State of the game

[mat1419]

So I was reading a Page 2 article that had an 'interview' with Ty Cobb talking about baseball today and I started, wondering what exactly happened to sports? Compared to how things used to be, it's hard to say that things are any better, if even as good...so my question is, which sport is in the worst shape? Read my arguments for each then add your own.

BASEBALL: Alex Rodriguez makes a quarter of a billion dollars to play baseball. The Yankees and teams like them can year after year go out and spend until their pockets turn out on any player they desire, while the teams who's owners are merely mega millionaires and not billionaires are forced to hope their team can be the hustle team of the year and sneak into the wild card race.

Then there's the steroids. We just went through the greatest home run decade in history and are now finding out that it was mostly fake. Pitchers go 6 innings not 9. Batboys get suspending for drinking milk. For most, unless your team is in the wild card race right now, you probably stopped caring right after all star break and won't care again until next May when you get free tickets. The little league world series just put on a show that embarrassed any major league game this year.

BASKETBALL: 17 year olds are more prized than a 4 year college player. The US professionals just got destroyed by the world in a game we invented. Each and every NBA game looks like it's being played in slow motion when compared to a college game and the only seat you're legitimately safe in in the NBA is in your own house. Allen Iverson (love you AI) can take 4 steps before he dribbles. Professionalism is dead as the class of basketball players is nonexistant. Raw street kids who grow up with little authority are suddenly 12 year old's heroes, and don't give a shit.

HOCKEY: They just had to miss a season because they couldn't figure things out financially, and in every poll on ESPN, no one seemed to care. 2 years ago, some teams were unable to make payroll in time. They've fixed some problems, but the lack of interest is overwhelming and there are too many teams in markets where hockey doesn't belong, causing watered down talent and losing the league more and more money. A guy who broke another guy's neck with an attack from behind, is allowed to play this year.

FOOTBALL: Hard to make an argument against, given the state of the NFL isn't bad. Football isn't perfect, but compared to the rest of the leagues, it's at the top.

So out of the 4...which is in the worst state?

[Vanity__Dearest]

going with hockey..despite all these problems, when all the players are against the owner. and the owner doesn't even want the sport, cuz hes' that stubborn..there's a problem

[Alex Djaferis]

hockey. damn lockout.

basketball is a little iffy, although im in love with the nba.

[Vanity__Dearest]

although football will have a weird time coming up, cuz the players are less paid than the rest of sports, and highest grossing, i don't think it should be that bad.

[mat1419]

although football will have a weird time coming up, cuz the players are less paid than the rest of sports, and highest grossing, i don't think it should be that bad.
in comparison, they are underpaid...TO gets 6 years 49 million, in basketball, he'd make 20 million a year. But that is what keeps the parity and keeps the league from blowing out of proportion. Somehow the salary caps in football and basketball are close to each other considering one team is 12 guys and the other is 53...and baseball is itching for a meltdown. At least they get paid more than hockey...those poor guys get scraps in comparison.

[youareallfreaks]

and now about 2 seconds for soccer, which is 2 seconds longer than it deserves. i mean no one in the country cares about soccer. /quoting a commercial

[mat1419]

and now about 2 seconds for soccer, which is 2 seconds longer than it deserves. i mean no one in the country cares about soccer. /quoting a commercial
i'll care when world cup comes around, i get into that. staying up till 5 to watch a game is some how neat to me...but as far as mls? not a chance.

[Vanity__Dearest]

in comparison, they are underpaid...TO gets 6 years 49 million, in basketball, he'd make 20 million a year. But that is what keeps the parity and keeps the league from blowing out of proportion. Somehow the salary caps in football and basketball are close to each other considering one team is 12 guys and the other is 53...and baseball is itching for a meltdown. At least they get paid more than hockey...those poor guys get scraps in comparison.
because hockey doesn't gross hardly shit...they don't deserve to get paid as much. it should get pay by gross amounts. so if a team sells well in a year, the player get's paid after that year, based on team salary.

[youareallfreaks]

i'll care when world cup comes around, i get into that. staying up till 5 to watch a game is some how neat to me...but as far as mls? not a chance.


yeah, the nike commercial is tight though right?

[aminorthreat55]

I'd say organizationally, hockey. But pro basketball has been pretty crappy in the last 6-8 years. Baseball is under this whole dark cloud of steroids. Hockey would be the natural choice seeing how it hasn't been around for 15 months, but this will probably be one of their most successful seasons in recent years. I'd say arguably since the last strike in the mid-90s. I picked basketball because I can't even force myself to watch pro basketball. It doesn't hold a candle to NCAA bball.

[last light]

hockey...baseball is number 2

[aminorthreat55]

because hockey doesn't gross hardly shit...they don't deserve to get paid as much. it should get pay by gross amounts. so if a team sells well in a year, the player get's paid after that year, based on team salary.
Bullshit. They deserve it, but they shouldn't get it because of the cap issues it creates. People always talk about how dangerous football is, but honestly, I don't think there is more daily wear-and-tear greater in any other sport. Yes you could argue for football, but then play 16-20 games a year. Hockey is 82 games, on ice, with dangerous boards, the most dangerous projectile in sports (baseball my ass, try frozen vulcanized rubber). They work hard and get paid less. Fastest game in the world as well.

[Trainsaw]

i went w/ hockey mainly because of the holdout and all that, about 2 years ago i'd def say baseball because it seems to get more boring year after year. If it weren't for that holdout i would vote Baseball, its def not america's past time anymore. Football has no problem's what so ever. Basketball eh i don't really care for it but sometimes its enjoyable

[Vanity__Dearest]

Bullshit. They deserve it, but they shouldn't get it because of the cap issues it creates. People always talk about how dangerous football is, but honestly, I don't think there is more daily wear-and-tear greater in any other sport. Yes you could argue for football, but then play 16-20 games a year. Hockey is 82 games, on ice, with dangerous boards, the most dangerous projectile in sports (baseball my ass, try frozen vulcanized rubber). They work hard and get paid less. Fastest game in the world as well.you've got a point...but i also still believe in my statement. the players should get paid by how the whole league grosses. it's insane to think that a player could ask for 250 million in 10 years, when the league grosses only 10x that in a year.

i went w/ hockey mainly because of the holdout and all that, about 2 years ago i'd def say baseball because it seems to get more boring year after year. If it weren't for that holdout i would vote Baseball, its def not america's past time anymore. Football has no problem's what so ever. Basketball eh i don't really care for it but sometimes its enjoyablei think baseball just gets better.

[aminorthreat55]

you've got a point...but i also still believe in my statement. the players should get paid by how the whole league grosses. it's insane to think that a player could ask for 250 million in 10 years, when the league grosses only 10x that in a year.
Yeah. They deserve it, but I totally agree on that. It's just like regular people, the rich get richer and the poor get poorer.

[mat1419]

I picked basketball because it's a mix of the most talent and the least effort. Old NBA was great, and I love basketball, but the NBA right now is a disgrace and no where close to being fixed. Baseball would be my number two...they're slowly fixing the steroids situation...slowly. But the history is tainted and until there is some sort of salary cap, it will never be as good as it can be.

Hockey i see as in a better place than it's been in a long time. There's a cap, and they seem to know they can't avoid obvious issues anymore. If they would retract a little, I think it would go a long way towards fixing the competition.

[Vanity__Dearest]

Yeah. They deserve it, but I totally agree on that. It's just like regular people, the rich get richer and the poor get poorer.i never could get into hockey.great athletes and what not, but as of late, i don't know the numbers...but i know they don't gross nearly as much as the other leagues...so for them to ask for more or what not, when it's slumping, is just ridiculous to me. i mean yes, they deserve to get paid as much as the other athletes...but when your making 5 mill, and you want 7 or 8...i don't see that big a difference, your still fucking rich.

[BigD]

if you would have asked this a year ago it would definetly be hockey...but theyve settled the dispute (for now)...and im not a fan of the nhl, but thats irrelevant in this arguement.

Id say the MLB is in the worst shape. Steroids...payroll differences, a horrible commish who knows nothing about his audience.

the nfl is nearly perfect, the nba is just changing, David Stern is a hell of a commish

[Jra1]

and now about 2 seconds for soccer, which is 2 seconds longer than it deserves. i mean no one in the country cares about soccer. /quoting a commercial
mls is shite that's why, watch the Premiership ;)

[Alex Djaferis]

and now about 2 seconds for soccer, which is 2 seconds longer than it deserves. i mean no one in the country cares about soccer. /quoting a commercial

you've got to be on the right continents to understand why soccer is good. if the fanbase sucks. the sport sucks.
soccer fans here in europe are fanatical (and s america)....its like a matter of pride for them haha. its a little too intense, but its fun.

I picked basketball because it's a mix of the most talent and the least effort. Old NBA was great, and I love basketball, but the NBA right now is a disgrace and no where close to being fixed.

.

haha, yeah im starting to see that aswell. its losing its elite class status somehow. its just full of ghetto kids with huge egos and bad attitudes. coughronartestcough