All Star Pre-Game Show...who writes this stuff?
I ALWAYS watch the baseball All-Star game (and World Series), at least the pre-game stuff.
I always want to see if they top LAST YEAR'S calculated, throat-lumping theatrics.
You don't see this in the other sports. Football and hockey don't seem to have that vibe. Soccer, don't even get me started. Basketball is way to flashy and doesn't lend itself well to the tearjerking and oh-so solemn grandstanding.
But baseball! Hoo boy!
It's almost become a cliche: the sappy, swelling, stirring music, the old B&W montages of the greats, the images of children, "simpler times", Gehrig's "I'm the luckiest man..." footage.
Riding on top of all the visual hoo-ha, you have a stone-voiced announcer (usually a Bob Costas type, lunging for ever trick in the eye-tearing book) going on about The Game and all.
It's just funny, and I never miss it.
Don't get me wrong, it's sweet. It's expected. It's "the thing to do", I guess.
It's just funny, since I started noticing it a few years ago.
It's almost as if "Field of Dreams" and the recent fall of some longstanding records has given baseball a license to pour on the sap.
All of this goodwill and cheek-dabbing on the eve of yet ANOTHER possible strike.
Rings a bit hollow, I guess.
Always nice to see the old timers come out in their old hats and jerseys. But halfway through it, I feel a bit force-fed, and it seems a bit piled on and orchestrated a bit TOO much.
Anyone else feel this way?
In any case, that whole style and trip is SCREAMING for a good skewering or parody at this point.
[violin music, soft and wistful, building slowly and accompanied with choppy B&W footage and American flags waving...]
"He sold the stuff of dreams. He graced the stands and looked out on the field of heroic men, engaged in the battle of sculpted ash and shaped leather. The smell of fresh grass lingered through the air and we stood and majestically cheered the hot dog vendor...".
Sorry. Just watching the All-Star game tonight and they don't seem to be missing an opportunity to milk the waterworks every chance they get.
Enough already. We GET it, okay? It's "America's pasttiime", yeah yeah...
Comments
I used to get really excited the watch the all star game when I was younger, but now... it just doesn't seem that special. I feel as though the players would rather have a few days off than go to the all star game. Not as special as it used to be when it meant something to win the game for your league.
Towards the end of the pre game it was getting a little too cheesy for me. But of course I watch
Baseball players are getting on my nerves, between complaining about drug testing. If i hear another player say drug testing is an invasion of their privacy i will go nuts. And of course I love to hear millionaires complaining and planning strikes. <img src="graemlins/oyvey.gif" border="0" alt="[No]" />
kinda taints the all star 'festivities' for me
I thought baseball games didn't end in ties.
What's the deal? Do they make an exception for the All-Star Game?
<strong>I just heard about a "tie"? Is that even possible?
I thought baseball games didn't end in ties.
What's the deal? Do they make an exception for the All-Star Game?</strong><hr></blockquote>
They ran out of players. The problem with getting everyone involved in the game is that if the game goes to extra innings, there aren't any more reserves. It went 11 innings before the game was called. Now I'm sure they could have thought of a much more creative way to end the game but bud selig is an idiot and I'm glad to see his allstar game at his stupid ballpark ruined with a stupid tie. Screw you bud.
The All-Star Game tie was just absolute PR suicide with a strike looming.
I haven't watched baseball in years and I heard about this 1 minute ago, let's see if I can come up with a better solution...
Have home run derby with a pitching coach on the mound, have non-pitchers pitch to end the game, go slo-pitch softball, anything!
Oh, well, probably a poetic ending with no World Series on the horizon.
Jeff
1.) The Red Sox need to trade to get a new player that will help the team (Jim Thome?).
2.) The Red Sox need to be in first place in the AL East.
3.) The Yankees need to 'fall apart' and start dropping some serious games to the Red Sox.
It must look like it is CERTAIN that the Red Sox will make it to, and perhaps, WIN the World Series. When it looks like this will happen, then, and only then, will the players strike.
My guess is that on or around July 22, after the Red Sox have a series in New York against the Yankees, the players will set a walkout date. At this point, the above criteria will probably have been met.
DAMN THIS CURSE!
<strong>Here is what has to happen BEFORE the players can strike:
1.) The Red Sox need to trade to get a new player that will help the team (Jim Thome?).
2.) The Red Sox need to be in first place in the AL East.
3.) The Yankees need to 'fall apart' and start dropping some serious games to the Red Sox.
It must look like it is CERTAIN that the Red Sox will make it to, and perhaps, WIN the World Series. When it looks like this will happen, then, and only then, will the players strike.
My guess is that on or around July 22, after the Red Sox have a series in New York against the Yankees, the players will set a walkout date. At this point, the above criteria will probably have been met.
DAMN THIS CURSE!
There is no curse. Just an organization that has been incompetent at times, and good but not great at other times. The Red Sox are no more cursed than the Cubs who haven't a World Series for an even longer period. They are no more cursed than the White Sox who also have a longer drought. They are no more cursed than the Indians who haven't won a World Series in at least 50 years. They are no more cursed than the Mariners, Angels Devil Rays and Rangers who have about 100 years of baseball between themselves without even a World Series appearance (Oh btw, remember Dave Henderson and Donnie Moore? Where was hte curse then?). They are no more cursed than the Expos, Astros, Brewers, Rockies and Padres, none of whom have won the World Series despite another 100 years combined played baseball. These things don't happen by chance, at least not for the most part. They happen because people either make mistakes or because other teams make great plays. I was taught in little league to keep my glove down but Bill Buckner couldn't do as much. I was taught not to throw fat pitches over the heart of the plate. Too bad the Red Sox didn't do the same with Bucky Dent at the plate.
The Red Sox will not be in first place if a strike happens and they won't be in first place if a strike doesn't happen. This will be not because of anything to do with Babe Ruth but rather because the Yankees have a better team than the Red Sox. Even if they add Thome, the Yankees still ahve the better team.
In spite of all this, Red Sox fans will ignore the facts, revel in their victim status and proclaim themselves cursed.
<a href="http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/inside_game/tom_verducci/news/2002/07/10/insider/"; target="_blank">http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/inside_game/tom_verducci/news/2002/07/10/insider/</a>;
My thoughts EXACTLY!