[NU Sports] Basketball

Tue Apr 1 12:57:50 CDT 2008

I must be the only one on here who thinks so, but I have always had a fondness?for sitting outside, with friends or family on a warm summer night, consuming hotdogs and 'various beverages' (beer ?), while explaning the vagaries of scorekeeping to my nephew, and loudly reminiscing about the great game I saw Wilbur Wood pitch, or one of Dick Allen's awesome homeruns - memories usually met with yawns, or preferably, other friends' equally?fond (but quirky) stories.

I love football, but at most football games you cant spread out over several seats, converse with friends knowing you won't miss much important, or just stare off into the night sky, savoring that scent of cooling hot dogs intermingled with warming beer - all for a few bucks a ticket (if you don't mind the cheap seats, which I don't).

Chuck Herron?? Tech '85

-----Original Message-----
From: SjT (Stephen J. Truog) <sjtruog at yahoo.com>
To: mlinhardt at netzero.net <mlinhardt at netzero.net>; nwu-sports at tssi.com
Sent: Mon, 31 Mar 2008 1:38 pm
Subject: RE: [NU Sports] Basketball

> We go to a couple of Cubs games a year and I am
> fidgety as there is so much downtime.  This does not
> happen with football.  I am constantly involved even
> during timeouts.

Gotta agree with the big B word on baseball.:)

And this is coming from someone who coaches little
league and loves to see kids play the game. I just
can't watch it on TV or even in person more than once
or twice a year.

A couple of reasons ...

The action vs. downtime ratio is far more thrilling in
football. And as much as you might hear groans about
the timeouts and a 4-hour football game, it's still
far more exciting than a 3.5-hour baseball game.

Baseball overall is not as much of a team game
compared to football. A good pitcher could make the
majority of the other players on the field irrelevant,
where as a great running back still needs seven men
blocking in front of him to achieve success.

Football seems to involve more strategy, or at least
strategy that pays off. Baseball is more percentages
and luck (30% is great at hitting, no so good for pass
completions).

Finally, in regards to professional baseball
specifically, it's not competitive or fair. Today is
opening day and 20+ major league teams are already out
of it. Sure, one may put together a feel-good run to
win one of the weaker divisions (or major divisions if
a big-market team totally collapses), but they'll
never win the title. My hometown Brewers have done
everything right in building up talent in the minors,
drafting smart, etc. and have a good young team. They
won't win the title though, and they better win the
division this year or next before Boston, New York and
LA sign their stars in free agency because the small
markets can't afford them.

Contrast that to football, where some of the most
successful franchises of the past decades - Green Bay,
Buffalo, Indianapolis, etc. - have been in smaller
markets. Sure, New York still wins it all some years,
but at least every fan feels they have a level playing
field and a chance.

I can't for the life of me see why fans in Kansas
City, Pittsburgh, etc. keep showing up. Even if they
get a good young talent, they'll be gone soon and
their team will never have a shot under the current
structure of the league.

Oh well, my annual baseball rant is off my chest.:) 

Go Brewers! At least until Lucy, er New York or
Boston, pulls away that football.:)

And speaking of which, bring on spring football!

GO CATS!!!
-SjT

* * * * * * * * *
STEPHEN J. TRUOG
sjtruog at yahoo.com
GO CATS!!!

      ____________________________________________________________________________________
No Cost - Get a month of Blockbuster Total Access now. Sweet deal for Yahoo! 
users and friends. 
http://tc.deals.yahoo.com/tc/blockbuster/text1.com

_______________________________________________
nwu-sports site list
nwu-sports at tssi.com
http://romaine.tssi.com/mailman/listinfo/nwu-sports

Administrative Note:  Comcast has been bouncing a lot of list traffic recently.  
The problem appears to be intermittent and is on their end.  If you get bounced 
off the list, just resubscribe.