Football fans from President Barack Obama and LeBron James to Troy Aikman and Terry Bradshaw now say if they had sons, they wouldn’t them play due to the health risks.
The political protests by Colin Kaepernick and other NFL players have led some outraged fans to launch a #BoycottNFL movement.
At the same time time, Major League Baseball is bouncing back.
The underdog Cubs are the feel-good sports story of the year. The Grand Old Game has a boatload of telegenic young stars, from Kris Bryant of the Cubs to Francisco Lindor of the Indians.
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If you notice, there have been zero political protests by baseball players against the American flag/national anthem during the 2016 postseason. If the Cubs make it past the Dodgers to reach the World Series, Fox will nab the casual sports viewers who might not otherwise tune in for the Fall Classic.
The shifting fortunes of the two sports gives Major League Baseball the opportunity to reclaim its lost crown as America’s Pastime, according to Alex Rodriguez, who has worked as a studio analyst for Fox Sports during the past two postseasons.
“I will say for the first time there’s an opening,” A-Rod told me by phone before Game 2 of the National League Championship Series between the Cubs and Dodgers Sunday. “It’s up to us to take advantage of it.”
Sporting News also asked Rodriguez his thoughts on the 2016 MLB postseason, how to make baseball more watchable on TV and his future plans. Excerpts:
Sporting News: Who do you like to win the World Series?
A-Rod: In many ways, it feels like the Cubs invitational. It feels like their year. But I said this all along even before the postseason started: Cleveland went from good to great once they acquired Andrew Miller. To me he’s the X factor in this postseason. He makes the Cleveland Indians a very dangerous team. He neutralizes not only left-handers, of course, but he dominates right-handers as well because of his power slider. … He’s the best reliever in the game. Head and shoulders. He does everything right. Think about it. He gets lefties, he gets righties. He can pitch in the 5th inning, he can pitch in the 9th inning. He holds runners on. He fields his position. With all of that, he’s even better in the clubhouse. He’s a brilliant guy. Went to (the University of) North Carolina for a business degree. When you see his preparation … On long flights, you’d see him with his iPad, always studying video. Really early on, when he was my teammate (with the Yankees), I realized this guy is somebody you build an organization around.
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SN: Does MLB need to speed up games for viewers? There’s a lot of complaints about four-hour games and endless pitching changes?
A-Rod: I think (MLB Commissioner) Rob Manfred, (Chief Operating Officer) Tony Petitti and Tony Clark (Executive Director of the Major League Baseball Players Association) are leaders. They are very cognizant and sensitive to this issue. You have to be careful not to change too many things. There’s a romance about the game. There’s a cadence about baseball, that’s second to none. The one thing I would be careful with in September, with the games being so important, I would limit it to a 25-man roster. If you want to expand, I think the time to expand rosters is in April. The weather is cold. Guys are coming from a long winter. You’re able to protect pitchers’ health a little bit more.
SN: How does baseball attract younger fans sports leagues and TV networks obsess over?
A-Rod: I said on the air last night that, you know baseball is doing really well when you have Magic Johnson and LeBron James (attending games). … I think for the first time in a long time there’s an opening for baseball to attain some of our youngsters to play baseball. I think we’re going to take full advantage of it. The other thing for me, growing up, baseball was always No. 1. … I think with the leadership that we have in Major League Baseball, I think, I don’t know if its going to be three, five or ten years, I think we’ll be back to No. 1 again.
SN: Hold on. You’re saying MLB can overtake the NFL — and become No. 1 again?
A-Rod: Yes, I am bullish on it. … I will say for the first time there’s an opening. It’s up to us to take advantage of it.
SN: Why? Are you talking about the NFL’s falling TV ratings? And parents banning their kids from playing football?
A-Rod: I think you said it. … I’m not talking about other sports. I just feel very good about where our game is. The NFL is an incredible machine. And they have a great thing going. But so do we.
SN: It seems like you Pete (Rose), Frank (Thomas) and Kevin (Burkhart) have a ball on the set? Thoughts?
A-Rod: It’s like hanging with the guys. What’s fun for me is I get a chance to learn something every day. Every time Pete opens his mouth, I learn something. He has so much knowledge and wisdom. Frank as well, being a right-handed, power-hitting, Hall of Famer. It’s just fun.
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SN: What about doing TV full-time?
A-Rod: I haven’t honestly thought that far ahead. For me, the most important thing is for me to spend time with my girls (Rodriguez has two young daughters). It’s a great stage. You get to talk about the game that you love. We get to share it with the fans. To me there’s a responsibility to watch the game and convey what I see through my lens — and share with the great fans of baseball.
SN: What feedback are you getting from John Entz and Eric Shanks at Fox?
A-Rod: First, I love the whole Fox family. One of the reasons I’m back this year is they treated me with so much respect. Even though it’s a big company, you feel like its a small, boutique, family-oriented organization. That’s really what I enjoy most. They’re treating us great. All of us.
SN: Still, it must be strange to be a broadcaster after 22 seasons as a player?
A-Rod: It’s been a lot of fun. It’s been very humbling. I realize how difficult it is. How much homework you have to do. How much you have to prepare. I almost think it’s healthy for players early on to do an internship on the media side. So they understand how difficult and how important this job is. That way they can work better together. It’s something to think about in the future with our young players.
SN: Do you model yourself after any sportscasters?
A-Rod: This is only my 12th or 13th show. So I’m a rookie and a novice. But look, I grew up admiring the Joe Bucks, the Vin Scullys. Tim McCarver was one of my favorites. I grew up listening to him, Ralph Kiner and Kiner’s Corner when I was a young lad in Miami. But I would probably have to say Joe Buck is my favorite along with Vin Scully. I also like Michael Kay (play-by-play announcer for the Yankees’ YES Network and host of an ESPN radio show in New York).
SN: A lot of former players flop on TV. They can’t speak in sound bites. What’s your key to success?
A-Rod: That’s the challenging part. You have to be concise with your thoughts and clear. I marvel at a guy like Kevin Burkhardt. I mean he’s our point guard. He’s a rock star in so many ways. I think he’s the engine of our show. He makes us go. When you’re with a guy next to you, that’s so talented, you try to learn as much as possible. What I marvel about him is his preparation. The way he reads. It’s a lot of the same attributes you have as a ballplayer. You have to prepare and do your T-work, your batting cage work. That’s the kind of stuff I’ve learned that guys like Kevin do.
SN: So you can’t just wing it on TV — no matter who you are?
A-Rod: That’s just not my style. I’ve always been a guy that really enjoyed the process. My process is to be prepared.
SN: You have 696 career home runs. Will you put on a uniform again — and go for 700 dingers next season?
A-Rod: Right now, I’m just trying to fit into my suit. My daughters want me to dress up as a Yankee for Halloween. That could be an option. Right now, I haven’t thought about it. I’m having a good time. I’m enjoying working with (Yankees) general partner Hal Steinbrenner. I’m taking that job very serious.
