Back inside the brain of saintsfan

[Saintsfan]

More thoughts on all things american from your resident limey!!

1. You guys really know how to sell an event. The Superbowl is the most watched TV show in the year usually as I understand it, (maybe the british press has that wrong!!) but certainly I read a list of the top 10 most watched TV shows and like 8 or 9 of them were superbowls. Thats amazing to me. The thought that half the country is watching a sporting event blows my mind. So what do the women of America do during the Superbowl? And for that matter what do the other TV channels that dont have the game do?!

2. What I love about the NFL is it provers that less is more. 16 regular season games, most clubs sell out every game. A maximum of 2 home playoff games, thats 10 home games MAXIMUM a year. Fabulous. That should never ever change, whatever anyone wants to do.

3. Baseball is proof that more is less. Watch baseball clips on telly and usually the ballpark is half empty. The playoffs seem to drag on for an eternity. The summer game can end the season on a cold winters night in Cleveland, or Boston, or New York. No wonder people get tired of it.

4. Hockey and Basketball aren't much better, as far as the structure of there season is concerned. That isn't to say that the MLB, NHL and NBA should adopt 16 game seasons with single elimination playoff games, but some thought could go into changing the structure of the schedule.

5. I don't quite get why baseball has to stop for rain. Sure the outfield mught get a bit slippy, but hey football players cope with wet ground!! In cricket the condition of the pitch affects the play in the game, as a bowler pitches the ball into the ground, and has some favor on his side if the pitch is wet. In baseball it doesn't in the same way.

6. On a political note, I am just not convinced by Howard Dean. Something doesn't seem quite right about him. Go vote in your primary/caucus for the guy most likely to beat him.

7. Why is it called the National Hockey League, when it has never been a NATIONAL Hockey league, as teams from the US and Canada have always been in the league??? That bothers me more that it being called the world series. (After all no-one in there right minds could seriously describe the winner of the world series as the best baseball team in the world at that time!)

[Stampman]

"7. Why is it called the National Hockey League, when it has never been a NATIONAL Hockey league, as teams from the US and Canada have always been in the league???"

Actually the NHL was originally all Canadian teams--it grew out of a league called the National Hockey Association.

Now the other owners of the NHA teams didn't like the Toronto owner, and in order to get rid of him they left the NHA and formed the NHL-inviting someone else to own the Toronto team (This is of course a bit of a simplifiesd version)

The original teams were Montreal Canadiens, Montreal Wanderers, Ottawa Senators, and Toronto Arenas.

The Wanderers didn't finish the season partly due to their Arena burning down. (They were also 1-5) That was the 1917-18 season.  Boston was the first US based team starting in 1924 amking the NHL a 6 team league--(The others-Toronto, Montreal, Ottawa, Hamilton, and the Montreal Maroons.)

And I agree about the rain--unless it's a thunderstorm, hurricane, tornado-where people's lives are in danger--play ball!!!!!!!!!!!!

[JQK]

Most women watch the SuperBowl too (at least women i know) And some channels, believe it or not, actually stop programming and go to color bars during the game. Others try to put on their own Halftime type show, and others just bite the bullet and march on through the day, knowing they are going to take an ass-reaming...

Howard Dean can't even seem to convince himself of the stories he tells. He's done more flip-flopping than a fish out of water. Eventhough you may not like Bush, he sticks to his guns. Wether people like it or not, he doesn't cave in to the polls. Gotta respect a man like that.

[GMS1122]

Most women watch the SuperBowl too (at least women i know) And some channels, believe it or not, actually stop programming and go to color bars during the game. Others try to put on their own Halftime type show, and others just bite the bullet and march on through the day, knowing they are going to take an ass-reaming...

i remember a couple years back i think it was either Rams-Titans or Ravens-Giants, and the WWF had a Super Bowl Halftime Championship match, i guess it got pretty good ratings, it was like a half hour, but none the less smart. Now on the other hand, someone couldnt pay me to watch wrestling  :laugh:

[Fusebazell]

Anybody hear about the Lingerie Bowl, thats on PPV during halftime of the superbowl? Lawerence Taylor coaches one team, I don't remember who coaches the other.

[JQK]

the Lingerie Bowl has been cancelled.

And the WWF championship was Super Bowl XXXIII Denver vs Atlanta

[habsfannova]

Vote for Clark.  The general against the war, the deserter for it.  Think about it

Anywho, I liked the 48 game NHL schedule.  If they could get it to 50 games, then BO7 playoffs, paradise found for me.  End the season in march-april, as it should be.

[JQK]

It's funny how people who DON'T live in the U.S. are telling people who to vote for... kinda funny....  

[Phil]

It's funny how people who DON'T live in the U.S. are telling people who to vote for... kinda funny....

Sometimes that kind of outside, detached perspective is best. Could've saved Germany all the horrors that came with the Nazi regime. But let's prevent this from getting all political again and get back on topic, shall we?

Baseball stops (I'm guessing) because they play with a smaller ball, so it might be more difficult (and potentially dangerous) for the pitcher to be throwing a slippery wet ball. Just a guess.

[NJTank]

1. We are great at selling an event and turning it into something bigger then life. The Super Bowl has turned into a holliday in that people gather to watch teh game together , and it has almost becoem a National Holliday. The other channles just put on repats, sometimes they market something against the halftoime show, but for teh most part put on an old movie or repeat tahst not to expensive to show.

2. The NFL's compact schedlue is a major factor in its popularity, the 16-game schedulde makes every game a must watch, and makes every game a must win, so each week you know you are getting the best a team has taht week.

3. Baseball is more of a cummertime companion when nothing is on, and there is nothing to do there is always baseball, and thats why its good. You can miss a game here and there and still follow your team, which is sorta the way summer should go, since its a more leirully paced time of the year.

4. The schedule structure in the NBA and NHL is not good but playing each nite like baseball is impossible. However, the lose scheduling some times playing 2-4 games a week, make it harder to follow, but since both have 16 teams makes them both postseason sports any way.

5. Well they play through rain now more then they did in the past, because they have to get all the games in, and nobody wnats a doubl header due to lost revenue. However if it raisn too hard or there is lighting involved it becomes  saftey issue paticurally on the infield where it gets muddy and dangerous.

6. Howard Dean is simply awful. He will be the worst President ever if by some fluke he ever won. He does not even have the best intrest in teh counrty at heart and I hate to imagine the taxeshe woudl raise.

General Calrk is a bit of a flake too, there is now tape of him talking in October 2002 adovacting a war in Iraq, so who know where his true heart lies.

Say what you can about President BUsh JQK is right he sticks to his guns and what you see is what you get, he is stuck in his prinicpals which make him one of teh best Presidents ever in my opinon.

[slapshot]

In baseball, the players are holding equipment that can act like conductors (metal or wooden bats). If it drizzles, the game can be played through. But when the field gets too sloppy, it becomes very dangerous for the players. On most plays, the outfielders have to cover a large distance before retrieving the baseball, and are more prone to injury from the wet grass. In football, with the exception of the wideouts and defensive backs, most of the players aren't moving very far, and are less likely to slip at full speed. Football cleats are also longer than baseball cleats, and are made for digging in the ground in less-than-favorable conditions. Baseball players can't wear long cleats because of the potential injury from sliding into prone fielders (although metal spikes can't be any safer).

Wet conditions also give the pitcher an unfair advantage over the batter. We know that (illegal) spitballs tend to dip and curve worse than a knuckleball. Now imagine the ball soaking wet, and it either drops like a rock or flies uncontrollably. Wet baseballs are also more likely to hit an unintended target than dry balls, and thus makes baseball more dangerous in the rain.

No sport will play during severe lightning and thunderstorms for the safety of fans, players and other on-field personnel. Especially in pre-season and early September, you'll see NFL games delayed (or even suspended and stopped) for inclement weather.

[Saintsfan]

It's funny how people who DON'T live in the U.S. are telling people who to vote for... kinda funny....

I didn't tell anyone who to vote for, I did on the other hand tell you who not to vote for!! I just read an interesting article, in I think the NY Post on line saying how some Democrats were going away from Dean because they remind them of Bush. Kind of interesting!!

http://www.nypost.com/news/nationalnews/16034.htm

I cant remember if its the post or times you have to register with to read online, sorry if its the post!!

[paynomind]

1. Yeah, nothing much on TV against the superbowl. Sometimes girlie movies, sometimes old movies, like was said previously. It IS more of an event, people have long standing superbowl parties were everyone gathers.

2. Agreed witht he NFL.. too many games would really ruin a lot of dynamics. I also woudl like to see then stick to the same number fo teams for a long while. Too many would dilute the talent WAY too much, creating an even larger gap between haves and havenots. Like Baseball.

3. You can get tired of it, true, but only a season ticket holder, or someone who ends up with it on tv all the time,. I kinda like knowing that pretty well every night, i can flip through channels,a nd if nothign is on, there is always baseball to be had.

4. I find the hockey scheulde odd, but i'm sure how to fix it either. Maybe get rid of the NBA, so games could be scheduled at the perfect times, rather than against b-ball.

5. The theory is safety, but i'd say it was so they didnt wreck the field. The turf gets soft, and tears up in the rain. They don't want ground balls the next night bouncing of shoe holes. Plus, they dont want torn knees form wet, slipperyness, cause they pay those guys WAY too much.

6. Howard Dean looks like a Saturday Night Live skit to me. Plus, his ideals arent exceptionally realistic. He i too far let for the Moderates to vote for, and really, that is the secret to getting elected, be moderate, and get all of your party votes, plus all the votes in the middle. Look at the past races, and thats who won. Everyone forgets that Clinton was very moderate, and it got him elected twice. I do agree with voting for the person most likely to beat Bush, because that regime has got to change. I think John Kerry is doign well now in the polls. Remember, the tall guy usually wins and Kerry is like 6'4 As much as the US MUST change their president, I will go on record to say I don't think it will actually happen.

7. Interesting hockey lesson guys. Thanks.

BTW, about yoru baseball World Series comment, it is widely know that the MLB best team is head and sholders above any other team. I'd liek to see an exebition against a Japanese team sometime, so all that talk could cease

[Discrim]

5. I don't quite get why baseball has to stop for rain. Sure the outfield mught get a bit slippy, but hey football players cope with wet ground!! In cricket the condition of the pitch affects the play in the game, as a bowler pitches the ball into the ground, and has some favor on his side if the pitch is wet. In baseball it doesn't in the same way.

5. to be fair, golf stops for rain too.  and the ground conditions play a part regardless of whether or not it's raining...like on AstroConcrete a grounder might get through the infield with a little more regularity than at a grass field, or on a plopty infield the ball may take a few more bad hops than usual.

and rainwise, as has been said, the pitcher would be at a huge advantage cus he would in effect be throwing legal spitballs, they'd be able to achieve what some call a 'Nintendo curve' meaning the curve is much more noticeable.

[habsfannova]

An equal comparison with Japaneese baseball is pretty much MLB=Japan League as NFL=CFL. Yeah, it's incorrect to call it a World Series and the winner a world champion, but could the Bucs beat the Alouettes last year? Hell yes.  Easily.

And, sticking to ones guns doesn't make one a great leader.  It's a good thing to have, but it's pretty easy to stick to your guns when your pointing them at people.  I can think of a couple, chief being a German Chancellor and an Italian Fascist that stuck to their guns through a countries ruin.

[See Red]

I know alot of girls that watch the Super Bowl and actually enjoy watching it... whether they understand football or not.

What I like about the Super Bowl is that conditions are never a factor, so the better team usually wins (with the exception of Patriots/Rams).  And refs are rarely blamed, which says alot.

[Saintsfan]

5. I don't quite get why baseball has to stop for rain. Sure the outfield mught get a bit slippy, but hey football players cope with wet ground!! In cricket the condition of the pitch affects the play in the game, as a bowler pitches the ball into the ground, and has some favor on his side if the pitch is wet. In baseball it doesn't in the same way.

5. to be fair, golf stops for rain too. and the ground conditions play a part regardless of whether or not it's raining...like on AstroConcrete a grounder might get through the infield with a little more regularity than at a grass field, or on a plopty infield the ball may take a few more bad hops than usual.

Agreed, but only generally in VERY VERY wet conditions. If it is just raining they put their waterproofs on and play.

But I think my point about baseball and rain has been answered fair enough!!

[yh]

I'll take these out of order because I'm a stream-of-consciousness kinda guy.

One more pragmatic point on the baseball rain issue - in football you can't exactly postpone a game until the next day or play a doubleheader the next time the two teams meet (if in fact they play in the same division). With a 162 game schedule there's a bit more flexibility in working in a makeup game.

As far as the season length goes, I think all of the leagues have it right. The only significant change I'd like to see is for the NFL to go to a 17 game season (cut one exhibition game - you don't need 4 or 5 preseason games to figure out your roster). This way chances are better than not that a team will either have a winning or a losing season - none of this 8-8 stuff. And Paynomind, I disagree with your assessment of the parity situation in the NFL being related to the number of teams. Parity has more to do with salary caps and free agency than it does the number of teams. I sincerely believe that if the NFL wanted to it could jump to 40 teams without there being a noticeable dropoff in the overall quality of play. The reason why there aren't 40 NFL teams is because there aren't 40 financially stable ownership groups to support the staggering costs of operating an NFL franchise. I guarantee you that if eight ownership groups came a-knocking to the NFL with solid business plans and the physical and fiscal infrastructure to bring eight profitable franchises into the league, we'd have a 40 team NFL.

I've never been in a relationship with a woman who hasn't been a sports fan, so I can't relate to the perspective of anyone who doesn't treat the Super Bowl as some kind of national holiday. And I am certainly not aware of whate else might be on TV at the same time. I hate the halftime show but I always use that time to hover around wherever the food is or drive to the next Super Bowl party.

The more I think about it, the denominations "National" and "American" when relating to our pro sports leagues (except in the NFL where everything remains within a single nation) really don't make much sense, but they have become their own idioms, so I guess they don't have to make sense. (Did that last statement even make sense?)

And as for the political stuff, I was involved with politics for nearly 10 years and am so burnt out on it I find no sport in even discussing it anymore.