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Tuesday, 19 September 2006 16:43 |
| | Erik Rhyne |
BOONE ÇƒÓ Baseball, for as long as anyone can remember, has been defined as Americaës pastime.
As football has increased in popularity, it has become the new top dog in the eyes of some people. The question is always debated over which America watches more. Honestly, there is no clear winner.
Football, whether it is professional, collegiate, high school or pee-wee, has increased in the attention it receives from American society.
Instead of catching a round ball with a glove, kids are now catching an egg-shaped ball with their hands.
More and more kids are going to football practice and putting on pads instead of going to a field with their gloves.
The basic reason for this change is just a change in time.
Back in the
1930s, baseball was the only thing that really mattered for people, in
the world of sports. Families would go together and sit close to the
field and eat hot dogs.
It was really
something to experience. Fans could easily access players for
autographs. There was no Internet where they could exploit and sell the
signature. The game was original ¨?ÇƒÓ people could relate to the players.
Back then, players looked like everyday people.
I wish I had a chance to watch a baseball game like that. Unfortunately, times change.
The closest
chance I had was when I saw a game at Fenway Park in Boston. Sitting
anywhere in the stadium, you are close to the field. You feel like a
part of the game.
It is something
everyone should experience. There are not many parks left in baseball
that have a history or feel like Fenway. And that is a shame.
Letës be honest,
baseball can be a rather boring game at points. It can go slow at
times. The excitement comes when teams score. In baseball, that is
sometimes hard to come by.
In football, it
is a totally different story. Every play is exciting. With hard hits,
exciting plays and touchdowns, fans never can pull their eyes away from
the game.
It is a violent
sport. People like seeing violence. Why do you think replays are shown
over and over again? What about when fans, "ooooh" and "ahhh" at the
replays?
Face it¨?¨? ÇƒÓ we live in a violent society.
Baseball is
popular, but people do not have as much interaction as they used to
with players. That is one thing baseball had, but in todayës world, it
does not exist. That hurts the sport.
With free
agency, players leave teams or are let go. In baseball, kids could grow
up and idolize certain players. They would know that player would
always be there, so they would grow close to the team.
Now players leave or cry for more money. They act spoiled, not wanting to play unless they are given what they want.
Baseball is more
about tradition and the continuance of it. When things change from what
our grandparents remember about the sport, it makes it harder for a kid
to be able to fall in love with the sport for the same reason.
In football, the
sport slowly increased in popularity. As society changed, football
evolved with it. Equipment changed to make the sport safer. Baseball
still has the same look of the 1930s.
People tend to go with something that is more exciting. Between baseball and football, football wins hands down.
Do not get me wrong ÇƒÓ I like watching baseball, in person. Football I can watch anywhere, anytime.
By now, it must be obvious that I think football is Americaës new pastime.
Iëm not saying baseball is not still popular with people ÇƒÓ just that football is ahead of the curve.
I also know that some people will agree with me and some will not. Thatës the good thing about opinions; they cause discussions.
Let the discussions begin.
ï
Erik Rhyne, who
writes a weekly column for the Daily Planet, is the sports editor of
The Appalachian, the twice-weekly student newspaper at Appalachian
State University.
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