Pulling for Lokasenna's Nats

[Yaab]

Chickenboy, German association football (soccer) runs on promotion/relegation principle, based on sporting merit. There are some caveats like stadium size ( at least 15,000 seats to play in the first Bundesliga). That is why Bundesliga has lower attendance then NLF because in Bundesliga you have clubs with small stadia( Freiburg, Augsburg etc). Big-stadium clubs can get relegated to the second Bundesliga ( hello Stuttgart and Hamburg).

There were some successful soccer clubs from small towns in European soccer( FC Auxerre in France comes to mind).

https://www.espn.com/soccer/holstein-ki ... ll-stadium


EDIT: Wikipedia tells me that an NFL team needs to play in a staidum that has at least 50,000 seats.

"In the opposite direction, the league has a firm minimum on the number of seats an NFL stadium should have; since 1971 the league has not allowed any stadium under 50,000 seats to host a full-time NFL team (not counting Dignity Health Sports Park; there have been two exceptions to this: 45,000-seat Metropolitan Stadium in Minnesota was not replaced until 1982, and 40,000-seat Vanderbilt Stadium hosted the Tennessee Oilers for one season in 1998 after a planned two-year residency in Memphis was cut in half). In normal circumstances, all NFL stadiums are all-seaters."

[Macclan5]

ORIGINAL: geofflambert

Pitchers not being worth spit at the plate used to be common for catchers as well. Perhaps the AL should have DHs for the catchers, too. If you don't care about pitchers at the plate you never saw Greg Maddux who was also excellent at fielding his position. There's lots of pitchers who only know one thing, like a tennis player who only has a serve and nothing else. If the pitcher and catcher really know the game inside out and learned swinging a bat early it can be really marvelous to watch. A favorite pitcher is Bob Forsch, two no-nos, two Silver Sluggers, a grand-slam, and he was part of 7 double plays in '75. Catchers? Yadier Molina.

Don't mess with the very heart of the game too much please [8D]

I tolerate the DH for a Pitcher but only cause I live in an AL City.

Quote Kevin Costner Movie Bull Durham : "there should be a constitutional amendment outlawing the DH"

Baseball is that "most democratic of sports" as per Walt Whitman (IIRC) and is beautiful to the mind and body

1 No time clock
2 Get 3 strikes to retire a batter
3 Get 3 outs to retire an offence
4 Every player must play Offence and Defense
5 If a player is taken out of a game for any reason he may not return
6 No Tied Games with the exception of one single instance when the Commissioner betrayed the very fabric of the game in one All Star instance

No cheating in extra time. No subjectivity of extra time.
No running out your all batter line up on offense and then switching to your all defensive gold gloves.
No "pinch running" you fastest guys and returning latter with your big batter.

Democratic - everyone plays based on relative merits.

[Chickenboy]

ORIGINAL: Ian R

What?

Its not just "another team". Its the USA team. Wearing red white and blue shirts, and representing their country on the field of (sporting) battle. Carrying the emotions, hopes and dreams of all Americans with them.

I don't care how much they get paid, representing your country's #1 side in any international sport should be the pinnacle of the sport. And the MLB clubs should be forced to release the players for that national team.

We are going to have to disagree on this one.

Also, who says that the Olympics are the only international venue for truly global competition?

With equestrian sports, for example, the World Equestrian Games or games-formerly-known-as-Rolex invitational field tremendous national squads in multivariate competitions. The quality in these global events surpasses that of the Olympics competitions in difficulty (e.g., three-day eventing courses or jumping competitions). Although there are some familiar faces amongst 'the usual suspects' between WEG and the Olympics, there are fewer 'also-ran' competitors in the WEG-it's too competitive for those nations with peripheral equestrian abilities. Unlike the Olympics that tries to lower the bar to allow more borderline countries to qualify.

[anarchyintheuk]

ORIGINAL: Macclan5

ORIGINAL: geofflambert

Pitchers not being worth spit at the plate used to be common for catchers as well. Perhaps the AL should have DHs for the catchers, too. If you don't care about pitchers at the plate you never saw Greg Maddux who was also excellent at fielding his position. There's lots of pitchers who only know one thing, like a tennis player who only has a serve and nothing else. If the pitcher and catcher really know the game inside out and learned swinging a bat early it can be really marvelous to watch. A favorite pitcher is Bob Forsch, two no-nos, two Silver Sluggers, a grand-slam, and he was part of 7 double plays in '75. Catchers? Yadier Molina.

Don't mess with the very heart of the game too much please [8D]

I tolerate the DH for a Pitcher but only cause I live in an AL City.

Quote Kevin Costner Movie Bull Durham : "there should be a constitutional amendment outlawing the DH"

Baseball is that "most democratic of sports" as per Walt Whitman (IIRC) and is beautiful to the mind and body

1 No time clock
2 Get 3 strikes to retire a batter
3 Get 3 outs to retire an offence
4 Every player must play Offence and Defense
5 If a player is taken out of a game for any reason he may not return
6 No Tied Games with the exception of one single instance when the Commissioner betrayed the very fabric of the game in one All Star instance

No cheating in extra time. No subjectivity of extra time.
No running out your all batter line up on offense and then switching to your all defensive gold gloves.
No "pinch running" you fastest guys and returning latter with your big batter.

Democratic - everyone plays based on relative merits.

The 'no time clock' virtue can be a bit stretched. It felt like the average Yankees/Red Sox game in the mid-oughts lasted 4.5 hours. Even today watching a pitcher stare down a hitter until he steps out, re-adjusts his helmet, gloves and junk can only be described as 'rage-inducing'.

[Zorch]

ORIGINAL: Chickenboy

ORIGINAL: Ian R

What?

Its not just "another team". Its the USA team. Wearing red white and blue shirts, and representing their country on the field of (sporting) battle. Carrying the emotions, hopes and dreams of all Americans with them.

I don't care how much they get paid, representing your country's #1 side in any international sport should be the pinnacle of the sport. And the MLB clubs should be forced to release the players for that national team.

We are going to have to disagree on this one.

Also, who says that the Olympics are the only international venue for truly global competition?

With equestrian sports, for example, the World Equestrian Games or games-formerly-known-as-Rolex invitational field tremendous national squads in multivariate competitions. The quality in these global events surpasses that of the Olympics competitions in difficulty (e.g., three-day eventing courses or jumping competitions). Although there are some familiar faces amongst 'the usual suspects' between WEG and the Olympics, there are fewer 'also-ran' competitors in the WEG-it's too competitive for those nations with peripheral equestrian abilities. Unlike the Olympics that tries to lower the bar to allow more borderline countries to qualify.

+1

[CaptBeefheart]

MLB games in my childhood took about 2 hours, maybe 2 1/2 hours tops. Now they take too long. And what's up with changing the starting pitcher every game? Keep the guy in until he screws up.

That said, it's a fun game to watch at the ballpark if it's spring training, fall league (in Arizona) or the minor leagues. I was at my hometown in Iowa last July and caught the Single A team. Great outing, and they even had craft beer at the park for a reasonable price (definitely not so at MLB games).

Also, baseball in Korea is a lot of fun. The crowd is cheering for most of the game and they have not unattractive cheerleaders. They also have guys (not gals as in Japan) carrying keg backpacks providing you with fresh draft beer at your seat. Try to get that in the U.S.

Cheers,
CB

[geofflambert]

ORIGINAL: anarchyintheuk



The 'no time clock' virtue can be a bit stretched. It felt like the average Yankees/Red Sox game in the mid-oughts lasted 4.5 hours. Even today watching a pitcher stare down a hitter until he steps out, re-adjusts his helmet, gloves and junk can only be described as 'rage-inducing'.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WIJYdE2Juew

[Lokasenna]

American League baseball isn't real baseball because it uses the DH.

That is all.

[warspite1]

ORIGINAL: Macclan5

Hyperbole

"World Cup of Cricket"

Okay so how many nations actually participate in the World Cup of Cricket ??

10 ? 20 ? I really don't actually know.

Further of those that actually participate how many actually understand the game ? [8D]

3 = India Pakistan and England. [:)]

warspite1

Lol [8D]

There are 104 nations with ICC membership - of which 12 are full and 92 associate. The World Cup Finals this year had 10 countries competing (previously 14)

It's fair to say Australia know a little about the game too, while England have something of a loser tag (now there's a surprise) [;)]

List of Cricket World Cup winners and losing finalists.

[jdsrae]

This is like deciphering a new language.

Pulling means something quite different down under.
So does “DH”.

Not sure how pulling will help your team win, but each to their own superstition.

I’ve never watched a live game of baseball, but 4.5 hours of beer drinking while watching sport sounds like a good way to spend an afternoon or evening.

[obvert]

ORIGINAL: Ian R

What?

Its not just "another team". Its the USA team. Wearing red white and blue shirts, and representing their country on the field of (sporting) battle. Carrying the emotions, hopes and dreams of all Americans with them.

I don't care how much they get paid, representing your country's #1 side in any international sport should be the pinnacle of the sport. And the MLB clubs should be forced to release the players for that national team.

We are going to have to disagree on this one.

You have to remember the US is a big place with a long sports tradition, baseball being it's most historically relevant game. It has local and regional rivalries and a very US focused media and populace. The USA team is well supported in virtually all sports, and would be in baseball whether it's amateurs, lower-level professionals or the top 25 players in the US.

People can only take in so much, and with overlapping seasons, four big sports leagues, and university level sports in all of those types, it's a lot. In the UK there are many fewer major sports, with football and rugby dominating, and often with fans being invested in one or the other, not both. Tennis is a focus, but only sporadically. In OZ you have Footie, rugby and cricket. A bit of tennis. Not much else. Those sports have shorter seasons and more sporadic schedules than baseball, basketball and hockey especially.

It doesn't really matter how much it's cool to represent your country if your job takes 3/4 of the year and you know you will be playing 160+ meaningful games plus another 10-20 non-meaningful games every year. Even more if you make the payoffs. Is there any other sport with that gruelling a schedule?

There may be a time when the international focus on baseball could work more effectively, but maybe it would have to take place in a good weather destination in the winter rather than in the summer, and it would still require a lot of backing from the MLB owners. What's the incentive for them?

[fcooke]

Ah sports.....best way to get people animated [:D]

I think it was Obvert who mentioned being in the wrong time zone to watch a game but when I lived in London I would stay up until stupid o'clock in the am to catch some baseball - assuming you could even find a way to watch the game.

I also fondly recall getting to the pub at 6am! to watch a rugby match being played in OZ while in London. The better half was not impressed when I stumbled home before noon with somewhere between 6-8 pints in me.

At least rugby is play on, all the time. As a rugger we used to tease our American football player friends about playing for 12 seconds and then resting for 60 (ducks to avoid some of the wrath of America's largest fan base).

'Proper' Football. One has not seen intensity until going to a match. Perhaps because so few games a year are played. Went to an Arsenal game once - did not have a dog in the fight and still felt lucky to come out alive.

Cricket - still don't understand despite years of friends trying to teach me. The one upside to this one is three days of non-stop G&T consumption. My GP would be aghast at that last statement.

Tennis - Wimbledon is worth attending for the sheer 'display' it puts on....but I have never held a real racket.

What's that Canadian 'sport' called where they broom ice dust to make the thingy go the right way? That became an Olympic sport? Pleeeeeze. Oh - that's right, Curling I believe.

True Curling is played in Ireland.

[Yaab]

True football is played in Ireland

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_SYKz4uUaH0

[obvert]

ORIGINAL: fcooke

Ah sports.....best way to get people animated [:D]

I think it was Obvert who mentioned being in the wrong time zone to watch a game but when I lived in London I would stay up until stupid o'clock in the am to catch some baseball - assuming you could even find a way to watch the game.

I can do this for something really special, but it's more rare for me these days. This is what makes it almost impossible to follow my former favourite sport, NBA basketball, and my Portland Trailblazers. It's actually easier to see games when I'm in Melbourne visiting my wife's family.

I now follow Premiere League, Champions League, Six Nations, World Cups of Football and Rugby, March Madness and NFL. I just can't keep up with baseball, NBA, or anything else.

[Canoerebel]

There's an old saying in the USA that "baseball is made for radio." That's how I do it, since I don't have television. I listen to Atlanta Braves games throughout the season. It's not ritualistic or ironclad. I'll miss some games and seldom listen to an entire one. But I probably catch at least part of 150 games during the season. I love the ebb and flow of a baseball game on the radio. I like hearing the announcer offer insights into the game or tidbits about where a player is from and the circuitous path he took to the major leagues, and reminiscences of the past. While listening, I can be doing other things, such as driving or playing this game or painting the house. So it's no stretch to say that I love Atlanta Braves baseball. Since June 7, 1974.

[Kull]

ORIGINAL: Canoerebel

There's an old saying in the USA that "baseball is made for radio." That's how I do it, since I don't have television. I listen to Atlanta Braves games throughout the season. It's not ritualistic or ironclad. I'll miss some games and seldom listen to an entire one. But I probably catch at least part of 150 games during the season. I love the ebb and flow of a baseball game on the radio. I like hearing the announcer offer insights into the game or tidbits about where a player is from and the circuitous path he took to the major leagues, and reminiscences of the past. While listening, I can be doing other things, such as driving or playing this game or painting the house. So it's no stretch to say that I love Atlanta Braves baseball. Since June 7, 1974.

+1

It's probably something only the old timers can appreciate, but if you could sign up for a radio broadcast that just talked about the game, I'd pay money for it. No politics, no SJW topics, no contracts, no wives and girlfriends - just the history of the game, the diamond, and what's happening on it.

[rustysi]

ORIGINAL: Ian R

What?

Its not just "another team". Its the USA team. Wearing red white and blue shirts, and representing their country on the field of (sporting) battle. Carrying the emotions, hopes and dreams of all Americans with them.

I don't care how much they get paid, representing your country's #1 side in any international sport should be the pinnacle of the sport. And the MLB clubs should be forced to release the players for that national team.

We are going to have to disagree on this one.

Just my .02. I haven't followed the Olympic Games since they let in the 'pros', so I couldn't care less. To my its all just politics anyway, and there's too much of that crap around as it is.

[rustysi]

There's an old saying in the USA that "baseball is made for radio." That's how I do it,

I sometimes listen to games on the radio. Lets me do other things while I hear the game.

As a kid, I use to carry a radio on my paper route to listen to afternoon games.

[Macclan5]

ORIGINAL: fcooke

What's that Canadian 'sport' called where they broom ice dust to make the thingy go the right way? That became an Olympic sport? Pleeeeeze. Oh - that's right, Curling I believe.

True Curling is played in Ireland.

Blasphemy ! [8D]

As a fellow AE gamer and 'polite Canadian' I will now say a little non-partisan - non-secular prayer for your Irish soul

Canadians invented it.

Canadians invented and own the nomenclature - "Bonspiel" a solid mix of French and German words to describe a tournement

Canadians invented and own the social customs - winning rinks must buy a round of drinks for the looser - and the offer should be reciprocated.

---

PS I do concur its at least 51% skilled activity vs sport - it takes some balance and has a winner but is a fun fun game.

[Macclan5]

Baseball on the radio.

Concur.

Perhaps one of the finest North American Experiences is to listen to the Ball Game on "AM Radio" while simultaneously cutting the grass, taking a break with an ice cold beer, and following along.... on a warm day in late June.

Thank you for restoring my optimism today [8D]

The simple things really are the best in life... and WITP-AE of course