By Lee Speigel

Oct 15, 2008 7:57pm

Major League Baseball Agrees to Fox’s Request to Delay Game 6 of World Series 15 Minutes to Air Obama TV Ad

In order to accommodate the half-hour TV ad Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., purchased for Wednesday, Oct. 29, Fox has requested and received permission to delay the 6th game of the World Series by 15 minutes.

The Hollywood Reporter and the Los Angeles Times report that Major League Baseball today granted Fox’s request to delay the start of the game from 8:20 pm ET to 8:35 pm ET.

Fox will collect an estimated $1 million in ad revenue. CBS and NBC have also agreed to run the 30-minute campaign ad.

In September, in deference to Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., NBC asked the National Football League if it could move up the game between the reigning Super Bowl champion New York Giants and the Washington Redskins from 8:30 pm ET to 7 pm ET. 

NBC was contractually obligated to air the game until its very end, even though it coincided with the last night of the Republican National Convention, and it wanted to make sure the game had concluded by the time McCain came to the podium to accept the Republican presidential nomination.

Nonetheless, RNC spokesman Alex Conant issued a statement assailing Obama for the move, saying, “It’s unfortunate that the World Series’ first pitch is being delayed for Obama’s political pitch. Not only is Obama putting politics before principle, he’s putting it before our national pastime.”

- jpt

User Comments

The bald faced hypocrisy of the McCain campaign is astounding.

Posted by: Ryan C | October 15, 2008, 8:04 pm 8:04 pm

lolz…

Posted by: Jimmy Dean | October 15, 2008, 8:04 pm 8:04 pm

smart smart smart…
republicans = dont have a chance this time around

Posted by: bah | October 15, 2008, 8:09 pm 8:09 pm

Fox needs the money. Their news division needs a complete overhaul.

Posted by: doug | October 15, 2008, 8:17 pm 8:17 pm

“…Not only is Obama putting politics before principle, he’s putting it before our national pastime.”
This is getting tiring. It seems that the Republicans can’t resist ANY opportunity to take a cheap shot. How quickly they forget how the NFL bowed to their request. They’re a bunch of whining losers.

Posted by: Rick | October 15, 2008, 8:18 pm 8:18 pm

“Fox needs the money. Their news division needs a complete overhaul.”
*Snort*

Posted by: Ryan C | October 15, 2008, 8:21 pm 8:21 pm

HERE’S A QUESTION FOR EVERYONE???
Anyone else notice that gas prices ALWAYS drop the month before an election?
I mean it’s like clockwork. It’s happened for at least the last three elections. And it’s not just a nickel.
I told my wife in April that gas prices would drop substantially in October…and they have. Just like they did the month of the Congressional elections.
Don’t worry though, they go back up within a month or two if history repeats itself.
Perhaps it’s just my perception, but it seems the gas companies would like us to forget about high gas prices when we’re voting. (And yes, I know there are other market forces involved. But it sure is a strange pattern)

Posted by: Election Fuel? | October 15, 2008, 8:23 pm 8:23 pm

Republican whining is really getting tiring. These people complain about everything.

Posted by: kevin | October 15, 2008, 8:33 pm 8:33 pm

I live in VA. (which may finally go blue)
EVERY McCain commercial I’ve seen on TV has been a negative attack ad. Every single one so far.
Obama has been running a majority of positive ads. He never even mentions McCain in most of them. I have seen one negative ad so far that attacks McCain’s tax plan.
From McCain, the ad that distorts an Obama quote about Afghanistan ticks me off the most. It’s so obvious they chopped the quote mid-sentence to change the meaning. I looked it up and sure enough, a blatenet attempt to change the meaning of what Obama said.
The Obama/Ayres ad is stupid, but it doesn’t bother me. I find the “dark, sinister” music kind of funny.
Do the Pubs think these ads will win over voters in this election? I think they’re using an old playbook and this is a new game.

Posted by: Obama/Biden - the only Positive choice | October 15, 2008, 8:35 pm 8:35 pm

Sarah Palin ruffled some feathers in New England last week when she praised the Tampa Bay Rays—the Red Sox American League playoff opponent—at a rally in Jacksonville.
“The people in this area know a little something about turning an underdog into a victor,” she said last Tuesday. “And we’re counting on you to help us do that Nov. 4th.”
Today:
“New Hampshire, I gotta tell ya, I am looking forward to the debate tonight right here in Red Sox nation,” Palin said here in Salem, which is about a 45 minute drive from Fenway Park.
“We’re just 20 days out from the election and it’s gonna come right down to the wire, and we’re counting on you because Red Sox fans know how to turn an underdog into a victor, and that’s exactly what you can help us do on Nov. 4!”

Posted by: Baseball Fan | October 15, 2008, 8:44 pm 8:44 pm

And just as McCain leaning as Fox, just what are you guys at ABC trying to insinuate? I mean hearing you guys were going to air Obama was just as shocking!!! You at ABC are no better!!!!

Posted by: ROC2341 | October 15, 2008, 8:44 pm 8:44 pm

btw ,just for a note.sorry to digress but…
“bald faced” lie or “bald faced” anything is an archie bunker type malapropism.
the correct phrase is ” Bold Faced lie”
even the writers on abc and nbc/cbs etc use the phrase “bald faced” incorrectly all the time , along with “jury rigged” when the phrase actually is “jerry rigged”, (that is pertaining to the use ,in ww2 by the germans ie;jerrys ,of many unofficial non standard issue types of field equipment ,particularly common with armor units/tanks/artillery such as extra gas tanks and extra armor,camouflage ,etc…the brits coined the term fighting against rommel in africa… “jerry rigging” because the germans had their standard tanks “rigged” up while on duty to be very different than stock…and much more deadly and efficient ) .you could properly say the us soldiers in iraq have been “jerry rigging” their humvees to make them better for the job .
and the term “pool shark” which was originally in usage as “pool sharp” to begin with in the late 1900s i believe but was misused/misspoken so commonly that the wrong usage became the day to day norm ,as is the case today with “bald faced” and “jury rigged”. so commonly are they misused they are now part of the american lexicon ,albeit incorrect parts.

Posted by: bah | October 15, 2008, 8:49 pm 8:49 pm

Short memories from Republicans, eh? This isn’t Obama’s fault: Fox could have ignored the ad and decided not to run it, but they wanted the money.

Posted by: matt | October 15, 2008, 8:57 pm 8:57 pm

Apples and Oranges, Jake
It was the Republican National Convention and McCain was accepting his nomination. The convention time could not be changed, and equal rights in this country demanded that his acceptance be publicized. It was a shock seeing a plain stage as compared to a $6 million dollar Democratic movie set. Still, had the times been reversed It would have been equally appropriate to do the same thing for Obama.
BUT a commercial? come on, what is important about a commercial. Give me a break!! Why that time? Why make people wait? Why that day? He could have selected any other. I, one of the middle class having a rough time now, find it arrogant.

Posted by: cynic456 | October 15, 2008, 9:01 pm 9:01 pm

Presidential.

Posted by: KenB, MI | October 15, 2008, 9:02 pm 9:02 pm

cynic456…HE WANTS YOU AND EVERYONE ELSE TO WATCH AND LISTEN …IF HE DID THE AD ANY OTHER TIME LESS PEOPLE WOULD BE SITTING READY TO LISTEN.
i think its genius and lots of people will be able to hear his ideas and visionary agenda that otherwise might not.shows how money hungry fox is too…lol!STABBED IN THE BACK BY O REILLY AND FRIENDS!!
E TU BRUTE? lol…
and anyway ,cry me a river ….so you have to wait 30 mins to watch a bunch of overpaid professional drug users liars and posers and cheaters…hey wait a second ,that sounds like the republicans might be on !!

Posted by: bah | October 15, 2008, 9:12 pm 9:12 pm

If the GOP had a million dollars left in their till they could buy and ad as well…

Posted by: electorama.blogspot.com | October 15, 2008, 9:32 pm 9:32 pm

Once again, he with the most money wins… (see also Bloomberg, Corzine,…). This is sooo wrong.

Posted by: Jim PA | October 15, 2008, 9:33 pm 9:33 pm

If the World Series is Tampa vs Philidelphis than no one is going to care about it. This shows you how big Obama truly is as I don’t see this happening and working out for any other candidate. Obama has changed the rules in this election when it comes to advertising and is going to win big because of it. It’s all about saturation and right now everyone is soaking Obama up.

Posted by: Rick | October 15, 2008, 9:56 pm 9:56 pm

Posted by: Rick | Oct 15, 2008 9:56:29 PM—–You’re right, Obama is the only one capable of change the rules and the network agreed to delay the game. Otherwise, they would have been branded as racist.

Posted by: TheBody2008 | October 15, 2008, 10:13 pm 10:13 pm

All this means is that money talks in the television business. Offer them enough money, and they’ll air whatever you want, whenever you want it. The relevant color in this story is GREEN. I think Obama should spread them out, by running different programs, 30 minutes each, with each running on a different network. for example, one every Monday and one every Wednesday. I will be interested to see what the content of the piece or pieces will be. I’m not surprised the Fox got MLB to agree to bump the time a little bit so Fox can make a few extra millions.

Posted by: derek jacobs | October 15, 2008, 10:51 pm 10:51 pm

Hey “Obama/Biden”–
You’ve never seen a negative ad from the Obama campaign? Are you living in a cave with Osama Bin Laden or something? Obama is running saturation-level attack ads on both radio and television. I could quote you the scripts of some of them, but why waste my time, you’re already convinced this phony Chicago machine politician is “the one”.
Get your head out of the sand!

Posted by: Rich King | October 15, 2008, 11:56 pm 11:56 pm

yeah Phiilies !!
Election Fuel?:
it’s not only gas prices that drop before an election but all the roads suddenly get repaved and fixed.

Posted by: Blue | October 16, 2008, 1:39 am 1:39 am

Stick a fork in it.. John’s done. The funny thing about all of this.. If John just comes off as a nice guy than he’d prob get some more votes but everytime he shows anger and incontinance it just hurts him. Why are republicans always so angry.. and why is it that none of them ever have a sense of humor.

Posted by: Vince | October 16, 2008, 3:11 am 3:11 am

Here we go again, there is something very interesting how American easily forget. Don’t get me wrong, this country is supposed to have the smartest people in the world, but when it comes to making blunders, it’s in a class of it’s own. I remember 4 years ago after Bush won, there was a big headline in one of the EUROPEAN PAPERS…..does anyone one remember what it said? It was a question about our dumbness. Many were quick to say it was non of their business, the question I keep asking myself is; why is Bush is all by himdelf in the approval ratings? where are all these smarties who gave him the WH again, just to vindicate him from the stolen election public opinion that lay over his presidency. I’m sure many Americans would agree that the Brits were right when they called us dumb then.
I was surprised in the last debate JM finally remembered to tell Obama that he is not President Bush, I wish he had hired me for his advisor, Obama has squeezed him into the Bush box for so long and he failed to use that line for so long. I think it was a little to late…Imagine if everytime Obama mentioned his name and tied him to Bush…had he remeinded that he was not Bush early enough, I CAN gaurantee you …Obama would not be where he is
OBAMA AS THE KEY TO THE END OF AMERICA….as we’ve known it for ages.
Now Foolish as we’ve become, NON of us can really see what is happening to our economy and why.
Have you asked yourself a question, why the dow tanks everytime Obama is going to take stage?
Have you asked yourselves why, the down has tumbled so rapidly since it started to appear increasingly clear that Obama might win?
How long has the dow stayed above 10000 even in tough times? WAKE UP PEOPLE ……VOTE OBAMA AND END YOUR DYNASTY. NO ONE IS GOING TO TRUST YOUR STOCKS, SECURITIES, BANKS, WALL STREET…YOU NAME IT …. with unknown like Obama on top, let alone his color.
Let just say this, copy and paste this posting, read it again in 2012 and point the fingure to yourself as the only one to blame becuase you voted for Obama’s movie. Soon as you vote for Obama, forget America as you’ve known it and start welcoming the RUSSIANS AND CHINESE as the new key players…by the way, Britain was once a super power…
I guess to the outsiders, Obama appears like Koffe Anan….yeah that UN SEC G….Imagine the respect Obama is gonna get from PUTTIN, and that Iranian Mad man….they are going to look at Obama as a chopstick…good things he already looks like one.
Oh, don’t be fooled, I’m dark than Obama…..but unlike these other stupid African Americans who have always cried foul, I’m not gonna be part of that racistic thinking that white vote for white and black must vote black…that’s going back to the very thinking that has kept us living in different neighborhoods in the same cities.
I THINK AMERICA SERIOUSLY NEEDS A WELL RECOGNIZED THIRD PARTY .But here is the good news, by the end of Obama’s first 4 years….things are gonna be so spooky that America will have no choice but to eradicate these parties and unify in order to stand up to CHINA AND RUSSIA…….Anyone who thinks that this coutry is in tough economic circumstances today, should just wait a few more months, it’s gonna get very , very bad in America…..becuase these are the last days of the Empire as we have known it.
THANKS TO OBAMA, the last president of FORMER UNITED STATES OF AMERICA….as we will be known in the years to come.

Posted by: Frederic Mugul | October 16, 2008, 4:17 am 4:17 am

Republicans are always angry because that’s the only way they know how to get what they want: being obtuse.
As for me, I’m stocking up on gas for when prices shoot back up to $5/gallon after the election. It’s funny how gas prices always drop significantly weeks before the past three elections… I wonder why. Perhaps it’s because the right is in league with the oil companies… hmmmmammmmm~

Posted by: Dan | October 16, 2008, 8:07 am 8:07 am

This is for Dan, my husband says the same thing about gas price. He has been in this country for more than 20 yrs, and he observed that the gas price always down right before the election and will be up again after the election. I hope somebody will bring this up and discuss it at length. Probably compile the gas price in the last 24 years and see how it is. You gave me an idea to stock up thqa gas too(:

Posted by: Basel20 | October 16, 2008, 8:14 am 8:14 am

Frederic Mugul – in your post you indicate that McCain has bladder issues? Is this true, and what does that have to do with the election?
MLB postpones play so that Obama can address the peasants. Bad enough that brand new Racine, WI public school textbooks have 15 pages on Obama’s “Life of Service”. Children: read about Our Glorified Leader!
Wake up America….WAKE UP. WAKE UP!!!!!!!!

Posted by: Interested08 | October 16, 2008, 10:00 am 10:00 am

Folks, ya can’t compare MLB delaying a game for a PAID TV AD to the NFL waiting for McCain to finish his nomination speech at a convention.
Two different things entirely.
And for folks who can’t tell the difference – if Obama wins and we become a Socialist nation, then you can look back and say “Why were we so blind? Why didn’t we see this Change happening? We thought it was just about a TV ad….”.
Obama TELLS us that he is going to CHANGE things.
Be careful for what you wish for, you just might get it.

Posted by: Interested08 | October 16, 2008, 10:10 am 10:10 am

Nonetheless, RNC spokesman Alex Conant issued a statement assailing Obama for the move, saying, “It’s unfortunate that the World Series’ first pitch is being delayed for Obama’s political pitch. Not only is Obama putting politics before principle, he’s putting it before our national pastime.”
=====================================
First pitch? In Game 6?
Someone clue Alex in, please?

Posted by: Deep Release | October 16, 2008, 10:17 am 10:17 am

Vince asks: “Why are republicans always so angry.. and why is it that none of them ever have a sense of humor.”
Because a sense of humor requires an ability to “get it.” They don’t.
Because for thirty years they have been taught by “leaders” like Limbaugh and Robertson that they are “victims.”
Because when they say someone hates America they are projecting their hate for groups of Americans who are different.
They need help, but the Republican philosophy prevents them from acknowledging it.

Posted by: ricky | October 16, 2008, 10:36 am 10:36 am

Obama campaign only asked for the 15 minutes and Fox could have said “NO” What’s 15 minutes the game could actually last much over the time limit anyway!! And if you think about it, the World Series could be over till then!!

Posted by: Anne | October 16, 2008, 11:02 am 11:02 am

I have a fan bias… but my money says the series will end before game six anyway.
And what’s with the quote from Conant? Yes Alex – learning about the candidates that are vying to lead our country SHOULD come before our personal entertainment and pass-times. Especially in a time of peril and crisis.
Could the grapes be more sour?

Posted by: Chance Randel | October 16, 2008, 11:25 am 11:25 am

Well gee–it’s OK for NBC to start a football game 90 minutes early for McCain and the RNC, but not for Fox to start a Series game 15 minutes late. What’s good for the goose should be good for the gander.

Posted by: Jan | October 16, 2008, 1:24 pm 1:24 pm

Phils in 5…problem solved ;)

Posted by: phillygirl64 | October 16, 2008, 3:01 pm 3:01 pm

Just air the got damn AD…and stop your whining…see that is exactly why McCain said “Americans are becoming a country of whiners.”

Posted by: Alisa B. | October 17, 2008, 1:09 pm 1:09 pm

I read that Obama’s campaign is paying $1 million for this spot.
In this economic environment that seems to me to be exceptionally poor judgement by the dems. And I was on the fence about voting for Barack but if he thinks that while we are bailing out Main Street and Wall Street its a good time for him to spend $1 mil on a TV spot – he’s NUTS. He just lost my vote.

Posted by: USA Resident | October 17, 2008, 7:45 pm 7:45 pm

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