I feel that I have a pretty good understanding of how networks choose to televise NFL games. Home market games are always on in that market, interconference games are on the network of the away team etc. But I will never understand why some time slots are blocked out. The 506 makes broadcast maps every week for NFL coverage, and as soon as I see it I check it over to see what games will be broadcast here in NYC. This is a week that CBS has two slots and Fox one. Yet here in the Big Apple we have nothing on CBS at 1, and the Jets at 4. Are you telling me San Diego-Buffalo wouldn't play in this market? Would Jet fans not sacrafice the first few minutes of their game to see a potential great finish involving a team one game ahead of them in the standings? At least my Broncos are on Monday night, so I know what I'll get with that.

We Will Have a Seventh Game

I wanted to title this post Big Blame James, but that wouldn't be appropriate. I thought of that witty play on Big Game James in about the 3rd and secretly hoped Shields would blow it so I could have it before the papers. All the credit in this must go to the Red Sox pitching staff. Only four hits given up in the game and the bullpen only allowed two base runners in four innings. Varitek broke out of a slump and threw out a base runner. I give credit to Beckett for that caught stealing, as he hung a curve basically making it a pitchout. Either way the Sox were able to get the ball to the pen with a lead.

Jeers go to TBS. Not getting on air for the first pitch is excusable if there was a power outage at the last minute. Being involved in live broadcasts of games, I understand what can go wrong. But man there was still some goofy stuff. Ron Darling refered to pitcher James Shields' cousin Aaron Rowand as a "hard nosed player." You may remember Rowand had a pretty soft nose a few years ago. I know he is a good player, but the first thing I think of when he is mentioned is his catch and crash.

Later in the game TBS showed a graphic with the title "Stolen Bases in the Postseason vs. Catchers" I waited the rest of the night to see how the stolen base attempts against the other eight players go.

Later still Chip Caray broke one of the rules of play-by-play, follow the ball. He said a foul ball went "back our way, into the seats." After the next pitch they had a replay of the ball getting stuck in a catwalk. Back your way, yes. In the seats, no. I'm glad there is only one more game with TBS, even if it does mean we have Buck and McCarver.

TBS, really?

Steve Harvey just had a heart attack. Not in real life, I checked Wikipedia and he is alive and well. TBS is showing an episode of the Steve Harvey Show because they've had a power outage at headquarters in Atlanta, and they can't get the feed of the Game 6 between Boston and Tampa. When I lose power at home we gas up the generator, wheel it to the back of the house, and plug it in. Not that hard. Luckily I have XM radio, so I can listen to the Boston radio guys describe Bossman Junior Upton hit his 7th postseason home run into the catwalk to give the Rays a 1-0 lead. At this rate we might get to see every episode of the Steve Harvey Show.

I've been thinking about starting to blog (again) for a while, and this seems like a great reason. I'm sure I'll have some reaction to this game later.

(Update) At 8:29 TBS breaks into the Game.