So last night the rumor came out that Alex Rodriguez’s wife is leaving him for Lenny Kravitz and the Internet almost blew up. Who would have thought any story could take away from the “Brett Favre Returns” story from Favre fellatist Chris Mortensen? A quick look at google trends shows that five of the top 10 searches on google involve Rodriguez and his wife (although my favorite trend comes in at #52 - watermelon viagra). I’ll grant you this is a pretty big story (I’m writing about it, right?) but if ARod still played in Seattle or Texas would this be this big of a story? Clearly if he played in Philadelphia it wouldn’t.

New York is the biggest city in the world, I get it. But for god’s sake just because they’re the biggest market doesn’t mean ESPN, and in turn the rest of the sports media world, has to cover them so much. When the Mets finally fired Willie Randolph two weeks ago it was the biggest story in the sports world. Remember, the Mets were in third place at the time of his firing. If the Phillies were in third place and fired Charlie Manuel it would be a huge story too … in Philly. But not nationally.

I actually got in an argument with someone about this when it happened. The other person said, “You’re telling me if Andy Reid got fired it wouldn’t be a national story.” Sure, sure it would! But Andy Reid has won coach of the year honors and has one of the best winning percentages of active coaches over the last eight seasons. Willie Randolph won one division title and was manager for a little over two seasons. Oh, but he was the manager in New York, and used to be a Yankee … I forgot.

Granted, if a professional baseball player (and future Hall-of-Famer) has his wife leave him, allegedly, for Lenny Kravitz it’s probably going to be a news story regardless of where he plays, but I doubt it would get this kind of coverage. Let’s look at some of the off-the-field coverage Philadelphia sports figures have received over the last few years. What has the national coverage looked like?

Aaron McKie gets arrested on gun charges — yawn.

Andy Reid’s kids are drug-addicted-losers — HUGE story … in Philadelphia.

Brett Myer’s allegedly beats his wife — well it happened in Boston so it’s a story.

Dont get me wrong here, I’m not saying any of these should have been big stories. But if Tom Coughlin’s kids were getting caught with a car full of prescription drugs, every reporter in Bristol would have a collective multiple orgasm.

Still, where else but New York could you have a report that a married player is hooking up with Madonna while his wife is shacking up with Lenny Kravitz in Paris. Seriously, people want to live in that city? Although to be fair, Philadelphia will probably turn into something like that if Kris “husband of Anna” Benson ends up making it to the big club. Between her and Cole Hamels‘ and Chase Utley’s wives I can see a story brewing.

Anna Benson will bang the entire Phillies roster (except Brett Myers for obvious reasons - chin vagina), Heidi Strobel-Hamels will be hooking up with Sebastian Bach and Jennifer Utley will be hunting on a ranch somewhere with Ted Nugent. Hey it could happen.

But if it does, don’t look for a huge story on it. Except in the Daily News, they’ll be on it for days!!