Who Cares Anymore?

I used to get into baseball a good bit. Then, after playing baseball, it kind of wore off, to where I was not "into" it until the postseason- and I would root for the braves in the post season, because like every year they would make it (although now they don't). But now, even with a game seven between the Red Sox and the Indians, I hardly find myself getting into it at all. I don't know exactly how it got to how it is now, and I'm not even sure exactly how it is now. Baseball is almost like nascar to me. There is nothing sinful about it- it's just boring until the very end of the game/race, and it is only exiting then if it is close. But honestly, I would probably rather watch the last five laps of racing then the last inning in a tied baseball game.

Baseball used to be America's sport and pastime. Baseball lovers today probably still say it is. But American's aren't showing it. SportsCenter seems to give baseball a fair amount of respect relative to the way the typical American. Baseball can be interesting. There are hidden strategies involved. It is detailed but yet organized and rational. But the only thing that seems like it would have much exitement in a play itself would be a 'play at the plate,' a grandslam, or something to that effect. Many American's would much rather see a stupid coaches stupid calls work (as with LSU), half of the top ten ranked teams losing to "mid-majors" on a given weekend (as is happening some this year), a quarterback who has struggled make an amazing fourth quarter drive only to see it go to naught by the opposing team's insuing drive (as with Auburn's Brandon Cox), a team wipe out a team who wiped out a team who beat the original team (Alabama, Tennessee, Geogia), an eighteen year old kid beat the defending national champions by the strength of his foot (Auburn's Wes Byrum over Florida), or simply hear Lee Corso say "Not so fast, my friend!" I am by all means in that crowd.

College football is played for honor, pride, and love. Proffessional athletics, particularly MLB, seems to be played for fortune and fame. In college football we ponder over the nagging question of who number one is. In MLB, we ponder over who has been on stereroids.

I do not write this to put down baseball fans, the game in general, or any particular MLB player. There is still a small part of me that enjoys the game of baseball, especially when it gets to the nitty gritty. But until baseball, particularly MLB shows me something more exiting than paint dry- well, okay, to be fair, more exiting than watching somebody paint- I will by all means care much more about the pride and glory of college football than the fortune and fame of MLB.

What Do You Think?

Ryan