As Jason and I discuss in episode 3, the 2000 NLCS had quite a bit of hype attached to it before the series began, with folks anticipating a hotly contested battle and a revival of the 1980s Mets-Cardinals rivalry. Neither of these outcomes materialized, but this clip from the pregame show prior to game one of the series should give you an idea of how the matchup was viewed just before the festivities began.
The centerpiece of the Jason and I watched was, of course, Rick Ankiel’s tragic meltdown. Some maniac posted the whole grotesque event to YouTube, in two parts. You may watch that below, if you dare.
Also posted: Ankiel’s even more troubling appearance late in game 5 of the 2000 NLCS. Jason was at this game and told me he felt more discomfort than glee where he sat at Shea. Unfortunately, you’ll hear far more schadenfreude in this clip. Anger and derision will always be louder than quiet discomfort, I’m afraid.
The 2000 NLCS aired on Fox. So that you may have an idea of what the Fox Sports experience was like in 2000, here is an assortment of promos for various Fox programs that aired during the series. You’ll see a really weird NFL on Fox commercial involving claymation Terry Bradshaw and Howie Long torturing a young Randy Moss. You’ll also see ads for shows like, The Simpsons, Ally McBeal (briefly starring a pre-reboot Robert Downey Jr.), The X-Files (Mulder’s missing!), Dark Angel (babyface Jessica Alba!), and Normal, Ohio (John Goodman is gay!). Sprinkled in are commercials for Police Videos and some local news teasers.
Finally, here is a potpourri of regular ol’ commercials that ran during the 2000 NLCS. This assortment includes Phil Jackson making online trades and stringing along Kareem Abdul Jabbar, an Avis spot that may or may not feature a young Christina Hendricks (but probably not), the angriest and dumbest mobile computer ever, a proto Wii with many wires, a trash-talking milk carton, Michael Jordan’s sass-talkin’ caddy, and extremely violent ads for Corn Flakes and Tivo. Enjoy!