If you weren’t watching last night’s Sox game, let me set the scene. Sox vs. Yankees. Yankees one up in the series. Score’s 4-3 Sox. A two hour rain delay that resulted in 4 false starts for Papelbon to close the game. Finally it’s the top of the 9th. He retired the previous 3 batters handily, including A-Rod, which is why he was brought out in the first place.
Cano’s at bat, full count, representing both the tying run and the end of the game.
Papelbon fires another one. There was drama and tension and then there were … cars. Driving in circles. And somewhere out in the universe, BASEBALL WAS STILL HAPPENING.
Yep. Fox cut to Nascar. Yes, they had been warning since the game resumed that we might have to switch to FX at some point. But who was paying attention? The game had begun at 3:30, it was now nearly 9. Papelbon was dazzling, the Yankees were a hair from losing, who’s thinking about changing the channel? AND IN THE MIDDLE OF A PITCH NO LESS.
I actually screamed, as I’m sure many people did. I shudder to think how close we came to missing it. Do you know how many channels there are to scroll through in the guide to even find FX? Particularly when you’re watching NESN HD, which is in the 800s, and FX is in the 20s or so? And what of the people who don’t have cable?
But, in the end, we found it just in time to see Cano’s last foul tip, then the groundout. Even had time to see Pedroia swoop in, which made me very happy.
But Fox, never again. And what was up with sending Nascar to a commercial right after anyway?? Stupid. Stupid stupid stupid.