Hockey is Not the Only Sport Plagued By Random Interruption

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Let's talk baseball and FOX for a minute here.

Here's the scenario: You're watching MLB on FOX yesterday afternoon. After a rain delay, the Yankees/Red Sox game is finally back on. The Yankees are down by one but are batting in the 9th inning. There are two outs. Robinson Cano is batting and the count is 3-2. The bases weren't loaded, but that would have been too perfect.

At that moment, FOX cuts to a NASCAR race. You have to frantically find FOX's sibling, FX, to see what happens in the baseball game. As you angrily curse the heavens, what is your next course of action?

A) Throw your remote through the TV and then cry when you realize you can't find FX because your TV is busted.

B) Torch FOX's corporate headquarters.

C) Remind yourself that it's not that big a deal because it's just baseball in April.

There's not really a right answer here, it really depends on who you are. Baseball fans will likely opt for A, while hockey fans take C and B is left for the anarchists. Different people will have different answers, but I'm sure those folks over in Baseball land aren't too happy right about now. If I know a thing or two about baseball, and I like to believe I do, Yankee fans and Red Sox fans are two of the largest and most passionate fanbases in American sports. If I know a thing or two about sports programs being preempted, and I know all of us hockey fans do, these are two really, really ticked off fanbases right now.

Now I'm a firm believer in karma. Greg Zanon should be too after yesterday's game. You shouldn't get too worked up about things because, in the end, things tend to unfold as they should and everyone gets what's coming to them. After a nice shot across the bow this week from MLB, I think it's ironic that FOX pulled the sport off the air, just like it was a hockey game (remember this time last year and NBC?).

The money quote from Mychael Urban, resident closed minded writer for MLB.com:

Does the U.S. media have an East Coast bias? Sure. Our country was founded there, as were all of the big-time sports leagues. (Save your e-mails, hockey fans. We’re aware that the NHL was founded in Canada. We’re also aware that you aren’t “big-time” until your TV ratings top those of “Golden Girls” reruns on Lifetime.)

The low down on exactly what happened: FOX Cuts Away From Baseball for NASCAR...Hockey Fans Smile

And yes, despite the barbs, I do feel bad for all the disappointed baseball fans out there. It's one thing to get preempted for horse racing. It's another thing altogether when you are replaced by NASCAR. That's a really low blow.