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OT: The new breed: NFL only sports fan.

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It can't just happen on a whim, either. College kids have been shooting and a 10-foot hoop for 6-8 years. Anyone who has ever played in the NBA can tell if the rim is off by as little as an inch just by looking at it. Heck it happened at UConn last season. The entire Association with more than 5 years in would retire en mass, rather than go through that adjustment.

The long and short of all sports is that big games are more exciting, and the Playoffs are all big games. So right off the bat (NPI), there is no wonder how anyone who remotely likes baseball is confused by the NFL-Only fan.

On the other hand, There are multiple issues with MLB, beyond the pace and how the game is played, which are all tied, loosely or directly, to money. However, since they can't take money out of the equation, they can only treat the symptoms.

1) Playoff games start at odd times. 1:00, 4:30 or 8:00ET, Done and done. If, in the 8:00 window, rain delays the 1st pitch, it's by one hour, at most. At that point, the ground crew better start rolling up the tarp, or see you tomorrow. This is not 1978 anymore. Anyone with the My Radar app knew that game the other night was getting postponed. The only reason the Yankees/MLB did not call it before 10:00pm the other night was to maximize beer sales. That's dirty pool.

2) The players are really freaking good. Sure some may have a bad day here or there, but being so good creates a stalemate, as compared to all of the players being various degrees of mediocre. It's what makes the minors and college so entertaining. It's certainly not as simple as thinking the casual fan wants more scoring. I'm in the middle of a 12 year run of coaching various levels of Little League. Farm and Minors games end in scores of 15-12 and they are excruciating.

3) "Moneyball" changed the way the game is played, for better or for worse. Gone are the days Ozzie Smith, Devon White, Vince Coleman, Rickey Henderson, and Brett Butler. Virtually gone is the bunt. It's barely taught in youth baseball anymore. Stealing is also a lost art. Billy Beane or some other personnel guy will see it's not enough for his hulking OBP guys to get on 1st, only to be routinely wiped out by a 6-4-3 double play. They will need to eventually acquire some speedy, punch & judy hitters to manufacture runs again.

4) Baseball is great live, but there's a flip side to that coin. It has become an awful television sport. There is a minimum of ten players on the field at any given time and the camera is usually focused on three. Considering the amount of time the pitcher takes between pitches only makes it seem worse. Now the pitch clock should at least partially address the latter (Minor Leagues Games are phenomenal live events, thanks to, I believe, the clock.), but TVs are large enough and wide enough to enlist a regular split-screen feature so that the home viewer can see what is going on in the field. Particularly with men on base. Think of the old Nintendo RBI Baseball or Bases Loaded games. Who says no?
Thanks for this. I love the rationale you give in point #2 especially. I never thought that finding ways to open up the scoring, by making easier to score or hamstringing defenses, was the way to go. As you point in the little league example, a lot of scoring isn't always going to be fun. And I also agree that changing the rim height would be a disaster.
The only thing I do disagree with, kind of, is that baseball on TV is boring. I absolutely love it. I'm a Rays fan and i would estimate that I closely watch 130 games a year at least. I love watching a pitcher craft his setups and love watching the batter anticipate pitches, stuff most people consider boring. But in all honesty, your idea about the split screen is pretty freakin brilliant. I'd love to see that!
 

Husky25

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Thanks for this. I love the rationale you give in point #2 especially. I never thought that finding ways to open up the scoring, by making easier to score or hamstringing defenses, was the way to go. As you point in the little league example, a lot of scoring isn't always going to be fun. And I also agree that changing the rim height would be a disaster.
The only thing I do disagree with, kind of, is that baseball on TV is boring. I absolutely love it. I'm a Rays fan and i would estimate that I closely watch 130 games a year at least. I love watching a pitcher craft his setups and love watching the batter anticipate pitches, stuff most people consider boring. But in all honesty, your idea about the split screen is pretty freakin brilliant. I'd love to see that!
Would that be any less exhilarating on 25 inches vs. 50? ;)

I didn't say boring. I said "awful." It might be a very nuanced difference, but compared to other sports...in basketball, all 10 players are routinely on camera and all 22 at the beginning of a football play. In hockey, the view pans in and out so that 11 of the 12 players (Minus the goaltender on the other end of the ice) are regularly in the frame. Same with soccer (21/22, minus the other Keeper).

I, like you, am interested if the shortstop is playing up the middle or if the third baseman is in on the grass. I can certainly figure it out if the ball is put in play, but I just think it would make it more interesting.
 

ClifSpliffy

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the results are in for bomber-no names game 5.
stunning.
TV Ratings for Tuesday 18th October 2022 - Network Prelims, Finals and Cable Numbers Posted

separate from the 5 million eyeballs (wait, whut? steff v. lebron opening day only got 3.5 million?), the money shot is 'yoots eyeballs.'
stunning. while a few network programs got higher numbers, they all completely stunk at attracting my pals -the yoots of America. 18-49.
only the nba thing got more % yoots, tho on 30% less volume.
sexy, sexy.

cash money. hardball doing fine on cloud nine.
sooo many enticing remakes on this old classic. this one works.


it's where the money is. like baseball.
 
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3) "Moneyball" changed the way the game is played, for better or for worse. Gone are the days Ozzie Smith, Devon White, Vince Coleman, Rickey Henderson, and Brett Butler. Virtually gone is the bunt. It's barely taught in youth baseball anymore. Stealing is also a lost art. Billy Beane or some other personnel guy will see it's not enough for his hulking OBP guys to get on 1st, only to be routinely wiped out by a 6-4-3 double play. They will need to eventually acquire some speedy, punch & judy hitters to manufacture runs again.
For better??? How? Seeing Aaron Judge strike out 170 times a year and be lauded for it?

Advanced stats killed the heart of baseball as well as basketball. That 3 pt circus is unwatchable...but if you want to win? You need to do it.

Technology has removed the allure of simple games and made us think of things differently and not in a good way.
 
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For better??? How? Seeing Aaron Judge strike out 170 times a year and be lauded for it?

Advanced stats killed the heart of baseball as well as basketball. That 3 pt circus is unwatchable...but if you want to win? You need to do it.

Technology has removed the allure of simple games and made us think of things differently and not in a good way.
That's a valid viewpoint. And I agree 100% on the NBA as well. But with all of the weird changes in baseball, these playoffs have been the best sports I've seen all year by far. The NYY-CLE
and LA-SD series, the Alvarez walk off, Verlander's performance... and my team lost in the wild card round and it's still great. It's hard NOT to watch this ALCS. These fans are back fully, and the games have that classic postseason excitement and feel. I can't believe there are people watching Saints vs Cardinals tonight.
 

Husky25

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For better??? How? Seeing Aaron Judge strike out 170 times a year and be lauded for it?

Advanced stats killed the heart of baseball as well as basketball. That 3 pt circus is unwatchable...but if you want to win? You need to do it.

Technology has removed the allure of simple games and made us think of things differently and not in a good way.
Well for starters, Aaron Judge is not a "Moneyball" player and the likes of Oakland will not be signing him. He contributes to a lot of wins, but New York, Boston, or other such Big Market team will pay him more than what the entire East Bay is worth, even if he has only two or three prime seasons left.

Be that as it may, Judge's .311 batting average, 62 homeruns, 115 non-HR hits, and the chance to hit the ball 495 feet on any given swing may have something to do with said lauding (He also had 16 stolen bases). Finally, even at 6'7"-280lbs., Judge is an above average OF.

Aaron Judge does not, in any way whatsoever, personify an MLB issue.
 

ClifSpliffy

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For better??? How? Seeing Aaron Judge strike out 170 times a year and be lauded for it?

Advanced stats killed the heart of baseball as well as basketball. That 3 pt circus is unwatchable...but if you want to win? You need to do it.

Technology has removed the allure of simple games and made us think of things differently and not in a good way.
'Technology has removed the allure of simple games and made us think of things differently and not in a good way.'



now, that's disturbing.
the penultimate of all things digital is quantum computing. quant puting is measured in q-bits ( hehe. in my best bill cosby voice, 'lord, what's a cubit?' lol). the chinese got all excited when they, so they say - i have my doubts, brought a 10 q-bit box across the finish line. of course, here in 'Murica, we got a few private company boxes that hit 40 or so q-bits, and ibm currently runs a 70 q-bit game, with all signs pointing to their 4000 q-bit machine down the road.
4000 q-bit box? good bye to anyone's dreams of 'digital security,' except us. as usual. tho currently well on it's way to swiss cheesy baloney, the future definitely ain't bright for craptocoin. why, just the other day, and after the feds swiped some ill-begotten crapto from the bad guys, some other bad guys then swiped the crapto from us!
it's a jungle out there.
 

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