Even in the Postseason, Baseball Takes a Backseat

Baseball is, and will always be known, as America's past time because it is our country's oldest game that was invented here. It is a beautiful game played in cozy ballparks in big cities with players who defy our imagination with their skills. Players bash home runs over 400 feet and take swings that look like art. Pitchers wind up and deliver pitches that fool hitters and some are clocked over 100 miles per hour. Football is widely known as "America's Game." It is exclusive to America and is played in enormous stadiums with wild fans numbering in the 100,000s at times. It's a brutal sport and one where running backs trample over defensive players. Linebackers bolt into the backfield and blindside quarterbacks, knocking them to the turf in a violent collision. They are two sports that contrast greatly yet are related more closely than most think.

In the past fifty years football, especially the NFL has grown so large and grossed so much money that baseball has been second fiddle for years now. Still, some hold to the notion that baseball is America's past time. It is a classic game with few replays, rules that haven't changed in years and divisional rivalries that evoke emotion from fans all around the globe. However, the game is slow and there is so much dead time the games take over four hours sometimes. The New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox are notorious for playing into the wee hours of night and fans should never expect to be out of the ballpark in under three hours unless Mark Buehrle of the Chicago White Sox is pitching.

The NFL's popularity has grown tremendously and revolves around it's star power. Although they have hardly struggled in attendance, it has been obvious that the loss of Peyton Manning has been a small step back for the powerful league. Nonetheless, Aaron Rodgers and Tom Brady have done a fine job making sure the league stays right where it's been. The NFL got a scare this summer though as the lockout nearly took away the season. It would have been a major blow for the entire season to have been lost but what sport would have benefited the most right now? Baseball. The MLB would have drawn more fans and this postseason would be even more wild. It's incredible to me that one sport can be in it's postseason but if it's Sunday then everybody could care less. I know a baseball game isn't as exciting as guys hitting each other but it's sad that nobody wants to sit down and watch a full game.

Baseball is a classic game while football is more modern. Fans left baseball in 1994 due to the strike and the NFL could have experienced that this year. They saved themselves and, unintentionally, buried baseball once again. The MLB postseason has seen good attendance but it will never be on the level the NFL is again. The NBA lockout has worsened but many say it doesn't matter because nobody pays attention to the basketball season until football is over. I think that's an over-exaggeration but it is a good point to a certain extent. There are football fans who can not focus on any other sport and it seems football fans are the only ones like that.

So the question is: Is baseball still America's past time? It depends who you ask. To me, yes but to most it is not and hasn't been for awhile. Some call for change in the game but the only thing I want to be changed is the time in between pitches and things like that. The game can be sped up which would hold fans' interest longer. Baseball is America's past time but to some it is like an old toy, pushed aside and forgotten for the newer, bigger, badder toy. There is no doubt that the NFL is going to continue to grow and what will the MLB do to keep pace?