04/19/24
December 23, 2009
Worst Ideas of the Decade: the Endless Sports Season: One of the Washington Post's worst ideas of the decade: the expansion of the seasons in baseball, college football, college basketball and other sports. "Seasons are starting earlier, running later, overlapping more often and generally sucking more of our time than ever," writes Tracee Hamilton.
The other side effect of this phenomenon which always drives me crazy is that each sport's championship finale occurs during the "opposite" time of year from where it is most relevant.
The boys of summer play the world series in November (with frigid temperatures); hockey players hoist the Stanley Cup in June, when it's sunny and warm even in Edmonton; even the NFL with its shorter season still has playoff games that occasionally features snow.
Each sport's greatest spectacle, held when most people aren't playing that sport? Strange indeed.
posted by geneparmesan at 03:28 AM on December 24, 2009
Each sport's greatest spectacle, held when most people aren't playing that sport? Strange indeed.
Oh, it's not just an American thing, and it's hard to see how you could change it. The World Cup is always a summer tournament. The FA Cup final isn't the season-ending spectacle that it once was, but balmy May weather seems right for it. (The best day of the season, FA Cup 3rd Round day, is completely fitting, in middle of winter.) The end of an summer Test series in England traditionally comes as the nights draw in at the Oval. (And there's definitely too much Test cricket year-round.) And so on. On the other hand, Americans do have more overlaps to contend with.
The Aussies seem to get it right to some degree, with their NRL and AFL Grand Finals held over one weekend at the end of September, rounding off the season of winter sport.
posted by etagloh at 12:36 PM on December 24, 2009
The other side effect of this phenomenon which always drives me crazy is that each sport's championship finale occurs during the "opposite" time of year from where it is most relevant.
...and it goes on. And on. And on. And on. And on.
Ever see a movie with a huge big blowup climactic scene that just goes on way too long? That's big sports playoffs these days. It's hard to sustain the dramatic tension when it just goes on too long.
posted by lil_brown_bat at 06:28 PM on December 24, 2009
I'd like to see a Toronto Maple Leaf playoff run just go on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on.
Or at least begin.
posted by tommybiden at 07:14 PM on December 24, 2009
Man, with the exception of the NFL, I totally agree with this.
I can't follow the NBA and NHL for that long, and MLB is too long as well.
I don't even begin to follow hockey or basketball until the spring time, and even then they have a few months to go. No way baseball should be going into November. I get the financials involved, and I don't see anyway the leagues(owners or players) would cut back at this point. Only way it changes is if corporations start spending less on sports. They have in golf and NASCAR, if it spills over into other sports we may see changes.
Pro baseball, hockey and basketball could all cut back two months and I would be all for it!
As to college sports, have they really changed that much? Maybe an extra week in football, and a few more bowls, but I don't see an issue there.