Expand the B1G Idea.

[HumbleP1e]

Poor quality = perceived excessive length. True for a ball game, a movie or a speaker. No doubt.

As for the baseball/football comparison; when there are only 12 games in a season, I don't mind sitting a little longer as each one has more significance. When there are 162 baseball games...well, nuff said. I love a well-played baseball game, but MLB starting losing people when batters began stepping out of the box and going through their 20-30 second OCD ritual after every pitch.

I hear ya. I really do. Baseball can be brutal. Even our beloved Hawks (and college baseball as a whole) at times are tough to stick for the whole game, and they do a great job generally. I left the Mizzou and Oklahoma State games early and felt bad for it. But, I would argue the number of games doesn't or shouldn't demean baseball. Generally speaking, the only time I am truly thinking a baseball game is long is if my team is playing awfully. If they're up 15-2, I am loving it. If it's close, I am loving it. If we're getting spanked, it doesn't matter what the sport, it sucks. My "beef" is the over-generalization that "baseball is long". Whether it's your kid's little league or the world series, throw strikes and catch the ball, and you'll be happy.

 

[HawkIDrummer]

I hear ya. I really do. Baseball can be brutal. Even our beloved Hawks (and college baseball as a whole) at times are tough to stick for the whole game, and they do a great job generally. I left the Mizzou and Oklahoma State games early and felt bad for it. But, I would argue the number of games doesn't or shouldn't demean baseball. Generally speaking, the only time I am truly thinking a baseball game is long is if my team is playing awfully. If they're up 15-2, I am loving it. If it's close, I am loving it. If we're getting spanked, it doesn't matter what the sport, it sucks. My "beef" is the over-generalization that "baseball is long". Whether it's your kid's little league or the world series, throw strikes and catch the ball, and you'll be happy.

Fair enough. 30 years ago, the easy pace of the game was seen as an inherent part of its beauty. People are too impatient today.

But dude....really... 162 games? ...plus playoffs? The games aren't too long...the season is.

 

[HumbleP1e]

Fair enough. 30 years ago, the easy pace of the game was seen as an inherent part of its beauty. People are too impatient today.

But dude....really... 162 games? ...plus playoffs? The games aren't too long...the season is.

You probably played a lot, too, but from my perspective (as baseball purist) is that 162 games reveal the true winners where say 132 or some significant, lesser number wouldn't. There is a mental and physical grind that exists, and it allows both collapse and rise: drama. It is a marathon not a sprint, and we don't shorten the marathon race because we're tired of waiting for it to end rather we celebrate the accomplishment of the finish and the honoring of the history of that race. It has to be 26.2. Has to. Other shorter races pop up; other longer races exist, but a marathon will always be a marathon, and it seems selfish to want to shorten it. I don't feel this way about the NBA or NHL finishing in June, but in our short-as-possible world, we don't think this way anymore about many things, but I think baseball should be one. It's the sport of ironmen.

 

[HumbleP1e]

You probably played a lot, too, but from my perspective (as baseball purist) is that 162 games reveal the true winners where say 132 or some significant, lesser number wouldn't. There is a mental and physical grind that exists, and it allows both collapse and rise: drama. It is a marathon not a sprint, and we don't shorten the marathon race because we're tired of waiting for it to end rather we celebrate the accomplishment of the finish and the honoring of the history of that race. It has to be 26.2. Has to. Other shorter races pop up; other longer races exist, but a marathon will always be a marathon, and it seems selfish to want to shorten it. I don't feel this way about the NBA or NHL finishing in June, but in our short-as-possible world, we don't think this way anymore about many things, but I think baseball should be one. It's the sport of ironmen.

I should have read that before posting. If it sounded like I played big boy ball, let me quickly dispell that. Lol. Just been around it a lot and have heard and seen the grind.

 

[Dohly51]

When the Big12 finishes imploding, I predict there will be 4 power conferences with 16 teams each, which makes for perfect playoff brackets. Competitive balance will be at a premium along with increasing the TV footprint. Texas and Oklahoma would be perfect to accomplish these goals. The B10 is the only power conference without one of the big three recruiting hotbeds of Florida, Texas and California. We might as well include Georgia while we are at it. We add Texas & Oklahoma to the West division and slide Purdue over to the East division. Instant competitive balance and and a bonus of Texas' TV sets & recruiting territory.

Texas, Oklahoma, Nebraska, Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Northwestern, Illinois
Purdue, Indiana, Michigan, Michigan State, Ohio State, Penn State, Maryland, Rutgers

That would make an amazing conference. A guy can dream can't he?

 

[FreddyUI]

Texas and Norte Dame

 

[HawkIDrummer]

You probably played a lot, too, but from my perspective (as baseball purist) is that 162 games reveal the true winners where say 132 or some significant, lesser number wouldn't. There is a mental and physical grind that exists, and it allows both collapse and rise: drama. It is a marathon not a sprint, and we don't shorten the marathon race because we're tired of waiting for it to end rather we celebrate the accomplishment of the finish and the honoring of the history of that race. It has to be 26.2. Has to. Other shorter races pop up; other longer races exist, but a marathon will always be a marathon, and it seems selfish to want to shorten it. I don't feel this way about the NBA or NHL finishing in June, but in our short-as-possible world, we don't think this way anymore about many things, but I think baseball should be one. It's the sport of ironmen.

I grew up on baseball, you got that right. Love the game...it's uniquely American. But I'm not sure it takes 162 times to find out who's really good at something...I like the "Boys of Summer" idea. Not so much the long-sleeved guys freezing in early April and even November. (Reggie Jackson was Mr October).

Generally speaking, I think there's too much overlap of all professional sports. NHL and NBA finals in June...too late. World Series games on Halloween...too late. Even the NFL has pushed into February....too late. But what do I know...

Now..what we talkin' bout again?!