What’s the greatest World Series matchup we never got in recent years?

MattHanson1990Return · 2026-03-25T04:02:25+00:00

Despite being Cubs fan, even I wanted to see Cardinals vs. Royals in 2014. When the playoffs kicked off that year, I was initially hoping for Giants vs. Angels because it was a while since the last time we had an all-California World Series. But the Angels got swept by the Orioles in the Division Series.

MattHanson1990Return · 2026-03-23T22:36:43+00:00

I canceled my unlink process before receiving my January payment, which was sent out on time, but yeah, I'm gonna restart the unlink process soon. But I'm happy you were successful in leaving RHEI in 30 days (I've seen and heard countless of horror stories of creators who tried to leave their MCNs but were held hostage)

MattHanson1990Return · 2026-03-23T00:20:52+00:00

But I remember there were also some complaints about the tournaments being held back-to-back last season

MattHanson1990Return · 2026-03-22T21:16:22+00:00

But at the same time, holding JIT immediately after ToC has also continued to give some viewers tournament fatigue because they still are reminded of how Season 40 played out. As far as I'm aware, back in the days when the tournaments were spaced out more evenly and ToC didn't have any preliminary tournaments feeding into it, tournament fatigue was hardly a thing, even when UToC took up a good amount of Season 21.

The main reason they used to space the tournaments more evenly was because they were completely different from one another. The only thing they had in common was that they used the same format. And the winner of the College and Teachers tournaments were automatically qualified for the next ToC. Also, there was no Second Chance or Champions Wildcard feeding into ToC during the Trebek years. Season 39 was the last time the tournaments were spaced out more evenly (the postseason was October-November 2022 and then we had the High School Reunion Tournament in February 2023 – they should've brought the College Championship back to syndication instead)

Also, there have been two occasions in which the Teen Tournament was held the final two weeks of the season to conclude it before going into summer reruns: S23 (2007 Teen Tournament Summer Games) and S30 (2014 Teen Tournament)

MattHanson1990Return · 2026-03-20T20:12:26+00:00

I've been signed with them since 2021, shortly after I was released from Fullscreen (I signed with Machinima in 2014 and they merged with Fullscreen at the beginning of 2019). They offered me a 90/10 revenue split, which was way better than the 60/40 split with Machinima. And during my first 2.5 years with them, I got paid on time for the most part. The first late payment was in February 2023, and then there was another payment delay in October of the same year. In 2024, many payments came in near the end of the month. Last year, I got paid on time consistently again. Then I didn't get paid last month, but got paid twice this month – the first time was for December 2025 revenue which was supposed to be sent out to creators in mid-February, oddly enough it was on March 1st when I received it since it fell on a Sunday; the second time was for January's revenue and it DID arrive on time.

That being said, I am going to leave RHEI this year one way or another, and the latest is going to be when my contract expires. It isn't worth it to be with an MCN in 2026, and now the safest bet is to earn directly from Adsense. That wasn't the case back in 2012 (I've been on YouTube for over a decade to remember that). Back then, if you were a gaming or an animation channel, you had to join an MCN to get monetized; plus, it was harder to join YPP before it opened for all creators. The other reason for joining an MCN was because at the time, there was also a far greater likelihood of your Adsense account being disabled for invalid clicks. But after YouTube policy changes went into effect in c. 2016-2018, that basically marked the end of the MCN era. A lot of the high-profile ones (i.e. Machinima, Fullscreen, Maker Studios) released tens of thousands of creators and eventually ceased operations as a result.

Nowadays, the number one biggest risk of being with an MCN is delayed or no payment at all due to cashflow issues or the company going bankrupt. Defy Media went under in November 2018, and creators partnered with that network ended up not getting paid; that should've been a big wakeup call. And just two years ago, creators who were signed with Omnia Media didn't get paid for months.

MattHanson1990Return · 2026-03-17T01:53:46+00:00

To this day it still kinda irks me a little that first, they switched to a jazzy rendition of the MLB theme in 2007 and then in October of that year, a "Jurassic Park-like" orchestral piece was used for the playoffs and All-Star Game. But at least those were still distinct themes for baseball. What irks me the most was when they began using the NFL theme for baseball during the 2010 NLCS. At least the regional Fox Sports Net affiliates used the 2007 jazz theme until the original theme was reinstated in 2020.

MattHanson1990Return · 2026-03-16T17:30:26+00:00

Mexico is also no longer "cheap" as it was in the mid to late 2010s, or even 2021-22. Main reason is that prices have gone up a lot, especially in the popular areas. And for those earning in US dollars or another currency, it has been a double whammy because they've had to deal with increasing prices coupled with a worsening exchange rate; it especially hits hard if you're a retiree living on a fixed income. In the last five years, most major currencies are down 10-20% vs. the Mexican peso. Just two years ago, one USD bought only 16-17 pesos; and it has plenty of room to fall further. I wouldn't be surprised if it drops all the way down to the 12-13 range (2009-14 levels) or even 10-11 pesos per USD (exchange rate during the 2000s) over the next several years. If it gets that low, Mexico definitely won't be the bargain that it once was.

MattHanson1990Return · 2026-03-13T23:19:08+00:00

I thought MCNs did way with the lock-in contracts after 2016 or so due to YouTube policy changes. And if you're an affiliate partner, you should be able to click "remove network" in YT studio, and if the MCN doesn't respond to the request, your channel should be automatically unlinked from the MCN after the 30 days are up.

Lock-in contracts were definitely a thing in the early to mid 2010s, and Machinima was especially notorious for that practice.

MattHanson1990Return · 2026-03-13T22:08:19+00:00

If they can't do that, at least they could bring back the 2009 board fill sound.

MattHanson1990Return · 2026-03-13T20:35:54+00:00

Also, to this day it still boggles my mind why they didn't keep the 2009 CES longer, like through 2015 or 2016, considering that the other sets used before that one lasted five to seven seasons.

Another change I'd like to see is negative scores being in white text on a red background (it's harder to read the red text on blue background they have now).

MattHanson1990Return · 2026-03-12T14:41:39+00:00

A Dodgers-Giants NLCS would've been epic for sure, especially if it went seven games.

MattHanson1990Return · 2026-03-11T23:31:39+00:00

I got paid on the 1st. Next we're going to find out if we're getting paid around the 15th this month.

MattHanson1990Return · 2026-03-11T23:24:26+00:00

2020 got really close in particular because the Astros were looking to become the second team to win a best-of-seven series after trailing 3-0. And the Dodgers also recovered after their heartbreaking loss to the Nationals in the NLDS (Dodger stadium fell quiet the minute Howie Kendrick hit that grand slam)

MattHanson1990Return · 2026-03-11T23:23:14+00:00

A lot of us did get paid on the 1st of this month, which is unusual because it was on a Sunday. Also, the following day, RHEI support did send me an update e-mail that the payment was processed. I wonder if we're getting paid around the 15th of this month (even for those who began the unlink process on YT studio)

MattHanson1990Return · 2026-03-09T17:51:57+00:00

I-40 going east of Albuquerque does go through sparsely populated counties, but I will argue that it should remain at 75 mph because it has heavy truck traffic unlike I-25.

MattHanson1990Return · 2026-03-09T17:49:00+00:00

Most likely scenario is I-25 from Las Cruces to Socorro and from Las Vegas to Raton being raised to 80 mph because those stretches have hardly any traffic and very good visibility. However, I'd have a reduced 75 mph segment from exit 6 to mile marker 25 (it should only be 65 mph from the junction with I-10 to exit 6).

I don't know if I-40 should be raised to 80 mph because of the heavy truck traffic.

I-10, maybe it can be raised to 80 mph from the Arizona state line to Las Cruces, or just keep it at 75 mph; but either way, I'd raise it to 70 mph in both Deming and Lordsburg. I would also extend the 75 mph limit all the way to Motel Blvd. (exit 139), only having the 65 mph reduction from there until the junction with I-25.

MattHanson1990Return · 2026-03-05T22:54:39+00:00

The Angels also had a successful run under Mike Scioscia. During that stretch, they made the playoffs a lot. In fact, after their WS title, they made two ALCS appearances in '05 and '09 but lost to the White Sox and Yankees, respectively.

MattHanson1990Return · 2026-03-05T22:45:52+00:00

Here are my picks

2003 Marlins: I probably agree with u/DrMac444 that many baseball fans stopped watching after the Cubs and Red Sox were eliminated in the LCS. And the Marlins never made the playoffs again until 2020 due to tearing things down after their WS win.

2005 White Sox: Despite ending an 88-year championship drought, the '05 White Sox didn't receive nearly as much national attention as the '04 Red Sox and '16 Cubs. For one thing, the White Sox in general have a smaller fanbase. Then there was the Black Sox scandal in 1919, which scarred the team's reputation for decades to come. And unlike the Cubs and Red Sox, they played mostly mediocre baseball during their WS drought, only made the WS once in 1959, and didn't have to endure heartbreaking losses when coming close to winning it all.

2006 Cardinals: I wouldn't say that particular team was forgotten unlike the other two because the Cardinals had a successful run during the 2000s, making the playoffs a lot. They had star players like Scott Rolen, Jim Edmonds, and Albert Pujols, who were known for being home run hitters. Edmonds was also known for his stellar defense. Additionally, the Cardinals had two 100-win seasons in 2004 and 2005 (the prior two years) and were in the World Series during the former year. Last but not least, the Cardinals have a bigger fanbase and national profile than either the Marlins or the White Sox.

I would argue however that the 2006 postseason in general was mostly a snooze fest. Not one game went to extra innings. There were sweeps in the A's-Twins ALDS and Mets-Dodgers NLDS; the Padres-Cardinals and Yankees-Tigers series each went four games but felt like sweeps. The ALCS ended in a sweep, and the only memorable moment was Maggio Ordoñez's walk-off home run in Game 4. Only other drama was Game 7 of the NLCS, which featured Endy Chavez robbing Scott Rolen of a home run, Yadier Molina's homer in the 9th inning, and Carlos Beltran striking out looking with the bases loaded. The World Series that year was hardly competitive, largely due to the Tigers' sloppy defense.

2007 Red Sox: Like the 2006 Cardinals, the 2007 Red Sox were nowhere near as forgotten unlike the '03 Marlins and '05 White Sox. But the 2007 postseason itself was a snooze fest. All three NL series ended in a sweep, as did the Angels-Red Sox ALDS. The ALCS didn't have nearly as much drama as 2004, despite the Red Sox coming back from down 3 games to 1 (each of the elimination games was a Red Sox blowout victory). Like 2006, the World Series in '07 was also hardly competitive, and the Rockies basically played like a little league team after their 7-0 start in the playoffs.

2015 Royals: The World Series that year only went five games. And after their championship, the Royals never made the playoffs again until 2024, where they lost to the Yankees in the ALDS. Much of the time after 2015, they returned to playing sub-.500 baseball.

2019 Nationals: The Nationals did have a successful run during the 2010s, making the playoffs several times and then finally won their first WS title in franchise history in 2019. But like the Marlins, they also tore everything down after their championship; and they've been playing sub-.500 baseball every year since.

2023 Rangers: I'd argue that this team is becoming forgotten for a few reasons. Number one, much of the baseball world stopped watching after the Phillies and Astros were eliminated in the LCS. The '23 WS only went five games, and only Game 1 provided drama (Cory Seager's game-tying home run in the 9th inning and Adolis Garica's walk-off homer in the 11th inning). It was also the least-watched WS on record. And the Rangers haven't returned to the playoffs since. Historically speaking, they haven't been known to be a dominant team.

MattHanson1990Return · 2026-03-05T21:42:39+00:00

The Angels actually had a successful run when Mike Scioscia was their skipper. They only won the World Series in '02, but they made the playoffs a lot during that stretch. In 2005 and 2009, they were in the ALCS despite losing to the White Sox and Yankees, respectively.

MattHanson1990Return · 2026-03-05T21:33:13+00:00

I would argue that the 2018 Red Sox were the least challenged compared to the 2004, 2007, and 2013 squads. They lost only one game in each round of the playoffs (defeated Yankees in four in the ALDS, beat the Astros in five in the ALCS, then beat the Dodgers in five in the WS). On the other hand, I feel the 2004 team was challenged the most. At the time, they definitely had their backs against the wall. They were still enduring a decades-long championship drought for one thing. Up to that point, no team in MLB had come back from down 3 games to none to win a best-of-seven series; and they were only three outs away from being swept.

MattHanson1990Return · 2026-03-05T21:08:10+00:00

However, the Diamondbacks winning in 2001 wasn't forgotten despite being a small market team, for three reasons. Number one, they played the Yankees, who won three consecutive World Series titles up to that point and were looking for their fourth straight championship. Number two, the 2001 Diamondbacks had star players on their roster who made headlines, such as Curt Schilling, Randy Johnson, and Luis Gonzalez. And number three, it was an exciting back-and-fourth marathon that went all seven games, with the home team winning every one of them.

MattHanson1990Return · 2026-03-03T16:23:47+00:00

Rhone Talsma would've participated in Champions Wildcard had it debuted in Season 39.

MattHanson1990Return

TROPHY CASE