Note to ESPN: Red Sox and Yankees are NOT the only teams in baseball!

[patsox]

bills! The Orioles are not on national TV because they suck and do not have quite the national fan base the Yankees and Sox do. It is as simple as that bud.

[Telemundo219]

bills! The Orioles are not on national TV because they suck and do not have quite the national fan base the Yankees and Sox do. It is as simple as that bud.

Whoa. I think you should've kept that to yourself. It seems like you're just starting trouble.

[AndrewPF]

The funny thing about that Clemens start with Trenton the other night is that they were playing Portland. The Portland Sea Dogs are in the Sox organization. But yeah, I'd like to see the Friars more often on ESPN. With that said, i think they should limit Sox-Yanks to make room for other games that people may be interested in seeing

[Epiphanic]

As a non-Yankee/Red Sox fan, I too am tired of the Yankees and/or Red Sox always on. Yes, it's a great rivalry, but does the rivalry really mean anything when one team has a double-digit lead over the other (Yankee/Red Sox fans notwithstanding)?

On a side note, when Fox Saturday Baseball started there were two games. Yankees/Red Sox and Cardinals/Cubs (a matchup that I would say is the NL's version). The following week? Red Sox/Yankees and Cubs/Cardinals. Uhh...we saw that last week.

Anyway, back on the topic of ESPN. The East Coast bias we see on TV is also a function of time. West Coast games are on at 10:30 ET which is late. Lazy practicality means that most "national" games will feature East Coast teams. Nevertheless that doesn't excuse ESPN from totally disrespecting teams like the Indians or Tigers (both of whom are in the Eastern timezone).

Honestly, how many Yankee fans watch games on ESPN rather than the YES network? Or, how many Red Sox fans watch games on ESPN rather than the local Sawx network? Although New York and Boston have a more "national" audience than other teams, the incessant coverage only feeds the flames. I'd be willing to bet that if the Indians (or any other team) got more national coverage they'd have more national fans as well.

I fully realize that voicing my opinion here won't change ESPN's broadcast practices, but like others here, won't watch the Yankees/Red Sox just because that's what ESPN says I should watch.

[KevinMcD]

And the Mets are the team they talk most about minus the Yanks/Sox duo. They are scheduled for National TV 5 times in June (ESPN or FOX), only one against the Yankees. The Yankees also have 5, and the BoSox have 4, and my O's a grand total of 0.

Wait a second. The conversation was about ESPN not Fox, not TBS, just ESPN. Plus if you notice, FOX's broadcasts are regional so at a time when some will get the Mets others will get the Indians, or Phillies or Cardinals or Dodgers (you get the point). And don't take this personally, but no national tv telecast would be shown with teams like the O's unless they're playing a contender. Not my decision. Blame it on Fox and ESPN.

ESPN doesn't care about teams on the rise like the Indians or Brewers,

Isn't that a little bit contradictory????

And how am I being contradictory?

OK, so the Mets have 3 games on ESPN, while the Yankees have 3, and the BoSox have 2, it still has merit.

I know the O's are not really a contender this year, but how bout the Indians, Brewers, or Dodgers (Even in a big market like LA) who all lead are or close to divisional leads combine for 0 games on ESPN in June. They do not make the schedule before the season they make it ~1 month before airing, these 3 teams all were looking good a few weeks ago when making these choices. I would much rather watch a MIL-HOU game over another NYY-BOS game.

You had a statement earlier in your post that I also bolded

So the Indians do play and they talk about them on Baseball Tonight.

bills! The Orioles are not on national TV because they suck and do not have quite the national fan base the Yankees and Sox do. It is as simple as that bud.

I assume you hate the Yankees like I, but the O's are only 1/2 a game behind New York, they only show the Yankees and Sox for ratings, but if the O's were ever in contention again (not looking good) like two years ago they still don't show them. I remember 2 games on Natl TV during that run.

[HedleyLamarr]

The coverage on ESPN2 of the Clemens start was beyond retarded.

Yeah, I was hoping to watch the re-air of the Champions League Final last night on ESPN2, and instead got Clemens TV.

[McCall]

With all the talk defending ESPN because the Yankees and Red Sox have a more national fanbase, you think that could possibly be BECAUSE they are the only ones being shown? I know it's not entirely that and it's mainly because of each teams history and all, but it's gotta play some part. I mean it's about the only teams some people see play on TV if they're not in the middle of another teams market. I know a lot of people in the midwest, from Indiana to Oklahoma, grew up Cardinals fans because of how far KMOX spread out on the radio, and there wasn't necessarily any other team in the region, at least right there (you had the Chicago teams and Ohio teams relatively close, but KMOX just spread across so far). With ESPN being all across the country, and only showing NYY and BOS, I really believe it's having the same effect. Difference is, KMOX was the Cardinals radio station. ESPN is not affiliated with any particular team. It's their choice to Yanks and Sox games and thus are preventing some people from seeing the other teams... unless they're playing NYY or BOS... and in which case they show so much blatant favoritism towards the Yanks and Sox with the game calling. I say they shouldn't show more than one game a week with a team, any team, in it. Only if a team that was already televised is playing a team that has not been televised for awhile, would it be alright to show a team twice within a week. You wanna see them play on tv more than once, watch the team's channel. I watch the Cards on FSN (when I'm at a place that has it). But I will watch them on the occasion they're on ESPN. And if your team doesn't have it's own tv affiliate (which I'm sure most do), then it's not on ESPN for not being diverse in it's coverage.

[Telemundo219]

OK, so the Mets have 3 games on ESPN, while the Yankees have 3, and the BoSox have 2, it still has merit.

I know the O's are not really a contender this year, but how bout the Indians, Brewers, or Dodgers (Even in a big market like LA) who all lead are or close to divisional leads combine for 0 games on ESPN in June. They do not make the schedule before the season they make it ~1 month before airing, these 3 teams all were looking good a few weeks ago when making these choices. I would much rather watch a MIL-HOU game over another NYY-BOS game.

Like I should've said, you're only talking about June. What about April or May. The Angels played on ESPN so did Philadelphia, San Fran, and St.Louis and I'm sure others teams have but I guess no one watching ESPN baseball during the week. Also look at the later schedule and I think if they wanted to do ESPN could who they show regardless of what the schedule is now or is planned to be.

[AndrewPF]

Nobody in Boston watches the Sox on ESPN if they are also on NESN

[McCall]

Nobody in Boston watches the Sox on ESPN if they are also on NESN

Exactly. If their the two biggest markets in baseball, and they have their own station, more than likely their fans are gonna watch them on there, so they can hear the Sox announcers and Yankees announcers. On those stations they're allowed to show favoritism... it's the teams station (more or less). So it's not really fair to the other fans of other teams who may not have any way of seeing their team other than ESPN, when ESPN is basically just catering to Yanks and Sox fans everywhere but in the actual markets themselves. I know that's basically what I've been saying, showcasing teams to there fans who live out of market, but it needs to be more evenly spread.

[Runner]

During college basketball season, I get sick and tired of ESPN devoting every Wednesday in the season to the ACC. That damned ACC Wednesday is so boring I get sick and tired of watching Duke, Maryland, UNC, Wake Forest, and the other ACC teams. For God sakes there's 32 other conferences in college basketball and I bet you that the Ivy League has more exciting games then Duke, UNC, Maryland, and whoever else is good in the ACC blowing out the smaller teams like FSU and Clemson.

[KevinMcD]

During college basketball season, I get sick and tired of ESPN devoting every Wednesday in the season to the ACC. That damned ACC Wednesday is so boring I get sick and tired of watching Duke, Maryland, UNC, Wake Forest, and the other ACC teams. For God sakes there's 32 other conferences in college basketball and I bet you that the Ivy League has more exciting games then Duke, UNC, Maryland, and whoever else is good in the ACC blowing out the smaller teams like FSU and Clemson.

NCAA is different b/c they have an agreement with the conferences not the league, that said they still show bias twords Tobacco Road

[BBTV]

I thought local TV broadcasts were blacked-out if ESPN was airing the game. Is this not true in some markets?

[KevinMcD]

OK, so the Mets have 3 games on ESPN, while the Yankees have 3, and the BoSox have 2, it still has merit.

I know the O's are not really a contender this year, but how bout the Indians, Brewers, or Dodgers (Even in a big market like LA) who all lead are or close to divisional leads combine for 0 games on ESPN in June. They do not make the schedule before the season they make it ~1 month before airing, these 3 teams all were looking good a few weeks ago when making these choices. I would much rather watch a MIL-HOU game over another NYY-BOS game.

Like I should've said, you're only talking about June. What about April or May. The Angels played on ESPN so did Philadelphia, San Fran, and St.Louis and I'm sure others teams have but I guess no one watching ESPN baseball during the week. Also look at the later schedule and I think if they wanted to do ESPN could who they show regardless of what the schedule is now or is planned to be.

I just chose June because it is coming in a week

April+May

Mets-5

Yankees-11

BoSox-8

Angles -1

Philly-2

SF-2

STL-3

MIL-1

CLE-3

LAD-1

Even in April and May the Mets, Yankees, and Red Sox are way ahead of the others mentioned

[patsox]

It is true.

[KevinMcD]

I thought local TV broadcasts were blacked-out if ESPN was airing the game. Is this not true in some markets?

I know all Indians, Yankees, Mets, and Pirate ESPN games not local broadcasts are all blacked out in my area. But not the Blue Jays who are closer than the 4 others. We usually get ESPNEWS instead.For example yesterday BOS-NYY (what a rare matchup) was blacked out on ESPN, and if I wanted to watch it, I had to tune into YES.

[rams80]

This is semi off topic (but since this is a bit of an ESPN-bashing thread, its appropriate).

ESPN was freaking out about the NBA lottery because OH NOES! THIS YEAR'S MEAL TICKETS WILL PLAY IN SMALL MARKETS PORTLAND AND SEATTLE (OKC)!! NOBODY WILL BE ABLE TO SEE THEM!!

To which my response is...you have the tv contract, you put their games on.

[wdm1219inpenna]

And thus, we can now see why baseball has been declining in the ratings overall.

I don't even bother listening to ESPN Radio at work anymore. What once was an enjoyable way to pass the time has become tiresome, and even more boring and menial than some of my tasks that I perform at my job.

Greeney with his 37 minutes necessary to tell a 37 second story.

Golic always yelling "stoppit" at him.

Colin was about the only decent original talent, but even his schtick got to be repetitious to me after so many months.

Dan Patrick, he's about as inviting as a tall glass of sand on a hot summer's day, and about as dry I might add.

K.O., same old schtick, very tiresome, very blah.

For MLB, it's over. It's all over. Yogi, sorry to say but it's over. And it breaks my heart to see MLB ruined, but it finally truly is. It's over...

[NJTank]

What bothers me about Yankees and Mets on ESPN is that ESPN no longer plans an alternate game for blacked out markets meaning we dont get a game and instead get ESPN News simulcast. If I want to watch ESPN News I'd put on ESPN News.

[Mr.Barragan]

FOX= The problem with FOX is that their game of the week is alway regional which I wont mind if they had Doubleheader once in a while just like what NBC used to do.

Case in point...

On Jul 24,2004, I wanted to see the Red Sox vs. the Yankees but the city of LA was forced to see the Giants-Cardinals game only because the Giants is a California team and the worst part is the Giants annoucers was doing the game and for those who had MVP 2003-2005 know what i'm talking about.

ESPN= Honestly, What did you expect.

Case in point...

On Apr 14, 2005, Most baseball fan wanted to see the DBacks-Nationals game because it was the 1st game @ DC in 35+ years but the media whore that is ESPN decide to broadcast the whole damn series of the Yanks & the Sox and as a Dodgers fans, I would feel the same way if ESPN was doing that to the Dodgers-Giants rivalry.

I just hope that next season TBS would do a better job with their MLB Contract and show teams that deserved to be on TV.