Kevin Kennedy buried the lead on Game 2--telling us to 'forget' about the brown spot--Raissman

• (And the star of the show was director Bill Webb for getting the shot of the hand.)

"Judging by his comments following the Tigers' victory in Game 2 Sunday night, Fox's Kevin Kennedy did not know the network's ratings for World Series Game1 were down a whopping 25% from the 2005 Game 1.

• After Detroit's 3-1 win over St. Louis, Kennedy told viewers to "forget" about the brown stuff on the base of Kenny Rogers left thumb. Forget about it? There is no doubt that Fox suits, gathered in the network's bunker somewhere in the vicinity of Comerica Park, were choking on Kennedy's words.

If Kennedy, another brilliant hire by the folks at Fox Sports, had not shown up in his usual state of semi-consciousness, he might have realized this controversy, born of what looked to be pine tar on Rogers' hand, might bring new viewers (who translate into ratings points) interested in a soap opera into the tent.

• Yes, there are seamhead sellouts like Kennedy who deny "The Gambler" went to the mound intent on cheating. There are other purists and Pollyannas going gaga over this feel-good story of Rogers, a hot-headed stiff now finding 23 scoreless innings' worth of postseason glory. There is also an element - a big one - of the population that digs controversy.

This controversy could be quite fortuitous for the Foxies, similar to the lucky circumstance experienced by director Bill Webb. After years of using his World Series camera to transport pitcher's eyeballs and nosehairs into our living rooms, Webbie finally produced a killer shot - Rogers' brown hand.

And as soon as Fox aired that picture of Rogers' hand, following a first-inning walk to Albert Pujols, Tim McCarver broached the subject of "pine tar," which he quickly pointed out is an "illegal substance."

• There is another factor at work here. And it might explain the way Buck and McCarver handled this thing. While they are always free to express an opinion, the subject of cheating and baseball is a sensitive one. Usually, the talk is about steroids. Not pine tar.

If either McCarver or Buck wanted to hit the cheating angle hard, he would have been forced to put it in context of the entire topic.

See, cheating and baseball never go down easy.

Especially on the World Series stage.

No matter how many extra eyeballs a sticky hand brings to the tube."

From Bob Raissman's article, NY Daily News 10/23/06

• You're required to have no conscience and able to live with that knowledge daily in order to be a Fox TV guy, many baseball managers, and owners. It's just amazing to me how easy it is for them to do it. sm

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