Published July 28, 2010

Empty seats at Fenway Park (Eric Kilby/Flickr)

Dustin Pedroia, NESN, Jacoby Ellsbury, WEEI…

The Red Sox have suffered devastating injuries this year. And now, with the team stuck in third place in the division, can we add Sox broadcasts to the injured list?

After six straight years as the top local baseball broadcast, Sox games on NESN are ranked fifth this season. According to analysis of Nielsen Media Research data by the SportsBusiness journal, NESN’s Sox ratings fell 35.8 percent since last season.  Radio isn’t immune to the drop either: WEEI’s Sox broadcast ratings are down 16.5 percent.

Do Bostonians not care anymore? Are we — gasp — fair-weather fans?

Most of Boston media seems to think so: NECN proclaims the “death of a ratings dynasty.” WBZ asks, “Have the Boston Red Sox jumped the shark in New England?” Masslive.com trumpets, “Red Sox Nation appears to be tuning out…”

Could it be the Sox’s early-season ratings were hurt by long postseason runs by the Celtics and Bruins? Or maybe we were consumed by the World Cup? Or maybe it’s just that the Sox have lost marquee stars to injury?

Just as teams can’t win World Series titles in July, the rankings battle isn’t over until the playoffs start. If the Sox make a strong run toward the postseason, rest assured they’ll be the No. 1 topic in the Dunkin’ Donuts line and that WEEI’s and NESN’s advertising coffers will be overflowing.

Hey! The Patriots open training camp tomorrow! Football is back, baby!

Published July 28, 2010

With as many as five more shark sightings off Chatham — including a Great White that was caught, tagged and released on Tuesday — I’ve updated Hubbub’s summer 2010 shark map.

I have a question for all you fishermen and women out there: Why does the reported length of sharks vary?

I understand that a spotter in a plane has to make an estimate. But in three cases this summer, a shark was actually caught and measured. The Gloucester crew nabbed a Great White of six to seven feet. The Rockport fisherman caught a Thresher shark of seven to eight feet. The catch in Chatham yesterday was 12 to 14 feet. That’s a margin of error of two feet!

Published July 28, 2010

Is Rhode Island on a nefarious mission to chip away at our state coffers?

First we got news that Sen. John Kerry docked his new yacht there, a tax haven for boaters. After the manufactured uproar, Kerry has voluntarily agreed to pay about a half-million dollars in taxes to Massachusetts. Take that, Rhode Island.

The Herald as-sails the senior skipper this morning and quotes state Republicans who say Kerry voters will jump ship. Bostonist has a roundup of the important work Kerry is doing, overshadowed by recent controversies.

Meanwhile, former Red Sox pitcher Curt Schilling throws a change-up and moves his video game venture, 38 Studios, to Rhode Island, promising 450 new jobs there. C’mon, Curt. Rhode Island is the smallest state in America, it probably doesn’t even have 450 people. The Globe’s Hiawatha Bray reports on the reignited debate over business incentives in the Bay State.

Finally, it turns out Rhode Island and Massachusetts are among 19 states competing for a share of $3.4 billion in “Race to the Top” education funding. Rhode Island is asking for $75 million. Massachusetts wants $250 million.