How’s the phrase go … ‘as American as baseball and apple pie’? While I love me some apple pie, I must admit – I borderline loathe baseball. I know, I know … how could that be possible? Well, let’s break it down…
1) It’s BORING. I mean really, most of the time the players are standing around chewing gum, chatting or staring off into space. I bet some even sneak in a nose pick, or at least this kid did while watching.
2) The salaries for baseball players are RIDICULOUS. How can it possibly be a fair game when some teams have millions of dollars to spend for ‘better’ players while others struggle? Of course the same teams are going to wind up in the playoffs year after year. Don’t get angry with the actual Red Sox or Yankees teams; get mad at the major league baseball organization as a whole for not enforcing a salary cap. Every other major professional sport seems to have one – why not baseball?
3) While this may sound completely ridiculous (and obviously isn’t important or relevant), I swear professional baseball players are the least attractive of all professional sports players. What gives?
4) The games go on FOREVER. It’s not just 1 hour of boredom, it can be 4 plus hours of boredom. Sure it’s exciting when someone hits a grand slam, but the excitement is short-lived and we’re back to chewing gum, chatting or staring off into space. Do we really need 9 innings of this?
Am I being delusional? Is there something I just don’t see?
— THE WIFE
Thank you for visiting The Wife Hates Sports!
KP
Most of the guys over at the NFL Network haven’t been making outright predictions. What they’ve done is to give you their thoughts on the needs of the various teams around the NFL. Unlike the two buffoons over at ESPN. Their (Kiper and McShay) success rate combined was barely above 45 % if that . As the draft went on it became more embarrassing for the hosts. They didn’t really want to have either interject with their own thoughts on the choices made.
These two guys make the mistake by Jim Cramer in recommending customers plow their money into AIG and Citicorp, prior to the meltdown seem like a damn genius.
I didn’t bother with the draft at all. Momentarily I may have turned on my notebook to see what was brewing and that was it. But beyond that I spent my time taking in the NBA Playoffs in part and getting some time in at the gun range.
Alan Parkins
TOP–
I actually wish I would have DVR’d both the ESPN and the NFL Network broadcasts of the draft for comparison… because I know it’s an inexact science, but man these guys were way off on some of their predictions… it’s almost like… why do we bother reading some of the projections?
CHRIS–
Yep, was on vacation… stopping by today to let you know my thoughts on that stuff…
DINGLE–
Is that going to be your call name on here going forward? That would be funny if so…
Yeah, baseball is acquired… I mean I have had a passion for growing up because it was so big where I lived… but lately I get more excited for college football and the NFL in the fall… but I’ll always have the unhealthy obsession with my baseball team, too. But yes, I can see the acquired taste thing…
TOP–
As I mentioned on my other post… apologies as I’m behind on some of your stuff – was on vacation a few days and trying to catch up on everything now.
Scanning the comments, yeah scanning not reading…I have that much disdain for baseball that I’d rather look out the Acela at Connecticut then read a comment supporting it. Anyway back to my point…scanning the comments I saw, “baseball is an acquired taste.” I typically don’t comment on blogs but this phrase hit a sore spot. Now I respect everyone’s opinion and if you like baseball that’s legit, some people like scratching their balls and then smelling their hands afterwards, who am I to judge. But I just can’t agree with that statement, dog meat is an aquired taste, scotch is an acquired taste. Watching overpaid quasi-athletic (yes some are some aren’t, you can make the argument both way, hence quasi) stand around a field for 4+ hours is insane. What is wrong with America? Why do we stick by this sport when we have a perfectly good one out there to replace it (football). I say if we are stick with the fascination with people slapping around balls we better do it the right way. Have it take 3 days to finish, include a wicket, stumps, and a wicked hard ass ball.
My NBA Playoff preview is up in two parts at http://sportschump.net
Let me know what you think and who you’re pulling for, Paterno.
aero
People will have have a healthy passion for sports no matter what the competitive element is. It could be tiddleywinks , soccer or girls jello wrestling. There’s bound to be a fan who’ll love all of ’em if not at least one those mentioned. Myself , I think that female jello wrestling is very much an athletic endeavor and an acquired taste ! LOL,LOL,LOL !!! How ’bout yourself & KP for that matter ? Where do you stand on half naked females jello wrestling ?
Inquiring minds need to know !
Alan Parkins
I read an article in which the amount of actual play in baseball was said to be more than that of football. Obviously if your not a fan of the game your not going to enjoy baseball. It is an aquired taste.
I agree with you about the salary cap issue, but I don’t see that changing in my lifetime. Which is a shame because I’m a Tampa Bay Rays fan.
Yes there are some ugly ball players, but have you ever seen a hockey player without his teeth?
One of the things that make baseball unique is that a game can conceivably go on forever which some seemingly do.