Nats Draw 9,000 Local HHs For TV Broadcasts

No matter how one looks at it, the Nationals have had a rough ’08 season to date. The team currently has the worst record in the majors, stars such as Ryan Zimmerman have missed considerable time due to injuries, and now comes the news that the club has the lowest average TV ratings among all MLB teams. And the actual figures are somewhat astounding -- an average of just 9,000 HHs tune into the team’s games on MASN. That is less than one-third the average number of fans who are attending Nats games at their new ballpark on the banks of the Anacostia. Some critics are throwing the blame on the Lerners for focusing on “stocking up for the future.” However, others say MASN has "treated the Nats as the ugly stepchild from the get go.”

Georgia Still On His Mind 
Former Turner Sports President Mark Lazarus heads back to work with Career Sports & Entertainment. 

Family Dollar 
Druckenmiller could buy Steelers shares from several Rooney brothers as soon as next month.

Orange Peel Out
JGR lets Tony Stewart out of contract, paving way for Stewart Haas Racing in '09.

You Can Look, But Don't Touch 
NBC to offer record 3,600 hours of Olympics coverage, but controversy surrounding China likely leading to disappointing ad sales.

Do You Believe In Magic?
NBA team unexpectedly sells out all suites for new arena in just three months.

Running On Empty
ISC blames economy for 6.6% drop in attendance revenue during Q2.

Tube Top 
ESPN offers free TV exposure to mag advertisers in effort to slow decline of ad pages.

Continental Drift 
High school hoopster Jennings shuns college for Europe -- is it the start of a trend?