The Sports and Entertainment Blasphemy Thread

[born_bad]

Re: The Sports and Entertainment Blasphemy Thread

Who really cares how complicated or simple it is? The point is, it can be pretty boring at times, but can also be pretty exciting at times. It's not as simple as it looks, but let's not also pretend these guys are physicists or something. Have you seen Manny Ramirez? Dumb as bricks, but an excellent ball player. Can't be that complicated.

Chess is complicated and I enjoy it, but would be bored to death watching 3+hour chess matches 6 days/night a week. There are too many baseball games and they're so long I can't ever imagine watching them in more than chunks, like I do now.

[jmood88]

Re: The Sports and Entertainment Blasphemy Thread

Actually, it is the ones who have never played that believe it is a simple game.

First of all, no one said it was simple and second of all,it's not as complicated as you make it out to be. Since you seem to think that people who don't like it don't understand it why don't you explain it to everyone? Please tell me how baseball is so different from other sports and how it takes so much more understanding to be able to enjoy it.

[SPTO]

Re: The Sports and Entertainment Blasphemy Thread

Toronto Raptors will make the playoffs despite what 90% of OS thinks.

[Hootiefish]

Re: The Sports and Entertainment Blasphemy Thread

First of all, no one said it was simple and second of all,it's not as complicated as you make it out to be. Since you seem to think that people who don't like it don't understand it why don't you explain it to everyone? Please tell me how baseball is so different from other sports and how it takes so much more understanding to be able to enjoy it.

Don't be a prick. All I said that from my experience (which is all I have to base my beliefs off of), the people that didn't like the sport were the ones that didn't understand it. That's it. I am not insulting your intelligence by saying that you don't like/understand the game. I just believe that the majority of people that don't like baseball don't understand it. Simple as that.

Let's get off of the baseball subject.

How about more blasphemy: I believe that hip-hop music has done more to damage the african-american community than to help it.

[Pared]

Re: The Sports and Entertainment Blasphemy Thread

I'm sure I'll get bashed for this, but I don't think there's much strategy at all. You look at statistics and match ups. Is it that hard when you're in the 8th inning and the other team brings in a lefty reliever to look at your available bench players and select the best guy to counter the other team's move? I think for most managers the most important/valuable thing you can do is keep your team motivated for the grueling 162 schedule and make sure your team clicks and has great chemistry. You're basically a shrink.

I forget who said it, I think it was Bobby Valentine, but some NL manager said managing in the AL was eqivalent to baby-sitting.

There are certain situations which are tough, such as if you're in a tie game in the 9th w. two outs and David Ortiz is on second. Do you pinch run for him and try to win the game on a single, or leave him in? Personally I'd leave him in cause there's only a 30% at best the guy at the plate is getting a hit and you don't want to lose Ortiz's bat in extra innings.

However, for the most part I don't see the checkers/chess relationship.

But as for the entertainment factor, I love clutch situations in baseball as much as any sport. I can't imagine waiting for the pitch to come in if you're in Jose Valentin's shoes last night in the 8th inning. That's got to be so nerve racking and mentally challenging - trying to stay focused through everything and hit the baseball.

It's not that simple though ehh. In the first example you give, there's more to it than just looking at your bench. What if that one left handed batter is hitting .600 against the pitcher? What if he is primarily a curve-ball pitcher... and you have one guy on the bench that is lefty that can kill a curve-ball? And so on....

First of all, no one said it was simple and second of all,it's not as complicated as you make it out to be. Since you seem to think that people who don't like it don't understand it why don't you explain it to everyone? Please tell me how baseball is so different from other sports and how it takes so much more understanding to be able to enjoy it.

There is no way one could get into all the intricacies and make you understand in a single post on a message board. To try and dumb it down, like it seems like you're doing, is just an example of how you don't understand... even though you think you do.

It's fine man... you find it boring. No big deal. But some of us feel that we pretty much know WHY you find it boring...

[Rocky]

Re: The Sports and Entertainment Blasphemy Thread

Hip Hop fans tend to overrate NY mid-90's rap. In fact, Southern Rap of 96-2006(if you take out all the Laffy Taffty junk)======NY 86-96.

[jmood88]

Re: The Sports and Entertainment Blasphemy Thread

There is no way one could get into all the intricacies and make you understand in a single post on a message board. To try and dumb it down, like it seems like you're doing, is just an example of how you don't understand... even though you think you do.

It's fine man... you find it boring. No big deal. But some of us feel that we pretty much know WHY you find it boring...

I'm not dumbing it down but people are trying to make it seem like it's a science or something but they aren't actually explaining what makes it so complicated. You don't have to get into everything but I want to know what I'm missing. There are these mysteriouis intracacies and nuances that I guess I don't know about. Oh and where did I try to dumb it down?

[SPTO]

Re: The Sports and Entertainment Blasphemy Thread

I don't know if this is a contrarian opinion BUT...this Akon guy has some good grooves. I heard his last two singles "smack that" and "I wanna love you" a while ago. If that's any indication of his latest album then I think I will be picking it up.

[ehh]

Re: The Sports and Entertainment Blasphemy Thread

It's not that simple though ehh. In the first example you give, there's more to it than just looking at your bench. What if that one left handed batter is hitting .600 against the pitcher? What if he is primarily a curve-ball pitcher... and you have one guy on the bench that is lefty that can kill a curve-ball? And so on....

I agree w. you on that point. Obviously I gave a simple example but I get what you're saying. In that situation I'd probably go w. the guy who can hit the curveball but is hitting .300 points less against LHP. I guess the strategy it's all relative to other sports.

And as for the other topic about baseball being simple, every sport can be dumbed down to it's simplest point...

Basketball: put the ball in the hole
Baseball: hit the ball, catch the ball
Football: get the ball across the goal line

Some people are looking at baseball at it's most simple level becaus there aren't 600 page playbooks, etc. There's really no sensible way to argue that, IMO.

[jmood88]

Re: The Sports and Entertainment Blasphemy Thread

I haven't seen anybody say that it was a simple sport.

[Vince]

Re: The Sports and Entertainment Blasphemy Thread

It's not that simple though ehh. In the first example you give, there's more to it than just looking at your bench. What if that one left handed batter is hitting .600 against the pitcher? What if he is primarily a curve-ball pitcher... and you have one guy on the bench that is lefty that can kill a curve-ball? And so on....



There is no way one could get into all the intricacies and make you understand in a single post on a message board. To try and dumb it down, like it seems like you're doing, is just an example of how you don't understand... even though you think you do.

It's fine man... you find it boring. No big deal. But some of us feel that we pretty much know WHY you find it boring...

Again, I'll point to the fact that I understand all the intricacies and what not, yet I still find it boring. Not to say I dislike it, but it is what it is...a boring sport compared to Basketball, Football, Hockey and Soccer.

I feel like Baseball fans have this superiority complex about the sport. They tend to act like math professors. I'm not talking about anyone in particular, but as a whole.

[JiggidyJames]

Re: The Sports and Entertainment Blasphemy Thread

Hip Hop fans tend to overrate NY mid-90's rap. In fact, Southern Rap of 96-2006(if you take out all the Laffy Taffty junk)======NY 86-96.

Sorry, there's no other way to react. NYC from 86-96 is everything you hear today. The culture started here. We made it cool to be "conscience". We made it cool to wear timbs and and a hoody. We made it cool to be a "balla". Hell, we were bouncing before the south! The most influential producers, Marley Marl, RZA, Pete Rock, DJ Premier and the Bomb Squad, were based on the East Coast. Heck, even the Ghetto Boys had a Brooklyn cat in the ranks.

Who were the trend setters from the south? Cash Money, Scarface and Outkast. I could go on all day listing the people from NYC who made lasting impacts on Hip Hop music. What have we gotten from the south, a new word for diamonds?

The only place that ever came close to giving us consistent, quality Hip Hop music was California during the G-Funk era. And I can count those guys on one hand.

[Pared]

Re: The Sports and Entertainment Blasphemy Thread

I'm not dumbing it down but people are trying to make it seem like it's a science or something but they aren't actually explaining what makes it so complicated. You don't have to get into everything but I want to know what I'm missing. There are these mysteriouis intracacies and nuances that I guess I don't know about. Oh and where did I try to dumb it down?

I wrote it "seems like you're trying to" dumb it down.

...and second of all,it's not as complicated as you make it out to be.

I just posted a perfect example why. Read my point with ehh....

I agree w. you on that point. Obviously I gave a simple example but I get what you're saying. In that situation I'd probably go w. the guy who can hit the curveball but is hitting .300 points less against LHP. I guess the strategy it's all relative to other sports.

And as for the other topic about baseball being simple, every sport can be dumbed down to it's simplest point...

Basketball: put the ball in the hole
Baseball: hit the ball, catch the ball
Football: get the ball across the goal line

Some people are looking at baseball at it's most simple level becaus there aren't 600 page playbooks, etc. There's really no sensible way to argue that, IMO.

Yeah, anything can be simplified. I love the sport because it has more to do with statistics than any other sport, IMO.

You don't see football broadcasters point out that a certain WR makes 49% of his catches on a certain player. What you WILL see is a broadcaster point out that a WR is taller so he has an advantage over a CB...

You don't see a bball announcer say point out that Nash can score more efficiently on players over 6'8 off the dribble... What you WILL see is a broadcaster point out that Nash is faster and can take the big man off the dribble...

And that right there is a difference that I enjoy.... They say Baseball is all about numbers... and that's most definitely true.

Again, I'll point to the fact that I understand all the intricacies and what not, yet I still find it boring. Not to say I dislike it, but it is what it is...a boring sport compared to Basketball, Football, Hockey and Soccer.

I feel like Baseball fans have this superiority complex about the sport. They tend to act like math professors. I'm not talking about anyone in particular, but as a whole.

And I think you like Hockey.. correct? I find hockey to be a complete waste of time. You're on ice-skates for friggin' sake! If I wanted some aggression, I'd watch Football...

[born_bad]

Re: The Sports and Entertainment Blasphemy Thread

There is a lot of stress put on the numbers in basbeball, moreso than any other sport, but that doesn't make it more complicated. The truth is, all those stats mean nothing. Nothing. A batter's batting average has no affect at all on whether or not he's going to get a hit during his current at bat. It can help "predict" if he will get a hit, but has no affect at all.

I love when the announcers will talk about how some hitter's stats suck against some specific pitcher and they show statistical proof to back that up and then the guy hits a home run. The numbers mean nothing (although they can be interesting), so the other sports that don't stress them are actually better for it.

[Stu]

Re: The Sports and Entertainment Blasphemy Thread

There is a lot of stress put on the numbers in basbeball, moreso than any other sport, but that doesn't make it more complicated. The truth is, all those stats mean nothing. Nothing. A batter's batting average has no affect at all on whether or not he's going to get a hit during his current at bat. It can help "predict" if he will get a hit, but has no affect at all.

I love when the announcers will talk about how some hitter's stats suck against some specific pitcher and they show statistical proof to back that up and then the guy hits a home run. The numbers mean nothing (although they can be interesting), so the other sports that don't stress them are actually better for it.

The thing that makes statistics relevant in baseball in sample size, which is something you don't have in other sports because there's nothing like the batter vs pitcher matchup. When managers make a decision on what pitcher to bring in, they can look at the stats and say Pitcher A gets this guy out 90% of the time while Pitcher B only gets him out 60% of the time. obviously if that's based on 4 at bats, it's not a very good predictor but if it's based on 100 or so it is.

Statistics obviously don't affect what's going to happen but over a large sample size are a very good predictor and very relevant when a manager makes a decision. Just because it doesn't always follow the stats doesnt mean they don't mean anything.