TERRY MOSHER
TOP OF THE TOWN – So major league baseball is all tied up in knots. No big surprise there. Whenever the basic agreement comes up for renewal, baseball strikes out. There is general agreement among the public and baseball players the owners are greedy and want to stack the next agreement against them. Whether that is true or not, that is the perception. What is clear is baseball hurts itself over and over again and lags behind the NFL and NBA when it comes to popularity. It no longer is America’s Game. It inflicts too much damage on itself every time the basic agreement needs to be renegotiated. According to a recent survey, football is tops by a wide margin. It gathers 37 percent of the viewing population versus 11 percent for basketball, nine percent for baseball and seven percent for soccer. And I’m going to guess that baseball’s popularity will be less in the future because there is a public perception that owners and players are both greedy. On top of that, baseball games take up to three hours and longer if there is extra innings or rain delay. And unlike football or basketball, there are lulls in action in the game of baseball causing impatience with an American public that as years go on is less patience. In short, the game is killing itself and it doesn’t need billionaires and millionaires fighting over money. It’s a quick way to turn off the remaining public. If negotiations over the basic agreement shut down spring training and cut back on the regular season, it won’t help the game regain favor with the general public. The two sides have already agreed to have universal designated hitter. That was the easy part, although it took 36 years to finally agree to have it in both leagues – American and National. It was always stupid to have it in the American League and not in the National League. Guys like Edgar Martinez saved their careers by being able to DH. Martinez took it to Cooperstown…. Speaking of impatience by the general public, how long will it be before the Seattle Kraken and the new fangled Climate Pledge Arena lose its flavor on the bedpost overnight (that is a takeoff on the Lonnie Donegan song does your chewing gum lose its flavor on the bedpost overnight). The Kraken, a first-year NHL franchise, are dead last in the Pacific Division with a 16-29-4 record for 36 points, 10 points behind the next team, San Jose Sharks. I turned them off a long time ago when I figured out their defense and goalkeeping is below average. That should not be surprising, although general manager Ron Francis attempted to build a good defensive team during the expansive draft it’s obvious he didn’t succeed. It will take some time, maybe two or three years, to build a hockey franchise that is competitive. Yeah, I know the Las Vegas Golden Knights did it in their first year, but that is not normal. The public, though, likes a winner. The Kraken will certainly lose some of its base and at some point there will be a frantic push to correct the quality of the franchise for fear the franchise will start losing money. Die-hard fans will hang in there, but some won’t. To get them back, the Kraken are going to have a lot of work to rebuild, and a little luck. I wish them the best. I like hockey. I just want a team that has a chance on any given night. This team doesn’t. Ok, that is enough for today. Stay safe.
Be well pal.
Be careful out there.
Have a great day.
You are loved.