And it wasn’t even close. In fact, this was like Alabama playing Western Carolina.
NBC, though, couldn’t resist noting the healthy margin of victory.
However, not so fast NBC. John Ourand of Sports Business Daily reported the World Series did impact NBC’s rating for the New Orleans-Green Bay game.
Gee, wonder if Ourand’s source works at a network that has an interest in October baseball….?
Anyway, it hardly comes as a surprise that SNF trounced the World Series. In some cities, it really was bad. Take for instance, my town, Chicago.
Locally, the football game did a 12.2 compared to a meager 4.7 for the World Series. OK, some of it had to do with the regional interest in the Packers, although many Bears fans are in full bail-mode after the disaster in New England. But a 4.7 for a World Series game in a two-team baseball town is ridiculously low.
Meanwhile, in Dallas, Barry Horn of the Dallas Morning News had this:
All five NFL games broadcast locally topped Game 5 of the World Series.
New Orleans 44, Green Bay 23, Channel 5 @7:30 p.m. — 14.1
Seattle 13, Carolina 9, Channel 4 @noon — 14.0
Arizona 24, Philadelphia 20, Channel 4 @3 p.m. — 11.8
Pittsburgh 51, Indianapolis 24, Channel 11 @3:25 p.m. — 7.0
Detroit 22, Atlanta 21, Channel 4 @8:30 a.m. — 6.6
WS: San Francisco 5, Kansas City 0, Channel 4 @7 p.m. — 6.2
Yes, Dallas is a football town. However, it is worth noting Dallas still had a better rating for the World Series than Chicago.
Am I the only one who’s noticed that epic fail that is the Chicago Sun-Times World Series coverage? For the past two days the ONLY stories printed about baseball (by Gordon Wittenmeyer with a San Francisco dateline) are about the speculation over Joe Maddon possibly coming to the Cubs. This is provincialism at its worst. Sure, the Maddon stuff is a legitimate story, but it’s not World Series coverage and you don’t need to send a reporter to SF to write it. There is no “Cub angle” on this series. Geez. Worst of all was http://www.suntimes.com/sports/30653895-419/cubs-tone-down-joe-maddon-talk-fearful-of-upstaging-world-series.html#.VE0WlWBdXCI . Speculation about Maddon upstaging the World Series. Jesus H. Christ, what a joke.
All right, I know I’m not your typical Chicago baseball fan. Though I’ve lived here for 39 years, I’m a Giants fan back to the Mays days. But the Tribune is providing decent coverage of the Series even though there’s no local interest. Not sure what’s wrong with the Sun-Times.
What, exactly, would be the enticement for a Chicagoan to watch Kansas City and San Francisco? Two-team town or not?