They Like Us! They Really Like Us!

Or so says the press release (hat tip, sports media watch)

ESPN’s Major League Baseball Opening Night telecast – Atlanta at Washington on March 30 in the debut of Nationals Park – averaged 2,700,000 households and 3,656,000 viewers to become the most-viewed Opening Night ever on ESPN networks. The previous record audience was St. Louis at Cincinnati, April 3, 1994, which averaged 2,595,000 households and 3,612,000 viewers.

I remember that game. Mr. Control, Bob Tewksbury started against our very own Jose Rijo. They very first batter of the game, Ray Lankford, took Rijo deep. Bowden put together a hell of a lineup there: Bret Boone, Roberto Kelly, Joe Oliver? What's not to love?