Outrage! TV says champion Phillies still not ready for prime time
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Outrage! TV says champion Phillies still not ready for prime time
They play in the nation's 4th largest television market.
They have one of the most compelling lineups in baseball in the last generation, from a slugger in Ryan Howard who is literally producing Ruthian statistics to your classic all-around sparkplugs in Jimmy Rollins and Chase Utley to an ace pitcher from central casting -- Hollywood good looks included -- in Cole Hamels.
Most importantly, they are -- to paraphrase Utley ever so slighty -- the world freakin' champions of baseball.
So why does Major League Baseball -- and the TV executives behind the curtain calling the shots -- insult you and me and every other Phillies fan by yet again by declaring that the defending world champs are not ready for primetime. The much-anticipated schedule for the Phillies first three playoff games against the Colorado Rockies has just been released, and I think it's an insult.
Two weekday afternoon (2:37 p.m.) games -- the lowest rated, low-profile time slot, when most of the fans who dinged the turnstiles at Citizens Bank Park an amazing 3.6 million times this year will be at work or trying to wrap up their school day. Followed by a Saturday night game that starts at 9:37 p.m. (who comes up with these times?), which is great for the Phillies' beer-chugging College Night contingent but ensures that the team's youngest fans -- the ones needed to keep baseball going into the late 21st Century -- won't stay up to see the end of the game, which could come close to 1 in the morning thanks to the slow pace of playoff baseball.
You know, it's nauseating how Manhattan-based TV World -- the next-door neighbors and prime bankrollers of Major League Baseball -- impose their Yankees-v.-Red-Sox-centric view of baseball on the rest of America. Sure, there've been some good times in Fenway and the House that Ruth Built and now the House that Plutonomy (look it up) Built, but...enough already! How many Octobers must we be forced to watch A-Rod bouncing back to the pitcher with the bases loaded? Meanwhile, interesting teams and interesting players from around the rest of America get the shaft -- even if they're the defending world champions.
You could make the case that while the vast majority of fans -- certainly 9-to-5 workers -- are shafted by the first-round schedule, there's something romantic about day baseball in October. Sure -- but this isn't even about that, really. It's all about R-E-S-P-E-C-T. I hope the Phillies' players feel the same way that their fans do about getting dissed by national TV, and whack this demeaning schedule 450 feet off MLB's proverbial right-field scoreboard. Winning is the best revenge and in this case the only revenge -- especially while the Moet champagne on ice in those Madoff-sized luxury suites up in Yankee Stadium goes flat for yet another year.
Comment removed.
Come on, Will. The other first two NL games are in LA. Would you like those games to start at 11 in the morning so we can have a later game? The third game is in Colorado. 9 PM local time on a weekend isn't the end of the world.— Wissinoming- You could take it as a compliment ... that MLB doesn't expect the Rockies to give us much of a challenge worth watching. But we know better.— Nutburgers
- Its not the Phillies, its the Rockies— Scott67
- Yes, I would like to see the games (badly), but I have to work. However, I don't care what time they start, as long as they WIN! GO PHILS!— TerryW
- Let's see. You have a series that involves NY and one of the storied franchises ever, a series involving 1 team from LA, and 1 from LA and Boston. Of course the Phillies-Rockies series is low on the radar? Why on earth would anyone be surprised?— Tech_Triumph
- I would have hoped the Phillies would get the 5:30 PM slot. I don't believe the Yankees don't have to choose which series/days they want to play until an hour after DET/MIN tiebreaking game on Tuesday. See 2 different possible schedules pending Yankees decision: http://philadelphia.phillies.mlb.com/mlb/schedule/ps.jsp?y=09&c_id=phi— phillyccgwm
- 100% agree with Wil on this. Did I really just type that? And I know Wil was dying to mention this, but held back because he knew he would get pummeled since he is a self-stated liberal. So, let a conservative say it: The Phillies also have two of the most marketable African-American players in the sport. In a sport that supposedly is concerned with the lack of young black players, you would think they would promote the heck out of Rollins and Howard this time of year. Just another example of terrible decisions made by steroid king Selig. Nice post Wil.— phillyjeffsr
- It's MLB. They award the first round to TBS, ,so they can't play all 4 games on the same day. If MLB would get TWO networks to broadcast the first round, then the PHILLIES (or whoever) wouldn't have to play in the afternoon! It's all about TV and $! Play 2 games opposite each other on different networks at the same time, and WE could choose who we want to watch, like the NFL on Sundays. But Bud Light doesn't care about the average fans!!!!— SEEK313
- Wissinoming is right. Will is clueless. Its not about respect. Its about geography. The Dodgers and Angels both starting at home is what has caused the afternoon start times for the Phillies. Stop complaining people, if they beat Colorado then all of the NLCS and WS start times are at night. At which time people like Will will have to find something else to complain about....— UncleEddie
- Comment removed.
- Ahh...retirement...sometimes it's a wonderful thing! That said, the greediness of MLB hurts the 8-15 year olds who are some of the most intense and loyal fans. Shame on Bud. All WS weekend games should be day games. But I agree with most of the points. The Phils will never be considered the favorites even if they make it to the WS. I don't recall any of the "Manhattan-based" national media picking them (in 2009 Spring Training) to beat out the Mets or Dodgers and make it into the Series.— hobbit
- Misplaced outrage - geography is the issue.
- SBVFT shows his usual insight and predicts that a team that's been muddling through the last three weeks and that has serious injuries in the bullpen won't win the World Series. Next up from SBVFT: why Ryan Leaf might not make it in the NFL.— DiTurno
- i can understand the day games, but a 9:30pm start at home??? That is nuts— chollie
- I am happy. I work in the evenings, so now I will be able to watch games one and two. What a deal!!!— PortCity
- Hey, I like the start time, but then again I live in Hawaii. Breakfast with the Phillies! A good way to start the day.— 2stepbay
- the phillies are one of the most exciting teams. loaded with superstars. i can't figure out why they receive no love nationally.— Ryan
- The 9:30 start is in Colorado, which will be 7:30 there. As others have said, it's not about us, it's about Colorado. They're the least attractive team (except maybe Minnesota, but since they may be playing the Yanks, that moves them up the pecking order). And, like it or not, the Phils are not a "national" team like the Sawx or the Dodgers. Put that together with 2 LA teams hosting on the same days as us and that equals the schedule.— brob1900
- Swallowed Bad Vitamins Farting Toilet is quick off the bag without a relevant point....again.....GO PHILS!— 77volks
This schedule makes no sense from any perspective that I can see. If they had the Phils game at 5 or 5:30 on Wednesday, there would be minimal chance of overlap (especially if Cliff Lee starts for the Phils) and they'd get about a zillion more dollars in ad revenue. I don't understand why "geography" means the games have to be spaced seven hours apart. And if the first game goes over 4.5 hours, then some markets will cut away from the game in progress, others can switch later. Wednesday's scheduling avoids a small chance of a minority of fans missing out on some action by instead ensuring a 100% chance of many millions of fans missing out on entire games. From what perspective does that make any sense?- Please stop the "woe is me" whining. I think afternoon playoff baseball is great! Most of us can record it, or watch it live. I remember when NBC, and ABC had playoff LCS games in the afternoon. In fact the '93 NLCS game 5 was an afternoon game. Should I shock anyone younger than 25 that they actually played World Series games during the afternoon? Primetime baseball is overrated. If Buuud would move the start time for primetime baseball back to 7:30 or 7:00, the league would gain from the viewership of younger fans. Instead, Buuud thinks MLB is like the NFL, so he can get more money from the networks if he gets primetime coverage.— PeterGreen
- SBVFT Contributor. Way to go you managed to write a whole lot of words that make absolutely no sense whatsoever. Are you in congress.— rich729
- If we got one day slot one day, we should have gotten the evening/night slot first.... I do agree having two LA teams in the mix screws things up because they can't play the games too early out on the west coast, or show them too early either (2:30 start out east is 11:30 out here, no way MLB let's that happen)... Either way, let's go Boys....Need that first game for sure, probably both at home, and move to the NLCS!— Bleue
- The schedule sux, regardless of the reasons. I could deal with one afternoon game, but two is ridiculous.— RG
- The 9:37 ET start is in Denver (Mountain Time)— TVGuy22
- You could see this coming a mile away. Not only the times, but the cable network vs. the over the air broadcasts in the next round. All we are left with as consolation is three letters: D-V-R. At least we won't have to watch the commercials...— Philly__Boy
- Since LA is the bigger market ergo they get the preference. If you live in the LA area you can get the game at 11am and take the whole day off. GO PHILLIES no matter what time. In vest in a TVVO and stay away from any one who watched it.— wcoastphan
- Saying that this is about geography is simply not true. If the Yankees were to play Wednesday afternoon, the Phils could play the night game. That way both teams would start their series off with 1 afternoon game and 1 night game. That would be fair to both team's fans. Instead, TBS and MLB chose their beloved Yankees over the world champions. That is why this is about a lack of respect for the Phils. Unfortunately, the MLB and TBS contract to broadcast all the division series runs through 2013 so we will be dealing with this nonsense for a while.— rdonovan316
- You said it Bunch, lack of respect. I also think thesse bozos are underestimating the Phillies draw. All season long I see the stands throughout the league filled fans wearing Phillies gear.— JoPal
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