As New York's first Subway World Series in 44 years draws closer - the Yankees out for the American League title in NBC's Game 6 with Seattle tonight (Ch. 7, 8:00) - debate is already hot about how many outside Gotham and the Northeastern corridor would watch.
Fox, with Joe Buck and Tim McCarver set to call Saturday night's opener, has to hope the geographic limitations wouldn't send already reeling postseason ratings into a deeper dive via indifference in the Midwest, West and South. Fox officials insist they're not concerned as they approach six years of $2.5 billion postseason exclusivity, but rivals suggest the numbers for a Mets-Yanks Series would bomb beyond the Northeast.
While NBC's New York audience for Sunday's Yankees loss in Seattle more than tripled head-to-head CBS coverage of the Jets walloping the Patriots (19.0 to 5.6) and Fox drew an 18.3 there for the Mets' prime-time win over St. Louis, the New York-New York saga did not fare well elsewhere.
Interestingly, the Jets' romp over the Patsies (21.7) and Giants' tight win over Dallas (9.5) beat both baseball playoffs (7.9 and 5.6) in Boston. And though a Subway Series would match the hated Yanks against the New York team that dealt the Red Sox their most galling Series defeat (1986), the numbers here should be relatively high. And not just because of transplanted New Yorkers, including the college crowd. People love to watch teams they despise.
But catch this: The Yanks rated only a 4.7 in Chicago. 4.4 in Phoenix, 3.9 in Minneapolis and 3.5 in Denver. And the Mets managed just a 5.7 in Denver, 5.5 in Phoenix, 4.6 in Chicago and 2.3 in Minneapolis.
Los Angeles was an exception, posting a 6.4 for the Yanks and 7.3 for the Mets, but a Fox rival-network official, speaking anonymously, said 'I think a Subway Series will do horribly everwhere but New York.' That person was far from alone.
Yet Fox's Dan Bell argued: 'If it's a long series, which gives viewers a reason to watch, that's all we hope for. It would be a good year to have a New York Series. It's a novelty. It hasn't happened in a long time (since the Yanks beat Brooklyn in the seven-game 1956 Series). Whoever plays, what we want is a long, competitive Series.'
Beyond the geographic angle, Fox has other diamond worries as LCS Nielsens continued to slump (largely against football) with no debate or 'ER' competition for excuses this time. Cards-Mets 48-market weekend ratings (6.3 and 7.9) sank 25 and 12 percent from corresponding 1999 playoffs. NBC's Yanks-Mariners ratings (8.5, 8.1 and 8.2) dropped 21, 9 and 38 percent. Whew!
Quality? Bob Costas properly heaped praise on Roger Clemens for his 15-strikeout, one-hit gem, but we didn't need to hear - again - that Clem gave his four sons K-names after his strikeout feats or that his No. 22 reflects a son's favorite NFL star, Emmitt Smith. And who cared to hear once more that Alex Rodriguez grounded out to 'good buddy' Derek Jeter?
Joe Morgan is far more offensive with a firm grasp of the obvious, but both voices (ending their NBC tandem tonight or tomorrow) are repetitive. And both networks are putting up too many replays - again.
McCarver is a sharp analyst when not forcing minutia. Buck is a first-rate caller who doesn't become ponderous - as does Costas. Yet Costas can resonate with one line - whether noting Clemens' career only lacks a no-hitter or punctuating his feat with 'Stop the presses: The game was played in less than three hours!'
Notice Ch. 7 is airing Game 6 tonight - not Bush-Gore, a turnabout from their first debate shoving A's-Yanks to Ch. 68. WHDH chief Mike Carson said: 'We didn't take the game in the first conflict because the debate was a local event. We feel we must carry this game because it could be decisive.'
But the debate will be a drag on baseball's numbers - again.
Simms spots woes
CBS' Phil Simms was wrong in speculating Drew Bledsoe was into a sideline tirade because he was about to be benched, but he was dead right in saying well into the Jets' 34-17 blast: 'If I were New England, I wouldn't be wild about five wide receivers. It always looks like Bledsoe is on the verge of a catastrophe.'
Indeed. Seven sacks, three interceptions and a fumble qualify for as bad a catastrophe as one of Tom Zenner's 'Last Blasts.' Simms pointed out how John Abraham was whipping Bruce Armstrong 'all day,' battering Bledsoe and, when Abraham was hurt, Shaun Ellis 'beat (Armstrong) inside.' Simms understated: The Pats 'did not play with the desperation of the past two weeks.'
No kidding. Now 2-5, they draw Gus Johnson and Brent Jones for Sunday's Indy rematch. Fox feeds Ch. 25 a Rams-Chiefs and Redskins-Jaguars bill. ESPN, avoiding the World Series Sunday night, moves to 8:30 Thursday with Lions-Bucs.
Al no pal to Boomer
Not only did 'Saturday Night Live' have a hilarious blast at ABC's 'Monday Night Football,' carving everyone from Dennis Miller to awful Eric Dickerson, Boomer Esiason (now working well on radio with Howard David) ripped Al Michaels again.
'For some reason, people thought Dan (Dierdorf) and I didn't get along and now I know where that came from,' Boomer blared. 'It didn't come from Dan or I. It came from the other guy I worked with - behind our backs.' Ouch!
Short takes
FSNE has ex-coach Pete Carroll reacting to Jets-Pats on 'Hardcore Football' at 7:30 tonight. . . . ESPN2 will double up with Avalanche-Capitals and Blues-Wings at 7 tonight to capture Colorado goalie Patrick Roy trying to eclipse Terry Sawchuk's NHL-record 447 wins. Sean McDonough makes his ESPN ice debut, working St. Louis-Detroit with Brian Engblom. . . . The Bruins try to stop their two-game slide at Edmonton (NESN, 9:00). . . . Aside to ESPN/Ch. 5 Syracuse-BC analyst Jeff Bostic: There's no such word as 'freshmans.' . . . Fox Sports Net's NFL warmup is useless with eight guys on camera and four talking at once. Click!
