Comments on: Mid-June: the best time of the sports year?

By: NS7

NS7 — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 21:01:33 +0000

How can you not mention WIMBLEDON!!!

By: bijon

bijon — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 22:40:15 +0000

great article. I love sports and especially with baseball, golf and World Cup on all simultaneously!

By: AJ Kaufman

AJ Kaufman — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 19:08:01 +0000

… this from a friend last year, replying to the same inane anti-baseball rationale:____"Let's look at the recently completed Cubs game as an example. In that game, which lasted two hours and 35 minutes, a total of 271 pitches were thrown. In other words, there were 271 plays. That equates to a play every 34 seconds. There were 20 base runners during the course of the game and eight of them reached home to score. Much of the action you describe, the "glaring at the runner," "flinging the ball to first base," the pitch calling by the catcher ,is exactly what provides the tension. ____"Each movement by the pitcher, while a runner is on base is purposeful, calculated to throw off the runner's timing, the batter's timing, or to deceive the batter as to which pitch he is about to throw. The runner, at the same time, is trying to get into the pitcher's head, to make him think he's going to run or not to run, to try to force an error, or to cause the pitcher to rush or compromise his delivery. The batter, meanwhile, is just praying like hell that he doesn't strike out in front of his girlfriend."

By: AJ Kaufman

AJ Kaufman — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 19:02:07 +0000

Allow me to follow up again on the hilarious and overused "baseball is boring" cliche by pointing out the fact that a typical NFL game has maybe 10 minutes of "action." Yes, in simplest terms, there about 100 plays in an NFL game, which last an average of six seconds each for a total of 600 second (or 10 minutes). The rest of the time is in between plays, commercials, or dead time with endless reviews, etc. Especially if you're at the game, I feel sorry for you. Aside from all the drunks ands crazies who don't actually care about the outcome but rather how much money and energy they can save up all week to spend on tickets and alcohol for Sunday's nonstop party, the NFL does little, if anything, to entertain its fans during ther five or 6 five minute stoppages per quarter. Facts are facts.

As for baseball, see next comment:

By: AJ Kaufman

AJ Kaufman — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 18:31:29 +0000

"Its not cerebral, just boring, an excuse for the rich to go sit outside for a few hours"

Um, NBA and especially NFL tickets cost 5 times a baseball seat. And yes, I know there are few fewer games in those sports, but the baseball crowd is NOT rich. There are also more thugs in theose sports, which I do not like. Baseball is far from boring if you appreciate the game. I never think of the 'cerebral side' of baseball; it is just a better, purer game. There is never a bad day at the ballpark. I would not take my children to most NFL stadia.

By: Greg

Greg — Sun, 13 Jun 2010 23:25:50 +0000

Good article, but I can't stand baseball (the old 'its a cerebral game' has eventually got to die because 'Joe-six-pack' can figure out the supposedly 'cerebral' part of the game in a few games. Its not cerebral, just boring, an excuse for the rich to go sit outside for a few hours. The rules change each game as the strike zone is determined by the whims of the home plate umpire. Parity exists because almost all the teams are vastly different each year. And, although soccer is a big sport outside the USA resulting in riots and deaths, soccer is more boring than baseball and golf combined. Did you see the second half between the USA and England? The biggest suspense was when time would actually expire.

By: tim

tim — Sat, 12 Jun 2010 22:37:29 +0000

Ditto. Fine piece.

By: ron

ron — Sat, 12 Jun 2010 20:14:30 +0000

i agree, good article