Could Mark Cuban Boost ABC’s NBA Finals Ratings Via His Blog?

Maybe, maybe not. But we’re not the only ones rooting for the Dallas Mavericks to beat Shaq and the Miami Heat in NBA Finals based solely on its outspoken owner and Webby Award-winning blogger Mark Cuban.

Writes Hammock Publishing’s Rex Hammock on rexblog:

I have a team to cheer for — the Mavericks: For someone like me who is not a fan of NBA basketball (I retired from following the sport along with Michael Jordan/Larry Bird/Magic Johnson) … This is definitely the first time I’ve become a sports fan because one of my favorite bloggers owns the team.

And ABC, which will broadcast the series beginning Thursday, could use any blog-related buzz-building it can get. Ratings have been “lukewarm” for the playoffs this season because most of the games have been broadcast on ESPN, and last year’s ratings for the finals were down sharply.

EARLIER: Webby Winners: Google, Flickr, MySpace, NPR, Cuban, Friedman

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