Phillies and Nationals highlights last 1:38

 

Thats about 1:25 too long and painful to watch the Nationals.

You played catch-up on the weekends with national programs such as This Week In Baseball, Wide World Of Sports and Gene Michael's Sports Machine, among others. NBC's Game of the Week, MNF and Monday Night Baseball were must-watch programs as well.

 

In some ways it was better, because it encouraged people to remain loyal to their local teams.

 

 

Loved that show with Mel Allen, and then right after was usually game of the week.

Somebody must have given them wrong directions, then. I've never heard of the place you mention.

 

Oops....

I get sick of the Yanks and RedSox talk and I agree with that being frustrating, but I don't get the horse racing problem. I live in Kentucky and to be honest I didn't even remember it was Derby day until I saw something about it on TV a few hours ago. Horse racing isn't that big of a national story is it?

 

I read where the NHL was referenced, I like the NHL, I don't watch it much anymore but that isn't about ESPN, I think a lot of people fell out w/ the NHL w/ the strike and didn't come back. ESPN doesn't need to devote a lot of attention to the things/storeis that people don't care for. If you show NHL highlights for 10 minutes on Sportscenter and people start flipping the channel then you probably should go back to the things that kept the clickers silent.

I get sick of the Yanks and RedSox talk and I agree with that being frustrating, but I don't get the horse racing problem. I live in Kentucky and to be honest I didn't even remember it was Derby day until I saw something about it on TV a few hours ago. Horse racing isn't that big of a national story is it?

 

 

150k people were at the derby today.. Sounds like a pretty big story to me.

150k people were at the derby today.. Sounds like a pretty big story to me.

 

I still don't believe that on a national scale it is a big story. How many average sports fan tuning into ESPN really care?

150k people were at the derby today.. Sounds like a pretty big story to me.

 

They had a 5 hour special from Churchill Downs today. They had stories all week on the 6 o'clock est. Sportscenter. I'm just curious as to what folks want from ESPN for an event that they are not broadcasting and that doesn't have the big national cashe it once had.

 

I'm posting the Nielsen numbers for all the Derbies excluding this year from 1975. I think ESPN gave it the right amount of coverage when you consieder all the factors mentioned. Horse racing has issues with popularity that extend far beyond ESPN's coverage of today's race.

 

http://tvbythenumbers.com/2008/05/06/kentucky-derby-tv-viewership-1975-2007

I'm going to start jumping on the anti-ESPN bandwagon, I suppose. Their lead story right now is some nonsense about European soccer. Come on, guys, let's focus on a sport Americans actually care about in large numbers. How many decades does soccer have to be "the next big thing" until it finally sets in that Americans are pretty much apathetic about the sport? Leave the soccer stories to the Times of London.

They are getting ready to switch ESPN Classic into the World Soccer Network and its their way of down-your-throat self promotion.

They are getting ready to switch ESPN Classic into the World Soccer Network and its their way of down-your-throat self promotion.

 

I hope it fails miserably. There's already a soccer channel. We don't need two.

I know its popular to hate soccer, but the finals of the UEFA Champions League is huge. Man U vs. Barca. That's about as good as it gets.

^ So huge it got 3 posts on this site.

I know its popular to hate soccer, but the finals of the UEFA Champions League is huge. Man U vs. Barca. That's about as good as it gets.

 

... in Europe.

... in Europe.

 

Its nice to agree with you on something!! :lol:

... in Europe.

 

Its nice to agree with you on something!! :lol:

 

Just because it isn't big in Bardstown or Bell County doesn't mean that it isn't a big deal in other parts of the United States (along with Europe). ESPN isn't a regional network. Leading off with the biggest single game club championship in the world isn't necessarily a bad thing.