One thing, though: they better make sure they fill it to the max. Otherwise the cameras will be certain to focus on empty seats.

TV directors love to do that—unless, of course, their network owns the rights.

As sportscaster Red Barber would find out.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Barber

On September 22, 1966, in a season in which the Yankees finished in tenth and last place under the ownership of CBS, their first time at the bottom of the standings since 1912 and after more than 40 years of dominating the American League, a paid attendance of 413 was announced at the 65,000-seat Yankee Stadium. [2]Barber asked the TV cameras to pan the empty stands as he commented on the low attendance. Although denied the camera shots on orders from the Yankees’ head of media relations, he said, “I don’t know what the paid attendance is today, but whatever it is, it is the smallest crowd in the history of Yankee Stadium, and this crowd is the story, not the game.”

By a horrible stroke of luck, that game was the first for CBS executive Mike Burke as team president. A week later, Barber was invited to breakfast, where Burke told him that his contract wouldn’t be renewed.

This week, I’m going to be on vacation and so I’m going to have the following passel of guest bloggers filling in for me beside of my regular co-bloggers, Dr. Melissa Clouthier, Van Helsing from Moonbattery, and McQ from QandO…….