It's hard for me to get excited about Baseball's opening day when there is a threat of snow in the forecast. Why are we starting baseball in such a unpredictable month?To me baseball is about warm weather, the smell of fresh cut grass, and young kids wolfing down hot dogs. You watch the opening day games and you see a bunch of die hard fans bundled up in winter clothes. It looks more like a fall football game than the summer past time.
Some how the sparkle of a bright sunny warm day, the crack of a wooden bat, and the smell of concession stand food says baseball. When you have grey skies, cold weather, and snow I don't get the same fuzzy feeling about my favorite childhood sport. Maybe I'm looking back on my past Little League days and transferring them upon a tarnished enterprise. The sport I use to love and cherish has become but a shadowy figure of it's once storybook past. Greedy players being paid outrageous salaries that never seem to be enough for them, owners gouging the fans for every dime they can get to pay the players. It's no longer a sport for the fans, but a financial tug of war between players and owners. Baseball should be a sport for kids and the kids at heart to enjoy, a summer's diversion for children to watch their favorite teams play a game. But alas the game has been over shadowed by greed, cheaters, and cry-babies.
I can't speak for anyone else but the once poetic endeavor that was played by men who loved the game has been replaced by a nightmare mired in controversy and greed. For me it was something I always looked forward to, opening day was like Christmas, now it's somewhere between Arbor Day and a root channel. I guess until America's Past time rediscovers it's roots, I can always think back to my days as a kid playing for the love of the sport and nothing more. That's my happy place!!
hmmmm... So you don't think if people actually liked hockey and the teams could afford to pay more they wouldn't be?
ReplyDeleteOnly difference between your favorite sport and baseball is their broke in comparison. Hockey is one step above soccer to most sport fans i know.
I don't like any sport where you average about 3 scores a game, even in football baseball its annoying but not the norm.
I thought aopening day was awsome the greatest team in the history of sports won.
YANKEES, YANKEES, YANKEES,YANKEES, YANKEES !!!!!!!
Wow bro! Exceptionally good and thoughtful stuff. Sadly, you've expressed my sentiments exactly.
ReplyDelete"...somewhere between Arbor Day and a root canal..." I like that :-)
Anonymous brings up a good point, can any popular sport survive the "millionaire plague"?
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't want my hallowed hockey corrupted by greed and selfishness. As it stands hockey is a pure sport deeply rooted in tradition. That is why I love it, of course the non-stop action and the fighting doesn't hurt either!!
The ironic thing about all this is I'm a huge Yankees fan and always have been. Talk about conflicted, I hate the greediness in baseball and love the team blamed for it. Maybe the answer lies with the fans, maybe we should cheer for our teams, support them the best we can. We should just refuse to pay the outrageous ticket and concession prices at the pro games. Maybe we should go to more minor league games and support the younger guys coming up while enjoying a cheap day out with the family.
I think you have the right balance there. Support what is good about the game, such as minor leauge and collegiate ball, and refuse to support the insatiable appetite of greed that has turned it into a rich man's (and rich fan's) game at the pro level. I'm with you on this one. Want to root for your favorite team? Fine. But refuse to feed the monster anymore. If fans did this on a large scale, MLB would have to make some big changes but I wonder if it's too late since the monster has already been created. I'm thinking it's not too late.
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