Let me first start off by saying that I'm a baseball fan. I love good competitive baseball. I'll watch the Phillies any time I can (living in Indiana), and I'll always be sure and catch the playoffs or sometimes even meaningful pennant race games between other teams. That having been said, I've got a bone to pick with baseball.
The reason people follow teams is because it's so exhilarating to watch a team that you follow win it all (I'm assuming here, mind you, having never seen any team I follow win "the big one"). It's fun to watch the chase, it's fun to see hated foes overcome, and it's fun to bond with millions of people you don't know when you walk down the street and see someone wearing the right kind of jersey, or high-five the stranger next to you when there's a big hit. So what's my problem with baseball? They don't let enough teams play to win the whole thing.
I know that in baseball there are more traditionalists than anywhere else, for whatever reason. They'll always be the ones to cry about how "back in the glory days of baseball" there were two teams who made the playoffs, and the playoffs consisted of the World Series. That's all fine and dandy, but now there are more teams, and there's more money to be made for baseball as a business.
For a pattern that works, let's look at the NFL. I know what those who know me are thinking--I'm a big football fan and I think that every other sport should be like football. Well, to an extent you may be right. I think if every other major sports organization adapted the organizational qualities and policies of the NFL, they would see more fans, better quality of play, and more money. (Let me be perfectly clear that I'm not worried about how much money these owners and such are making--I'm just giving reasons as to why it makes sense to do what I'm talking about here.)
But back to the subject (warning: boring background). The NFL has 32 teams split up into eight divisions of four teams. At the end of the season, 12 teams will make the playoffs. That consists of the eight division winners and two wild card teams from each conference (the conferences are each made up of four divisions). That means that any given group of fans has a 37.5% chance of seeing their team go to the playoffs and at least compete for the title, however slim their hopes may be. In baseball, there are 30 teams split up into six divisions (most divisions have five teams, but for some reason the American League West division has four teams and the National League Central has six--whatever). So at the end of the season, eight teams will make the playoffs (the six division winners, and one wild card team from each league (the National and American Leagues, of course, being split into three divisions apiece). This gives any given group of fans a 26.6% chance of seeing their team compete for the title. So basically if you follow a football team, you've got an 11% better chance to see your team in the playoffs.
Now some would argue that since there are more teams in the playoffs, the quality of play decreases. I say, "who cares?". If that holds true, it will only be so in the first round of the playoffs. Not only that, but if there were more teams who had a chance, it would make the pennant race that much more exciting for more fans. The baseball season is so long that sometimes by the middle of the season, a team that is just okay has almost no hopes of pulling their record up and making the playoffs. What reason do these fans have to diligently follow their teams? Now of course, you've got your St. Louis and your Chicago, and New York and what have you that will always fill up a stadium. But what about Florida? What about Milwaukee? What about all the smaller market teams who are out of the race by the All-Star break? Wouldn't an expanded playoff give them more reason to keep watching?
Another reason an expanded playoff would work for baseball is that we could shorten the regular season. Say you allow one more team into the playoffs from each league. That makes for an extra series and gives the top seed in the league a bye. If you make that series a best-of-five, it allows another team to get a chance, while rewarding the top team with a week of rest. That would also give your teams with a 17-game lead in the division something to play for. (While I'm on the topic of top seeds, baseball really really needs to get rid of the rule that the winner of the All-Star game gets homefield advantage in the World Series. The provision makes absolutely no sense. It's so mind-numbingly dumb that I can't possibly come up with a reason that it's still in place.)
I can hear the arguments against an idea like this. It diminishes the accomplishment of making the playoffs, the week or so of rest is too long, and of course the subject of tradition comes up whenever anyone talks about changing something. The argument of tradition has always bewildered me. Yes, there's something to be said about respecting the past and remembering how it was, but if a sport doesn't evolve, it's going to be left behind. Fans change. The organization should recognize that and act accordingly. Baseball has a lot going for it with the game itself--now the only question is when the people in charge will let the scales fall from their eyes and fix what's wrong internally. There's more I could say on baseball's screwed up organization, but I'll save that for other times.
All that aside, I'd like to address my Phillies. At the time of this writing, the Fightin' Phils have a 1.5 game lead in the wild card race. Every year they make a run at the playoffs only to dash our hopes against the rocks when crunch time comes. Hopefully this year is different. This is the kind of pennant race I really enjoy. It's hard for me to really get into it when it's not a team I'm interested in. Of course, I always like to see the Yankees and the Red Sox lose, I always like to see teams win that you don't usually see in the spotlight (i.e. Arizona), I always like to be apathetic about the Cubs when everyone wants them to win (the only difference between your team never having won and your team never having won in your lifetime is that with the latter, your dad can tell you about the time they won it all). But I just don't get into it like I do when my team is playing. I know the Phillies can take out the Braves in the playoffs (an example of seeing a hated foe overcome). I know they've got a shot if they can just get in. I'll never forget the 1993 season that took my Phillies to the World Series, only to get our hopes crushed by Joe freakin' Carter and a team from Canada of all places.
Sure, if more teams made it to the playoffs it might not change who wins it all. But going for the ride of trying to win it all is a lot of fun.
Thursday, August 25, 2005
Thursday, August 11, 2005
The Continuing Saga of T.O.
I thought (perhaps foolishly) that once Terrell Owens reported--albeit begrudgingly--to Eagles training camp, there would be maybe a few fireworks, but it would die down with little fanfare after a while. Now it seems that T.O. has been asked to leave for a week because of "undisclosed team issues". Surprising? Not really I suppose. Annoying? Highly. The "team issues" are said to involve an altercation with Andy Reid (the head coach) and Brad Childress (offensive coordinator). As he was leaving yesterday, T.O. said, "If the truth needs to be told, then that's what I'll do," Owens said. "If he [Reid] wants me to be a man about it and have me really go on the air and really tell the people what happened, then I can. It was a difference of opinion." Be a man? Let's just talk about being a man for a minute, and what a man does.
A man lives up to his word. Terrell, last year you signed a contract for $49 million over seven years. It's a foregone conclusion that you probably wouldn't be in Philly for 7 years, and wouldn't see the whole 49 mil. But if you didn't like the contract, why'd you sign it? You say you "outperformed" it? My question is this: how does one outperform $9.5 million? You weren't even playing for two of the three postseason games due to injury. I'm not saying the performances weren't outstanding during the season, and especially the one in the Super Bowl. I've talked about it before. But last year, you made more than 200 times what I make in a year, and my job contributes to making vaccines that save peoples' lives--and I'm happy with my salary. And you talk about feeding your family. You're not even married.
You know what else a man doesn't do? He doesn't throw his teammates and coach under the bus. What good did it do to badmouth McNabb's performance in the Super Bowl? Without Donovan, you would've had Kyle Boller throwing you passes last year in Baltimore. Think you still would've outperformed your contract? And the altercation with Reid and Childress this year--if you've got a beef with the coaches, work it out with the coaches. Did you see what Andy said today? "I'm going to work with T.O. and only T.O." That's what a man says. He doesn't call people out to the media and try to make himself look better. If you want to see men, look no further than the two guys you've inexplicably tried to drag through the mud over the last while: Donovan McNabb and Andy Reid.
Last year you shed tears in the locker room after a game because you were garnering so much attention in the media. You said you felt bad because it took attention away from the team. Do you wonder why the fans booed you at camp when you first came out? We can't figure you out, T.O. We thought you got a bad rap in San Francisco. Now we're not so sure. You were a great teammate, you treated the fans well, you got along with a strict coach, you had a good relationship with the quarterback...Was it all an act last year so that you could make more money this year? Well, if you haven't figured it out yet, I'll tell you again. You won't get a new contract. You won't get more money. You won't get released. You won't get traded. You'll play football for the Eagles or you won't play football. That's pretty much how it's going to be. After this year, you're due a $7.5 million roster bonus. We all know that was worked into the contract so that you and the team could assess how the last couple of years have gone and whether the relationship should continue (if you're not familiar with NFL contracts, roster bonuses are frequently worked into contracts, and when they're not paid out a player becomes a free agent). With the $5 million base salary you're due this year (not including incentives), that's a two year total of $22 million. You can't retire on that? What more do you want?
(By the way, while I'm on the subject of money, Drew Rosenhaus (T.O.'s agent) was on Letterman last night, and was made to look like the fool that he is. So that was entertaining.)
I just don't know how a guy in your situation can look around and still think they're right. I know you've got that weasel Rosenhaus in your ear, but not even players are on your side. I mean players on other teams, too (it's obvious that the Eagles players who actually want to play are fed up with this, even if they're man enough not to drag his name through the mud). Everyone's tired of the act. The Eagles fans, including myself, will cheer you this year when you make plays. We're Eagles fans, and you're an Eagle. But you'll never be on the level of Donovan or Andy, or even Brian Westbrook and Duce Staley. You've lost us off the field. You come strolling into camp wearing camouflage like you're some kind of soldier. You're a millionaire who gets paid to play football. Who are you trying to fool? Well I'll tell you one thing--you're not fooling me. Not anymore.
A man lives up to his word. Terrell, last year you signed a contract for $49 million over seven years. It's a foregone conclusion that you probably wouldn't be in Philly for 7 years, and wouldn't see the whole 49 mil. But if you didn't like the contract, why'd you sign it? You say you "outperformed" it? My question is this: how does one outperform $9.5 million? You weren't even playing for two of the three postseason games due to injury. I'm not saying the performances weren't outstanding during the season, and especially the one in the Super Bowl. I've talked about it before. But last year, you made more than 200 times what I make in a year, and my job contributes to making vaccines that save peoples' lives--and I'm happy with my salary. And you talk about feeding your family. You're not even married.
You know what else a man doesn't do? He doesn't throw his teammates and coach under the bus. What good did it do to badmouth McNabb's performance in the Super Bowl? Without Donovan, you would've had Kyle Boller throwing you passes last year in Baltimore. Think you still would've outperformed your contract? And the altercation with Reid and Childress this year--if you've got a beef with the coaches, work it out with the coaches. Did you see what Andy said today? "I'm going to work with T.O. and only T.O." That's what a man says. He doesn't call people out to the media and try to make himself look better. If you want to see men, look no further than the two guys you've inexplicably tried to drag through the mud over the last while: Donovan McNabb and Andy Reid.
Last year you shed tears in the locker room after a game because you were garnering so much attention in the media. You said you felt bad because it took attention away from the team. Do you wonder why the fans booed you at camp when you first came out? We can't figure you out, T.O. We thought you got a bad rap in San Francisco. Now we're not so sure. You were a great teammate, you treated the fans well, you got along with a strict coach, you had a good relationship with the quarterback...Was it all an act last year so that you could make more money this year? Well, if you haven't figured it out yet, I'll tell you again. You won't get a new contract. You won't get more money. You won't get released. You won't get traded. You'll play football for the Eagles or you won't play football. That's pretty much how it's going to be. After this year, you're due a $7.5 million roster bonus. We all know that was worked into the contract so that you and the team could assess how the last couple of years have gone and whether the relationship should continue (if you're not familiar with NFL contracts, roster bonuses are frequently worked into contracts, and when they're not paid out a player becomes a free agent). With the $5 million base salary you're due this year (not including incentives), that's a two year total of $22 million. You can't retire on that? What more do you want?
(By the way, while I'm on the subject of money, Drew Rosenhaus (T.O.'s agent) was on Letterman last night, and was made to look like the fool that he is. So that was entertaining.)
I just don't know how a guy in your situation can look around and still think they're right. I know you've got that weasel Rosenhaus in your ear, but not even players are on your side. I mean players on other teams, too (it's obvious that the Eagles players who actually want to play are fed up with this, even if they're man enough not to drag his name through the mud). Everyone's tired of the act. The Eagles fans, including myself, will cheer you this year when you make plays. We're Eagles fans, and you're an Eagle. But you'll never be on the level of Donovan or Andy, or even Brian Westbrook and Duce Staley. You've lost us off the field. You come strolling into camp wearing camouflage like you're some kind of soldier. You're a millionaire who gets paid to play football. Who are you trying to fool? Well I'll tell you one thing--you're not fooling me. Not anymore.
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