Top 10 Reasons Why I Hate This Time of Year

[Henderson]

1. No college basketball.
2. No NBA basketball.
3. Most CBB recruits aren't making moves.
4. No NFL football.
5. No college football.
6. The NBA draft will come and go in two days.
7. I live in a city with no MLB franchise.
8. The international BB scene is picking up for the U-X players, but it's somehow just not the same. Same with AAU.
9. Sports commentators know all of the above too, so they are all reaching for something to talk about.
10. Even the College World Series (UCLA and Mississippi State?) is boring to me.

Thanks for listening. Wake me up in September or so. Or when another UNC player/former player gets arrested. The over/under on that is 60 days from now. Ed Cota and PJ Hairston are about all the entertainment we have to keep us going. Where is Tyler's mom when you need her?

[Old Drum]

I couldn't agree more. Except that I enjoy the Tour De France, which starts in a few days and gives a short reprieve from this sports desert we are currently in. There is a young, up-and-coming American named Teejay van Garderen in the mix this year.

[mgtr]

I couldn't agree more. Except that I enjoy the Tour De France, which starts in a few days and gives a short reprieve from this sports desert we are currently in. There is a young, up-and-coming American named Teejay van Garderen in the mix this year.

I thought that they had renamed it Tour De Farce, in honor of a recent seven-time winner.;)

[hurleyfor3]

And you're in Vegas, so the usual suggestion (turn off the teevee and go outside) doesn't work too well this time of year.

[78Devil]

Top Ten Reasons?

They all involve MLB being the most boring sport on the calendar, and not having much else to watch.

Fortunately, I am a soccer fan, so the Confederations Cup helps, and MLS is getting better each year.

But the wasteland that is the baseball season seems endless.

[gwlaw99]

Well only 1 month until NFL training camp starts.

[OldPhiKap]

I couldn't agree more. Except that I enjoy the Tour De France, which starts in a few days and gives a short reprieve from this sports desert we are currently in. There is a young, up-and-coming American named Teejay van Garderen in the mix this year.

Teejay won the Tour de California, I believe.


TDF rocks. Bobke Rolls.

[DueBlevil]

What about Wimbledon?

[burnspbesq]

You can watch five Duke men's lax recruits in the Under Armour All-American Game on 7/6, and three former Duke players (Crotty, Greer, and Manley, and no, I have no idea why Matt Dano was snubbed) in the MLL All-Star Game on 7/13. Plus there are a couple of former Duke players representing the US in the world championships in women's lax next month.

[Tappan Zee Devil]

1. No college basketball.
2. No NBA basketball.
3. Most CBB recruits aren't making moves.
4. No NFL football.
5. No college football.
6. The NBA draft will come and go in two days.
7. I live in a city with no MLB franchise.
8. The international BB scene is picking up for the U-X players, but it's somehow just not the same. Same with AAU.
9. Sports commentators know all of the above too, so they are all reaching for something to talk about.
10. Even the College World Series (UCLA and Mississippi State?) is boring to me.

Yeah, but you have the Mets top minor league team there in Vegas. That should be exciting enough ;)

[johnb]

1. No college basketball.
2. No NBA basketball.
3. Most CBB recruits aren't making moves.
4. No NFL football.
5. No college football.
6. The NBA draft will come and go in two days.
7. I live in a city with no MLB franchise.
8. The international BB scene is picking up for the U-X players, but it's somehow just not the same. Same with AAU.
9. Sports commentators know all of the above too, so they are all reaching for something to talk about.
10. Even the College World Series (UCLA and Mississippi State?) is boring to me.

Thanks for listening. Wake me up in September or so. Or when another UNC player/former player gets arrested. The over/under on that is 60 days from now. Ed Cota and PJ Hairston are about all the entertainment we have to keep us going. Where is Tyler's mom when you need her?

Agree.
I don't even like Sports Center in the summer. Top 10 Plays? How many times can they show an outfielder making a great catch? Or a soccer player making a goal (which is often the only goal throughout a very long game).

Obviously, baseball has many supporters, but I wonder if DBR has a limited number of them?

[Olympic Fan]

1. No college basketball.
2. No NBA basketball.
3. Most CBB recruits aren't making moves.
4. No NFL football.
5. No college football.
6. The NBA draft will come and go in two days.
7. I live in a city with no MLB franchise.
8. The international BB scene is picking up for the U-X players, but it's somehow just not the same. Same with AAU.
9. Sports commentators know all of the above too, so they are all reaching for something to talk about.
10. Even the College World Series (UCLA and Mississippi State?) is boring to me.

Thanks for listening. Wake me up in September or so. Or when another UNC player/former player gets arrested. The over/under on that is 60 days from now. Ed Cota and PJ Hairston are about all the entertainment we have to keep us going. Where is Tyler's mom when you need her?

Totally disagree ... while college basketball and college football are my No. 1 and 2 sports, Major League Baseball is No. 3 ... I love it.

So I guess my list of reasons why I like this time of year:

1. MLB in full swing -- I live in a city without a MLB team, but I get the MLB Network. That gives me tons of baseball.
2. No more ice hockey !!!!!
3. No more NBA (I don't hate it as much as ice hockey, but I still find it unwatchable)
4. NCAA CB recruiting in full swing. It's fun.
5. Preseason college football is less than six weeks away!

I don't mind a short break from the intensity of college basketball and even college football. My baseball keeps me going. I realize it's a matter of taste and if you don't like MLB, it might seem like a slow time. No judgment -- I hate the NHL, dislike the NBA and am bored to tears by the NFL. Love CBB, CF and MLB. To each his own.

PS -- I do agree that the travails of PJ Hairston, Ed Cota and the UNC AFAM scandal are endless entertainment. But that's hardly a seasonal thing -- the revelations of the most corrupt athletic department in the NCAA is a year-long entertainment.

[OldPhiKap]

Obviously, baseball has many supporters, but I wonder if DBR has a limited number of them?

I have a theory that baseball is a dying sport, which runs off more fans with each generation that passes. Playoff games start too late on the East Coast; games take forever; lots of down time while folks scratch themselves, etc. Plus there are so many teams now that it is hard to really know the players on the teams. Not to mention that the season starts in early April and runs through Halloween.

I grew up a huge baseball fan -- it was probably my favorite sport to watch -- but I find it more and more difficult to do. And with a clicker in my hand, poof -- I'm on to some show about crab fishermen or guys who make duck calls.

For the younger folks who are raised with instant stimulation and fast action, baseball is an investment in time that many do not want to make.

But again, that's just my theory.

[Henderson]

And you're in Vegas, so the usual suggestion (turn off the teevee and go outside) doesn't work too well this time of year.

Au contraire, mon ami. We have mountains right outside of town where the trailheads start at 7000 feet and go to 11,000+. Dry ponderosa pine forests and the smell of hot pine needles. And there is excellent morning/evening hiking 10 minutes from my house at Red Rock National Conservation Area. Or tennis in the morning and poolside with an icy beverage in the afternoon... It's a dry heat, but it's going to 113 later this week.

And good points from others about the TdeF, AAA baseball in the cool of the evenings, and Wimbledon. Maybe I was just cranky and missing CBB. Just ignore me when I start acting my age and get crabby. Heck, just ignore me anytime.

[luburch]

I have a theory that baseball is a dying sport, which runs off more fans with each generation that passes. Playoff games start too late on the East Coast; games take forever; lots of down time while folks scratch themselves, etc. Plus there are so many teams now that it is hard to really know the players on the teams. Not to mention that the season starts in early April and runs through Halloween.

I grew up a huge baseball fan -- it was probably my favorite sport to watch -- but I find it more and more difficult to do. And with a clicker in my hand, poof -- I'm on to some show about crab fishermen or guys who make duck calls.

For the younger folks who are raised with instant stimulation and fast action, baseball is an investment in time that many do not want to make.

But again, that's just my theory.

I couldn't agree more. I've always thought that baseball has been bleeding. I always said I could enjoy the games if I was there in person, but now even that is hard to do.

[OldPhiKap]

I couldn't agree more. I've always thought that baseball has been bleeding. I always said I could enjoy the games if I was there in person, but now even that is hard to do.

What do you have against cold $8 hot dogs and warm $7 Bud Lite?

[Dev11]

I have a theory that baseball is a dying sport, which runs off more fans with each generation that passes. Playoff games start too late on the East Coast; games take forever; lots of down time while folks scratch themselves, etc. Plus there are so many teams now that it is hard to really know the players on the teams. Not to mention that the season starts in early April and runs through Halloween.

I grew up a huge baseball fan -- it was probably my favorite sport to watch -- but I find it more and more difficult to do. And with a clicker in my hand, poof -- I'm on to some show about crab fishermen or guys who make duck calls.

For the younger folks who are raised with instant stimulation and fast action, baseball is an investment in time that many do not want to make.

But again, that's just my theory.

Given that every team is breaking records with RSN fees and attendance is fairly steady (some teams losing, some gaining), I fail to see how it is dying. I think the only thing that is really changing is the talent is being farmed out overseas more each year.

There is a pretty good community of baseball fans at DBR, but I generally would rather discuss the Nats on a Nats blog. I don't talk about Duke over there (but I do maintain my poster name!).

[OldPhiKap]

Given that every team is breaking records with RSN fees and attendance is fairly steady (some teams losing, some gaining), I fail to see how it is dying. I think the only thing that is really changing is the talent is being farmed out overseas more each year.

There is a pretty good community of baseball fans at DBR, but I generally would rather discuss the Nats on a Nats blog. I don't talk about Duke over there (but I do maintain my poster name!).

Not sure about this source, but looks like attendance is down a bunch overall:

http://www.baseball-reference.com/leagues/current_attendance.shtml


And I don't think that 2012 was a banner year.

[Reilly]

Top Ten Reasons ... all involve MLB being the most boring sport on the calendar....

I recently bought and watched the episode of The Simpsons where Lisa manages Bart's baseball team. At the end, one of them is giving a paean to baseball and calls it "a game of unpredictability and passion, surpassed in excitement only by every other sport."

[Reilly]

1. ... No NFL football ... No college football....

Saw a good (rang too true) cartoon a couple of years ago: "Just when I begin to think life has no meaning, football starts."

[Reilly]

Agree.
I don't even like Sports Center in the summer....

A couple of years ago, they tried to fill the dead time by doing a 50-state tour and featuring a state or two per night and all things related to that state ... recall that in Virginia, they featured a foosball tournament in a bar ....

[Reilly]

I have a theory that baseball is a dying sport, which runs off more fans with each generation that passes. Playoff games start too late on the East Coast; games take forever; lots of down time while folks scratch themselves, etc. Plus there are so many teams now that it is hard to really know the players on the teams. Not to mention that the season starts in early April and runs through Halloween.

I grew up a huge baseball fan -- it was probably my favorite sport to watch -- but I find it more and more difficult to do. And with a clicker in my hand, poof -- I'm on to some show about crab fishermen or guys who make duck calls.

For the younger folks who are raised with instant stimulation and fast action, baseball is an investment in time that many do not want to make.

But again, that's just my theory.

Thomas Boswell of The Washington Post had a point several years ago that the "everydayness" of baseball is sort of like a security blanket (my words) appealing to the over-40 set. With the graying of America and the aging Baby Boomers, it seems maybe it should be spiking in popularity. It does have more of a "rhythm of the seasons" feel to it ... or as Earl Weaver told Boswell when Bos was apologizing for being around the dugout when a game was beginning: "relax, son, this ain't football; we do this every day"

I agree the playoffs start too late. And there's nothing worse in sports, in my opinion, than some four hour Red Sox/Yankees overdramatic-fest. Some local/regional cable companies replay games from 30 or 40 years ago. Stunning how fast the pitchers worked and everybody went about their business. Some sort of modern America life lesson there.

I'd think the growing Hispanic population of America would help fuel interest, given the seeming popularity of the sport in Latin America.

Like you, I grew up a huge baseball fan: it was a bigger deal to see a regular season Monday Night baseball game on ABC than it was to see the NBA finals. Like you, I drifted. A confluence of recent events, however, has me coming home. Go find some highlights of Manny Machado, realize he's 20 and he has a preternatural calm and maturity a la Kyrie, and you may start to come back around.

[snowdenscold]

What about Wimbledon?

Second this. I have 10 hours of coverage DVR'd every day :D Having HD broadcasts and a Big 4 / "golden era" on the men's side have really made it enjoyable to watch the past 5 years. Plus, it's pretty incredible to see Serena's reemergence and absolute dominance on the women's side at age 31.

Now it was the 2 weeks in between the French Open and Wimbledon that I found boring, haha.


Plus, that ESPN Tennis Grand Slam theme music is so darn catchy!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2-xFIpi-BPY

[arnie]

I have a theory that baseball is a dying sport, which runs off more fans with each generation that passes. Playoff games start too late on the East Coast; games take forever; lots of down time while folks scratch themselves, etc. Plus there are so many teams now that it is hard to really know the players on the teams. Not to mention that the season starts in early April and runs through Halloween.

I grew up a huge baseball fan -- it was probably my favorite sport to watch -- but I find it more and more difficult to do. And with a clicker in my hand, poof -- I'm on to some show about crab fishermen or guys who make duck calls.

For the younger folks who are raised with instant stimulation and fast action, baseball is an investment in time that many do not want to make.

But again, that's just my theory.

Plus, for us in NC, Bud Selig said North Carolina will never have a MLB team. He made that statement in the 90s when G'boro area was lobbying for a team. Quite a statement at a time that the state was growing rapidly (and still is). Hard to be a fan when the King till death doesnt believe we're worthy.

[OldPhiKap]

Thomas Boswell of The Washington Post had a point several years ago that the "everydayness" of baseball is sort of like a security blanket (my words) appealing to the over-40 set. With the graying of America and the aging Baby Boomers, it seems maybe it should be spiking in popularity. It does have more of a "rhythm of the seasons" feel to it ... or as Earl Weaver told Boswell when Bos was apologizing for being around the dugout when a game was beginning: "relax, son, this ain't football; we do this every day"

I agree the playoffs start too late. And there's nothing worse in sports, in my opinion, than some four hour Red Sox/Yankees overdramatic-fest. Some local/regional cable companies replay games from 30 or 40 years ago. Stunning how fast the pitchers worked and everybody went about their business. Some sort of modern America life lesson there.

I'd think the growing Hispanic population of America would help fuel interest, given the seeming popularity of the sport in Latin America.

Like you, I grew up a huge baseball fan: it was a bigger deal to see a regular season Monday Night baseball game on ABC than it was to see the NBA finals. Like you, I drifted. A confluence of recent events, however, has me coming home. Go find some highlights of Manny Machado, realize he's 20 and he has a preternatural calm and maturity a la Kyrie, and you may start to come back around.

Excellent post, must spread the love before re-sporking unfortunately.

I was blessed to see Greg Maddux pitch for years, and he was old school -- every game went about two hours, ten minutes. No wasted motion. Wish there were rules about stepping out of the box and time between pitches.

Of course, grew up idolizing Tom Terrific Seaver who always moved things along too.

I cannot think of another job that does not have reasonable time requirements. Especially a job in "entertainment" that banks on folks liking it.

[arnie]

Excellent post, must spread the love before re-sporking unfortunately.

I was blessed to see Greg Maddux pitch for years, and he was old school -- every game went about two hours, ten minutes. No wasted motion. Wish there were rules about stepping out of the box and time between pitches.

Of course, grew up idolizing Tom Terrific Seaver who always moved things along too.

I cannot think of another job that does not have reasonable time requirements. Especially a job in "entertainment" that banks on folks liking it.

GOLF: Same problem that started with Jack

[hudlow]

#1 reason...it's hot and sticky this time of year. Everything follows.

[MartyClark]

Duke basketball games are an event. I adjust my schedule to watch the games.

Baseball is always there. 162 games whether you want that many or not. It's a good sport to follow on radio while doing something else or to look at the box scores in the morning. I go to 1 or 2 games a year. Even on a beautiful summer evening in Denver, the games are a bit slow.

[Newton_14]

My summer time fix is:

1. NBA Finals (The only NBA games I watch start to finish all season)
2. Three Golf Tourney's - US Open, British Open, PGA Championship
3. NC Pro-AM Hoops (Free basketball, great atmosphere, first live look at the Duke Freshman, most Duke upperclassmen participate as well)

That tides me over until that first Duke Football game which kicks off College FB season, and finds us one month away from the start of college hoops practice and CTC,

[cbarry]

Speaking of the NC Pro-am- Does anybody know which, if any, Duke players will be playing this year? It's kind of confusing, since the summer league started out as the "Chavis League" at Shaw, and was recently renamed the "NC Pro-Am" at NC Central, and this year if back at Shaw as the "Chavis League". To make things more confusing, there is apparently a "NC Pro-Am" also this year, according to their website. I live locally and want to see some Duke guys play in the off season! Last year's NC Pro-Am was great. I got to speak to Quinn, Amile, and Rodney, plus heckle PJ Hairston a bit! Hoping for similar this year (though I probably wouldn't say much to PJ since he is packing heat!)


My summer time fix is:

3. NC Pro-AM Hoops (Free basketball, great atmosphere, first live look at the Duke Freshman, most Duke upperclassmen participate as well)

[Olympic Fan]

I have a theory that baseball is a dying sport, which runs off more fans with each generation that passes. Playoff games start too late on the East Coast; games take forever; lots of down time while folks scratch themselves, etc. Plus there are so many teams now that it is hard to really know the players on the teams. Not to mention that the season starts in early April and runs through Halloween.

I grew up a huge baseball fan -- it was probably my favorite sport to watch -- but I find it more and more difficult to do. And with a clicker in my hand, poof -- I'm on to some show about crab fishermen or guys who make duck calls.

For the younger folks who are raised with instant stimulation and fast action, baseball is an investment in time that many do not want to make.

But again, that's just my theory.

Too bad it doesn't fit the evidence.

According to the most recent Gallup breakdown of baseball's fan base (from October 2009), the largest segment of the baseball fan base -- by far -- is the 21-to-35 age group, which makes up over 52 percent of the sports fan base. The 20-and-unders make up another 10 percent. The 35-to-50 age group is at 32 percent. The 51 and overs are about 5 percent.

Look, if you don't like baseball ... that's fine. I don't like hockey or pro basketball. But I don't going around trying to stereotype their fans.

But baseball is currently America's No. 2 sport (although well behind football at No. 1) and its percentage has actually risen sharply since Gallup began polling on the subject in 2003:

http://www.gallup.com/poll/4735/sports.aspx

It's hardly a "dying" or an "old man's sport

PS While attendance is down slightly this season -- so far (attendance is usually better in the summer months and we're not even a third through summer) -- it should be pointed out that the nine previous seasons have seen the nine greatest attendance seasons in baseball history. Hardly evidence that the sport is in decline.

[DukeHLM'13]

Speaking of the NC Pro-am- Does anybody know which, if any, Duke players will be playing this year?...

Seconded. I have live in NC my whole life but never managed to make it to the Pro-am, but my new life in the Army is providing me with an abundance of free time so I think that I'm going to have to go this year to stave off the sports boredom.

[Buckeye Devil]

I hate this time of year too but they are not all sports related:

1. My dog hates hot weather, his allergies act up, and he doesn't like to take walks in the heat
2. My kid has no set bed time and I get no down time after work
3. My wife isn't happy with my kid around the house most of the time giving her a hard time
4. Shorts stick to your legs and butt even in an air conditioned house
5. Blowing money on summer vacation at a place I really don't want to go
6. Baseball bores me unless a)I can actually attend a game, 2) the Reds are hot and win the NL Central but they are starting to lose some ground
7. Horse racing is mostly over
8. I only have the British Open to look forward to in golf and even then my schedule does not always fit with the time difference; the PGA is my least favorite major
9. No Ohio State or NFL football (but at least training camps are on the horizon)
10. No Duke basketball and minimal activity on that front

[davekay1971]

What about Wimbledon?

I definitely pick up my tennis interest in the summer. Unfortunately, I haven't managed to develop a strong supporting interest in any given tennis star. I tend to support American stars, and there's a serious lack on that front right now. Serena Williams, while a phenomenal tennis player, is also frequently a lout, both on and off the court. Plus, her biceps and delts are bigger than mine, which makes me envious and bitter. Sloan Stephens has promise and seems like a charming girl, but she's too-frequently gone early in the tournaments at this point. On the men's side, there's a few promising players, but nobody reliably around past the first 2-3 rounds. I still enjoy watching the non-Americans, and tennis is a beautiful sport, so I watch the tournaments in the summer...but I don't have a passionate rooting interest.

[MCFinARL]

You can watch five Duke men's lax recruits in the Under Armour All-American Game on 7/6, and three former Duke players (Crotty, Greer, and Manley, and no, I have no idea why Matt Dano was snubbed) in the MLL All-Star Game on 7/13. Plus there are a couple of former Duke players representing the US in the world championships in women's lax next month.

Not snubbed, apparently. According to an article on Inside Lacrosse, Danowski has known for a long time that he would have a conflict on the day of the All-Star game, so was not considered.

[Newton_14]

Speaking of the NC Pro-am- Does anybody know which, if any, Duke players will be playing this year? It's kind of confusing, since the summer league started out as the "Chavis League" at Shaw, and was recently renamed the "NC Pro-Am" at NC Central, and this year if back at Shaw as the "Chavis League". To make things more confusing, there is apparently a "NC Pro-Am" also this year, according to their website. I live locally and want to see some Duke guys play in the off season! Last year's NC Pro-Am was great. I got to speak to Quinn, Amile, and Rodney, plus heckle PJ Hairston a bit! Hoping for similar this year (though I probably wouldn't say much to PJ since he is packing heat!)

A couple of things. We should find out over the next week or so which Duke players will be participating. Now some of our kids are playing for US teams which will cause them to miss some of the summer league games, but they should still participate once they get back. The rosters should be posted in the next week on the NC PRO AM website. We have a 2013 Pro Am thread. Check it out for the link to the website and key info.

Second, the Summer League at Shaw and the NC Pro Am Summer League are separate leagues not related. The NC Pro Am was started about 4 years ago by Jerry Stackhouse with support from Rasheed Wallace. The first 4 seasons were all held at NC Central, however, the NCAA instituted a rule last year that banned High School players from participating. They ruled that since the league was held on a D1 College campus, it was an unfair recruiting advantage for the host school (Central). To get around that rule, this season Stackhouse moved the league to the Durham School Of The Arts gym, which is the old Durham High School from years ago. So if you plan on attending you need to be heading out to DSA gym on game nights, not Shaw.

The NC Pro AM teams will be comprised of select High School kids, College kids, and NBA players. I was not aware the Chavis League was starting back up at Shaw so no info on who will be playing there. Duke kids will be playing in the NC Pro Am league though and not the Chavis League.

[NSDukeFan]

I definitely pick up my tennis interest in the summer. Unfortunately, I haven't managed to develop a strong supporting interest in any given tennis star. I tend to support American stars, and there's a serious lack on that front right now. Serena Williams, while a phenomenal tennis player, is also frequently a lout, both on and off the court. Plus, her biceps and delts are bigger than mine, which makes me envious and bitter. Sloan Stephens has promise and seems like a charming girl, but she's too-frequently gone early in the tournaments at this point. On the men's side, there's a few promising players, but nobody reliably around past the first 2-3 rounds. I still enjoy watching the non-Americans, and tennis is a beautiful sport, so I watch the tournaments in the summer...but I don't have a passionate rooting interest.

I was thinking Wimbledon would be something to keep me interested in sports for a couple of weeks but am now disappointed that for the first time in nine years (36 grand slams), Roger Federer won't be playing in the quarter finals, on his best surface no less.

[ChillinDuke]

Excellent post, must spread the love before re-sporking unfortunately.

I was blessed to see Greg Maddux pitch for years, and he was old school -- every game went about two hours, ten minutes. No wasted motion. Wish there were rules about stepping out of the box and time between pitches.

Of course, grew up idolizing Tom Terrific Seaver who always moved things along too.

I cannot think of another job that does not have reasonable time requirements. Especially a job in "entertainment" that banks on folks liking it.

As an avid baseball fan, I don't share your sentiments. However, I completely understand them.

I've long thought it's time for baseball to dump Bud Selig and make some tweaks to the game. My personal tweaks would include:

1) Challenge flags similar to football. 2 per game. Leave the rest to the human eye unless challenged. Anything is challenge-able except balls and strikes.
2) Time limit between pitches. One or two warnings, then automatic walk is granted to batter.
3) Limit stepping out of the box. Perhaps 10 per team per game. I dunno - but limit it.
4) Get rid of the all-star game decides home field advantage for World Series. Are you serious? So you can have a team go 162-0 and another team go 81-81. And the .500 team will get home field if they win the All Star game? Get out of town. I dig that home field is less of an issue in baseball than other sports, but c'mon. If you need to ensure the All-Star game doesn't go an obscene amount of extra innings, just make it go 10 innings and then have a home run derby to decide winner. Fun and easy.

I probably would have some more, but I'm too tired at the moment.

- Chillin

[sagegrouse]

As an avid baseball fan, I don't share your sentiments. However, I completely understand them.

I've long thought it's time for baseball to dump Bud Selig and make some tweaks to the game. My personal tweaks would include:

1) Challenge flags similar to football. 2 per game. Leave the rest to the human eye unless challenged. Anything is challenge-able except balls and strikes.
2) Time limit between pitches. One or two warnings, then automatic walk is granted to batter.
3) Limit stepping out of the box. Perhaps 10 per team per game. I dunno - but limit it.
4) Get rid of the all-star game decides home field advantage for World Series. Are you serious? So you can have a team go 162-0 and another team go 81-81. And the .500 team will get home field if they win the All Star game? Get out of town. I dig that home field is less of an issue in baseball than other sports, but c'mon. If you need to ensure the All-Star game doesn't go an obscene amount of extra innings, just make it go 10 innings and then have a home run derby to decide winner. Fun and easy.

I probably would have some more, but I'm too tired at the moment.

- Chillin

I would eliminate the intentional walk, by allowing the player to remain at the plate, at the discretion of the manager. If walked again, he gets second base, etc, etc. Why should the "Rules of the Game" prevent the fan from seeing a matchup between a pitcher and the best hitter on the team? And, of course, under this construct, a team could refuse any walk and leave the player at the plate to bat.

No other sport permits the "defanging" of the best player on the field.

sagegrouse

[brevity]

4) Get rid of the all-star game decides home field advantage for World Series. Are you serious? So you can have a team go 162-0 and another team go 81-81. And the .500 team will get home field if they win the All Star game?

I would note that the 162-0 team did finish 81-0 in road games, so they probably wouldn't care. (Sure, it would be nice if their ballpark and city hosted up to 4 World Series games.)

[cbarry]

Thanks Newton_14! I appreciate the info. I just found the rosters for schedule for the Pro-am and posted in the other thread.

A couple of things. We should find out over the next week or so which Duke players will be participating. Now some of our kids are playing for US teams which will cause them to miss some of the summer league games, but they should still participate once they get back. The rosters should be posted in the next week on the NC PRO AM website. We have a 2013 Pro Am thread. Check it out for the link to the website and key info.

Second, the Summer League at Shaw and the NC Pro Am Summer League are separate leagues not related. The NC Pro Am was started about 4 years ago by Jerry Stackhouse with support from Rasheed Wallace. The first 4 seasons were all held at NC Central, however, the NCAA instituted a rule last year that banned High School players from participating. They ruled that since the league was held on a D1 College campus, it was an unfair recruiting advantage for the host school (Central). To get around that rule, this season Stackhouse moved the league to the Durham School Of The Arts gym, which is the old Durham High School from years ago. So if you plan on attending you need to be heading out to DSA gym on game nights, not Shaw.

The NC Pro AM teams will be comprised of select High School kids, College kids, and NBA players. I was not aware the Chavis League was starting back up at Shaw so no info on who will be playing there. Duke kids will be playing in the NC Pro Am league though and not the Chavis League.

[rsvman]

This is the time of the year to stop watching sports and start playing them.

Specifically, golf.

I like to watch golf, too, as long as it is DVR'd so I can skip to the actual shots. A 4-hour broadcast is really about an hour and half or so and it's pretty entertaining when you cut out all the crap. The other thing is that over the past 3 or 4 years I have actually become more of a fan of the LPGA than the PGA. The women on the LPGA tour actually play a game that I'm familiar with. They play it much better than I do, but they hit shots that I am at least occasionally capable of hitting. The men hit the ball so far these days that it becomes a completely different game.


I've never really enjoyed baseball. I think there is WAY too much down time. If I were asked to "fix the problem" (and I'd be the worst guy to ask because I've never really watched baseball) I would offer the following suggestions:

1) The pitcher can attempt to throw out a runner once. If he fails, he fails. Throw the damn ball to the batter, please. Another idea would be to get rid of the whole idea of throwing out runners from the mound. Maybe make the runners keep a foot touching the bag? If the foot leaves the bag before the pitch leaves the hand, the runner is out? (Just thinking out loud here. I know baseball fans would say this would make stealing really hard, and thus rare, and therefore take away a really important part of the game. Like I said, I'm not a baseball guy. I just find the pitcher throwing the ball to first base over and over again to be mind-numbingly boring. They almost NEVER actually get the runner out.)
2) The pitcher should have a "pitch clock," akin to the shot clock in basketball. If he fails to throw a pitch within the given time, the ball count goes up by one.
3) The corollary: The pitcher can throw a pitch anytime after the batter has stepped up to the plate. So, if the batter steps out to adjust his glove, pull on his shirt sleeves, smoke a cigarette, or whatever, the pitcher can just go ahead and throw the ball. It should be the batter's job to attempt to hit the ball. Once you're up to the plate, it's your "at bat." If you leave, that's YOUR problem.
4) The manager and/or other assorted guys can come out to the plate to speak with the pitcher if they call a "time out." (I know there's no clock in baseball, but bear with me.) They should be allowed a restricted number of "time outs," maybe 2 or 3 for the game (?). If they use them up, they can still replace a pitcher, but they can't go out and talk to him. The amount of time granted in a time out should be limited to perhaps 2 minutes. Go out there, make your point, and then get back to the dugout, OK?

[rasputin]

This is the time of the year to stop watching sports and start playing them.

Specifically, golf.

I like to watch golf, too, as long as it is DVR'd so I can skip to the actual shots. A 4-hour broadcast is really about an hour and half or so and it's pretty entertaining when you cut out all the crap. The other thing is that over the past 3 or 4 years I have actually become more of a fan of the LPGA than the PGA. The women on the LPGA tour actually play a game that I'm familiar with. They play it much better than I do, but they hit shots that I am at least occasionally capable of hitting. The men hit the ball so far these days that it becomes a completely different game.


I've never really enjoyed baseball. I think there is WAY too much down time. If I were asked to "fix the problem" (and I'd be the worst guy to ask because I've never really watched baseball) I would offer the following suggestions:

1) The pitcher can attempt to throw out a runner once. If he fails, he fails. Throw the damn ball to the batter, please. Another idea would be to get rid of the whole idea of throwing out runners from the mound. Maybe make the runners keep a foot touching the bag? If the foot leaves the bag before the pitch leaves the hand, the runner is out? (Just thinking out loud here. I know baseball fans would say this would make stealing really hard, and thus rare, and therefore take away a really important part of the game. Like I said, I'm not a baseball guy. I just find the pitcher throwing the ball to first base over and over again to be mind-numbingly boring. They almost NEVER actually get the runner out.)
2) The pitcher should have a "pitch clock," akin to the shot clock in basketball. If he fails to throw a pitch within the given time, the ball count goes up by one.
3) The corollary: The pitcher can throw a pitch anytime after the batter has stepped up to the plate. So, if the batter steps out to adjust his glove, pull on his shirt sleeves, smoke a cigarette, or whatever, the pitcher can just go ahead and throw the ball. It should be the batter's job to attempt to hit the ball. Once you're up to the plate, it's your "at bat." If you leave, that's YOUR problem.
4) The manager and/or other assorted guys can come out to the plate to speak with the pitcher if they call a "time out." (I know there's no clock in baseball, but bear with me.) They should be allowed a restricted number of "time outs," maybe 2 or 3 for the game (?). If they use them up, they can still replace a pitcher, but they can't go out and talk to him. The amount of time granted in a time out should be limited to perhaps 2 minutes. Go out there, make your point, and then get back to the dugout, OK?

1. I'm with you on point 1, but I'd allow >1 throw-over. I'm as big a baseball fan as there is, and constant pickoff moves driveme crazy.
2. #2 is in place already, in theory (if there's nobody on base), but it isn't enforced.
3. MLB always says they are going to police this kind of stuff, but they never do. I think a batter should be able to step out if the pitcher is just scratching himself, or if he needs to check his bat, etc., but they could do a lot better job of policing this.
4. Cutting down on visits to the mound is called for. Under the existing rule, you get one free visit to the mound every inning, and that's too much. Oh, and saying they had a limit of 2 minutes would actually lengthen the interruption. The home plate umpire is out there long before two minutes have elapsed.
5. It would also help if they didn't have to have long commercial breaks at every opportunity. I have long maintained that if MLB actually REDUCED the length of breaks between innings, they would make as much or more money for the advertising by making it more scarce and by enhancing the viewers' overall enjoyment and thereby adding viewership.

[COYS]

4) Get rid of the all-star game decides home field advantage for World Series. Are you serious? So you can have a team go 162-0 and another team go 81-81. And the .500 team will get home field if they win the All Star game? Get out of town. I dig that home field is less of an issue in baseball than other sports, but c'mon. If you need to ensure the All-Star game doesn't go an obscene amount of extra innings, just make it go 10 innings and then have a home run derby to decide winner. Fun and easy.

I probably would have some more, but I'm too tired at the moment.

- Chillin

While there is merit to your other ideas, this one is the single biggest flaw in the game right now. Each team plays 162 games in a season and yet home field advantage is determined by a single, completely non-traditional game over which the vast majority of the players who are actually in the World Series have absolutely no control. It's a horrible, horrible joke. I've been boycotting the All Star Game ever since. And I LOVE baseball.

Anyway, I actually like this time of year. I love soccer and baseball. There's summer soccer pretty much every year. Right now I get to follow the Confed Cup and the U-20 World Cup. While this is a "down" summer in terms of the prestige of other competitions like World Cup years or Euro Championship years, it's still interesting. As a USMNT fan, the Gold Cup is awesome, too, especially this year. There are a lot of interesting story lines for fans of American soccer. Will Landon Donovan return to his old peak form and make it back to the full USMNT? Will Stuart Holden, who looked like a potential star for the US, be able to regain his form before he spent the last two years trying to comeback from various devastating injuries? How will the old defenders Onyewu and Bocanegra look? In 2009, they were on top of their game and were a big reason the US was, believe it or not, the last team to knock Spain out of a FIFA competition. Onyewu even parlayed his performance in the 2009 Confed Cup into a deal at AC Milan (for US players, this was a BIG deal!) only to suffer serious injuries that were still slowing him at the 2010 World Cup. Finally, as usual, the Gold Cup is also a chance for younger players or fringe full USMNT players to make their marks. Corona, Bedoya, and many others potentially have a lot to offer the US at the 2014 World Cup, but we have yet to see them put it all together in a US uniform.

Anyway, I'll stop boring people with my soccer comments. As much as I love Duke basketball, it's hard to complain during the summer if you happen to be a soccer fan or a baseball fan, as I am.

[DukeAlumBS]

This is dumb!
I hate not having basketball times 10!!!
Duke college hoop times 10

Have nice day
I hate this time, you fester a lot

Nice day
Jimmy

[MartyClark]

This is the time of the year to stop watching sports and start playing them.

Specifically, golf.

I like to watch golf, too, as long as it is DVR'd so I can skip to the actual shots. A 4-hour broadcast is really about an hour and half or so and it's pretty entertaining when you cut out all the crap. The other thing is that over the past 3 or 4 years I have actually become more of a fan of the LPGA than the PGA. The women on the LPGA tour actually play a game that I'm familiar with. They play it much better than I do, but they hit shots that I am at least occasionally capable of hitting. The men hit the ball so far these days that it becomes a completely different game.


I've never really enjoyed baseball. I think there is WAY too much down time. If I were asked to "fix the problem" (and I'd be the worst guy to ask because I've never really watched baseball) I would offer the following suggestions:

1) The pitcher can attempt to throw out a runner once. If he fails, he fails. Throw the damn ball to the batter, please. Another idea would be to get rid of the whole idea of throwing out runners from the mound. Maybe make the runners keep a foot touching the bag? If the foot leaves the bag before the pitch leaves the hand, the runner is out? (Just thinking out loud here. I know baseball fans would say this would make stealing really hard, and thus rare, and therefore take away a really important part of the game. Like I said, I'm not a baseball guy. I just find the pitcher throwing the ball to first base over and over again to be mind-numbingly boring. They almost NEVER actually get the runner out.)
2) The pitcher should have a "pitch clock," akin to the shot clock in basketball. If he fails to throw a pitch within the given time, the ball count goes up by one.
3) The corollary: The pitcher can throw a pitch anytime after the batter has stepped up to the plate. So, if the batter steps out to adjust his glove, pull on his shirt sleeves, smoke a cigarette, or whatever, the pitcher can just go ahead and throw the ball. It should be the batter's job to attempt to hit the ball. Once you're up to the plate, it's your "at bat." If you leave, that's YOUR problem.
4) The manager and/or other assorted guys can come out to the plate to speak with the pitcher if they call a "time out." (I know there's no clock in baseball, but bear with me.) They should be allowed a restricted number of "time outs," maybe 2 or 3 for the game (?). If they use them up, they can still replace a pitcher, but they can't go out and talk to him. The amount of time granted in a time out should be limited to perhaps 2 minutes. Go out there, make your point, and then get back to the dugout, OK?

I know you mentioned golf, but what sport are you going to play. Golf doesn't count.

[Acymetric]

I definitely pick up my tennis interest in the summer. Unfortunately, I haven't managed to develop a strong supporting interest in any given tennis star. I tend to support American stars, and there's a serious lack on that front right now. Serena Williams, while a phenomenal tennis player, is also frequently a lout, both on and off the court. Plus, her biceps and delts are bigger than mine, which makes me envious and bitter. Sloan Stephens has promise and seems like a charming girl, but she's too-frequently gone early in the tournaments at this point. On the men's side, there's a few promising players, but nobody reliably around past the first 2-3 rounds. I still enjoy watching the non-Americans, and tennis is a beautiful sport, so I watch the tournaments in the summer...but I don't have a passionate rooting interest.

Yeah, I try to watch when Maria Sharapova is on too.

[Henderson]

Serena Williams, while a phenomenal tennis player, is also frequently a lout, both on and off the court. Plus, her biceps and delts are bigger than mine, which makes me envious and bitter.

Are you suspicious at all? I have zero basis for accusing anyone of anything, but do tennis players get tested? I assume so, but then, so did Lance.

http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://steroidjunkie.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/serena-williams-thighs.jpg&imgrefurl=http://steroidjunkie.com/serena-williams-steroids/&h=387&w=448&sz=31&tbnid=UcxBv2Me-aWLyM:&tbnh=91&tbnw=105&zoom=1&usg=__Cje5x7GhwIsC6KvepEFHGHl-C3g=&docid=OJVpywrxrTj3lM&sa=X&ei=BDnNUfyyKevPigLkgoG4Aw&ved=0CDcQ9QEwAg&dur=7066

[rsvman]

I know you mentioned golf, but what sport are you going to play. Golf doesn't count.

Why not?


Do you play? Do you walk the course?

[Olympic Fan]

While there is merit to your other ideas, this one is the single biggest flaw in the game right now. Each team plays 162 games in a season and yet home field advantage is determined by a single, completely non-traditional game over which the vast majority of the players who are actually in the World Series have absolutely no control. It's a horrible, horrible joke. I've been boycotting the All Star Game ever since. And I LOVE baseball.

Don't agree with most of the speed-up suggestions made in this thread -- baseball is a thinking man's game played at a unique pace -- it does slow down during key moments ... but so does basketball, when it can take half an hour to play the final minute.

But I do agree that using the all-star game to decide homefield in the World Series is a bad, BAD idea.

In the first place, nobody plays the game to win -- they play it to get everybody an appearance. If the game is going to mean something, let Cabrera, Trout, etc. go the whole way and let the mandated candidate for the Astros sit.

A much fairer determination of homefield would be to use the outcome of interleague play. Now, I'm old fashioned and don't like interleague play, but if we're going to have it, let's use it to determibne the superior league each season and use that outcome to reward the league champ in the World Series.

[sagegrouse]

Don't agree with most of the speed-up suggestions made in this thread -- baseball is a thinking man's game played at a unique pace -- it does slow down during key moments ... but so does basketball, when it can take half an hour to play the final minute.

But I do agree that using the all-star game to decide homefield in the World Series is a bad, BAD idea.

In the first place, nobody plays the game to win -- they play it to get everybody an appearance. If the game is going to mean something, let Cabrera, Trout, etc. go the whole way and let the mandated candidate for the Astros sit.

A much fairer determination of homefield would be to use the outcome of interleague play. Now, I'm old fashioned and don't like interleague play, but if we're going to have it, let's use it to determibne the superior league each season and use that outcome to reward the league champ in the World Series.

Olympic Fan: I just want to go back to the good old days when games were 2-2:30 long. Now, it drags out so much that it seems most people don't stay for the entire game. They either arrive on time or early and bail out at the sixth inning. Or they don't bother to arrive until the third inning and stay to the end. And who can blame them?

It is equal parts dawdling and design.

The latter ("design") is the far longer breaks between half-innings to accommodate commercials. Note that the players do not run out to their positions after the third out. Rather, they wait a minute or two. I suppose there are other ways to work commercials into broadcasts -- but wait, they are doing those too. So we may be stuck.

The "dawdling" requires a concerted effort to regain the speed of the game I remember from my youth. (Which, of course, is a literary construction 'cuz I don't remember my youth very much at all -- too long ago.) I would put a clock on the pitcher; former Astros pitcher and manager Larry dierker had some good ideas on the subject, which I can no longer locate. The pitcher gets 20 seconds to throw to the plate or throw to a base. There may be a need to limit the latter. Batters, therefore, have no reason to call time because the pitcher is just holding the ball, so that can be limited.

Having solved that problem, I will once again plump for my idea of eliminating the intentional walk. No other sport allows its stars, the only ones the fans are paying to see, to be neutered by the tactics of the opposing team. ("We'll give you five yards, Peyton, and you give up a down.") How can you tell an intentional pass from a regular walk? You can't. You always give the batter a chance to turn down a walk and remain at the plate, winning second base with a second four-ball count, etc., etc. Baseball is nuts to allow the walk to take the bat out of the hitters' hands.

sagegrouse

[davekay1971]

Are you suspicious at all? I have zero basis for accusing anyone of anything, but do tennis players get tested? I assume so, but then, so did Lance.

http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://steroidjunkie.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/serena-williams-thighs.jpg&imgrefurl=http://steroidjunkie.com/serena-williams-steroids/&h=387&w=448&sz=31&tbnid=UcxBv2Me-aWLyM:&tbnh=91&tbnw=105&zoom=1&usg=__Cje5x7GhwIsC6KvepEFHGHl-C3g=&docid=OJVpywrxrTj3lM&sa=X&ei=BDnNUfyyKevPigLkgoG4Aw&ved=0CDcQ9QEwAg&dur=7066

Honestly, at this point any speculation about Serena using steroids would be just speculation, and probably not worth doing. I have no idea what professional tennis does about steroid testing, if anything, or what the rules are about use. The bottom line about Serena is that, while she a phenomenal power player, she also has a finesse game and a net game to rival anyone's. She's going to go down in history as the greatest player in the history of women's tennis, deservedly so. If she's used steroids, that would be both sad and destructive to the sport, so I hope she hasn't. My problems with Serena basically involve some on court and off court behavior that make it hard for me to cheer for her. Which is a shame, because she's an American tennis player who is dominating her sport at an age when most women have retired. I find myself respecting her game, but not cheering for her.

My joke about her biceps and delts wasn't meant to be a thinly veiled steroid accusation, although in rereading my post, it sure came across that way. It was really just a joke that she's got better arms and shoulders than me!

[wsb3]

I kind of like this time of year...My nerves get relaxed from the off Duke Basketball Season..The beach is right around the corner. I can take the kayak out...I never need a coat. But sports wise yes i agree ..boring time of year.. even my favorite sports show PTI slows considerably..

[Olympic Fan]

Olympic Fan: I just want to go back to the good old days when games were 2-2:30 long. Now, it drags out so much that it seems most people don't stay for the entire game. They either arrive on time or early and bail out at the sixth inning. Or they don't bother to arrive until the third inning and stay to the end. And who can blame them?

It is equal parts dawdling and design.


I wish I could link, but the story I saw about increased game-times is not on-line. Basically, however, it was a study of gametimes that suggested the increased length of games was almost entirely due to the commercial time between innings and not to the game itself.

Actually, the actual average playing time of games did slow down from what it was in the 30s to 50's in the 60s and 70s, but the actually playing time -- as opposed to the commercial time -- has actually decreased from what it was 40-50 years ago. The games are only longer because the half-inning breaks are three and four times longer than they were in that era.

Remember that there are 17 breaks between innings and half-innings (16 if the home team wins without batting in the bottom of the ninth). Each of these is now at least three minutes long (sometimes 3 1/2 or 4). That's 51 minutes of commercial time -- before TV, there was closer to a minute between innings and half-innings. So we're talking about close to 35 minutes of extra commercial time. Take that off a three-hour game and you're back to the old 2:30 game.

[MartyClark]

Why not?


Do you play? Do you walk the course?

Sorry, this was my poor attempt at humor. Some of us have a recurring argument about whether golf is an athletic endeavor or simply a game. As you might suspect, it always centers on definitions.

I play a bit and consistently play poorly. I walk the course and usually enjoy the camraderie and the beauty more than the game itself.

[davekay1971]

Why not?


Do you play? Do you walk the course?

One of my biggest giggles on an average day at work is when I ask a patient if they exercise and they tell me they play 18 holes of golf every Saturday and Sunday. The follow up question: do you ride the cart? "Ummm, yes, but I do make sure to park the cart a good distance from the ball and walk up to the ball briskly."

I'm fine with calling professional golf a sport (ESPN shows WSOP, for Pete's sake), and it's pretty good exercise for anyone who walks the course. But what most casual golfers are doing, riding the cart around, strolling to the ball, and chasing down the beer cart girls...well, it's not exactly strenuous physical exertion. Except maybe chasing the beer cart girls...they tend to be young and spry.

[MCFinARL]

Honestly, at this point any speculation about Serena using steroids would be just speculation, and probably not worth doing. I have no idea what professional tennis does about steroid testing, if anything, or what the rules are about use. The bottom line about Serena is that, while she a phenomenal power player, she also has a finesse game and a net game to rival anyone's. She's going to go down in history as the greatest player in the history of women's tennis, deservedly so. If she's used steroids, that would be both sad and destructive to the sport, so I hope she hasn't. My problems with Serena basically involve some on court and off court behavior that make it hard for me to cheer for her. Which is a shame, because she's an American tennis player who is dominating her sport at an age when most women have retired. I find myself respecting her game, but not cheering for her.

My joke about her biceps and delts wasn't meant to be a thinly veiled steroid accusation, although in rereading my post, it sure came across that way. It was really just a joke that she's got better arms and shoulders than me!

FWIW, I, at least, did not think your post was making a veiled steroid accusation.

And on the basis of nothing but instinct, I would be very surprised if Serena Williams is using steroids. Though very muscular, her body is otherwise very womanly. And her body has always been similar to the way it is now; there have been some female athletes (as well as male) over the years that I have suspected of steroid use because of dramatic body changes (won't name names because the ones I am thinking of were never accused and I have no evidence), but that is not the case with Serena. She is a big woman, which runs in the family (Venus is by far the slimmest, the exception rather than the rule), but she has channeled her size into muscle through training/hard work.

As for being a lout, that seems a little strong--her on-court behavior, while occasionally pushing it, is certainly far superior to that of, say, Johnny Mac in his prime; her off court behavior I haven't paid much attention to other than this recent kerfuffle with Maria Sharapova, which strikes me as a tempest in a teapot though I admit there may be more there. And I do think that she is working to be less abrasive and more gracious. That she worked to learn enough French to address the fans in that language after her French Open win, for example, I thought showed a bit of class. Obviously, though, these things are largely matters of opinion, and who you like/want to root for is entirely so.

On the good news front, Sloane Stephens made it to the second week of Wimbledon. So there you go.