> To be honest, I am a Miami Dolphins fan and have been one
> since 1983. The Patriots are my arch-rival, so, natuarally,
> I will root for whoever they're playing.
Obviously, your sports allegances are interfering with your postings. But so are mine.
> As for me, I think
> it's funny how Portland likes to think of itself as "North
> Boston", even though they're only 1/10 the size!
What other city are they going to look up to? Allegances in Maine are clearly with Boston; it's the largest city anywhere nearby, and it's also linked closely with Boston with the popular Downeaster train (plus bus and flights as well). Unlike your Hartford, or most other US cities, Portland is not between any two significant cities. While Boston is on the south, there are no metropolises to the north or near-west.
Media wise, the power of WBZ radio essentially forced 106.7 WMTW out of the news radio business (of course, there was the Nassau sale and competition from WGAN). WMKI and other older Boston station can be picked up into Maine on a good day, and WSBK was available on Time Warner Cable for many years. Remember the commercials for 106.7 with B&M factory workers shouting, "Boston doesn't know beans about Maine!"? Obviously there's no need for Boston media to, but Portland looks to it anyway.
> Speaking of
> Boston and WCVB-TV channel 5 carrying the game, did
> Hearst-Argyle tell WMTW's News Director to lead with the
> Patriots? These days, I live outside of Hartford and am glad
> that we at least get a Boston/New York sports split.
Was it wise for WMTW to lead with a Patriots story? If it was a slow news night, probably. As the Patriots are a team that most of New England is aligned with (excluding much of Connecticut and parts of western MA and VT), it makes perfect sense for the crowd-pleasing team to make the headlines. Especially when they're last in line with the real news, taking a general story like the Pats may attract some sort of audience.
> These days, I live outside of Hartford and am glad
> that we at least get a Boston/New York sports split.
Were you expecting Jets coverage on WMTW? Other than the fans of various national teams in Maine, you're not very likely to find fans of New York-based teams.