Joe Poz: The New Paradigm

[mdccclxix]

Originally Posted by westofyou

Baseball is a marathon, worship the sprint if you must.

As a fan of the game I don't let the media dictate the game to me and try and define what I should see as important.

Can you explain more of what you mean here?

[mdccclxix]

Originally Posted by Rojo

Yeah, I've always thought a true apple-apple would be Super Bowls vs. Game 7's. My guess is that the gap closes dramatically. But I'm too lazy to do the research.

I wonder how an NLCS series' total unique viewers would stack up vs a AFC championship game? Can they even measure that?

[Caveat Emperor]

Originally Posted by mdccclxix

You take it the same way in baseball, right? So do you have a problem with 10 teams getting in the playoffs?

The number of playoffs slots is really irrelevant to me -- though, I recognize that it benefits a team like the Reds to have more opportunities to make the post-season (since their payroll limitations will reduce the odds of them producing league-best win totals on a yearly basis).

I do view baseball and football (and all other sports, really) the same way in this regard: the goal of the sport is to win a Championship. Anything less is failure, and trying to spin it any other way, to me, reeks of "participation ribbon" mentality.

[mdccclxix]

Originally Posted by Caveat Emperor

The number of playoffs slots is really irrelevant to me -- though, I recognize that it benefits a team like the Reds to have more opportunities to make the post-season (since their payroll limitations will reduce the odds of them producing league-best win totals on a yearly basis).

I do view baseball and football (and all other sports, really) the same way in this regard: the goal of the sport is to win a Championship. Anything less is failure, and trying to spin it any other way, to me, reeks of "participation ribbon" mentality.

I wonder what the breakdown is on the champion having the best record in football? NBA?

[osuceltic]

Originally Posted by westofyou

Baseball is a marathon, worship the sprint if you must.

As a fan of the game I don't let the media dictate the game to me and try and define what I should see as important.

That's fine, but denying the system the sport has accepted to declare its champion does not mean the system or the champion do not exist. The reality is they don't hand out trophies for the Big 162, and the reason everyone plays the game and the reason the vast majority watch is to raise that trophy. You can pretend it doesn't matter, but that's being pretty naive.

[westofyou]

Originally Posted by mdccclxix

Can you explain more of what you mean here?

I don't feel the need to cling to a round robin tournament as the sole indicator of who is the best baseball team.

The press surrounding the playoffs and world series implies that the whole season is a useless exercise, I find that silly. Best in the game has historically been about who compiles the best record over six months.

I believe that myself, and I while I want my team to win the World Series I don't downgrade my feelings on the season by the fact that the Reds had a bad five game series, IE I don't mope, I don't curse baseball, I don't turn to football for solace, I don't stop watching baseball I don't bemoan how unfair the game is, because it is unfair.

Just like life

[mdccclxix]

Originally Posted by westofyou

I don't feel the need to cling to a round robin tournament as the sole indicator of who is the best baseball team.

The press surrounding the playoffs and world series implies that the whole season is a useless exercise, I find that silly. Best in the game has historically been about who compiles the best record over six months.

I believe that myself, and I while I want my team to win the World Series I don't downgrade my feelings on the season by the fact that the Reds had a bad five game series, IE I don't mope, I don't curse baseball, I don't turn to football for solace, I don't stop watching baseball I don't bemoan how unfair the game is, because it is unfair.

Just like life

Well said. Does the reduced chances of winning a tourney championship, even with a 100 win team, still bother you?

[westofyou]

Originally Posted by mdccclxix

Well said. Does the reduced chances of winning a tourney championship, even with a 100 win team, still bother you?

Sure, but the fact that the Giants won 103 games in 1993 and didn't get in the playoffs was also kind of sad.

I watch a LOT of hockey, I love the NHL playoffs, it makes folks forget awesome 118 point seasons, players get to lift the cup... I get all that but I can't watch any sport for 6 months and not let some things slide, nor can I watch a sport for six months and feel anger when it doesn't fall into my lap like I want it to.

[_Sir_Charles_]

Originally Posted by westofyou

I don't feel the need to cling to a round robin tournament as the sole indicator of who is the best baseball team.

The press surrounding the playoffs and world series implies that the whole season is a useless exercise, I find that silly. Best in the game has historically been about who compiles the best record over six months.

I believe that myself, and I while I want my team to win the World Series I don't downgrade my feelings on the season by the fact that the Reds had a bad five game series, IE I don't mope, I don't curse baseball, I don't turn to football for solace, I don't stop watching baseball I don't bemoan how unfair the game is, because it is unfair.

Just like life

WoY...you have a WAAAAAAY too healthy outlook on things. Where's the tunnel vision, where's the irrational screaming at the TV, where's the drinking until you pass out due to post-season depression, where's the....well, I guess where's the Cub fan in you? :O)

[MikeS21]

Part of the slide in the interest in the World Series has to do with the move to cable television.

Despite the assumption that "everyone has cable or satellite now," I think it still has affected the number of people watching the games. It is surprising the number of households that were affected by the recent changeover from analog to digital TV - far more households than you might expect. My own parents have no desire to pay for cable or satellite TV, and stick with basic over-the-air channels.

The general move to cable has hurt baseball. Football is still available (Saturdays and Sundays) to anyone regardless of whether they have cable or not.

I also tend to think the more post-season teams allowed, waters down the true championship game. The winner-take-all should not be a team who barely got in to the post-season and then suddenly got hot and started playing well against superior teams. If they want to go to the final game, try beating these superior teams during the season.

I liked the old days, where the post season was the East first place team versus the West first place team, and the winner went to the World Series to face the winner of the other league's division playoff..

[M2]

Originally Posted by osuceltic

That's fine, but denying the system the sport has accepted to declare its champion does not mean the system or the champion do not exist. The reality is they don't hand out trophies for the Big 162, and the reason everyone plays the game and the reason the vast majority watch is to raise that trophy. You can pretend it doesn't matter, but that's being pretty naive.

The reason they play the game is because it makes a lot of money. And while it's great to be a fan of the team lifting the trophy at the end of the year, it's also pretty obvious the method for determining that champion jumped the shark a long time ago.

As a Reds fan, this season was great. I'd take another 10 just like it. Odds are the team wins a World Series or two if that happens, but that's got a lot less to do with ability and a lot more to do with the roulette wheel stopping on your number.

[M2]

Originally Posted by Tom Servo

I just wish we could get rid of the wild card round and go back to the 1969-1993 format. Have a best of 7 NLCS and ALCS between the two best teams in each league, and then your 7 game World Series.

I liked that format too, though it was only in place from 1985-93. The LCSes were best-of-5 from 1969-84.

Unfortunately we won't be going back. Yet I'd still like to see the team with the best record in each league get some sort of reward, either nothing but home games in the playoffs or the top overall pick or the ability to pick a player out of another organization (maybe all the other teams in the league get to protect 10 players/prospects and then the champion gets to select out of the who's left).

[Caveat Emperor]

Originally Posted by M2

As a Reds fan, this season was great. I'd take another 10 just like it. Odds are the team wins a World Series or two if that happens, but that's got a lot less to do with ability and a lot more to do with the roulette wheel stopping on your number.

Theoretically speaking, which would you choose:

1. Reds win the World Series, gut the team the next year and proceed to lose consistently for the next 6-7 years.

2. Reds win consistently for the next 5-6 years -- make the playoffs every year, but never win a World Series.

[fearofpopvol1]

Originally Posted by Caveat Emperor

Theoretically speaking, which would you choose:

1. Reds win the World Series, gut the team the next year and proceed to lose consistently for the next 6-7 years.

2. Reds win consistently for the next 5-6 years -- make the playoffs every year, but never win a World Series.

Wouldn't everyone choose #1? 5-6 years seems like nothing when you consider it's been over 22?

[Caveat Emperor]

Originally Posted by fearofpopvol1

Wouldn't everyone choose #1? 5-6 years seems like nothing when you consider it's been over 22?

The question is, framed another way, would you rather be the Oakland Athletics or the Florida Marlins.

Lots of people have chimed in saying that they would rather win consistently than win the big one.