After a couple of tornado sirens and some time spent tucked behind the protective walls of a bathtub with the family, I safely continue with our Pulitzer Prize worthy material. They have a Pulitzer Prize for blogs, right?
By the way, last night made me long for the days of my youth when the sirens only went off for actual tornadoes. I understand that technology allows us to be more proactive by detecting conditions that can produce funnel clouds. But the flip side is it creates a heightened sense of fear. Let’s face it, when the sirens are going off and you head for shelter it is somewhat challenging trying to convince your family that they don’t need to be worried. Better safe than sorry though. So I’d rather be a little tired then not have any warning at all. Pretty much a no brainer.
On to the Mets…
MLB Blackout Rules Bite
If you follow us on Twitter, you already know that I was blacked out from last night’s game which is complete horse shit. I’m not one to bitch and moan without justification so here’s why I want Bud Selig to forget about the Dodgers and the Mets for a second and look into this:
1. I am a subscriber of the MLB.TV premium package which cost me over 100 bones after tax. This is the reason why I am able to provide the amazing insight you can’t live without from over 700 miles away.
This is the best package you can buy into which should tell MLB I am a loyal fan and that I am here for them.
So why not show me a little love? After 30 plus years of watching baseball, it is clear I will not be converting into a Cubs or a Reds fan. So forcing me to watch their telecasts is an annoyance. As a subscriber to their best package I should be able to watch any game I want regardless of where I am in the country.
2. I am a reasonable man. Even if MLB wants to hold firm on forcing me to watch the Cubs or Reds telecast, I would be happy to compromise. So why not black me out of the SNY broadcast on MLB.TV only? I’ll suffer through Bob Brenly and the nameless play-by-play guy for three games as long as I get to actually see the game.
Back in the day when I was a wee Midwestropolitan, WGN covered every Cubs game. So this wasn’t an issue. I grew up with Harry Caray and Steve Stone which was a treat to say the least (in all seriousness).
Speaking of Harry Caray, I would be remiss if I didn’t share this with you. It never gets old….
“But what if it [the moon] were made of barbecue spare ribs? Would you eat it then?……..It’s not rocket science doctor, just say yes and we’ll move on.”
Today things are a bit different. The Cubs split their telecasts between WGN and Comcast Sports Chicago. My problem is I don’t get Comcast Sports Chicago and see absolutely no reason to shell out more dough for maybe three games all year. I’m trapped.
3. By now I”m sure I’ve brought you to tears because of my plight. It gets worse. Not only do I have to deal with this when the Mets play the Cubs, I also run into the same problems when they face the Reds. Somehow I live in an area that is subject to two separate markets. How in the hell is this possible? Pick one MLB!
The funny thing is that last night the Reds and the Phillies were on five separate channels. MLB.TV listed the Cubs broadcast as being on Fox Sports Midwest. Nope. They carried the Reds and Cardinals, along with ESPN, and every other channel I have that carries baseball games.
Here’s the good news. If I were a betting man, Fox Sports Midwest will probably show the Cubs telecast when the Mets play the Reds.
Normally, I make it a point to make the 90 minute drive to Cincy to watch the Mets in person. Maybe I’ll stop doing so.
It’s a sacrifice, but if I go, MLB wins. In their mind they will have effectively forced me to the ballpark even though the truth is I would rather be there than watching it on TV or my computer.
Enough whining.
How Did I Cope?
Due to the storms, listening to the voice of Howie Rose on my computer wasn’t an option. I followed the game on my phone by accessing ESPN’s Gamecast and monitoring Twitter. Interestingly enough, Twitter was much more reliable when I needed a speedy update. It also provided me with plenty of Carlos Beltran 60-70% jokes and Wilpon digs to entertain me through the weather.
As I followed the little yellow dots on the base paths and barrage of tweets, I decided to get frisky as the game carried on. I threw in my weather app into the mix. I watched the massive blob of yellow, red, and green fast approaching Chicago while the little yellow dots of Turner, Pridie, and Tejada kept singling in the top of the fifth inning. I thought to myself, “Surely, someone on the coaching staff knows they have minutes before Noah type weather rains down on them.”
Once the yellow dots stopped rotating around the bases I was surprised how many Met fans didn’t understand what consisted of an official game. Several “The game is official, let it rain!” tweets started flying in. Oh the humanity! They didn’t know the Cubs still had to hit in the bottom of the fifth inning before the game was truly official.
Fortunately, Dillon “The Innings Eater” Gee shut down the Cubbies quickly in the bottom of the inning.
What a night.
Midwestropolitan 