Category: External Sports (Page 193 of 821)

TV ratings booming for MLB teams – does baseball have NFL lockout to thank?

April 5, 2011 / Anthony Stalter

A couple of weeks ago a buddy and I were talking about the NFL lockout and then we immediately shifted the conversation to our upcoming fantasy baseball drafts.

For whatever reason it didn’t hit me until then (probably because I’m not that smart) but I realized just how much Major League Baseball stands to gain if the players and owners continue to ruin the NFL.

It hasn’t even been a week, but already several MLB teams have set local TV ratings records. According to SportsBuinessDaily.com, the Orioles’ 4-0 start has translated to booming ratings for MASN. The network posted a 12.2 rating and 135,000 HHs in the Baltimore market for Monday’s home opener against the Tigers. For sake of comparison, the team averaged a 3.4 rating in Baltimore last season.

The site also mentions that last Friday’s game between the Astros and Phillies set an opening-day rating record and Sunday’s matchup broke the record for a regular-season telecast. The Rangers, Blue Jays, FOX and ESPN all did very well over the weekend, too.

Granted, it was opening weekend and the cold weather certainly encouraged people to stay indoors and flip on the tube. I’d like to see what the numbers look like in a couple of weeks when fans realize that there are still 140-plus games left to be played this season. Will the interest still be high in Baltimore if the Orioles go on a six-game losing streak? Will ESPN start to lose viewers when they begin showing only the Yankees, Red Sox, Phillies and Mets on a weekly basis like they have over the past couple of years? (Furthermore, how long before people start to pass on the ESPN Sunday Night broadcast because they can’t stand Bobby Valentine and Orel Hershier, both of whom are atrocious in the booth.)

That said, without daily NFL free agent news, I wouldn’t be shocked if people had a renewed sense of focus on baseball. The CBA mess has sucked most of the fun out of the NFL draft this year, so maybe fans (who are no doubt tired of the constant negative commentary surrounding the lockout) will stick with baseball long after the excitement from opening weekend fades away.

Either way, Bud Selig and Co. have to love the early TV numbers and probably wouldn’t mind seeing the lockout go well into August or September. Not having to compete with the NFL (even its offseason) has to be a plus for Selig’s league.

External Sports, MLB

2011 NFL lockout Anthony Stalter Baltimore Orioles mlb tv ratings NFL lockout 2011

Judge bars secret recording in Barry Bonds’ perjury trial

April 5, 2011 / Anthony Stalter

ESPN.com is reporting that a federal judge has barred the jury in the Barry Bonds’ perjury trial from hearing a newly discovered tape recording that prosecutors say would bolster their case that the former slugger knowingly used steroids.

U.S. District Judge Susan Illston ruled the recording inadmissible because “it’s barely intelligible” and what can be heard is irrelevant.
The tape was a conversation between Bonds’ orthopedic surgeon Dr. Arthur Ting and his former business partner, Steve Hoskins. Hoskins secretly recorded the conversation in 2003.
Prosecutors had hoped to use the tape to win back some of the momentum they lost when Ting severely damaged Hoskins’ credibility.
Ting last week flatly denied Hoskins’ testimony that the pair had about 50 conversations about Bonds and steroids. Ting said the two never discussed that topic.

I love it. There’s a ton of the taxpayers’ money being spent on this trial and the result will likely be that Bonds will have to serve six months probation and no jail time. (Or something to that effect.)

I believe it was the late, great Alonzo Harris from the movie “Training Day” that said: It’s not what you know – it’s what you can prove. The defense in this trial has already stated that Bonds took steroids. Everyone and their brother knows he took steroids. What the defense is trying to prove is that he didn’t knowingly take steroids, and that’s going to be hard to disprove. (Especially when the prosecution is relying on Watergate-like secret tapes that are being barred from use in court.)

Like I said: Probation, no jail time. Book it.

External Sports, MLB

barry bonds case barry bonds secret tape Barry Bonds steroids Barry Bonds trial

Updating the NBA Playoff race

April 5, 2011 / John Paulsen

Now that March Madness is officially over (in April, no less), the casual basketball fan can turn his or her attention to the NBA postseason.

Here’s a quick look at the playoff race in each conference along with potential first round matchups. Everyone always starts with the East (damn East Coast bias!) so I’ll switch things up and discuss the Western Conference first. The images below were clipped from John Hollinger’s playoff odds feature.

The Rockets are still technically alive (10.2%), but facing a three-game deficit with only five to play is a tough task. They do have very winnable games against Sacramento, Minnesota and the Clippers, and they get to take on the Hornets in New Orleans on Wednesday. Unfortunately for the Rockets, it’s the second game of a back-to-back with the Royals…um…Kings. Houston still has a shot because the Hornets’ schedule is pretty tough: HOU, PHO, MEM, UTA and DAL. The Grizzlies are tied with the Hornets, so they could falter as well.

The Lakers are trying to catch the Spurs, who have lost six of their last seven games. The two teams square off next Tuesday in L.A. and the winner might very well be the #1 seed in the West. If the Spurs can get on track and beat the Hawks, Kings and Jazz this week, it will make things tough on the Lakers.

The Mavs look like they’re locked into the #3 seed and are right now slated for a first round matchup with the Blazers, though that could chance as Portland, Memphis and New Orleans are all separated by one game. A Thunder/Nuggets first round matchup is looking very likely.

With just 5-6 games left, it sure looks like the Bulls are going to lock up the #1 seed and home court advantage throughout the Eastern Conference playoffs. If the Spurs continue to falter, they have a shot at the best overall record as well. The #1 seed in the East is big because they’ll avoid the Heat and Celtics until the Conference Finals.

On the other end of the spectrum, the playoff hopes of both the Bobcats and Bucks are on life support. Charlotte is only one game back in the loss column, but the Pacers swept the season series (4-0), so they own the tiebraker as well.

As a Bucks fan, I’m disappointed with the way the season has gone, and have actually been rooting for losses down the stretch. While it would be fun to watch Chicago and Milwaukee square off in an I-94 series, the Bucks are better off with a lottery pick. Maybe they’ll land in the top 3 and get a shot at Derrick Williams, Kyrie Irving or Harrison Barnes. The bottom line is that they need another good player to add to the Andrew Bogut-Brandon Jennings core, preferably a wing who can create his own shot.

At this point, do the Heat/Celtics want to play the Knicks or the Heat? New York has won three straight (against Orlando, New Jersey and Cleveland) after dropping nine of their previous 10 games. One would think that the Knicks are more dangerous than the Sixers because Carmelo Anthony and Amare Stoudemire could get really hot for a six- or seven-game stretch.

Boston is 2-1 against Philly, but the three games have been decided by a total of eight points, so the Sixers have given the C’s some problems. Miami has handled Philly in three wins. The Knicks are 0-1 against Boston with their current roster, and they’re 1-0 against Miami since Carmelo’s arrival. It looks to me that the Sixers are the better matchup for the Heat, while the C’s would rather see the Knicks. I’d be interested to hear from Boston and Miami fans about which team they’d rather face in the first round.

External Sports, NBA

2010-11 NBA season 2011 NBA Playoffs

Bengals discussing Kevin Kolb internally?

April 5, 2011 / Anthony Stalter

Even though they can’t make any trades until the CBA is signed, the Bengals have reportedly “floated the idea” of trading for Kevin Kolb internally according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

“Make no mistake about it,” said Schefter. “The Bengals know they need to move on without Carson Palmer.”

Schefter also notes that Cincinnati may strongly consider drafting a quarterback No. 4 overall, which would therefore make trading for Kolb a moot point. The team is in a tough position because if they don’t address their need at quarterback during the draft, there’s no guarantee that they’ll be able to trade for Kolb after the draft. And then what? They try to convince Palmer to change his mind or go into the season with Jordan Palmer as their starter? Yikes.

The other problem is that the Bengals have been awfully conservative in the past when it comes to trades. With the Cardinals, Titans, 49ers and Vikings all in the market for a quarterback as well, they probably would be willing to give up more in a trade than Cincinnati would. And then what? The Bengals try to convince Palmer to change his mind or go into the season with Jordan Palmer as their starter? Yiiiiikes.

The most logical scenario is that the Bengals will draft a quarterback in one of the first two rounds and bypass the idea of trading for Kolb. It’s not the ideal way to look at things because hey, if you like Kolb and think he gives you the best chance to win, then trade for him. But these are extraordinary times that call for extraordinary measures for teams like the Bengals.

External Sports, NFL, NFL Draft

2011 NFL Draft Carson Palmer Kevin Kolb