Baseball Is Not Dead, Yet Again: TRAINA THOUGHTS

Even labor strife during a pandemic can't take down MLB.

1. Sports fans spent a good portion of the pandemic writing off baseball for about the millionth time.

Players and owners fighting about details on baseball's return—and baseball's return being delayed waaaaay too long—turned off many people, who vowed they were disgusted with the sport, who vowed not to watch the sport anymore, who vowed to be done with the sport forever.

Of course, all of this was proved to be untrue, as is always the case when sports fans say they are going to stop watching something.

The Yankees and Mets played an exhibition game Friday night. The game aired on New York's two local sports stations, YES and SNY. Those two networks drew more ratings in New York than CBS, NBC, Fox and ABC combined.

Yankees-Mets earned a 4.4 rating and an 11 share last night in NY on YES and SNY combined.

For context, the four broadcast networks combined for a 3.9/10 in NY in primetime.

— Michael Mulvihill (@mulvihill79) July 19, 2020

Anyone who thought baseball was going to take a ratings hit this season because of the ugly labor strife is not paying attention.

One, sports fans are yearning for any live action they can get. Two, diehard sports fans as well as the fringe fan will be curious about how bizarre the games look with no fans in the stands and no high fives and all the other new coronavirus rules. Three, baseball fans can't go to any games this season, so the only way anyone can watch—whether they are a disgruntled fan or not—is to watch it on TV.

MLB's ratings will be very strong out of the gate when it kicks off the 60-game 2020 season on Thursday. 

And all of the whining and complaining about the sport that you saw on Twitter during May, June and July will be proven just to be noise. As is always the case with Twitter.

2. Speaking of fans threatening not to watch their favorite team, Mark Cuban has the right attitude.

3. The NBA is doing everything it can to improve bubble life for its players, including opening a barbershop.

The NBA is building a barbershop in the bubble. Bout to be like 2K 🤣

(h/t IG/bball) pic.twitter.com/M6dLGmpEa2

— Complex Sports (@ComplexSports) July 19, 2020

4. This is somehow a real thing and not an Onion story.

Jeremy Roenick claims NBC firing was anti-straight discrimination https://t.co/BSjvWS7D9U

— Variety (@Variety) July 17, 2020

5. The latest Sports Illustrated Media Podcast features an interview with TSN SportsCentre host Jay Onrait.

The very funny Onrait talked about highlight shows not being dead, how he's managed to do a highlights show for four months without sports, why his stint at FS1 from 2013 to 2017 was doomed from the beginning, what it's like to be part of an iconic partnership, dream podcasts guests, The Hangover and much more.

You can listen to the podcast below or download it on Apple, Spotify, Stitcher and Google Play.

6. RANDOM VIDEO OF THE DAY: This is not a Rick Roll. It's a legit video of Rick Astley doing a great cover of the Foo Fighters' "Everlong."

7. SPORTS VIDEO OF THE DAY: This Hail Mary, pulled off by the Falcons against the Niners in 1983, would have caused a Twitter meltdown if it happened today thanks to the great move by Atlanta wide out Billy "White Shoes" Johnson and the controversial call about whether he was in the end zone.

Be sure to catch up on past editions of Traina Thoughts and check out the Sports Illustrated Media Podcast hosted by Jimmy Traina on Apple, Spotify or Stitcher. You can also follow Jimmy on Twitter and Instagram.