2008 Woodie Awards
Despite NFL, baseball reigns as US pastime
Dan Kukla
Issue date: 4/22/08 Section: Sports
Baseball. Supposedly it's America's pastime. But what does that really mean?
I think it's pretty apparent that football is our country's most popular sport. Nothing is more sacred to Americans than their Saturday and Sunday afternoon rituals in the fall.
Whether it's a weekly pilgrimage to the stadium, the local watering hole or a Lazy-boy chair, just about everyone has a way of paying homage to favored college or NFL teams.
This phenomenon encompasses the off-season as well. Even something as exhilarating as watching old men reading names off of a piece of paper-such as with the upcoming NFL draft-will get more press coverage and higher TV ratings than any MLB game during the same time period.
Side note: did you know that people actually go to this thing? No, no, not just the family and friends of the players; I mean fans. That's right, people are paying good money and traveling many miles just to watch Roger Goodell walk up to a podium every 15 minutes and read off each selection. Thank goodness they can watch paint dry between picks. And just in case things get too intense, anyone can always step outside to watch the grass grow for a bit.
But seriously, this is exactly what I'm talking about. Can we really call baseball our national pastime when football stands at the center of our sports world?
Yes. We always have and we always will. Here's why.
Baseball may not be the most popular sport in America, but it is the most important. Football gives us something to look forward to; baseball gives us something to hold onto.
At 162 games and six months long, the MLB season is an absolute grind, and that doesn't even include the playoffs or spring training. This is the most common critique of the sport and, in my mind, it is the game's most redeeming attribute.
Some will say that there is no reason to care about MLB games until August. So what if a team loses in April? The team still has five months left to make it up.
I think it's pretty apparent that football is our country's most popular sport. Nothing is more sacred to Americans than their Saturday and Sunday afternoon rituals in the fall.
Whether it's a weekly pilgrimage to the stadium, the local watering hole or a Lazy-boy chair, just about everyone has a way of paying homage to favored college or NFL teams.
This phenomenon encompasses the off-season as well. Even something as exhilarating as watching old men reading names off of a piece of paper-such as with the upcoming NFL draft-will get more press coverage and higher TV ratings than any MLB game during the same time period.
Side note: did you know that people actually go to this thing? No, no, not just the family and friends of the players; I mean fans. That's right, people are paying good money and traveling many miles just to watch Roger Goodell walk up to a podium every 15 minutes and read off each selection. Thank goodness they can watch paint dry between picks. And just in case things get too intense, anyone can always step outside to watch the grass grow for a bit.
But seriously, this is exactly what I'm talking about. Can we really call baseball our national pastime when football stands at the center of our sports world?
Yes. We always have and we always will. Here's why.
Baseball may not be the most popular sport in America, but it is the most important. Football gives us something to look forward to; baseball gives us something to hold onto.
At 162 games and six months long, the MLB season is an absolute grind, and that doesn't even include the playoffs or spring training. This is the most common critique of the sport and, in my mind, it is the game's most redeeming attribute.
Some will say that there is no reason to care about MLB games until August. So what if a team loses in April? The team still has five months left to make it up.
Viewing Comments 1 - 1 of 1
e.
posted 4/24/08 @ 7:25 PM EST
baseball is great in its own way but the new national pastime is watching television. and if you want to get specific, i'd say it's watching American Idol or football with internet surfing clicking at their heels. (Continued…)
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