Friday, July 02, 2004
11. Intestinal parasites!
The new issue of Sports Illustrated contains an article titled "10 Reasons Why Baseball Is Awesome Now," or something like that. Their reasons:
1. A lot of teams are still in contention for playoff spots (more teams are within 5 games of at least a wild card spot at this point in the season than in any year since the current playoff format was adopted).
2. Attendance and TV ratings are up.
3. The Yankees are a big draw, both at home and on the road.
4. Devil Rays!
5. They're about to announce what they're going to do with the Expos. (Speaking of which, they're playing the Blue Jays this weekend in San Juan instead of, I don't know, somewhere in Canada?! Well, at least no one will be able to point to a sudden uptick in attendance if there's a lawsuit seeking to block the move.)
6. Padres!
7. Randy Johnson! Tom Glavine! Roger Clemens!
8. Barry Bonds!
9. There's going to be an international baseball tournament next March.
10. Eric Gagne!
Comments? Additions? Reasons why baseball sucks, instead?
Levi: I have as little interest as humanly possible in an international baseball tournament. In fact, I'm kind of actively against it. If there's one thing I don't need to see again, it's a stadium of people shouting "USA! USA! USA!"
Actually, I'm always bugged by these lists because of their premise. Look, baseball's always there. That's one of its greatest charms. If you're too busy with other things to pay attention, that's your loss. Even when they were talking all through the nineties about how baseball was in trouble, attendance was at astonishingly high levels compared to all of baseball history except like 1990-93. It was way high compared to other sports. Revenues were up across the board. And despite a few remarkably mismanaged teams (Sorry, Toby), nearly every team had a shot at the postseason at some point in the decade.
But despite my complaining, I'll take good news and positive coverage wherever. The Yanks/Red Sox game the other night, on _cable_, won the time slot in NYC. That's unbelievable for a regular-season game.
And I'd add one more thing to this list: the Cubs. Anytime the Cubs are this successfull, in winning and attendance, it's good for baseball.
stacey: it should be noted that levi is not always this cranky. he accidentally slept in this morning, and that probably accounts for this grouchy post.
ps: eric gagne is on the all-cute team!
Levi: Yeah, that probably sounded crankier than it should have. The reasons the guy gives are all good, and they're all fun aspects of this season.
Eric Gagne is so awesome he should be two reasons. And Scott Rolen's defense should be a reason all by itself.
Steve: I just want to vote that the Padres are decidedly uncool. They may have a new stadium, they may have my initials on their hat, and San Diego may be the home of Mandy Stadtmiller but their uniform looks like a college or minor league team. I could be talking out the other end here but I can't help but think they are going out of their way to be PC and disavow their "padre-ness" in the wake of the catholic church sex scandal. Instead, they should embrace it. Can't you see the headlines, "Wells, Beck, Bugger Dodgers."
Jim: Their mascot, the Swinging Friar, was very visible at the game I went to at Petco Park in May.
Toby: I got some reasons why baseball sucks now
--3 1/2-hour games
--Interleague play (two teams meeting in the World Series that have already played each other)
--Fat managers wearing uniforms (no other sport does this)
--I can't go one *#!@ing summer without seeing a replay of Fancisco Cabrerra's hit to win the 1992 NLCS (as if I don't see that whole inning enough in my own nightmares)
--An average family's cost to go to a game - approx. $80
--No Jack Buck anymore (and though I used to always defend him when people put him down, Mike Shannon isn't nearly as good without him)
--Paying for autographs
--No more powder blue road uniforms
--Does every team need a new park every four or five years???
--Too many teams
--A good ERA is in the mid 3's
And most of all
--An unprecedented 14 years of sucking for the once-proud franchise known as the Pittsburgh Pirates. They will never compete again.
(The point, in case you missed it, is that any sport is fun when your team is winning... and not so much when they're losing... though my last-place team just swept Levi's first-place team)
Luke: File under suck:
ESPN's behind-the-plate ads, seen on TV (fugly!)
ESPN's behind-the-plate ads, seen in person (fuglier!)
ESPN making Wrigley games night games so I can't go
Retractable roofs
Fewer double headers
Major League Baseball allowing into the park fans who do not intend to stay for the entire game
MLB allowing fans into the park after the first pitch
Absence of European soccer-style relegation, which would deal nicely with the problem of too many teams
Beers more than $3
Tribune Co.
Rooftop owners
Tribune Co. vs. Rooftop owners
Warm-up jerseys worn during games (especially at home)
The off-season
File under awesome:
3 1/2 hour games!
Fat managers wearing uniforms!
My team winning
Derek Jeter and his game face
Dusty Baker's contempt for pitch counts
There's going to be an international baseball tournament this August
Wayner Messmer and the perfect, sub-3:00 National Anthem
$2.25 malt cups
Ed and John
Sox fans blaming the rain on the Cubs
Roadtrip blogs
Johnny Damon's hair
No more powder-blue road uniforms; less teal
1. A lot of teams are still in contention for playoff spots (more teams are within 5 games of at least a wild card spot at this point in the season than in any year since the current playoff format was adopted).
2. Attendance and TV ratings are up.
3. The Yankees are a big draw, both at home and on the road.
4. Devil Rays!
5. They're about to announce what they're going to do with the Expos. (Speaking of which, they're playing the Blue Jays this weekend in San Juan instead of, I don't know, somewhere in Canada?! Well, at least no one will be able to point to a sudden uptick in attendance if there's a lawsuit seeking to block the move.)
6. Padres!
7. Randy Johnson! Tom Glavine! Roger Clemens!
8. Barry Bonds!
9. There's going to be an international baseball tournament next March.
10. Eric Gagne!
Comments? Additions? Reasons why baseball sucks, instead?
Original comments...
Levi: I have as little interest as humanly possible in an international baseball tournament. In fact, I'm kind of actively against it. If there's one thing I don't need to see again, it's a stadium of people shouting "USA! USA! USA!"
Actually, I'm always bugged by these lists because of their premise. Look, baseball's always there. That's one of its greatest charms. If you're too busy with other things to pay attention, that's your loss. Even when they were talking all through the nineties about how baseball was in trouble, attendance was at astonishingly high levels compared to all of baseball history except like 1990-93. It was way high compared to other sports. Revenues were up across the board. And despite a few remarkably mismanaged teams (Sorry, Toby), nearly every team had a shot at the postseason at some point in the decade.
But despite my complaining, I'll take good news and positive coverage wherever. The Yanks/Red Sox game the other night, on _cable_, won the time slot in NYC. That's unbelievable for a regular-season game.
And I'd add one more thing to this list: the Cubs. Anytime the Cubs are this successfull, in winning and attendance, it's good for baseball.
stacey: it should be noted that levi is not always this cranky. he accidentally slept in this morning, and that probably accounts for this grouchy post.
ps: eric gagne is on the all-cute team!
Levi: Yeah, that probably sounded crankier than it should have. The reasons the guy gives are all good, and they're all fun aspects of this season.
Eric Gagne is so awesome he should be two reasons. And Scott Rolen's defense should be a reason all by itself.
Steve: I just want to vote that the Padres are decidedly uncool. They may have a new stadium, they may have my initials on their hat, and San Diego may be the home of Mandy Stadtmiller but their uniform looks like a college or minor league team. I could be talking out the other end here but I can't help but think they are going out of their way to be PC and disavow their "padre-ness" in the wake of the catholic church sex scandal. Instead, they should embrace it. Can't you see the headlines, "Wells, Beck, Bugger Dodgers."
Jim: Their mascot, the Swinging Friar, was very visible at the game I went to at Petco Park in May.
Toby: I got some reasons why baseball sucks now
--3 1/2-hour games
--Interleague play (two teams meeting in the World Series that have already played each other)
--Fat managers wearing uniforms (no other sport does this)
--I can't go one *#!@ing summer without seeing a replay of Fancisco Cabrerra's hit to win the 1992 NLCS (as if I don't see that whole inning enough in my own nightmares)
--An average family's cost to go to a game - approx. $80
--No Jack Buck anymore (and though I used to always defend him when people put him down, Mike Shannon isn't nearly as good without him)
--Paying for autographs
--No more powder blue road uniforms
--Does every team need a new park every four or five years???
--Too many teams
--A good ERA is in the mid 3's
And most of all
--An unprecedented 14 years of sucking for the once-proud franchise known as the Pittsburgh Pirates. They will never compete again.
(The point, in case you missed it, is that any sport is fun when your team is winning... and not so much when they're losing... though my last-place team just swept Levi's first-place team)
Luke: File under suck:
ESPN's behind-the-plate ads, seen on TV (fugly!)
ESPN's behind-the-plate ads, seen in person (fuglier!)
ESPN making Wrigley games night games so I can't go
Retractable roofs
Fewer double headers
Major League Baseball allowing into the park fans who do not intend to stay for the entire game
MLB allowing fans into the park after the first pitch
Absence of European soccer-style relegation, which would deal nicely with the problem of too many teams
Beers more than $3
Tribune Co.
Rooftop owners
Tribune Co. vs. Rooftop owners
Warm-up jerseys worn during games (especially at home)
The off-season
File under awesome:
3 1/2 hour games!
Fat managers wearing uniforms!
My team winning
Derek Jeter and his game face
Dusty Baker's contempt for pitch counts
There's going to be an international baseball tournament this August
Wayner Messmer and the perfect, sub-3:00 National Anthem
$2.25 malt cups
Ed and John
Sox fans blaming the rain on the Cubs
Roadtrip blogs
Johnny Damon's hair
No more powder-blue road uniforms; less teal
Labels: sports illustrated
