I know people who grew up as fans of certain sports won't agree, but I'm stating this to hear people's opinions on what you think.
I think baseball is just too long of a season. You can't even really be a hardcore fan of your team because more than likely, you won't be able to see all of the games.
As a Cleveland Browns fan, I can't imagine missing one game. Knowing football only has 16 games a season, I know every game is huge as far as team momemtum week to week and league standings.
I think if you reduced the number of games for baseball, it would make baseball--or any sport--that much more important. It would bring more significance to the games being played.
I'm not happy football won't be back till September, but I'll tell you this, it makes it all the more sweet when it's here. I think with 162 games, it's too much of an excess product. It's just too flooded with games every other day which leads to a lack of interest for me.
I just can't imagine being a fan of a MLB team, sitting down, and watching an individual regular season game and seriously rooting for your team. Don't get me wrong, it's great that you are invested in your team, but at the end of the day, if your team loses, they still have, say, over 100 games to rebound. To me that just makes the effort of the fans investing their time and the effort of the players on the field insignificant.
In cases like this, I just think too much of a good thing is really bad.
chrisih8u
02-04-04, 08:53 PM
They should just make April and October warmer.
fumanstan
02-04-04, 09:21 PM
Basketball is just fine for me. Enough time for teams to get things together, for players to establish themselves, and to really show what teams are strong. Baseball is a little long, but come October it doesn't matter because all the excitement comes back.
For me, Football has always been too short of a season. I understand how grueling the season is for Football players, but i'd like to see more games to create a bigger distinction between which teams should be in the playoffs and which teams got lucky. I especially dislike the playoff system. I've never liked the idea of 1 game to determine which team is better... it often leaves the outcome of the game upon too many variables... one blown call can end a team's season. I much prefer the 7 game series of the NBA or MLB. I know that it doesn't work too well in the NFL... but i certainly don't like the officials having that much of an impact on whether my team goes home.
darkside
02-04-04, 11:07 PM
162 is way too many games. I can build no interest at all until after the all star break. I wish they would at least go back to 142 and make the playoffs longer. Personally I thought the NBA season was much better when they only played 50 games during the strike season. Made all the games a lot more important.
reapersaurus
02-04-04, 11:16 PM
Basketball would be bettered having from 50 - 60 games a year.
The regular season is mostly just a jostling match for "home court advantage", which in truth is much less important than having HEALTHY and energetic players.
The more games there are in a year, the less likely they'll be healthy OR energetic.
And baseball is a complete joke.
162 games may have been a good idea when baseball was actually an important part of American entertainment, but it hasn't been for about a decade now.
They're just fooling themselves, thinking they need 162 games in a season.
I'm sure objective proof could be pretty conclusive that 162 games is WAY too much.
Here's a simple proof:
Any one game is only 1/162 of the season. Therefore, why should anyone (players or fans) get excited about seeing .62% of a season?
As humans, I think that anything that contributes less than 1% of anything is of negligible importance.
Halving the number of games would IMMEDIATELY increase the importance of every individual game, leading to better suspense and effort. It would also help the problem of many teams "mailing it in" once they've been mathematically eliminated from the playoffs. That happens far too early, and too long, for good competition now.
There really are SO many reasons why 162 games is bad for a sport, it's absurd.
But they'll never decrease them, because then the precious "records" which baseball is partially founded on (tradition) would be eradicated.
Patman
02-04-04, 11:28 PM
The problem with reducing the number of games in a baseball season would be convincing all the players to take a corresponding paycut based on the percentage of games slashed from the schedule (because losing home dates means losing revenue).
PacMan2006
02-05-04, 12:16 AM
fumanstan,
I love the NFL system for the playoffs. One game and you are out. There's no second chances so you need to bring your "A" game. You can't get down by a few points and shrug it off because tomorrow you have another chance. It's all or nothing. Either you are prepared and deserve to win or you are not.
I just think overall football stresses importance of games--whether it's regular season or playoffs. I understand the logic of it--players can't take body damage for 82 games or 162 games. And yet, it's the best system for the major sports regardless.
fumanstan
02-05-04, 12:29 AM
I don't think that anyone in the NBA or MLB just shrug off being down by a few points just because they know there's another game coming. And as much excitement that it creates (i have to admit, this has been one of the best seasons i've watched in the NFL), 1 game just doesn't prove to me who the better team is. It's too easy for something like "leaping" or a "tuck" to send one team packing, which has nothing to do with preparation or deserving to win.
Personally, i'm excited everytime i watch the Lakers on TV, whether they're playing the Kings or the Warriors. I like knowing that it'll only be a few days before i get to watch them in action again instead of a whole week.
As for reapersaurus' question... why should fans be excited about 1 game out of 162... i don't really have a good answer, but there's no question that plenty of people are excited, regardless of how inconsequential it may seem. My guess... the sheer amount of games provides many opportunies to go to games without worrying about making every single one. Baseball games are still great family outtings, or a fun time with the fellas. Plenty of people are happy being able to go to the ballpark a few times a season, and with the amount of games, they have ample opportunity to find times when their friends and family aren't busy, with cheap and affordable tickets to boot.
PacMan2006
02-05-04, 12:43 AM
I guess my point is this:
If you are in the playoffs in the NFL, and are down by 6 with only 45 seconds remaining, you are going to have a mindset knowing that there is no tomorrow if you don't score a touchdown and win this game. Hopefully, because of that, you will have such motivation and passion to do everything in your fiber to win that game in 45 seconds.
If in the MLB you are down by two runs in the bottom of the 9th with two strikes on you, but it's only game 1, you have another different mindset. Sure, of course you want to win this game. You are getting paid to do so, and no one wants to be down 0-1. But at the end of the day, you have a slightly different mindset, whether willingly or unwillingly, because everyone including yourself knows that you still have a bunch of games left to win this series. This game, and even the next one and technically even the game after that, aren't life or death. There always is a tomorrow even though it's the playoffs.
And I think 1 game proves who the best team is. It's simply who wants it more. If a team lies down and dies in the playoffs like the Eagles, they don't deserve to advance. If a team loses in a shoot out like the Rams, they don't deserve to advance.
Can a game end on bad call? Sure. Same thing can happen in a game 7 of the World Series--or a fan in the stands can catch a ball intended for a player in left field, etc. Weird things happen, but most of the time, games are settled on the field by the players.
Y2K Falcon
02-05-04, 12:53 AM
I agree. All regular seasons should be abolished in lieu of a single elimination all-teams playoff. :up:
El Scorcho
02-05-04, 01:09 AM
I'm happy with baseball being 162 games. It weeds out all the half-assed baseball fans and leaves behind the real fans -- the ones who end up memorizing more statistics than one could ever imagine about every player that has played the last 30 years for their favorite teams.
atari2600
02-05-04, 02:21 AM
nba = no, its fine.
mlb = waaaaaaaaaay too many games.
Canadian Bacon
02-05-04, 03:53 AM
end the WS right before Football starts
NBA- has 82 too many.;)
twikoff
02-05-04, 06:40 AM
no way
Red Dog
02-05-04, 08:53 AM
The NBA and NHL definitely play too many games (regular season and playoffs). No need to start those seasons until January and there should be a max of 8 playoff teams in each.
MLB is just about right. That being said, I would not be opposed to cutting back to 154 since there are too many cold weather games in early April.
Dubya
02-05-04, 10:01 AM
The NFL season is too short ;)
I don't mind MLB's season being 162 games but I was always in favor of the wild card spots for that very reason. That is too long to play to only have four teams in the playoffs. A classic series like the Yankees and Red Sox could not occur without the wild card format.
brizz
02-05-04, 11:43 AM
Baseball needs to cut 40 or 50 games out....easy.
El Scorcho
02-05-04, 11:49 AM
Originally posted by Red Dog
The NBA and NHL definitely play too many games (regular season and playoffs). No need to start those seasons until January and there should be a max of 8 playoff teams in each.
MLB is just about right. That being said, I would not be opposed to cutting back to 154 since there are too many cold weather games in early April.
I'm more for baseball players to quit being ******* and schedule 1-2 doubleheaders per month. to start the season sometime around April 8.
Red Dog
02-05-04, 11:50 AM
Originally posted by El Scorcho
I'm more for baseball players to quit being ******* and schedule 1-2 doubleheaders per month. to start the season sometime around April 8.
That would work too. I remember the day when scheduled Sunday doubleheaders were commonplace.
El Scorcho
02-05-04, 11:59 AM
Originally posted by Red Dog
That would work too. I remember the day when scheduled Sunday doubleheaders were commonplace.
This solves the two-headed monster problem, I think. Traditionalists keep their 162 game season (and the sanctity of their seasonal records), and the season doesn't start so early.
1-2 day/night double headers per month. That's how you do it.
The only potential problems you come up against are rained out double headers in Miami during the summer months.
Red Dog
02-05-04, 12:16 PM
Originally posted by El Scorcho
This solves the two-headed monster problem, I think. Traditionalists keep their 162 game season (and the sanctity of their seasonal records), and the season doesn't start so early.
1-2 day/night double headers per month. That's how you do it.
The only potential problems you come up against are rained out double headers in Miami during the summer months.
Speaking as someone who used to work games at Memorial Stadium and Camden Yards, day/night doubleheaders suck. Go back to traditional doubleheaders.
El Scorcho
02-05-04, 12:27 PM
Originally posted by Red Dog
Speaking as someone who used to work games at Memorial Stadium and Camden Yards, day/night doubleheaders suck. Go back to traditional doubleheaders.
THe only reason I suggested the day/night doubleheaders is the heat during the summer months across the nation's heartland. Playing traditional doubleheaders back-to-back in 95-100 degree heat with humidity is a little much. Give the players several hours to rest up, rehydrate, and come back out onto the field when the sun has gone down and you'll get a much more competitive game, I think.
Red Dog
02-05-04, 12:33 PM
Originally posted by El Scorcho
THe only reason I suggested the day/night doubleheaders is the heat during the summer months across the nation's heartland. Playing traditional doubleheaders back-to-back in 95-100 degree heat with humidity is a little much. Give the players several hours to rest up, rehydrate, and come back out onto the field when the sun has gone down and you'll get a much more competitive game, I think.
That's what twilight doubleheaders are for. Start DHs at 5 in Texas. Houston and Arizona have a retractable roofs so not an issue there.
El Scorcho
02-05-04, 12:54 PM
I suppose that's a better solution. I was mainly thinking of places like KC, St Louis, Texas, etc. I'd hate to be a baseball fan in those cities simply because I'd have to melt if I wanted to watch a game in person.
Josh H
02-05-04, 01:00 PM
I think Baseball lasts too long. But it's mainly because I'm a Brave's fan and for the past 12 years the regular season has mostly been a moot point, especially in years where they have the division wrapped up by July or August (double digit leads).
twikoff
02-05-04, 01:36 PM
Originally posted by Josh Hinkle
I think Baseball lasts too long. But it's mainly because I'm a Brave's fan and for the past 12 years the regular season has mostly been a moot point, especially in years where they have the division wrapped up by July or August (double digit leads).
as a braves fan.. i would think that you would want a year round regular season
since thats when they dominate ;)
Josh H
02-05-04, 01:57 PM
Originally posted by twikoff
as a braves fan.. i would think that you would want a year round regular season
since thats when they dominate ;)
Yeah, but regular season success means jack shit.
RJainMJ
02-05-04, 04:14 PM
It may be too many games in baseball, but if there were significantly less, what would we watch in the summer? I mean I don't love baseball like I do football or basketball but its a quite nice filler between the NBA finals and the start of the NFL.
Josh H
02-05-04, 04:52 PM
Originally posted by RJainMJ
It may be too many games in baseball, but if there were significantly less, what would we watch in the summer? I mean I don't love baseball like I do football or basketball but its a quite nice filler between the NBA finals and the start of the NFL.
They could just not start the season until May or June. That way it's still going on after NHL and NBA ends.
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