Chalk this Bias Up To Whom?

Having roots growing up on the East Coast until 1979, whenever I heard a news story break along the lines of sport, I never thought twice about how much pull a large market like L.A, Chicago or New York happen to have for their local teams. For those of you whom aren't in the know the market breakdown for the top five cities in the U.S. are 1.New York 2.Los Angeles 3.Chicago 4.Houston and 5.Dallas...

Now fast approaching six years in the Metroplex area, it bestills me how the powers that be (ESPN, FOX, CNN, MSNBC) tend to let their news lead with stories that emanate from said larger markets. Do you really think that any Texas team will be the top story if Kobe sinks 81, or the Red Sox and Yankees are battling, or if Ozzie Guillen has a 'moment'?

Before going any further this isn't necessarily a rant against the TV folks, although I do wonder how the news would have lead if the ballplayer I now call into the post played in New York or L.A...

Last week I saw first hand a newly revamped San Diego Padre team take two of three from the Texas Rangers. In the two games won, each should have counted as a loss. Back to last Tuesday, there was a Don Denkinger-like out call made on Gary Matthews in the 9th inning. THAT was bad enough, but not as bad as what Mark Teixeira then had to accept...

A high flyer that hugged the foul pole that should have been a walk-off blast was ruled foul. Buck yammered on the umps for a few moments and the umpires even huddled to discuss. Replay proved inconclusive, thus a Ranger loss and three lost RBI's for Tex. The next night a hit by Tex should have scored Michael Young except the ump felt that Mike never touched home. Another blown call! I saw the replay later and man I got pissed...then I had to let it go.

You might think that nothing could top that much injustice or unfairness for one team, right? Wrong! Monday night in the Bay area, another rally started by the Rangers, bases loaded, Mark Teixeira slams a liner down the right field foul line-IT HIT THE &*#$ING CHALK!!!!! Closest ump to it called it foul! I wasn't alone on this one. TV guy Tom Grieve went ballistic and I do not blame him.

Tex has been showing signs of a power surge after a very uncharacteristically slow start. In the space of six days 2 hits and seven ribbies have been denied. I found it more interesting that the sportschannels didn't even make that one of the five top stories. If Mark Teixeira was a Yankee, can you imagine the outcry? Hell, when Billy Martin was a skipper, we always saw the blow up and the ejection replayed over and over. One year ago this week, Kenny Rogers had his camera run-in and the media played it over and over and over and over...THAT was newsworthy!

Apparently if you are an athlete that plays in the state of Texas, are a nose to the grindstone sort of player, don't get in trouble with the law, don't wear blus and silver, don't have an entertaining but controversial owner leading you, or provide outrageous comments to the media, you'll never get acknowledged first on a news night as that isn't sexy. It doesn't lead because it doesn't bleed. That's too damn bad.

I know, I know, the Cowboys are immune from this because of Terrell. Wait until the first time T.O. gets screwed on a call! Oh, the outcry, oh the unfairness of it all, if only TO was on a New York team...

Whatever Tex's homer/hits total is when 2006 ends, it shall be the two that he hit legitimately sans HGH, steroids, meth, coke, THC, LSD, a gambling inquiry, a stripper posing as a wanna be wife (take that Anna Benson), or even income tax evasion, that two umps (apparently their seeing eye dogs passed away prior to each game) made the wrong on.

Don't look now but 2006 is about half over. I look for an interesting second half.

Over and out in Big D

Mr Will