The 2006 World Series: does anyone care?

With the Tigers and Cardinals heading into Game 4 of the World Series Wednesday night, I’ve got to wonder if anybody really cares? Forget the television ratings for a second (which are some of the lowest ever for a World Series by the way) and check out the cover of the new Sports Illustrated.

Is that a naked Dennis Rodman impersonator wearing a tiger sleeve? Oh no, okay – it’s Chad Johnson of the Cincinnati Bengals. And at the top of the cover page? A thin, black and white read out that says: World Series Report. Wow SI, don’t go all out for what is supposed to be the highlight of the Major League Baseball season.

I can’t say that I blame SI, however. They know what sells: football.

Tigers and Cardinals? Yeah, they deserve to be there and they have great fans that have come out in full support of their teams. But look at what Major League Baseball has succumbed too. During Game 3 last night, Taco Bell ran a promotion were if a player hit a home run to left field during selected innings, everybody in the United States would get a free taco. Come on MLB, you expect the causal fan to tune into the game for one free taco?

I may be going out on a limb saying this, but I don’t think the ratings would be that different even if it were Yankees-Mets. Sure, there would be a bigger audience because New York is a larger market. But I get the feeling that the national sports audience just doesn’t care about baseball when there is football to be thought about 24:7.

And a half naked Chad Johnson gracing the cover of Sports Illustrated instead of a photo promoting the World Series proves it.