John Cleese: Football v Soccer

[archives]

Baseball, as much as I've always loved it, is in serious trouble.

Kids aren't playing it the way they used to, and the professionals are very dependent on foreign players, now.

As sports entertainment, they're trying to attract new fans by tarting up the game, but are just driving away the old purists like myself.

The most athletic among today's kids prefer sports where their athletic ability can carry them by itself.
Baseball is all complex learned skills, and excellent athletes who don't have the patience for the learning curve can seriously suck at it.

I agree, the majority of other sports often reward being a biological freak, 380lb men with quick feet isn’t normal, nor are 6’ 8’ with high knees, where as baseball requires all around athleticism. Plus as you say, there is a strategy and drama in just about every aspect of the game, as Fenway shows, even the playing field can be a major variable

And I liked Suffolk Downs, train ride out, short walk following the first turn, and the old grandstand where you could sense the history.

 

[leaningright]

Baseball, as much as I've always loved it, is in serious trouble.

Kids aren't playing it the way they used to, and the professionals are very dependent on foreign players, now.

As sports entertainment, they're trying to attract new fans by tarting up the game, but are just driving away the old purists like myself.

The most athletic among today's kids prefer sports where their athletic ability can carry them by itself.
Baseball is all complex learned skills, and excellent athletes who don't have the patience for the learning curve can seriously suck at it.

Bingo! The bolded above is so true. And the powers that be are complicit in propagating that. I was at a basketball game tonight, in the stands talking with a coach from another school who is a very good friend of mine. He tells me there will be a shot clock in Oklahoma high school basketball next year.

IMO this is just another of many rule changes in the past 20 years or so to dumb down the game and give complete advantage to the team with the best athletes. They are making it to where if a school doesn’t have superior athletes it is impossible for them to compete. They’ve done it with the way they now call fouls, walks, and now here comes the shot clock.

Don’t make anyone think…it’s our country’s new motto.