July 28, 201412 yr I agree with whomever stated recently that baseball has local pockets of interest, but it is failing on a national interest scale. Baseball has done a poor job promoting it's stars to a nationwide audience. That said, it's still in better shape than NASCAR, which in 10 years has gone from knocking on the NFL's door in popularity to obscurity. My problem with the MLB, right now, is the time in which it takes to play the games. Getting a game over in less three and an half hours is a rarity, or seems like it, anymore. Yesterday, we were 3 hours in and just in the top of the 7th. There were 10 walks issued by both teams, but only 11 hits by both. Not a whole lot of pitching changes either. It was a typical game that used to take no more than 2 1/2 to 3 hours. I've watched several games this year that went more than 4 hours for 9 innings. That's OK if your listing on the radio, while doing something else, but to devote that kind of time over a 162 game season? I like baseball, but not that much. It's not like that in the minors. The umps push the game along. This is a big one for me. Baseball is more of a "relaxing" game, something you can put on the radio while you work on something else. But with it being as long and slow as it is and with there being so many of them, it's just hard to get excited about watching when your favorite team isn't playing. I'll watch a game here or there, but if the Reds aren't on I'm not too drawn in.
July 28, 201412 yr All things considered, my popularity list based on a National scale, not just locally... 1. NFL. duh. 2. College Football. This is where baseball used to be. CF has grown from small pockets of intense interest to a National obsession. 3. College Basketball. Nothing unites the country like March Madness. 4. MLB. Unless you have a local team, you really don't care. 5. NBA. After LeBron, this is not must see TV anymore. 6. NHL. better demographics and ratings than NBA last year. Growing in popularity. Players aren't overpaid jerks. 7. PGA. Anyone watching past the majors? 8. NASCAR. Back to what it once was. Regional interest at best. The test is always this - will you watch a game between 2 teams you have no rooting interest in? Most will says yes to NFL, College Football, and College Basketball. After that, it gets thin.
July 28, 201412 yr All things considered, my popularity list based on a National scale, not just locally... 1. NFL. duh. 2. College Football. This is where baseball used to be. CF has grown from small pockets of intense interest to a National obsession. 3. College Basketball. Nothing unites the country like March Madness. 4. MLB. Unless you have a local team, you really don't care. 5. NBA. After LeBron, this is not must see TV anymore. 6. NHL. better demographics and ratings than NBA last year. Growing in popularity. Players aren't overpaid jerks. 7. PGA. Anyone watching past the majors? 8. NASCAR. Back to what it once was. Regional interest at best. The test is always this - will you watch a game between 2 teams you have no rooting interest in? Most will says yes to NFL, College Football, and College Basketball. After that, it gets thin. I don't see soccer/futbol on the list.
July 28, 201412 yr There seems to be two questions here - Is baseball the worst American professional sport to watch? and Is MLB the worst American professional league/association in garnering fan support? The first question is totally subjective, the 2nd is pretty objective. I personally like watching baseball and actually prefer it to watching any sport besides UK basketball to which I have a rooting interest. In regard to the second question, the NFL has by far surpassed any of the other professional associations in gathering fan support, and I put that success squarely on the actual league - they have done a great job, especially post-Tagliabue. I would put the MLB and NBA neck in neck and I think to some degree they just attract different fans. I think you can see a person be a fan of the NFL and the NBA or the NFL and the MLB, but its more rare to see someone be a fan of the MLB and the NBA. Anyone support that statement? I could be reaching but I think it's a pretty solid claim.
July 29, 201412 yr I love baseball, it's a great sport with some weird rules. It's no where near the worst professional sport.
July 29, 201412 yr I enjoy watching baseball in person more than on TV. I enjoy watching football on TV much more than in person. I do not like watching NFL games in person at all. My ranking: College basketball pro football and baseball (tie) NBA College football All the rest, if it is a big event, I might watch. Otherwise, I will find something else to do. NASCAR/auto racing is the worst.
July 29, 201412 yr The problem baseball has it's an extremely local popularity sport. In the cities teams are in, baseball is incredibly popular, but it falls short nationally. NFL on the other hand is most popular nationwide. MLB local broadcasting contracts are ridiculous which proves how popular it is. Jumper Dad you obviously are from a part of KY where MLB games are hard to go to so I understand where you are coming from. But for me it's MLB (College Fball/Basketball) NFL Soccer Paint dry NBA playoffs NHL I love baseball and it's probably the best sporting events to go to besides UK basketball games. The things I love about MLB games is how you can go to a game, get in a conversation with your friend and not miss any action. I love how laid back it is and relaxing. I also love the randomness of it, you honestly will never know what will happen when a pitch is thrown. Umping baseball is a very hard sport to officiate probably the hardest out of all of them. They make tough balls and strike calls, but it's part of the game. Id argue they are the best officials out of all the sports leagues. They can't influence outcomes of games like NFL or NBA refs.
July 29, 201412 yr IMO as well MLB Network is the best sports station on TV. They manage to give every team air time, unlike the rest of the networks.
July 29, 201412 yr The problem baseball has it's an extremely local popularity sport. In the cities teams are in, baseball is incredibly popular, but it falls short nationally. NFL on the other hand is most popular nationwide. MLB local broadcasting contracts are ridiculous which proves how popular it is. Jumper Dad you obviously are from a part of KY where MLB games are hard to go to so I understand where you are coming from. But for me it's MLB (College Fball/Basketball) NFL Soccer Paint dry NBA playoffs NHL I love baseball and it's probably the best sporting events to go to besides UK basketball games. The things I love about MLB games is how you can go to a game, get in a conversation with your friend and not miss any action. I love how laid back it is and relaxing. I also love the randomness of it, you honestly will never know what will happen when a pitch is thrown. Umping baseball is a very hard sport to officiate probably the hardest out of all of them. They make tough balls and strike calls, but it's part of the game. Id argue they are the best officials out of all the sports leagues. They can't influence outcomes of games like NFL or NBA refs. To the bolded, that is false, referring to popularity. Numbers show baseball continues to decrease in popularity. Do not confuse having television contracts and "record attendance" with people actually watching games. That number continues to go down.
July 29, 201412 yr There seems to be two questions here - Is baseball the worst American professional sport to watch? and Is MLB the worst American professional league/association in garnering fan support? The first question is totally subjective, the 2nd is pretty objective. I personally like watching baseball and actually prefer it to watching any sport besides UK basketball to which I have a rooting interest. In regard to the second question, the NFL has by far surpassed any of the other professional associations in gathering fan support, and I put that success squarely on the actual league - they have done a great job, especially post-Tagliabue. I would put the MLB and NBA neck in neck and I think to some degree they just attract different fans. I think you can see a person be a fan of the NFL and the NBA or the NFL and the MLB, but its more rare to see someone be a fan of the MLB and the NBA. Anyone support that statement? I could be reaching but I think it's a pretty solid claim. That is a well thought out post and indicative of most I would say. On BGP it may be skewed since there is large Red's contingency but overall I think you are spot-on. Today's fan is not attracted to MLB as they once were in the way you describe and MLB has failed to capture that audience.
July 29, 201412 yr The best analogy I can make, the NFL is the most masterfully created reality television show which exists. It's the Truman Show. Sets up for a multitude of storylines each week, varying angles you can take, and the off-season has become a successful spinoff. MLB is a soap opera. It is Days of our Lives. Been running for decades relatively unchanged but has its loyal viewers.
July 29, 201412 yr If the Reds played a 16 -inning , 7 hour marathon, I would watch every single pitch to its conclusion. Baseball is such a unique and funny game. If you love baseball, it grabs ahold of you early on and you are hooked for life. So did you watch last nights game?
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