Alternate SPORTS! History Thread

[goalieboy82]

what if Magic never got HIV. how much longer could he have played (do the Lakers win one more championship or play in another final).

[infrared41]

Suppose the Dolphins don't blow the Patriots week 17 finale

The post game interviews wouldn't have been nearly as awkward.

[Tigers6884]

what if Magic didn't cheat on his wife or at least used protection? how much longer could he have played (do the Lakers win one more championship or play in another final)?

Fixed that for you.

[Cosmic]

what if Magic didn't cheat on his wife or at least used protection? how much longer could he have played (do the Lakers win one more championship or play in another final)?

Fixed that for you.

Well those things aren't really the same, so... just asking about not getting HIV seems sufficient.

[RyanMcD29]

16 pages and I'm shocked none of you NASCAR people have brought up the can of worms that is the alternate history of Dale Earnhardt not getting killed at the 2001 Daytona 500. Just off the top of my head:

• If Earnhardt doesn't crash, how does he do the rest of his career?
• Do all the safety enhancements that come to racing get delayed without his death?
• Does Kevin Harvick's stint with RCR go as successfully as it did if he's thrown into the third car as planned instead of straight to Earnhardt's?
• And for that matter, does Dale Jr's career arc take a different turn as well?
• Although it's mostly due to the move to Fox and NBC as television partners, does NASCAR's resurgence in popularity still happen without all the mainstream publicity that comes with Earnhardt's death? As awful as that sounds, remember that Earnhardt's death was arguably the biggest news story of 2001 before 9/11

[Dalcowboyfan92]

16 pages and I'm shocked none of you NASCAR people have brought up the can of worms that is the alternate history of Dale Earnhardt not getting killed at the 2001 Daytona 500. Just off the top of my head:

• If Earnhardt doesn't crash, how does he do the rest of his career?
• Do all the safety enhancements that come to racing get delayed without his death?
• Does Kevin Harvick's stint with RCR go as successfully as it did if he's thrown into the third car as planned instead of straight to Earnhardt's?
• And for that matter, does Dale Jr's career arc take a different turn as well?
• Although it's mostly due to the move to Fox and NBC as television partners, does NASCAR's resurgence in popularity still happen without all the mainstream publicity that comes with Earnhardt's death? As awful as that sounds, remember that Earnhardt's death was arguably the biggest news story of 2001 before 9/11

I think I read a report somewhere that at least the SAFER barriers were in the early stages of development before Earnhardt's death at Daytona. If he doesn't die, I don't think they rush the development and it probably waits for about a season after it actually was instituted to be instituted in this alternate scope.

[goalieboy82]

what if what Donald Sterling said over the phone never come out. does he still own the team today (and is the NBA dirty little secret).

[2001mark]

16 pages and I'm shocked none of you NASCAR people have brought up the can of worms that is the alternate history of Dale Earnhardt not getting killed at the 2001 Daytona 500. Just off the top of my head:

• If Earnhardt doesn't crash, how does he do the rest of his career?
• Do all the safety enhancements that come to racing get delayed without his death?
• Does Kevin Harvick's stint with RCR go as successfully as it did if he's thrown into the third car as planned instead of straight to Earnhardt's?
• And for that matter, does Dale Jr's career arc take a different turn as well?
• Although it's mostly due to the move to Fox and NBC as television partners, does NASCAR's resurgence in popularity still happen without all the mainstream publicity that comes with Earnhardt's death? As awful as that sounds, remember that Earnhardt's death was arguably the biggest news story of 2001 before 9/11

- If he had lived, he'd probably have won another couple championships.

- I think there would be a delay & there certainly would not have been a Car of Tomorrow. Off top of my head I can't think of any driver who's subsequently had their life saved directly from the fast tracked safety measures. That's including all organizations who race on the same tracks/adopt the same technologies. Thus, Dale's death certainly motivated NASCAR to improve fan perception heading into its then mainstream appeal.

- Dale Jr. probably would've enjoyed a ton less pressure & driven a lot looser. This is significant enough I think because he was essentially anointed the soul of the sport as soon as his father passed. We've all seen enough races of Dale Jr. seemingly running quite tight late in races... being overtaken for W's by those taking greater chances & teams going all out.

I think Jr. could've gone head to head matching Jimmy's 00's success.

- Uhh... I think Dale Earnhardt had already begun inviting mainstream/casual eyeballs to tv. He filled the alpha dog role a la Michael Jordan/Tiger Woods/Wayne Gretzky which appeals to sports fans, not just fans specific to their sports if you will.

Hell, I remember Dale's Daytona misses were pretty well known & appreciated, esp when he finally won.

Having said that, I might suggest that NASCAR's old boy network may not have made as many casual decisions to impress the masses as if they'd had Dale to push the ratings. CoT remember wasn't popular with very many ppl anywhere, fans or drivers/teams both.

[Tigers6884]

What if Babe Ruth played during the steroid era?

[IceCap]

He'd still be hitting dingers out of the park, while being fuelled by nothing but beer and hotdogs. As G-d intended.

[BigBubba]

-What if Kerry Fraser did call the Wayne Gretzky high stick penalty on Doug Gilmour.

Gretzky is assessed a 5-minute major and is ejected from the game. He never scores the OT winner, and the Leafs almost surely win, sending them to the Cup finals after an agonizingly-long 26-year drought ( ). We face the Habs in what would have been a classic series, which we very well could have won.

*sigh*

[Tigers6884]

He'd still be hitting dingers out of the park, while being fuelled by nothing but beer and hotdogs. As G-d intended.

I see what you did there

[BigBubba]

No, I don't think you do.

[2001mark]

What if Babe Ruth played during the steroid era?

If steroids were around the 1920's? He'd literally be a God.

Not sure his conditioning would be up to modern day standards though lols.

[IceCap]

He'd still be hitting dingers out of the park, while being fuelled by nothing but beer and hotdogs. As G-d intended.

I see what you did there

http://judaism.about.com/od/judaismbasics/a/Why-Do-Some-Jews-Spell-God-G-D.htm

[LMU]

Here's one...

What if the NFL didn't give Al Davis an eleventh hour ultimatum that his Hollywood Park stadium needed a second team? The Raiders stay in LA (well, Inglewood) and despite still being in a seedier area, does a new stadium with higher ticket prices begin to weed out the riff raff and bring families back to the games?

Also, if LA holds onto a team, do the Colts/Vikings/Seahawks, without the LA leverage, not get their new stadiums and end up relocating? Perhaps one of the teams replaces the Texans in Houston and another, maybe the Colts, replaces the new Browns. Hell, if a team with history like the Colts goes to Cleveland, is the Browns name still in play or does it get retired? Is Oakland in play at all? Without the Raiders deal, does Oakland offer a truly new stadium instead of some luxury boxes in center field? Or does Oakland go all-in with the Athletics and replace the Coliseum with a new baseball-only park?

[2001mark]

Also, if LA holds onto a team, do the Colts/Vikings/Seahawks, without the LA leverage, not get their new stadiums and end up relocating? Perhaps one of the teams replaces the Texans in Houston and another, maybe the Colts, replaces the new Browns. Hell, if a team with history like the Colts goes to Cleveland, is the Browns name still in play or does it get retired? Is Oakland in play at all? Without the Raiders deal, does Oakland offer a truly new stadium instead of some luxury boxes in center field? Or does Oakland go all-in with the Athletics and replace the Coliseum with a new baseball-only park?

Not quite the same thing, but St. Louis &/or Oakland could've been used as a fear tactic in lieu of LA.

Just as St. Louis will certainly once again be in play for failing franchises on the clock. I think MLB is the one league without probable relocation options (Montreal, Portland, Las Vegas, just don't quite seem strong enough).

[LMU]

Also, if LA holds onto a team, do the Colts/Vikings/Seahawks, without the LA leverage, not get their new stadiums and end up relocating? Perhaps one of the teams replaces the Texans in Houston and another, maybe the Colts, replaces the new Browns. Hell, if a team with history like the Colts goes to Cleveland, is the Browns name still in play or does it get retired? Is Oakland in play at all? Without the Raiders deal, does Oakland offer a truly new stadium instead of some luxury boxes in center field? Or does Oakland go all-in with the Athletics and replace the Coliseum with a new baseball-only park?

Not quite the same thing, but St. Louis &/or Oakland could've been used as a fear tactic in lieu of LA.

Just as St. Louis will certainly once again be in play for failing franchises on the clock. I think MLB is the one league without probable relocation options (Montreal, Portland, Las Vegas, just don't quite seem strong enough).

The Rams already were in STL when Davis was about to publically announce the Hollywood Park deal.

[Unocal]

What if the NBA had reseeding after the first round like other sports do and we had completely different conference semifinals?

[2001mark]

What if the NBA had reseeding after the first round like other sports do and we had completely different conference semifinals?

Yeah, that's always bugged me... because it's dumb.

It's especially dumb that subsequent rounds can commence while earlier series may have yet to wrap up. That's after the opening week has what, 2 games for everyone?