Am I the only one here who doesn't give a fack about baseball???

[SmileyBoy]

Am I the only one getting sick of all these insignificant baseball threads having to do with EVERY regular-season game cluttering up the Lounge??? Is this gonna continue until the end of October???

OK, now I was interested in hearing about the new FieldTurf that the Twins christened this week (only because my beloved Vikings are gonna play on it also), but that's about the extent of my interest. Watching baseball ranks right up there with watching paint dry and taking a 15-hour nap. It's THE most boring sport in the world. At least with auto racing (even though I think it's boring also), there's constant movement throughout.

Never liked baseball, never will. And most importantly, I don't give a shit about opening week. How bout you???

[JohnKleeb]

1. yes

[democracyindanger]

5. lol

Here's the odd thing for me: I don't follow it, don't watch it on TV, but I thoroughly enjoy going to games. Little League, Minor League, MLB, doesn't matter.

[JohnKleeb]

16. I played in little league

Quit in disgust when I was like 12 or 13 because it was too pro hitter, and didnt emphaize defense and pitching, guess who was a cruddy hitter but good defensive player, I could pitch too but the bastards never let me pitch again after my best year sigh.

[Sandpiper]

19. Little League/Youth League Sports

Just suck in general. Too much nepotism by the coaches, and too many bloodthirsty parents in the stands, pathetically trying to live vicariously through junior.

[JohnKleeb]

24. neptotism is parents controling the flow yes?

My dad only sometimes got to see me play, my mom did a lot of the transporting.

[Sandpiper]

26. Nepotism

Is parents playing favorites or giving their kids positions that they don't deserve. Happens all the time when the coach has a kid on the team.

There's a great Simpson's episode about it. Homer becomes the coach of Bart's youth football team, then makes Bart the quarterback even though he's terrible.

[arewethereyet]

37. I have that problem with my head coach

I take it as my responsibility to control this tendency of his. Luckily we are no plagued by parents who go way over the top.

It also helps that his kid is clearly not the pitcher he would have them be and that another is. It will work out fine.

[VelmaD]

2. Yeah you are...but it's ok...

if we were all the same it would be a boring world.

[Champ]

3. Yes

Well actually no but hey I'm pumped up about this baseball season. Some find it enjoyable and some don't. Some think NFL football is the most boring sport(definately not me).

[kstewart33]

4. Sadly, I have to agree

Especially with the steroids scandal and the complete gutlessness of the owners and Selig to end their use. All of those classic records which have recently been broken are still unbroken because of this corruption.

[MrSlayer]

6. I like baseball but I agree about game threads.

I just click em off with the handy dandy "Ignore Thread" button. Pow! Outta here!

[salinen]

7. Football fan vs. Baseball fan

Christianity vs. Islam.

[AngryAmish]

57. Does that make me a Islamo-Christian?

or Christo-Islamist? Or just f'd up?

[RC]

8. I don't see the point of being paid to play

school yard games.
Why are so many people's lives so devoid of meaning they feel the need to live through someone else game playing?

[Champ]

10. Their being payed to bring revenue into the organization

It's more of a business instead of a school yard game(at least the mlb is anyway). I enjoy watching people compete for a higher score, it's entertaining for me. Same argument could be made about actors being paid 25 million a film.

[xultar]

9. I don't give an effin fack either n/t

[Spider Jerusalem]

11. I don't care about baseball, football, basketball OR hockey.

Or NASCAR. I feel so un-American now.

[Champ]

12. Get of America you treasonous bastard!

[Spider Jerusalem]

14. I like boxing...does that count?

[SmileyBoy]

15. It makes you more of a man...

[SmileyBoy]

13. I hate NASCAR, LOOOVE football and hockey, enjoy basketball.

One sport is my life:

Football

And there are only four others I enjoy:

Hockey
Soccer
Basketball
Bowling

To hell with the rest.

[Sandpiper]

17. Baseball is the Great American Game

Opening day is one of the great American traditions.

Football blows. Ten minutes of lining up for 3 seconds of action.

[SmileyBoy]

18. Hmm... A pitcher scratching his ass for 2 minutes between pitches...

Scratching his balls, sticks some rosin on his hand, throws to the 1st baseman because the runner was about to steal, 2 more minutes of ass and ball scratching, hat tipping, dirt kicking - OOPS, he has to throw to the 1st baseman again!!! More ball scratching, rosin wiping, hat tipping, arm relaxing and all that fun stuff to watch.

Then after 10 minutes of all that... The wind-up, AND THE PITCH!!!

[Sandpiper]

22. Hmm...Team huddles for a minute

Team breaks huddle, takes another two minutes to line up...

QB gets under center, checks the defense...

Doesn't like the play, calls an audible...

The wide receiver goes in motion then runs back...

QB still doesn't like how things look...

Calls Timeout to talk it over.


Yep, football's just riveting to watch.

[SmileyBoy]

39. I went to a Twins game a few years ago...

...and LaTroy Hawkins (I think that's who the guy was) was fucking around on the mound so much while a batter was patiently waiting, you'd think LaTroy was trying to stall something on purpose. After about three minutes of dirt kicking, ass scratching, rosin wiping and hat tipping, I yellled out from the middle of the crowd, "PITCH THE DAMN BALL, LATROY!!!!"

I got a few nasty looks, but I could tell that most of the folks next to me were thinking the exact same thing.

[strategery blunder]

63. Baseball: 10 minutes of waiting for one pitch.

Hockey: OMG, they actually play for more than 30 seconds at a time!!!

[Nite Owl]

20. Probably

Go Yankees!

[amber dog democrat]

21. You are not alone

I could not care less about base ball.
Was forced to play it as an kid and I still hate it now.

[NightTrain]

23. Fuck baseball! Fuck football! Fuck basketball! Fuck hockey!

Fuck tennis! Fuck golf! Fuck lacrosse! Fuck stock car racing! Fuck horse racing! Anf fuck any other bullshit sport I may have forgotten!

[arewethereyet]

25. I used to not like baseball either until I educated myself, I was wrong !

And if you think baseball is great, look into cricket !

If you thnk there is nothing going on, you don't know what to look for. If you require constant movement, why do you like football ? they play for 5-10 seconds then stand around for 30. Now I like football but there is no comparison in terms of depth.

[Sandpiper]

27. That's what I was thinking

If you require constant movement, why do you like football ?

The majority of time in a football game is spent either in a huddle, or lining up for a play.

If you added up all the time in a football game where the ball was actually in play, it would be about 10 minutes out of 60.

[SmileyBoy]

29. Yeah, and there's constant exciting movement in baseball, isn't there???

...

[arewethereyet]

32. actually, yes, there is

but its subtle and requires understanding to be exciting.

and its not easy to "get" on tv. Hockey is much the same, very difficult to enjoy hockey on tv as you have to logically envision what the camera can't let you see.

[SmileyBoy]

33. Man, that's a lame explanation...

Football may be choppy in movement, but it's the most complex sport in the world. What other sport requires the athletes to memorize a playbook the size of a small town's phone book??? In baseball, what you see is what you get.

[arewethereyet]

35. like I said, you need to educate yourself

in baseball a player needs to understand how every other player in the league will tend to react against the pitcher he faces and in the situation with the at bat and other offensive players on the field and in relation to the defensive players out there.

And they do this in their heads for the most part because the books would be too large.

I've seen playbooks, there is no comparison.

[SmileyBoy]

36. I see your point, BUT...

Out of the actual duration of the game of football, contrary to popular belief, the huddle lasts no more than 20 seconds. Remember, the play clock in college lasts 35 seconds, and 25 in the NFL. QB's rarely snap the ball after the 10-second mark on the play clock. Now, the play clock starts up again IMMEDIATELY after the play ends. One play will take an average of 5-10 seconds, rather than a few. And I'm being conservative here. I've seen plays that last 20 seconds. 5-second plays are usually short rushing gains. Passing plays last at LEAST 7 or 8 seconds. So we've got at the bare minimum of 25 percent of game duration being used for play in football, because of an average of about 7 or 8 seconds out of 25 being used for actual play.

In baseball, a moment of play may last for as little as one second, while many pitchers have been known notorious for fucking around on the mound for minutes on end. I'm gonna make a liberal estimate and say that for every 60 seconds of game duration, 3 seconds of it is play, or 1/20th. Let's not even mention balking, which also reduces the percentage of actual play in the duration of a baseball game. Therefore, I'm guessing that the percentage of actual play going on in the duration of a baseball game is no more than 5-6 percent. I haven't even started mentioning pitching coaches coming out to the mound to give advice to the pitcher, and other time-wasters in the game.

And one more thing: You probably have never watched a two-minute drill. It's the part of football that's 100 PERCENT constant play. The most exciting pat of sports, IMHO.

[arewethereyet]

40. firstly, I am a football fan as well as a baseball fan

and in relative terms the times spent in highly active motion is no comparison. and I've seen many two minute drills.

but not all interesting things happen at a fever pitch. and its just as well as there is too much to absorb in baseball as it is.

I would argue that batters piss away more time than pitchers on average.

mound visits cancelled out by time outs.

[Sandpiper]

45. Mound visits are more than made up for

By the 12 time outs, 2 2-minute warnings, and 4 available instant replay challenges in every NFL game. Not to mention official's time outs to bring the chains out for a measurement.

If you were making an argument that baseball doesn't move fast enough compared to soccer or basketball, you might have a point, but football? C'mon man.

American style football is the most stop and go sport there is.

The two sports that most resemble it are Aussie Rules Football and Rugby, and both of those games are constantly in motion.

Oh, and they don't wear pads either.

[kanrok]

28. Twinkies suck. That may be why you hate baseball so much.

BTW...Viqueens suck also.

[SmileyBoy]

30. Who cares??? You're a Bears fan!!!

If you were a Packers fan, I'd be offended.

[kanrok]

46. Has Randy Moss been arrested yet this week?

Whatta douchebag. Love when he plays the Bears. Everytime he smells Urlacher he gets those alligator arms. Whatta putz.

[SmileyBoy]

47. Laugh all you want. But just remember, you're a Bears fan.

LOL!!!

[grannylib]

31. I agree, pretty boring for the most part. I have enjoyed the odd game here

and there, Twinkies in '87 and '91 were fun, but mostly it sucks.
I am a buckethead my own self, T-Wolves fan too...let's see if KG the MVP and all can get past Round 1 of the playoffs for a change...

[Liberal Christian]

34. Perhaps there should be a sports forum

If every game is going to be post-fodder, and the season is 160 or so games long times all those teams, that's too much for the Lounge. Boring, boring, boring.

[SarahB]

38. I don't

Team sports turn me off unless it's my own children playing them. I'm quite surrounded by it though, but I guess it was what I chose in a previous incarnation or something.

[DS1]

41. I like it, it's somehow relaxing

[GreenPartyVoter]

42. Don't like baseball, but adore the movie "A League of their Own"

Go figure.

[Kat45]

43. I don't give a fuck about baseball either.

And it's not because I don't understand it. When I was a kid, I loved baseball, went to a lot of games, understood the nuances. Then when I got a little older, I started watching hockey, and baseball was just too slow and boring in comparison. It's a snoozefest. And it sucks because where I live (the Boston area), there are rabid baseball fans everywhere, and everyone knows the sad story of the Red Sox, which gets repeated year after year.

[Beaker]

44. i abstain from watching ALL sports. and nascar too.

I haven't watched a baseball game on tv in over 10 years(although in that span i've been to 4 games- 3 at wrigley, 1 at comiskey), I haven't seen a football game in over 3 years, and i haven't watched a basketball game since Jordan retired from the Bulls for the last time...and being in chicago, watching hockey on tv is not an option.
i don't golf, and find it boring beyond the pale.

i'm more of a 'movies guy' when i assume the viewing position.

[Selwynn]

48. couldn't care less about bas....OMG GO BRAVES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ...ball

[Triple H]

49. WHAT???

You're not a Twins fan??? I'm shocked!!! The Twins are the best team in the league!

Among all of Minnesota's sports teams, I love the Twins the best! At least they don't choke when it comes to important games! (And they have a few World Series wins under their belt...how many Super Bowl trophies do the Vikings have???)

Edit: Baseball threads are better than cat threads!

[theoceansnerves]

50. corporatized sports

i couldn't care less.

[lazarus]

51. I don't care about baseball

But I don't like it when people attack what I like, so I tend to leave other people's interests alone.

Yeah, I've got a nice long rant I could go on about baseball, but why? Those who don't like it will be amused, but they don't like it anyway. Those that do like it will be offended, or not, but will likely think less of me for being somewhat intolerant.

Especially since I'm usually on the forefront defending the NBA and Survivor around here.

[Champ]

53. Great post

I see alot of people here attacking a certain reality show, musician, or whatever and it bugs me even though I do agree with them that whatever they are talking about does suck imo. The reason why is I know lots of intelligent people who like to be entertained by musicians or tv shows that I see being blasted almost everyday here. Everyone has different tastes and like you I avoid blasting forms of entertainment. Those who don't like it will be amused, but they don't like it anyway. Those that do like it will be offended, or not, but will likely think less of me for being somewhat intolerant. That's exactly right, I remember someone earlier calling someone's bond with a sports team a disease.

[lazarus]

55. Thank you!

[Awsi Dooger]

52. Wake me in October

Baseball's regular season is 7 months of organized procrastination, a triumph of the the worst athletes, lowest level of intensity, lowest caliber of play and of course requiring the most number of games. Let's play the same team 3 or 4 games in a row. Ultimate yawn. You guys win today, we'll win tomorrow.

A game of streaks, is everyone out of their mind? One or two teams are streaking in either direction at any given time while the other 28 are manuevering toward the prerequisite 70-90 losses. An individual sport pathetically wrapped in a team concept. Yeah, the toughest thing in sports is to hit a pitched ball, a .333 average phenomenal. Hello? It's 1 on 9, a slight factor don't you think? Make tennis 1 on 9 and suddenly holding serve is the toughest thing in sports.

A BIG favorite is 2-1, same as a 4 point choice in a football game. The best team can blow to the worst team 12-1 and no one says a word. Yes, a wonderful "sport" and a glorious reason to bolt to Europe for the summer. Barry Bonds could hit 400 homers in one year and you won't hear a peep.

Earlier in this thread there was the predictable and pathetic attempt to denounce baseball's detractors with the "you just don't understand the nuances of the sport" gag. Sure, pitching a guy high and tight to set him up for an outside breaking ball is beyond the comprehension of the planet's premier scholars. Ninety percent of baseball is two guys playing catch. Always at the same two locales. Amazingly complex.

Football has 22 human variables and virtually infinite permutations, played out to fascinating changes of strategy and personnel. Simpleton fans have almost no clue what has transpired on a given play in a football game, the execution of the trap block inside combined with a perfect seal block by the tight end on the OLB, etc.

Fans watch the ball. In football that strategy reveals almost nothing. In baseball you miss almost nothing.

[SmileyBoy]

54. I agree with everything you said.

Great post.

[cmf]

56. I tend to ignore all professional sports

I just can't get excited about watching a bunch of millionaires play a game. College on the otherhand, I don't mind.

[strategery blunder]

64. Unfortunately, college hockey is really difficult to watch

because no one airs the game.

[Zinfandel]

58. I'm waiting for players to sign a contract before each visit to the plate.

If they don't like the situation (nobody on base to drive in) or they don't like the pitcher (he's throwing too much heat) then don't sign, don't go to the plate for that plate apperence and don't go back and sign until it's more to the players liking.

[arcane1]

59. baseball sucks

hell all sports suck

[ForrestGump]

60. Nope, but I'm that way with most team sports

And, for that matter, with almost all televised sports. In some countries reg'lar folks of adult status actually play sports -- here it seems like most just watch it, from the safety of their couches.

Never watched a baseball game on TV. For one thing, if I'm being a couch potato and snacking on bonbons, all that disgusting tobacco spitting is enough to make me want to throw up...bad news when it comes on a restaurant TV partway through a meal.

Of the bigger US sports, (American) football and basketball at least have their moments and the men involved are actually working for a living.

[bubblesby2002]

61. Yes I agree. Can't see getting excited about a season

that has like 8000 games before the playoffs start. One the playoffs are on I will watch it.

[Ladyhawk]

62. I hate baseball.

And most other sports, too. I feel incensed that I have to pay for sports channels I don't even use.

How's that for agreement?