Ratings: The Hub v. the rest

Yes, we are a sports town. But you knew that. In addition to gorging on the Olympics -- and I have my own theories about why the games are so compelling -- Bostonians spent last week watching the Red Sox and the Patriots and, to a lesser extent, dancing and forensics. According to Nielsen Media Research, here are the top 20 shows in the Boston area for the week of August 4-10:

1. Olympics Opening Ceremony, Channel 7
2. Sunday Olympics coverage, Channel 7
3. Saturday Olympics coverage, Channel 7
4. Red Sox (Wed., August 6), NESN
5. Red Sox (Monday, August 4), NESN
6. Red Sox (Tuesday, August 5), NESN
7. Patriots preseason game, Channel 5
8. Red Sox (Friday, August 8), NESN
9. Two and a Half Men, Channel 4
10. Red Sox (Thursday, August 9), NESN
11. Criminal Minds, Channel 4
12. New Adventures of Old Christine, Channel 4
13. So You Think You Can Dance (Thursday), Channel 25
14. America's Got Talent, Channel 7
15. So You Think You Can Dance (Wednesday), Channel 25
16. Flashpoint, Channel 4
17. Wipeout, Channel 5
18. CSI: Miami, Channel 4
19: CSI: NY, Channel 4
20. Fox 25 News at 10 (Thursday, August 7), Channel 25

And here, by comparison, are the top 20 broadcast shows in the nation that week:

1. Olympics Opening Ceremony, NBC
2. Sunday Olympics coverage, NBC
3. Saturday Olympics coverage, NBC
4. America's Got Talent, NBC
5. Two and a Half Men, CBS
6. Criminal Minds, CBS
7. NCIS, CBS
8. So You Think You Can Dance (Thursday), Fox
9. CSI: Miami, CBS
10. So You Think You Can Dance (Wednesday), Fox
11. New Adventures of Old Christine, CBS
12. America's Got Talent (Thursday), NBC
13. CSI: NY, CBS
14. 60 Minutes, CBS
15. Flashpoint, CBS
16. How I Met Your Mother, CBS
17. Wipeout, ABC
18. Big Bang Theory, CBS
19. Big Brother (Tuesday), CBS
20. CSI, CBS