Latest Schedule Snafu Another Slap in the Fans Face
In sports today, we all know that television is what controls when the games will be played. After all, networks spends millions, and sometimes billions, for the rights to televise games, and when it gets down to crunch time, the biggest games draw the biggest ratings, and that is exactly what the networks want. Take the NBA Playoffs for example. The Finals are already set, and every game, despite the location, will start at 8pm. The first three rounds of the playoffs in the NBA takes over a month and a half to play, when it could really take about four full weeks. The cause of it - TV wanting to stretch it out for ratings as long as possible.
That is what brings us to Major League Baseball, which on Monday announced that a scheduling change could have the World Series stretching out all the way to November 1st. Mind you that the "Fall Classic," a tradition that has passed down through the years, now should be renamed the "Series Chill," as games that late in the season are almost for sure going to be played in cold temps if you are anywhere east of say St.Louis. It was just last season that for the first time since 1996 a World Series game was called due to weather, and if MLB is not careful with this stupid decision to keep pushing the series back, you could be playing games with Thanksgiving soon approaching.
Last year on October 26th the series was rained out in St.Louis, and the forecast for the next day, when the game ended up getting played, was temps in the 40's. Clearly not baseball weather. As I wrote back then, and it bears repeating now - Baseball is supposed to be a summer sport. A sport that is supposed to be enjoyed in shorts and tank tops, not winter coats and mittens. Last season the World Series kicked off in Detroit on October 15th, which at the time was bad enough considering the high temp that day was 54, and don't forget the first pitch was about 8:30 pm, when the temps were about 40. This season with the new schedule, the Series will not kick off until Wednesday, October 24th. That is just absurd considering the weather issues that could take place on the East coast at that time of the year.
Baseball is supposed to be a sport about tradition. Now with TV and a union that wants as much money as possible for its players, the sports days of giving some consideration to the fans are long gone. Starting the season on the last day of March and ending it November 1st only goes further to prove that point. A couple of rain, or even snow outs during the World Series, and we'll be able to enjoy a nice Thanksgiving dinner while we sit around and watch who will be crowned the champions of Major League Baseball. Think it's not coming to that - stay tuned.
That is what brings us to Major League Baseball, which on Monday announced that a scheduling change could have the World Series stretching out all the way to November 1st. Mind you that the "Fall Classic," a tradition that has passed down through the years, now should be renamed the "Series Chill," as games that late in the season are almost for sure going to be played in cold temps if you are anywhere east of say St.Louis. It was just last season that for the first time since 1996 a World Series game was called due to weather, and if MLB is not careful with this stupid decision to keep pushing the series back, you could be playing games with Thanksgiving soon approaching.
Last year on October 26th the series was rained out in St.Louis, and the forecast for the next day, when the game ended up getting played, was temps in the 40's. Clearly not baseball weather. As I wrote back then, and it bears repeating now - Baseball is supposed to be a summer sport. A sport that is supposed to be enjoyed in shorts and tank tops, not winter coats and mittens. Last season the World Series kicked off in Detroit on October 15th, which at the time was bad enough considering the high temp that day was 54, and don't forget the first pitch was about 8:30 pm, when the temps were about 40. This season with the new schedule, the Series will not kick off until Wednesday, October 24th. That is just absurd considering the weather issues that could take place on the East coast at that time of the year.
Baseball is supposed to be a sport about tradition. Now with TV and a union that wants as much money as possible for its players, the sports days of giving some consideration to the fans are long gone. Starting the season on the last day of March and ending it November 1st only goes further to prove that point. A couple of rain, or even snow outs during the World Series, and we'll be able to enjoy a nice Thanksgiving dinner while we sit around and watch who will be crowned the champions of Major League Baseball. Think it's not coming to that - stay tuned.
Post a Comment