The Yankees can’t win anywhere.
On the field Sunday night, the Red Sox finished off a sweep of the Yankees with a 7-5 win at the Stadium. On television, Game 1 of the Heat-Bulls NBA Eastern Conference Finals on TNT beat out Yankees-Red Sox on ESPN.
According to Mediabistro’s Fishbowl NY, Heat-Bulls drew a 3.4 rating in the New York metro area, (676,000 viewers; according to Nielsen).
Yankees-Red Sox came in at 3.2 (647,000).
These numbers are significant for the NBA; LeBron James and Dwyane Wade teaming up with the Heat has produced the ratings they hoped for when the move was announced. To beat the Yankees in New York at all is surprising, to beat them when they are playing their biggest rival is stunning.
The game also was the most-watched NBA game in cable television history, with a 6.2 rating nationally. It’s 11 million viewers topped the 10.8 milion that watched Michael Jordan’s final All-Star Game appearance, in 2003.
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At this point, most know to take anything WFAN’s Craig Carton says with a shaker of salt.
But as a listener, it is frustrating to hear him constantly represent opinions as facts. All Tuesday morning, Carton blathered on about how the Mets intentionally tried to get Monday night’s game against the Marlins cancelled because they would be facing ace Josh Johnson.
The rain delay at Citi Field lasted an additional 80 minutes because as the Palm Beach Post explains, “The tarp wasn’t securely put on the field Sunday night and a hard rain made the field soggier than usual.”
That makes sense, but it doesn’t make for exciting radio.
Carton pointed to Johnson’s success against the Mets and the fact GM Sandy Alderson was out on the field checking to see if it was suitable for play. It’s not like the Mets have had any injuries lately, so there is only one logical explanation: The fix was in.
Maybe it was a joke, but it was the longest, least funny one I have heard in a while.
In other news: Carlos Beltran hit Johnson on purpose with the one-hopper that ended his night. The Mets struggle against Johnson, so that makes sense, right?
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Friday night, SNY’s Keith Hernandez had a great call.
With David Wright batting in the bottom of the eighth and the Mets trailing the Astros, 4-3, the camera showed Houston catcher Humberto Quintero calling for a changeup from reliever Jeff Fulchino.
“Changeup? You’ve got to be kidding me,” an incredulous Hernandez said.
Wright then belted the numbers-high changeup over the left-field fence to give the Mets the lead for good. Afterward, Hernandez explained Wright had not been able to get the bat head out all night, so why make it easy for him?
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Nets coach Avery Johnson returned to the ESPN studios — where he served as an analyst from 2008-10 — Tuesday morning.
“SportsCenter” host Chris McKendry asked him about the Nets possibly acquiring Magic center Dwight Howard. Johnson wasn’t biting.
“No comment. Who is that?” said Johnson, who picked his former team, the Mavericks, to beat the Thunder in the Western Conference Finals.
