Royals get some love...

by Cleveland on Apr 3, 2008 3:52 PM EDT

As alluded to in Will's maganimous open thread post, the Royals got some love on ESPN's Baseball Tonight. If you could call it love.

They mostly played up Banny's amazing start. However, they also got several Royals slights in. They mispronounced Soria's name "Joke-im" (he's been in the league a lot longer the Joba, but everybody corrected their pronunciation of his name!). How long has he been closing for us? They also made sure the story of the Royals winning two straight story didn't interfere with the BIG Pedro story. The Royals theft of Bannister is just a subplot with it's own chapter in the story of "What's Wrong With the Mets/Red Sox/Yankees Today."

However, leave it to a former Cardinal to coin this one: "Trey Hillman has these guys believing that they can win." Vina translated: "The Royals are playing way above their heads, and, by the way, they are losers." Now I have no problem with making note of Hillman's personable, positive managing style. But you can say "Trey Hillman's Royals are buying in to his philosophy," or, "Trey Hillman positive approach is reverberating throughout the clubhouse." But the negative assumption that somehow the Royals will inevitably collapse pervades the mainstream media - and predjudices their coverage - so I don't blame Vina as much as ESPN itself. Vina is just a hack, a jock in a suit.

Hack of the minute, Fernando Vina.

All in all, it was nice for the Royals to get 4:23 of fame, and I'm sure we'll get more tonight (three in a row!)! It will take some work - but the media will come around to loving the Royals as much as we do (but I'll settle for them just being fair).

Without further ado, judge for yourself what they had to say.

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Do you really expect...

...a former Cardinal---a St. Louisan---to give un-mitigated props to the Royals---THE team from the other side of the state? No way. Forget about it.

Vina wasn't a horrible ballplayer, but he just might be a mere jock in a suit.

Expect more of this as the season progresses. In fact, until we do it for at least two seasons in a row, we'll be called flukes, flashes in the pan, etc. And with a reforming skin-flint like Glass as owner, can we really expect praise from national media until we've shown some consistency?

In the meantime, we can't be thin-skinned fans. - TL

by timlacy on Apr 3, 2008 4:08 PM EDT reply actions

man it was fun ripping on Vina...

in his playing days...my homies and I would just sit and rip on him every game...the whole game sometimes we would just talk about how much of a DBag he was...Hollywood Vina fo sho...he overreacted to everything...that dude couldn't hit or field to save his ass...I'd rather have Berroa than that dude...but since he played his Mickey "Dandy Little Gloveman" Morandini card he overacted his way to who knows how many years in the Big Leagues, man every play would look like a highlight because he was so short and slow that he barely got to anything...and now a roster spot on Baseball Tonight...I mean surely you don't get it that good and not go to hell, right?

Don't be lonesome for your heroes. Be your own hero.

by PhattStairs on Apr 3, 2008 5:21 PM EDT up reply actions

I typically

brush off comments like this as coming from a person trying to be complimentary but not being intelligent enough to make a noncondescending statement.

Don't Stop Believing!

by KC Chris on Apr 3, 2008 4:09 PM EDT reply actions

I really think it was all positive

Sure, a lot of it was about meaningless cliches, but they were positive comments. You couldn't really ask for anything more. I guess you could ask for deep, meaningful insight, but we're talking about BBTN here. The TV talking heads aren't going to give you much in the way of insightful analysis.

They give the Royals a lot of attention and heaped praise on us. I'll tip my cap to them for giving us proper credit for a good start.

I probably disagree with you.

by Scott McKinney on Apr 3, 2008 4:16 PM EDT reply actions

For sure: There's no...

...such thing as bad press. They'll get the names right eventually---so long as we keep it up. - TL

by timlacy on Apr 3, 2008 4:20 PM EDT up reply actions

none of them have done their homework

seriously call any tv or radio show that's not from KC or SGF and they don't even know who's playing in blue these days. seriously, try it, all they say is 'man, david glass has you by the balls' or 'wow, TPJ has elf ears' and that's about it. 'member when Detroit came out a few years back and stopped being the worst team ever? if you're waiting for the national media to show us love.... you must have just joined the blue legion. welcome! we make our own coverage.

The first thing I know about someone in a KC hat is that they're loyal.

by grantfunk on Apr 3, 2008 4:18 PM EDT reply actions

Can't really take Vina's comments seriously

Since they were probably enhanced through illegal PEDs.

Relive Royals History at royalsretro.blogspot.com

by RoyalsRetro on Apr 3, 2008 4:22 PM EDT reply actions

I'm at the point where I don't care anymore

All national sports media are going to play their coverage to the biggest markets, because they are businesses. They are interested in maximizing income. And you do that by focusing more on the teams with the largest fanbases. So of course the Yankees, Red Sox, Cubs, etc. are going to get the most attention.

I don't really care. I just want the Royals to win. I wouldn't mind too much if ESPN underrated the Royals all year long. It's nice to get credit every now and then, but I don't look to ESPN or national sports media for any validation. Usually, it won't be there.

I probably disagree with you.

by Scott McKinney on Apr 3, 2008 4:22 PM EDT reply actions