Comments on: SPORTS FRAGMENTATION http://markhasty.com/archives/2004/08/26/sports-fragmentation/ E AHO LA'ULA Thu, 28 Aug 2008 16:39:58 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.0.2 by: dw http://markhasty.com/archives/2004/08/26/sports-fragmentation/#comment-1110 Wed, 31 Dec 1969 18:00:00 +0000 http://markhasty.com/archives/2004/08/26/sports-fragmentation/#comment-1110 I don't understand the appeal of White, either, but I don't see him as a Gino Toretta lookalike. He was injured in both games he lost last year, and if he is healthy, he's as good a pocket QB as you can get in college. He's not NFL bound, though, and he's only the second best QB in the Big XII (and would be third if Josh Fields hadn't bolted to MLB). As for the Olympics... we get the CBC as well as NBC. It's more Canadian-centric, but we get live coverage of a lot of these events -- and they tell us upfront that they're time-shifting. If the NHL collapses, it's going to be interesting to see what rises in its place. I could see an eight-team Canadian League and an eight-team US League that play for the Cup. Everyone else is bound for Europe. Either way, the money will be 1/3rd as good as now, and even the Canadian teams will have trouble filling the arenas, esp. when the marquee Canadian stars are playing in Sweden or Germany. While I'm thinking about it... the WNBA would do well to move some of their teams out of sports-exhausted cities and into mid-level markets without a lot of summer competition. For example, Oklahoma City has no pro sports competition except Arena2, AAA baseball, and the Sooners. They could handle a WNBA team -- and even play games in Tulsa and Stillwater. Albuquerque also comes to mind. Portland failed because it was an ABL town, and the fanbase was still seething at how the WNBA destroyed that league. These smaller leagues should really look to smaller cities with no entertainment dollar competition and stop trying to, say, put a bad product on the field in a top-20 city already saturated by baseball, NFL, and NBA. You build a following there, you can make your league strong enough to put teams in Seattle/Miami/Minneapolis. I don’t understand the appeal of White, either, but I don’t see him as a Gino Toretta lookalike. He was injured in both games he lost last year, and if he is healthy, he’s as good a pocket QB as you can get in college. He’s not NFL bound, though, and he’s only the second best QB in the Big XII (and would be third if Josh Fields hadn’t bolted to MLB).

As for the Olympics… we get the CBC as well as NBC. It’s more Canadian-centric, but we get live coverage of a lot of these events — and they tell us upfront that they’re time-shifting.

If the NHL collapses, it’s going to be interesting to see what rises in its place. I could see an eight-team Canadian League and an eight-team US League that play for the Cup. Everyone else is bound for Europe. Either way, the money will be 1/3rd as good as now, and even the Canadian teams will have trouble filling the arenas, esp. when the marquee Canadian stars are playing in Sweden or Germany.

While I’m thinking about it… the WNBA would do well to move some of their teams out of sports-exhausted cities and into mid-level markets without a lot of summer competition. For example, Oklahoma City has no pro sports competition except Arena2, AAA baseball, and the Sooners. They could handle a WNBA team — and even play games in Tulsa and Stillwater. Albuquerque also comes to mind. Portland failed because it was an ABL town, and the fanbase was still seething at how the WNBA destroyed that league.

These smaller leagues should really look to smaller cities with no entertainment dollar competition and stop trying to, say, put a bad product on the field in a top-20 city already saturated by baseball, NFL, and NBA. You build a following there, you can make your league strong enough to put teams in Seattle/Miami/Minneapolis.

]]> by: Jon Enslin http://markhasty.com/archives/2004/08/26/sports-fragmentation/#comment-1111 Wed, 31 Dec 1969 18:00:00 +0000 http://markhasty.com/archives/2004/08/26/sports-fragmentation/#comment-1111 I going to disagree with the racism angle on the basketball issue. I think many Americans just don't like what basketball has become...not black...but one-on-one play, hip-hop muisc nature. And that is what is getting exposed during these Olympics. Granted that culture is dominated by African-Americans, but that doesn't mean its racism If it were race, Americans would root against all African American athletes and that just isn't the case. I going to disagree with the racism angle on the basketball issue. I think many Americans just don’t like what basketball has become…not black…but one-on-one play, hip-hop muisc nature. And that is what is getting exposed during these Olympics. Granted that culture is dominated by African-Americans, but that doesn’t mean its racism

If it were race, Americans would root against all African American athletes and that just isn’t the case.

]]> by: Paul http://markhasty.com/archives/2004/08/26/sports-fragmentation/#comment-1112 Wed, 31 Dec 1969 18:00:00 +0000 http://markhasty.com/archives/2004/08/26/sports-fragmentation/#comment-1112 Sounds to me like Jason Whitlock is on the Bush payroll, with the way he's hurled a hurtful label at any one of us not finding it very excitable to just watch the U.S. teams roll over all opposition. With each passing day, I am more and more convinced that the current Presidential administration does not give a damn about any soldier overseas who might happen to identify as Democrat or come from a left-leaning family. But I was very proud to be an American when I watched the women's soccer team sing the National Anthem on Thurs. night (my favorite TV moment of the Games so far). They were just so proud to be together and victorious; at that moment, they were able to only think about and see the good in being from America. We should all be proud of them. Despite what Costas had to say, I've never enjoyed a rendition of the Star-Spangled Banner more. Sounds to me like Jason Whitlock is on the Bush payroll, with the way he’s hurled a hurtful label at any one of us not finding it very excitable to just watch the U.S. teams roll over all opposition.

With each passing day, I am more and more convinced that the current Presidential administration does not give a damn about any soldier overseas who might happen to identify as Democrat or come from a left-leaning family. But I was very proud to be an American when I watched the women’s soccer team sing the National Anthem on Thurs. night (my favorite TV moment of the Games so far). They were just so proud to be together and victorious; at that moment, they were able to only think about and see the good in being from America. We should all be proud of them. Despite what Costas had to say, I’ve never enjoyed a rendition of the Star-Spangled Banner more.

]]> by: Sean Hackbarth http://markhasty.com/archives/2004/08/26/sports-fragmentation/#comment-1113 Wed, 31 Dec 1969 18:00:00 +0000 http://markhasty.com/archives/2004/08/26/sports-fragmentation/#comment-1113 Since Todd Marinovich was never good in the NFL you'll have to find another comparison. Since Todd Marinovich was never good in the NFL you’ll have to find another comparison.

]]> by: Mark Hasty http://markhasty.com/archives/2004/08/26/sports-fragmentation/#comment-1114 Wed, 31 Dec 1969 18:00:00 +0000 http://markhasty.com/archives/2004/08/26/sports-fragmentation/#comment-1114 Good point, Sean. Perhaps he's the Kurt Warner of golf? Good point, Sean. Perhaps he’s the Kurt Warner of golf?

]]> by: Jon Enslin http://markhasty.com/archives/2004/08/26/sports-fragmentation/#comment-1115 Wed, 31 Dec 1969 18:00:00 +0000 http://markhasty.com/archives/2004/08/26/sports-fragmentation/#comment-1115 No. Kurt Warner had to fight his way through small time football to get up to the NFL. Woods is a prodgidy who is has slacked off lately. I would say more the "Drew Bledsoe of golf." No. Kurt Warner had to fight his way through small time football to get up to the NFL. Woods is a prodgidy who is has slacked off lately. I would say more the “Drew Bledsoe of golf.”

]]> by: James http://markhasty.com/archives/2004/08/26/sports-fragmentation/#comment-1116 Wed, 31 Dec 1969 18:00:00 +0000 http://markhasty.com/archives/2004/08/26/sports-fragmentation/#comment-1116 But Drew Bledsoe never won a championship as a starter... I'd say that Tiger Woods is becoming the Shaq of golf. Yeah, he's won championships and plenty of them, but there's people who are thinking that his time has passed for whatever reason. But Drew Bledsoe never won a championship as a starter… I’d say that Tiger Woods is becoming the Shaq of golf. Yeah, he’s won championships and plenty of them, but there’s people who are thinking that his time has passed for whatever reason.

]]> by: Just A Girl http://markhasty.com/archives/2004/08/26/sports-fragmentation/#comment-1117 Wed, 31 Dec 1969 18:00:00 +0000 http://markhasty.com/archives/2004/08/26/sports-fragmentation/#comment-1117 <strong>GW!</strong> Sean, Mark - pay attention! I don't know what time, and I don't know exactly what location (YET!) - however, President Bush is going to be in West Allis, Wisconsin on Friday, September 3rd. You can go down to the Grafton Republican Committee offi... GW!
Sean, Mark - pay attention!

I don’t know what time, and I don’t know exactly what location (YET!) - however, President Bush is going to be in West Allis, Wisconsin on Friday, September 3rd. You can go down to the Grafton Republican Committee offi…

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