I thought it was interesting because we were discussing Moneyball in another thread and how analytics has more recently impacted basketball. I think this is another interesting comparison between the sports, and part of the reason why I think the NBA has corrupted the game in favor of marketing and money. We don't hear remotely as much about umpires ruining or controlling baseball. http://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/19074938/where-all-mlb-superstars-gone
Because nobody watches or cares about baseball. And if you miss a game, there is 734 more left in the god awful season...... FAMS!
"There is no arguing with that, but this just in: The 2016 NBA Finals, featuring that LeBron and Steph Show, still got clobbered in the ratings by the World Series. As did Game 7 of those finals, by Game 7 of the World Series. So while LeBron might have six consecutive appearances in the Finals going for him, that's not all he has." Oh?
MLB playoff races are usually closer than NBA playoffs races. Therefore each game is just as an important as an NBA game.
You guys are getting lost in the debate about which sport is better.... that's not the point of the article. One sport (MLB) has chosen to promote and preserve the game, while the other sport (NBA) has chosen to promote superstars like MJ, LeBron, etc. As much as you love the NBA, can you really say that the officiating isn't complete shit? Can you say that there isn't superstar treatment? I'm not even an MLB fan, but can you ever imagine an NBA ref talking about a blown call like this?
Ehhh. The "What's Wrong With Baseball Discussion" has been going for over two decades. Baseball's still here and it still makes billions. You can only change a sport that's been around close to 200 years so much before the hardcore fans will turn on the league. Every sport wants more fans. Take a look at this recent article about the NFL's tactics to keep fans plugged in. http://highline.huffingtonpost.com/articles/en/nfl-football-moms-kids/
There's not enough words in any language to describe whats wrong with the NBA. It's a joke, to start.
Does it make you sad that this article is essentially saying MLB needs to start promoting stars instead of the game to become more relevant?
It does. Because I think in the long run thats bad for business. Also, Baseball is a team sport. Basketball is too, but that's my point... they've gone away from that because of how they market. Baseball - in it's truest form - has speedsters and great contact hitters at 1 and 2 (and lately, at least in the AL, have them at 9) RBI guys at 3-5 (along with power) and more contact hitters at 6-9. You have the beautiful harmony of the batter vs. pitcher, whether thats a stud ace, or the relief pitcher coming in to get out that one batter. It's a team sport. You move the runners. You try to get in favorable counts to get the baserunner a good pitch to run on, you hit it on the right side to get that runner from 1st to 3rd on a hit and run, etc etc etc. Baseball is a beautiful art that is drawn by an assortment of different players, both heralded and not. Basketball is about roughly 10 guys, and almost half are on one team. Baseball has parity in both it's teams and players - Basketball wants it all to be on one team. the NBA is a joke, and it looks like it will never get back to it's true form, which is sad. I'll be just as excited when the Blazers win because we said "fuck you" to the NBA. Because they are a joke of a league. I've said it before, I'll say it again: If the Blazers were to ever move, I will treat the NBA like the NFL - and never watch another second of it.
So ironic.... the one sport this guy could actually still try to play with his physique (and golf), and he hates it....
Interesting. This guy grinds in his opinion that baseball needs "a face". Yet in the next breath he's admitting that baseball is making money hand over fist and has a firm national presence (via solid World Series ratings that are better than those of basketball, which has several "faces"). Yet again and despite that, we're told by this guy that baseball still needs a face. All the verbal blah, blah, blah and he never really made a case as to WHY baseball needs a face, other than it would be more like basketball does it.......what a stupid article. Baseball is doing just fine. Sports "faces" are for the casual or bandwagon fan.....and the advertisers. Actual baseball fans know who the real "faces" are and that's how it should be.
Baseball is never a TV sport until the playoffs....regular season is all above going to the ballpark or listenin' on the radio...just like boxing..Football is a TV sport
Mike Trout is probably the best player in the game right now - and his teams have sucked the last couple of years... goes to show that Baseball is a true team sport. The way it should be. (And I love Trout).
