A whole generation of young boys is studying every minute detail of the smooth swing of players like Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani — the bat at eye level, the quick toe tap as he steps into the swing and the hip turn.
But some of the commercials played between innings are contaminating the game.
On Thursday night, for example, actress Sydney Sweeney appeared nude in a minute-long ad. Using sports equipment — including footballs and basketballs — to cover parts of her body, she delivered the message that Novig is "just sports," with no predictions about politics, wars or deaths.
"Novig is just sports," she says in the ad. "So, they wanted to show just sports."
The company's stated point is that its platform focuses exclusively on sports, but critics, including female athletes, say the ad sexualizes women and reinforces stereotypes rather than celebrating athletic ability.
Some also object to using provocative imagery to market a sports prediction platform, while supporters view the campaign as playful and empowering.
Sweeney has defended the concept as a way to cut through advertising clutter with confidence, humor and a playful edge. But Dodgers outfielder Alex Call blasted his sport for corrupting the morals of its young fans.
American Family Association (AFA) Vice President Tony Vitagliano has noticed the same thing.
"Either my wife or I have to be in the room at all times with the remote on the ready, because when it's a commercial break, inevitably, it seems one of these ads is going to come on, and we have to turn it immediately," he says.
Megan Fox's Ro ad during MLB playoff broadcasts has also drawn criticism for its revealing imagery, and Republican California gubernatorial candidate Steve Hilton has faced backlash over a campaign ad featuring two women on a bed and using sexual innuendo to encourage voting for him.
Vitagliano says it is his job to protect his family, and he does not think he should have to shield them from sexualization during the seventh-inning stretch.
"Baseball is America's pastime," he says. "It should be a sport, and this should be a sporting event you should be able to watch with your family with no worries."
He does not think those ads are appropriate for anyone.
Editor's Note: The American Family Association is the parent organization of the American Family News Network, which operates AFN.net.
