Archive for the ‘Bob Raissman’ Category
Too Much New York For The Rest Of The Country?
Posted by Anthony De RosaSeptember 22, 2006 at 3:45 pm
22 Sep
Bob Raissman, in The New York Daily News, reminds us how most of America tuned out of the last Subway Series as New York was in rapture, watching every pitch of every inning.
Even after the commissioner studied the ratings, they did not change.
And while the TV guys will spin, and try to rationalize their way into
believing a 2006 Mets-Yankees matchup would produce a better rating
than it did six years ago, they cannot change the fact that in major
cities across the United States there is an anti-New York stance.
It will only get deeper as the Mets and Yankees are hyped over the next
couple of weeks. In 2000, the Mets reached the World Series as a wild
card. The equation is different now. The Mets stormed through the NL
East. They, along with the Yankees, likely will be favored to make it
to the Series.
The two networks airing division series games - Fox and ESPN - will
play on this, showcasing both New York teams. In the early rounds, the
Mets and Yankees will produce ratings.
With its postgame coverage, along with “Baseball Tonight” and
“SportsCenter,” ESPN will be able to overexpose the Mets and Yankees.
Depending on how Alex Rodriguez is doing, you will hear the latest
A-Rod saga over and over and over again. You might even find out Pedro
Martinez is planning a postseason reunion with Nelson de la Rosa, his
tiny pal.
If the two teams continue moving toward a final showdown, the Joe
Torre/Willie Randolph angle will be pushed to the max. No doubt some of
these stories will start with the “Subway” commercials in which the two
managers appear together. By the time Oct.21 arrives, fans in places
such as Chicago, Detroit and Los Angeles will not want to see another
Cold Cut Combo.
They will be New Yorked out.
They also will be in no mood to see the gratuitous shots of Rudy
Giuliani wearing his Yankees hat. Or Jerry Seinfeld in Mets blue and
orange. The last time America got a look at these scenes, it turned off
the World Series - in droves.
Raissman wonders if it would be different this time around with a much
improved Mets team, and storylines such as the drama of the infighting
Yankees clubhouse, Randolph
taking on his friend and former skipper, and first time the two New
York teams have played each other in the World Series post 9/11.
There is a flip side to this. The situation for both the Mets and
Yankees is different than it was in 2000. The Mets are more formidable.
In 2000, they had one marquee player - Mike Piazza. Now they have
Martinez, Tom Glavine, The Carloses (Delgado and Beltran). The playoffs
also will give fans a closer look at David Wright and Jose Reyes.
The Yankees are in machine mode. And while the whole A-Rod story has
been beaten to death locally, it just might be the hook that intrigues
casual fans who are desperately needed to drive ratings.
While these angles might provide some hope of a bigger World Series
rating this year than the one in 2000, they will not inspire much
confidence.
After all, how many times can those who ain't exactly in love with us
New Yorkers stand to see those media types ask Randolph the same
all-important question.
“Willie, is it fresh toasted?”
Sphere: Related ContentBob Raissman gives kudos to Ron Darling for his open critique of Rick Peterson's tendancy to be long winded when working with his pitchers.
“No, I would not have liked that. It's hard enough out there in the
middle of battle worried about getting outs,” Darling said. “It's hard
to take in all that information.”
Darling said a pitching coach should limit his advice to a brief yap -
like letting a pitcher know if his front shoulder is flying open.
“A lot of information (like Peterson imparted to Maine) would've went
in one ear and out the other,” Darling said. “Your heart rate is up,
you're angry, and all those emotions are kicking in. And for me, I'm
trying to get rid of those emotions. I'm trying to get level-headed,
thinking about strike one (and) trying to get outs.”
Cohen: “Sometimes all you need is: 'Where are you going for dinner tonight?'”
Raissman goes on to say that SNY is a breath of fresh air for allowing opinions that don't toe the party line, much like the other network in town.
again show his strength in an area he explores more than most of his
peers - the psychology of the game.
Whether it be about pitching (in this case a pitching coach) or how a
manager should approach handling Soriano (he got into that topic
Sunday), Darling not only has provided original insights, but he has
helped to make SNY's Mets telecasts edgy and unique.
In today's New York Daily News, Bob Raissman's comments on Michael Kay losing it on 1050 ESPN radio, when someone told him it was poor baseball etiquette to mention a no hitter or perfect game was in progress. In case you missed it, Deadspin has the audio.
He also makes some funny comments regarding Chris “Mad Dog” Russo on WFAN going off about how Jose Reyes got a raw deal on his contract, suggesting Chris and his partner Mike Francesa compare their own WFAN contracts on the air.
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