A friend sent this over (thanks friend) – if you have access to The Atlantic
(I guess I do via the NY Times subscription) it’s good article about how analytics ruined everything, but in this case lets focus on baseball.
Singles have swooned to record lows, and hits per game have plunged to 1910s levels. In the century and a half of MLB history covered by the database Baseball Reference, the 10 years with the most strikeouts per game are the past 10. (link)
Wow I knew to the eyeball test that things were bad, but NINETEEN TEN LEVELS? THE DEAD BALL ERA??????
If you have access, I highly encourage you read this. They nailed it here…..
In baseball, winning the World Series is a finite game, while growing the popularity of Major League Baseball is an infinite game. What happened, I think, is that baseball’s finite game was solved so completely in such a way that the infinite game was lost. (via The Atlantic
….
I did not watch last night’s game, after all, baseball is boring, but the boxscore tells me the game was played in a comparatively-“fast” three hours and 18 minutes.
Meanwhile, as much as I praise the NFL and plan on watching for 7 hours – some great games, I am looking forward to Bill Belichick hanging a 50 on the Jets (ugh, Iron Eagle is calling the game – back to that in a second) – and as a 49ers fan I am fascinated by their whole “are they good? Do they suck?” Jekyll & Hyde routine – 49ers/Rams at 4pm.
OK as for Iron Eagle – when he debuted on WFAN many moons ago he would say “Ian Eagle with an Eye on Sports” which is the worst hackiest thing a person could say. So I haven’t been a fan since day one.
Along the way, people who like basketball say he’s good at calling basketball. I don’t watch basketball so I will accept their premise. Also he seems to be well liked.
However, he is terrible at calling the NFL. I want you to pay attention to this today – he screams every play.
A sweep to the right ends with OUT OF BOUNDS THIRD DOWN AND SIXXXXXXX FOR THE JETS!!!!!
Maybe switch over to Jim Nantz calmly calling a game. Modulating his voice of course, when appropriate, but not yelling every play.
Then I want you to watch Mike Tirico tonight calmly call a game. Modulating his voice of course, when appropriate, but not yelling every play.
Now let’s take it up a notch.
I want you to watch Joe Buck tomorrow night….calmly working play by play into the conversation. Modulating his voice of course, when appropriate, but not yelling every play.
Finally, your masters course. On Thursday, I want you to watch Uncle Al Michaels, calmly working play by olay into the conversation. Modulating his voice of course, when appropriate, but not yelling every play.
Iron Eagle’s style is better suited for hockey where a SHOT AND A SAVE!!!!! or CHECKED INTO THE BOARDS!!!! every two seconds is appropriate, as is that staccato style of just yelling our player names with no other words around them.
For football, hard pass. I know how unpopular this opinion is, because the Iron Eagle Mafia is almost as strong as The Baseball Mafia. But I am here to speak truth to unpopular opinions. Watch the game and tell me I am wrong.
