The TV ratings are out on the 2005 World Series, and they're the worst they've ever been. Before you write off the Fall Classic, though, think about this:

Despite rating so low in comparison to other World Series, the four games of this series were each the highest rated prime-time network programs on their respective nights.

So the World Series was the most popular show on television last week, but also the least watched World Series in history. I think what we have here is a commentary on the number of choices on television, not the popularity of the Series itself. Don't forget - the last time the White Sox were in the World Series (1959), most TV's had fewer than ten channels to choose from. The other two times they were involved (1917 & 1919), TV's didn't exist (but that's another story).

The other variable here is the fact that each World Series is not created equal. When the teams like the Yankees, Red Sox, Dodgers, or Braves are involved, there's a much wider "hometown" audience to draw from, which has got to boost the ratings. Heck - if the Cubs were in the series instead of the White Sox, I bet the number of viewers in Chicago would have gone up tremendously. So comparing TV ratings between World Series is like comparing homeruns in Yankee Stadium to homeruns in Fenway Park - apples to oranges...