Are the Philadelphia Phillies ESPN's Newest Obsession?

It seems like everyone hounds ESPN for having a love obsession with the New York Yankees and the Boston Red Sox, but lately, ESPN has been in bed with a new team: the Philadelphia Phillies.

From July 23 to Aug. 24, the Phillies will appear during prime time on ESPN five times, more than any other major-league team. Of the first four Sunday-night games in August, the Phillies have played in two of them and been featured during the week twice by ESPN.

Have the Phillies all of a sudden become the majors' most marketable team, or is the schedule a case of good luck for the Phightin's?

The answer is a mix of both.

The Phillies have four of the most marketable players in baseball. Jimmy Rollins has the constantly swirling media buzz around him with his outlandish statements about winning the division and recently calling Philadelphia fans front-runners.

Then there's Ryan Howard, a big-time masher who is always prime to belt a tape-measure shot.

Chase Utley is the most recognizable second baseman in the game, and he had, arguably, the best start for a second baseman ever to begin a season.

Finally, Cole Hamels, with his pretty-boy looks and devastating change-up, makes for a great opportunity to showcase pitching.

So, with all these superstars, is it no wonder ESPN wants to cover the Phillies as much as possible?

But at the same time, the Phillies have been downright awful since reaching their high-water mark of 13 games over .500 back in June. The team doesn't score and has played relatively uninspired baseball for two months now.

Chase Utley can't hit a lick, Jimmy Rollins hasn't played nearly well enough to back up his words, Ryan Howard continues to strike out, and Cole Hamels got his first win in over a month Sunday night.

So, if the Phillies were actually winning, it would be easily understandable why ESPN would be all over every chance to air the Phillies during their prime-time broadcasts.

Philadelphia keeps appearing on "the Worldwide Leader" because of the teams they are playing.

On July 23, the Phillies played the Mets in a series that featured the top two teams from the National League East.

The Phillies' next game on ESPN came almost two weeks later on Aug. 3, against the Cardinals in St. Louis. Ryan Howard's hometown? St. Louis. Both teams fighting for a playoff spot means another great game for ESPN.

Next up came the Dodgers on Aug. 11. Manny Ramirez vs. Phillies' superstars. Again, can't get a better matchup than that. The same can be said for the Phillies' next game on ESPN. The Phils play the Dodgers again on Aug. 24, which is another chance for ESPN to put Manny Ramirez on national television.

Finally, last night, Sunday, Aug. 17, the Phillies played San Diego. Yes, the same San Diego team that's 18 games under .500. The catch-22? Cole Hamels toed the rubber for Philadelphia and Hamels' hometown? San Diego.

The Phillies have four Sunday games in September, three of which are against current contenders (the Mets, Brewers, and Florida). So, it won't be too surprising to see the Phillies on Sunday Night Baseball at least two more times between now and the end of the year.