do you watch the NBA Finals, NHL Stanley Cup Final, and the Super Bowl?

I know people who don't watch the Super Bowl. For years, I've kinown people who go to Super Bowl parties who say they don't watch the game or even care. When I was living in an apartment, I always found Super Bowl Sunday a great time to beat laundromat crowds because even people who didn't care but were socially committed to it. I know people who don't watch the NBA finals including some who stop watching the NBA playoffs when their team is elimnated.

I don't know many people who watch hockey, and I don't know anyone who doesn't watch hockey duruing the season who watches the Stanley Cup finals. I know a lot of people who don't watch the World Series, although this year in Northern California I know people who couldn't be bothered with baseball during the season watching the World Series.

Baseball is much bigger than basketball in cities with both baseball and basketball. Look at the difference between the Bulls' celebrations in the 1990s and the White Sox celebration in the next decade. And we are told that the celebration over the Cubs would have been exponentially bigger. I can't imagine the celebration for a Warriors championship comparing to what is going on today in San Francisco. Still, I was at a restaurant a couple of years ago, where a man was complaining that the television was tuened to a baseball game instead of the NFL draft. I can't imagine watching any sport's draft coverage unless I was getting paid to do so or found myself in some sort of invalid or hostage situation where I as unable to leave or change the channel.

Football is bigger than baseball. And football has done a better job of marketing its sport, The league markets the league. Teams share revenues. The league encourages gambling to make the game interesting to people who ordinarily wouldn't find the game interesting. The league will fine a San Francisco football player for wearing a Giants hat during a news conference because the league is about the concept that only the league exists. I don't think ESPN showing the Yankees and Red Sox is relevant to the discussion because I think baseball is more relevant than ESPN. Fewer people grow up playing baseball. Other sports are easier to play. Video games are even easier, and football's controlled violence (which will be the fall of the sport eventually) translates well to video games.

I do think it's silly to play Saturday and Sunday World Series games at night in late October. If you're going to give Fox the rights to the World Series, require Fox to show the weekend games during the day. It isn't just a matter of games being broadcast when the kids are still up. You are going to get better weather during the day than you get at

[Milw]

The Onion has a relevant take, as always.

http://www.theonion.com/articles/oh-...-series,30169/

[A. Cavatica]

When is the Series this year?

[PKalltheway]

Perhaps one of the most intelligent discussions I've heard on this subject. Very informative. So many people like to use a broad brush to paint the picture as to why the World Series ratings keep dwindling by saying "football." While that is A reason why the ratings are so low, it is not THE ONLY reason.

Plus, people were speculating back in '06 (or whenever the last TV contracts were being negotiated) that "by the next time MLB has to negotiate new TV deals, they're going be worth so much less, etc." Not. Even. Close. They are worth more now than they have ever been before. Heck, even look at the worth of some of the local TV deals now.

Love some intelligent baseball discussion.

[TDog]

Originally Posted by PKalltheway

Perhaps one of the most intelligent discussions I've heard on this subject. Very informative. So many people like to use a broad brush to paint the picture as to why the World Series ratings keep dwindling by saying "football." While that is A reason why the ratings are so low, it is not THE ONLY reason.

Plus, people were speculating back in '06 (or whenever the last TV contracts were being negotiated) that "by the next time MLB has to negotiate new TV deals, they're going be worth so much less, etc." Not. Even. Close. They are worth more now than they have ever been before. Heck, even look at the worth of some of the local TV deals now.

Love some intelligent baseball discussion.

As do I. It's a complicated issue. It is interesting that you point out the TV deal despite the low ratings. (Funny that in 2005 Cubs fans were blaming the White Sox, or maybe it was the only joy they could get from postseason baseball, not having had any of their own since Moises Alou complained he was interfered with when he team was five outs away from the World Series. But I digress.)

If baseball demanded some of the things some here believe should be done to increase the popularity of baseball and the World Series -- i.e. networks that aren't MLB not showing the Yankees and Red Sox more often, World Series games, all or some being played during the day etc. -- I am guessing the television money would be less.

[TomBradley72]

Originally Posted by Chez

I think you've touched on why football has overtaken baseball as the most popular sport in the U.S. Being a devoted baseball fan is hard. It takes a major time commitment -- games every day. Football is essentially a one day a week commitment. It's a lot easier to carve out 3 hours on a Sunday to watch the Bears than 3 hours every day to watch the Sox. With so many entertainment options available, many people simply aren't willing to (or don't have the time to) make the commitment.

Same logic holds true for the Super Bowl vs. the World Series. Just my opinion. Baseball is a great game (I think the greatest), but it's not for everyone. A best of seven series will never be as compelling to the casual fan as a one-game winner take all event.

Super Bowl = 1 night in late January + lots of gambling action = mass popularity

World Series = 4-7 nights across 9 days in late October + low gambling interest = lower popularity for the general population

I am 10X the baseball fan vs. football fan- but if it's a generic game that does not involve "my" teams- an NFL game is probably more interesting to watch.

[Frontman]

Part of baseball's problem is how long it drags on. The extra wildcard was a great idea (and didn't extend the post-season) but from the playoffs beginning to final pitch of the world series, you have possibly 50+ games to be played.

Even with the wild card round for the NFL, its less than 30. It makes it harder to keep a casual fans interest going.

[mjmcend]

Originally Posted by PKalltheway

Perhaps one of the most intelligent discussions I've heard on this subject. Very informative. So many people like to use a broad brush to paint the picture as to why the World Series ratings keep dwindling by saying "football." While that is A reason why the ratings are so low, it is not THE ONLY reason.

Plus, people were speculating back in '06 (or whenever the last TV contracts were being negotiated) that "by the next time MLB has to negotiate new TV deals, they're going be worth so much less, etc." Not. Even. Close. They are worth more now than they have ever been before. Heck, even look at the worth of some of the local TV deals now.

Love some intelligent baseball discussion.

A lot of that has to do with the increased value in all sports programing as live TV in general and sports in particular are much less likely to be time-shifted than standard TV shows. Advertisers like knowing people will be watching the commercials rather than fast-forwarding through them.

[Milw]

Originally Posted by TomBradley72

I am 10X the baseball fan vs. football fan- but if it's a generic game that does not involve "my" teams- an NFL game is probably more interesting to watch.

This.

[SI1020]

Originally Posted by PKalltheway

Perhaps one of the most intelligent discussions I've heard on this subject. Very informative. So many people like to use a broad brush to paint the picture as to why the World Series ratings keep dwindling by saying "football." While that is A reason why the ratings are so low, it is not THE ONLY reason.

Plus, people were speculating back in '06 (or whenever the last TV contracts were being negotiated) that "by the next time MLB has to negotiate new TV deals, they're going be worth so much less, etc." Not. Even. Close. They are worth more now than they have ever been before. Heck, even look at the worth of some of the local TV deals now.

Love some intelligent baseball discussion.

I was one of those pointing out how popular football has become, but you are correct. There are many and varied reasons why the WS seems less relevant and has the ratings to prove it.