A contributing factor is the absolute iron grip on the trademarked terms, such as World Series and Super Bowl, where every media outlet is 100% forbidden under pain of waterboarding, lest they utter these two words in proximity, whether for free or to promote a party or product or gathering event.

So ultimately, you wind up with a media environment where nobody but the licensee is willing to admit that these enormous sporting events exist. Of course, the licensees themselves are sending a firehose of coverage by every available medium, and those who are in-the-know, and wealthy enough to subscribe, are hanging on the every word of ESPN, ESPN2, and ESPN9 with the play-by-play.

You can be sure that my father was watching every pitch and every out from his armchair, until his beloved Padres got left behind, yet again. San Diego Padres are another franchise that has never won a World Series. They are joined in the record books by the Rockies, the Mariners, and of course, the Tampa Bay Rays.