things you hate in sports

[Still MIGHTY]

The use of the term "Sudden Victory" in NCAA Overtime games, in any sport.

It's sudden death. It has been and always will be in sports.

I get the NCAA isn't trying to be negative or offend anyone but seriously.

Get off your high horse, NCAA

[Firefly]

Also the cost, come on a $300 bat for a Little Leaguer and the damn thing is only good for a season and can break when it is too cold.

And the more "affordable" bats will get bent from regular hitting. I took my son to a batting cage and he turned his bat into a boomerang.

--------------------------

Bracket coverage during March Madness. I don't mind seeing the President's I don't mind some break down, but come the hell on. Brackets got shown more than the actual games and I'm pretty sure we saw ESPN's janitor's brackets.

[leopard88]

top 5 nfl draft picks that get multi million $ contracts before playing a single down in the NFL.

I've never really understood this. Yeah, some players get paid more than they're worth, but why blame the players? Wouldn't you want as much money as possible? And if you were a top five pick who might get seriously injured on your very first down, wouldn't it be nice to have a guaranteed $5 million (or whatever) to live on while you figure out the rest of your life?

People talk like they'd turn down pro money. If you wouldn't, why should a player?

I don't think anyone is saying the players should turn down the money if it is available. I think the vast majority of people recognize that the fault lies with the system, since it is what allows untested players to receive huge guaranteed signing bonuses.

[Jigga]

I don't know about that, Mr. Leopard. I have always gotten the sense that these "fans" do blame the players. They see the teams (and by extension, the system) as victims of these greedy players, their scumbag agents, and the evil players unions/associations.

[leopard88]

I don't know about that, Mr. Leopard. I have always gotten the sense that these "fans" do blame the players. They see the teams (and by extension, the system) as victims of these greedy players, their scumbag agents, and the evil players unions/associations.

Perhaps I'm being naive, Senor Jigga (if I may call you that) and projecting my own feelings and opinions into the situation. I admittedly do find many agents to be ruthless scumbags (see, e.g., Boras, Scott or Rosenhaus, Drew). At the same time, I try to recognize that they are doing the job for which they were hired and are primarily taking advantage of a system which places only limited checks on their ability to extract exorbitant guaranteed payments from the teams.

I think fans are "victims" in the sense that the cost of the payments is ultimately passed on to the fans by the owners in the form of higher ticket prices and the like. However, given the chance to vote with their wallets, most fans have voted to perpetuate the system by continuing to buy tickets and licensed merchandise.

[spyboy1]

The mis-use of the phrase "unaswered points". If a team was down 4-0 and score 6, their first four points were their answers to the other teams original 4, meaning they have scored six consecutive points, but only 2 that are "unanswered".

I don't think this is correct. You're overanalyzing it by calling the first four points "answers," as if scoring really represents some sort of dialogue. It's descriptivist of me, I know, but when they say "unanswered," they really mean "successive" or "uninterrupted." If someone told me "the Braves, down 4-nothing, scored two unanswered runs to take a 6-4 lead," that would be confusing and of no semantic value. I've never perceived any sort of ambiguity in the use of "unanswered." Not that that alone should take an error off the hook: I know full well what they mean by "winningest," but that doesn't make the user sound like any less of a buffoon for using it.

It's like substituting "walk off" for "game winning". If they mean "consecutive" then just say it instead of coming up with the cutsey "unanswered" crap. If they treat it with phrases that make it sound like a dialog, then that's the way I'm going to as well.

[ninersdd]

Why is you're automatically fined for not being happy about the refs. I can understand with swearing and personal attacks, but even if you are just pointing out missed calls then they still fine you.

I also wish it could be sudden death in the World Cup again

And I still don't get the penalities for celebrations in the NFL

[bterreson]

Over celebrating in sports. Like a walk off single in baseball in the middle of May gets the same reaction as a walk off World Series win. I like to see the players excited about winning- but its getting a little bit out of hand.

[DustDevil61]

[sNIP] Why is you're automatically fined for not being happy about the refs. I can understand with swearing and personal attacks, but even if you are just pointing out missed calls then they still fine you. [/sNIP]

That, too. I wonder how much Stern has made off of Cuban from that. Where does that money go, anyways?

To an extent, using divisions, etc. to determine playoff seeding (i.e., if you win your division, you can't get any lower than 4th); it should be based solely on records. Though better than a few years ago, the NBA should pair up the best 16 teams; it's unfair that over-.500 Phoenix gets kept out of the playoffs when sub-.500 Detroit and .500 Chicago get in, just because of location and ultimately conference.

The fact that only 8 teams make the playoffs in MLB. St. Louis and Houston come to mind about this in the NL from 2008.

[ProvidenceRI]

Best topic ever!

Baseball:

• Rule: Allowing catchers to block home plate. Rules should be consistent: 1st, 2nd and 3rd baseman cannot block their bag, the same should go for catchers.
  

Basketball:

• NBA: There's no fundamentals and no strategy. It's more street ball than basketball.
  

Football:

• Rule: Tuck rule. Seriously. If I was a QB, I'd fake pass all the time, and if I fumbled, I'd cry tuck rule!
  

Soccer:

• Allowing playoff games to end in ties and to go into shoot outs. End the game after 1 OT and play again the next day. This just allows inferior teams to stack their defense and hope for a win in PKs.
  

Golf:

• It's an activity, not a sport!
  

[Coast2CoastAM2006]

top 5 nfl draft picks that get multi million $ contracts before playing a single down in the NFL.

I've never really understood this. Yeah, some players get paid more than they're worth, but why blame the players? Wouldn't you want as much money as possible? And if you were a top five pick who might get seriously injured on your very first down, wouldn't it be nice to have a guaranteed $5 million (or whatever) to live on while you figure out the rest of your life?

People talk like they'd turn down pro money. If you wouldn't, why should a player?

my point is a little different. i don't have issue with the players recieving the money per se. its the system, that basically says if you are a top 5 pick then you are guarenteed big time money. I just don't like teams dealing out lucrative deals for players that haven't played a single down. As for players taking it, i think they would be foolish to not take it. thats like me graduating top of my class in a technical institute, then going out and getting top dollar right off the bat without working a single hour with said company and with limited experience in the said field.

[The_Admiral]

Basketball:

• NBA: There's no fundamentals and no strategy. It's more street ball than basketball.

Oh, this is completely false. You honestly think Phil Jackson and Larry Brown sit back and say "have at it"? Or is "fundamentals and strategy" code for "clunky white guys on popular college teams," because even a few of those made it up to the NBA.

[Needschat]

1. The special treatment NBA superstars receive during the playoffs: It WAS an elbow, Kobe!

2. The whining NBA players do. It's like they've never been told no before.

3. The DH rule, gotsta GO

4. Fans using the term "WE" when talking about their favorite team. Unless you play for, played for, work for the team, you ain't WE.

5. DI FBS, no playoffs, what kind of horse droppings is that?

[ProvidenceRI]

Basketball:

• NBA: There's no fundamentals and no strategy. It's more street ball than basketball.

Oh, this is completely false. You honestly think Phil Jackson and Larry Brown sit back and say "have at it"? Or is "fundamentals and strategy" code for "clunky white guys on popular college teams," because even a few of those made it up to the NBA.

The triangle offense is code for "have at it." Teams have offenses and defenses and run it every night. If strategy was involved they would change their plays every night. Football has strategy. College basketball has strategy - teams vary zone, man-to-man, press, etc. - NBA does not.

Apparently, Doc Rivers and other NBA coaches have to tell NBA players when its the right time to foul. Right time to foul? This should be grilled into you by the time you make the JV basketball team. Coaches in the NBA are just babysitters and the college game is starting to change that way.

Did you see the Finals last night? I didn't but apparently the Magic missed their free throws (now called foul shots because they are no longer gimmes). Watch any 1960-1995 NBA Game on ESPN Classic. Tell me how many free throws they miss.

[Epiphanic]

Did you see the Finals last night? I didn't but apparently the Magic missed their free throws (now called foul shots because they are no longer gimmes). Watch any 1960-1995 NBA Game on ESPN Classic. Tell me how many free throws they miss.

Probably about as many as players miss today.

If anything, NBA players have gotten better at all types of shots.

[wildwing64]

The over-glamorizing of Soccer in North America. It's all right anywhere in the world, but I feel that it's kind of being shoved down our throats.

Try living over here in the UK where it's our National Sport. The media seemingly treats it as if it's the only sport, with everything else being shoved aside or given a little corner in the Sports section of the newspaper.

While we're on the topic of things we hate in sports, here's my list:

1: How Soccer has multiple names ("The Beautiful Game" in particular grinds my gears)

2: When sports fans over here forget to add "The" to the beginning of a North American Sports team's name in a sentence, which is often

3: Soccer in general. And I'm probably one of the very few Brits who dislikes the sport

4: How Hockey teams over here, and the rest of Europe, look like a bunch of billboards on ice

5: How the NHL over-glamourizes certain players like Sidney Crosby

6: How the New York Yankees are nothing more than a brand of clothing over here. It annoys me to see hundreds of people wearing Yankees logos, despite not knowing or caring of the team's existence.

[The_Admiral]

College basketball has strategy - teams vary zone, man-to-man, press, etc. - NBA does not.

This is just not true. You're honestly saying that NBA teams are incapable of makng adjustments? Any argument you're making about the perceived quality of th NBA vis-a-vis the NCAA is undermined by commenting on a game you admitted you didn't watch.

It's just the narrative people like to write. It's easier to believe that Phil would just sit back and let Michael and Scottie do their thing, whereas it takes some "genius" college coach to get the most out of his good hard-working charges. Coaching matters at every level, strategy exists at every level. I can't think of any aspects of college basketball that are superior to professional basketball.

[infrared41]

Basketball:

• NBA: There's no fundamentals and no strategy. It's more street ball than basketball.

Oh, this is completely false. You honestly think Phil Jackson and Larry Brown sit back and say "have at it"? Or is "fundamentals and strategy" code for "clunky white guys on popular college teams," because even a few of those made it up to the NBA.

1. I agree. If it were actually "street ball" The NBA would be far more entertaining than it is right now.

2. Yes it is code. "Athletic" means black. "Fundamental" means white. Before I get flamed to death here I would ask that people just watch some basketball analysis on TV or listen to it on the radio to see if I am all that far off.

[CS85]

I think the major problem with the NBA is:

1. there's still an awkward racial hangover since the initiation of the dress code, the Las Vegas All Star Game, and the Pistons/Pacers brawl from years back. It's an awkward subject because while I think a lot of people don't want to make it a black/white discussion, I find every time I try to discuss it, that's sadly the area it drifts towards. But I really don't think that's the main problem. The league is trying to forge an identity for itself as a family-friendly, yet culturally significant NBA, and it's a bumpy road. There's another major stall:

2. there's been a "who's next?" since Michael left the game. Kobe has always been hot or cold in terms of his likeability fan-wise, after the Denver rape fallout he's been on the upswing but it's been a bumpy road. Lebron is an absolute phenom that could be that icon, but he's in a small-time market with a small-time cast and crew. If he had anything resembling a Pippen like swingman and a passable true center, he very well could have 2 rings already...but he doesn't. The big 3 in Boston maybe have a chance to win 1, maybe 2 more rings if they stay healthy but it's a big if.

I have discovered I'm rambling, so I'll just silence myself. 10 demerits to my account, please.

[GottaDeal]

3. The Milwaukee Brewers should return to the American League Central Division. It is a matter of geographic parity, not money!!

No way. The AL style of baseball is not fun to watch.

My addition: baseball "fans" (typically Cubs fans) who get up and scream at every lazy fly ball.