Rookie Mistakes

THE CHICAGO TRIBUNE demanded a change in personnel (MEMO TO TBS: BRING ON BARKLEY). The New York Daily News offered a marketing campaign (TBS: TOTALLY BLAND SNOOZEFEST). Perturbed by, among other things, the error-plagued work of play-by-play man Chip Caray (note to Caray: No matter how often you say it, the Yankees did not "lead the world" in home runs this year; the Brewers did) and clich�-happy studio analysts Frank Thomas and Cal Ripken, critics rightly eviscerated TBS's work in the network's first year as an MLB postseason broadcaster. "Everyone is certainly welcome to their opinion," Turner Sports executive producer Jeff Behnke says. "Have there been some things we need to look at? Of course. Overall, we are proud."

TBS, which has the rights to the Division Series and one of the League Championship Series until 2014, can crow about one thing. It averaged 5.7 million viewers during the Division Series, 26% more than Fox, ESPN and ESPN2 drew in '06. But ratings tumbled during the NLCS because of late East Coast start times and the anonymity of the Rockies and Diamondbacks. Game 1 had the lowest national rating (3.6) in LCS history.

Ratings aside, the network must improve several elements—starting with its studio show. Host Ernie Johnson couldn't engage Thomas or Ripken; the on-set chemistry was tepid, and TBS did bring in Charles Barkley, a star of TNT's NBA pregame show, to juice things up for Game 3 of the NLCS. TBS would be wise to give more airtime to Tigers outfielder Curtis Granderson, who was funny and insightful, the lone bright spot in the studio lineup.

TBS says it is committed to Caray—a mistake. Caray, a Braves announcer, sounded ill-prepared; as just one example, he incorrectly declared that Indians closer Joe Borowski (above) played for the Brewers and the Reds. And he did little to draw out rookie analyst Tony Gwynn. If TBS is to be one of baseball's signature networks, it needs a more compelling voice.

The Pop Culture Grid
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