100 incredible and plausible sports stories that could happen in the next 10 years

This isn't exactly my original idea, but maybe we can get some sort of discussion going. What do you guys think are the biggest sports stories of the next decade that actually COULD happen??

1. Player actually gets killed in an NFL game
2. First pro athlete to officially "come out" (has this ever happened yet?)
3. Pujols breaks the HR record (probably won't be A-Rod, though I guess it could happen)
4. KC Royals win a World Series!!
5. A 50-year old athelete puts up MVP-like numbers or wins a major championship (in any sport); medicine and rehab seem to be getting so much better these days, hell Favre WAS the MVP at 40.
6. Lebron, in his late-30's, jumps from team to team in search of his first ring
7. Strassberg breaks the K record in a 9-inning game (21 would do it), or maybe even the all-time in any game (would need 22)
8. Blake Griffin MVP season (if you ever watched him play, you'd know why this was so exciting)
9. NFL Lockout and concerns over safety issues leads to dwindling popularity, loses grip as America's most famous sport (especially if #1 happens)
10. NFL and NBA lockouts in 2011 lead to Major League Soccer taking over as a somewhat popular sport

2. there have been athletes who have come out once they've retired. Should we clarify "active" athletes?

Yeah that's what I meant. I would think someone would have done it by now. You know, maybe some 3rd stringer somewhere, just someone. I can't imagine what would happen if it was someone like Pujols or A-Rod.

2. First pro athlete to officially "come out" (has this ever happened yet?)

Justin Fashanu been dead over ten years son.

there is no way that i see mls becoming a semi-popular sport

Justin Fashanu was an English footballer who came out in 1990. he commited suicide after being accused of sexual assault
Anton Hysen who plays in the Swedish fourth division has also come out publicly.

xxp

It already is "semi-popular" guys.

(xpost)

How about the Chicago Cubs winning the World... wait, no, even that won't happen in 10 years.

a 16 seed beats a 1 seed

And Gareth Thomas. And Steven Davis.

a 16 seed beats a 1 seed

More like next 5 years, really. Doesn't seem all that far-fetched anymore.

#1 seems very likely to me

11. Ferguson dies while on the job.
12. Tendulkar finally hits his 100th century (gotta happen any day but still fits in.)
13. WWE buys TNA.
14. Boxing finally gets its first heavyweight since Tyson to really give a toss about.
15. Harry Redknapp becomes England boss.
16. Lionel Messi wins 10 Ballon D'Ors in a row.
17. Argentina win the World Cup, cementing Messi's place in history.
18. It turns out that Cassano is severely implicated in the Berlisconi sex scandals.
19. Qatar have to give up the World Cup.
20. A London team wins the Champions League.

cyclist passes drugs test

for perspective heres a stupid thing abt the 25 biggest stories of the 2000s - none are particularly crazy imo

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/240090-the-top-25-sports-stories-of-the-decade-2000-2009

22. Spurs win the league.
23. Before City do.

xp i could see some other ugly incident btwn athletes & fans or gambling scandal, maybe in the nfl, easily

24. Torres scores for Chelsea

i don't want to turn this into my personal wishlist but

25. Yovani Gallardo wins a Cy Young

lol at that article not having things like the pakistani cricket shooting, or the togo team shooting, or... basically anything non-american other than zizou.

it doesn't even have 'Maradona is put in charge of a national team, everybody lols'

26. Venkys.

27. Lebron James comes to visit Anfield, is demoralised when no-one knows who he is or gives a shit and he can't understand Jamie Carragher.

for perspective heres a stupid thing abt the 25 biggest stories of the 2000s - none are particularly crazy imo

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/240090-the-top-25-sports-stories-of-the-decade-2000-2009

13 (the Artest brawl) is one of the craziest sports stories ever, I don't think anything like that will happen again.

Also the Favre story is completely nuts. When he retired in 2007, within hours there were all sorts of tribute books on the shelves, hell the Waldenbooks here even had their own special "Favre" section for a while. I mean he had such a long and storied career already, he was already one of the most fun athletes to talk about, so to add ON TOP OF THAT three more seasons (and retirements), all notable in some way - taking the Jets to 8-3 then completely collapsing, then putting up arguably his best season at the age of 40, getting **thiiis close** to the Super Bowl before torpedoing everything, then coming back for a disaster season and getting hit with a sex scandal on top of it...geez, I can't think of crazier thing than that.

Also the Patriots 18-1 season is pretty damn memorable, which makes me wonder if we'll get

28. One team hits the jackpot, catches all the breaks, and finally achieves perfection at 19-0.

28. Hilarious plot where Andy Carroll plays Jimmy Snuka to King Kenny's Vince McMahon and some random wag plays Nancy Argentino. Not so hilarious ending for random wag, of course.

boston bruins win a stanley cup

29 from the xp.

30. liverpool sign some wingers

"I’ll be honest. I had Lebron James finishing in fourth place before a handful of well-intentioned friends talked me down a little bit. James is a superstar, the kind of star I don’t think we’ve had in any of the major team sports for a long time."

And this from an article that has ZIDANE in it.

19. Qatar have to give up the World Cup.

I can definitely see this happening. I mean obviously as an American I wanted it to come here really badly, but Qatar seemed like such a dumb choice in so many ways. Then again this is an entity that's dead set against instant replay or any technology whatsoever during the biggest sporting event in the world, so they'd have to be practically forced to take it away somehow.

It has been given up before, in 86 iirc.

31. Barcelona go unbeaten in the league for a whole season.
32. Barcelona go unbeaten in all competitions for a whole season.

Federer doesn't even make that list? Man fuck American bias when writing about "world sports".

"I’ll be honest. I had Lebron James finishing in fourth place before a handful of well-intentioned friends talked me down a little bit. James is a superstar, the kind of star I don’t think we’ve had in any of the major team sports for a long time."

And this from an article that has ZIDANE in it.

James's Cleveland teams are like if Matt le Tissier had taken Southhampton to a Champion's League final! This is a silly argument though, lets not have it, that article is obviously written by a v. US-focussed american etc etc

I actually feel like the Danica Patrick thing might be the most unexpected story?

The known universe explodes when we watch a team win three titles in a row.

Man Lyon would have blown this writers mind.

Hasn't James won fuck all? i.e. making it like le Tissier's actually career.

On a competition but non-sports topic, I think US legalization and regulation of online poker is definitely going to happen within the next two years, Spencer Bachus or no Spencer Bachus.

List also neglects Calciopoli, South Korea making the semis, Greece in '04, Puerta, the invincibles, Tendulkar, Ronaldo's transfer fee, the player shot in the head playing for Iraq...

And I'm done.* Also lol steroids.

*Oh wait, does Benoit count?

I actually feel like the Danica Patrick thing might be the most unexpected story?

I have no idea how she's doing now. I know at first she was kind of underwhelming and the whole thing had this sort of *cough cough* atmosphere like the whole Anna K thing all over again, like she was about equally famous as the GoDaddy girl who nearly takes her shirt off in every ad as she was as an actual race car driver. I hated it because it really overshadowed what was going on there but she had no problems playing to that image so whatever. I heard she's doing better and if she manages to get into the upper echelon of drivers that would be such a huge story. I dunno, maybe she's there already.

Speaking of Federer

33. Federer winning another slam at 35 would be pretty damn epic, though I don't know if that's even possible

i have to protest at the logical contradiction in the title of this thread

I kind of feel like Peter King would be proud

i have to protest at the logical contradiction in the title of this thread

― 40% chill and 100% negative (Tracer Hand), Thursday, 7 April 2011 18:04 (45 minutes ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

take up with ashley cole.

actually don't, he may not be done shooting people.

34. Arsenal start an entirely British XI for a match within the decade. (Does not include friendlies or Carling Cup.)

2. First pro athlete to officially "come out" (has this ever happened yet?)

google Gareth Thomas bro

And Gareth Thomas. And Steven Davis.

― Nult AGL (a hoy hoy), Thursday, 7 April 2011 17:01 (1 hour ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

i said he should google it... because its an interesting story...

wow the story about Gareth Thomas is great. seems like a really respectable guy too. I don't know how famous he is there. I'm just interested in seeing in how the American media would react to something like this. would be really good for the gay community

2. First pro athlete to officially "come out" (has this ever happened yet?)

This has never happened before in American team sports, at least as respects a current player. I personally dont give a flying fuck about soccer or rugby or any of that other shit.

The Bill Magill Experience

looks like a great Red Sawx storyline in the making here

^^^ FUCK OFF.

@sportsguy33 I'm not tweeting again until the Red Sox win

i thought i had taken "i love football" off site new answers :(

I was going to say, I realize soccer and rugby players have come out, but homophobia is still so rampant in American sports that its going to be really interesting to see what happens when, say, an NBA player comes out.

haha n/a

xp What exactly do you mean by that? I agree it'll be interesting but I would think the media would at least try to be smart about it.

Did you not hear about the vitriol all over twitter and message boards over Mister Cee? There are still groups in this country full of rampant, hateful homophobia that will blow up no matter how sensitively the media handles it.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Amaechi

dónal óg ó cusack is a gay gealic goalie iirc

gaelic

Also lol at dismissing football as if it isn't 10000000000000000x bigger than any American sports.

jon you'll have to refresh my memory on that one

second sentence on that wikipedia page:

In February 2007, after his retirement from the NBA, Amaechi became the first openly gay NBA player after coming out in his memoir Man in the Middle.[1]

i'm not dismissing 'football,' i just don't care about it or want to read anything about it

jon you'll have to refresh my memory on that one

Mister Cee, a DJ on Hot 97 and former hip-hop producer was caught getting head from another man and arrested. Twitter and hip-hop message boards lit up with people falling all over themselves to distance themselves from him or call him some really hateful things. It was totally depressing and leaves me a lot less hopeful about any gay superstar athlete coming out during his prime anytime soon.

African team wins World Cup.

i'm not dismissing 'football,' i just don't care about it or want to read anything about it

― congratulations (n/a), Thursday, 7 April 2011 20:01 (8 minutes ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

gtfo a sport thread then?

Mister Cee had his fair share of supporters though, incl. Flex and Fiddy iirc?

Well people are going to post stupid shit on the internet all the time **cough cough** no matter what country they're in, so I don't really think it's right to call this out as an American thing. I don't understand how a story about a hip-hop producer illustrates the "rampant homophobia in American sports"

gtfo a sport thread then?

why?? soccer aint the only sport around

no but it is a sport and certainly some people can just read posts re: soccer without complaining about it

Mister Cee had his fair share of supporters though, incl. Flex and Fiddy iirc?

Oh yeah, he did, but the level of hatred getting thrown out was still pretty disgusting.

Okay sorry he's not an actual athlete, but he's still a celebrity.

Yeah its not that football is the only sport, it is if you don't want to read about it, maybe a thread about what may happen about sport in general is not the place for you.

It'd be like Geir reading a Vibe magazine thread because he once liked a song by Boyz II Men and then getting pissy when everyone was talking about things he doesn't like.

Oh don't get your knickers (or whatever the fuck you guys call it) in a knot because some people don't like soccer. It's just not a big sport over here, get over it. And obviously the guys that started the thread was mostly talking about American sports.

I wasn't. I was getting annoyed at the fact that not caring for it is not the same at hardman 'get that foreign stuff away from my ilx'

Maybe the term "hardman" needs a temp ban.

Also the og post has football involved, Mr. Magill, so maybe try not being a dick?

i'm the softest man in town fyi

ur braggin all rong

It's Bill Magill's world...we're all just living in it

Also the og post has football involved, Mr. Magill, so maybe try not being a dick?

― Nult AGL (a hoy hoy), Thursday, April 7, 2011 3:32 PM (3 minutes ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

No problem. I actually like all sports, I just know the least about soccer. So 'get that foreign stuff away from my ilx' doesnt describe my actual feelings, I do like it. My first post didnt come out the right way.

Back to the thread topic, I would like to think somebody in a major team sport could come out. Stastically speaking, there have to be plenty of gay members of team sports.

I think what might have bugged some people was the way the soccer fans jumped in with the wiki links to obscure(ish) European players to disprove the "coming out" part, as if we all should have known who they are. Like, I'm not going to expect any British ilxors to know or care who, I don't know, Jay Cutler is.

35. Christiano sees that it is pointless trying to outperform Messi, retires at the end of his contract.
36. In a shocking move, thudd goes to Real Madrid.
37. Napoli or Palermo win the Scudetto before Juve do, to many lols.
38. Balotelli.
39. Goalline technology gets a trial.
40. Man City break the £100m for a single transfer barrier. My guess is for Aguero.

ur just trollin now

Man if we do have an "I Love Sport In General' board there are gonna be so many A+ fights, I am kinda pumped already!

I think what might have bugged some people was the way the soccer fans jumped in with the wiki links to obscure(ish) European players to disprove the "coming out" part, as if we all should have known who they are. Like, I'm not going to expect any British ilxors to know or care who, I don't know, Jay Cutler is.

― 'what are you, the Hymen Protection League of America?' (jon /via/ chi 2.0), Thursday, April 7, 2011 3:44 PM (3 minutes ago) Bookmark

it's really easy to google that kind of thing though... wikipedia probably gives those guys their own category too

I think what might have bugged some people was the way the soccer fans jumped in with the wiki links to obscure(ish) European players to disprove the "coming out" part, as if we all should have known who they are. Like, I'm not going to expect any British ilxors to know or care who, I don't know, Jay Cutler is.

― 'what are you, the Hymen Protection League of America?' (jon /via/ chi 2.0), Thursday, 7 April 2011 20:44 (22 seconds ago) Bookmark

See, the thing is, Gareth Thomas is one of the most famous rugby players of the past decade and if you asked someone in South Africa or Australia or etc. with an interest in sports who he is, they could most probably tell you he is Wales's greatest player of the past couple decades. I also mentioned a young English cricket player who'll most likely go on to be watched by a billion plus at the next couple World Cups, Ashes, 20/20 tournaments etc.

Man if we do have an "I Love Sport In General' board there are gonna be so many A+ fights, I am kinda pumped already!

― Gravel Puzzleworth, Thursday, April 7, 2011 3:48 PM (22 seconds ago) Bookmark

this was the argument against starting i love sports back in the day, but i think it'd own

Dude. Balotelli. Totally.

xpost

there's been a lot of stuff about gareth thomas in the american press too

41. electronic ball/strike verification technology in common usage to supplement or replace human umpires

See, the thing is, Gareth Thomas is one of the most famous rugby players of the past decade and if you asked someone in South Africa or Australia or etc. with an interest in sports who he is, they could most probably tell you he is Wales's greatest player of the past couple decades. I also mentioned a young English cricket player who'll most likely go on to be watched by a billion plus at the next couple World Cups, Ashes, 20/20 tournaments etc.

― Samuel (a hoy hoy), Thursday, April 7, 2011 3:49 PM (25 seconds ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

Do you know who Jay Cutler is?

I remeber Gareth Thomas now, but the name didn't immediately resonate with me.

I also mentioned a young English cricket player who'll most likely go on to be watched by a billion plus at the next couple World Cups, Ashes, 20/20 tournaments etc.

Fair enough, but you do realize that just because a billion people are watching it, that doesn't mean American media gives it fuck all for coverage, right?

41. electronic ball/strike verification technology in common usage to supplement or replace human umpires

― congratulations (n/a), Thursday, April 7, 2011 7:50 PM (37 seconds ago) Bookmark

never happen

Balotelli does something ridiculous like once a week, no need to put an actual prediction on a guy already known for playing with firearms and breaking into womens prisons

41. electronic ball/strike verification technology in common usage to supplement or replace human umpires

― congratulations (n/a), Thursday, April 7, 2011 2:50 PM (1 minute ago)

would love this, but don't see it happening within 10 years

Dude, seriously, balotelli. A madman.

2. First pro athlete to officially "come out" (has this ever happened yet?)

is it crazy to think that when this does happen for an active U.S. player, it will be in the NFL? I feel like the NFL generally has a stronger team mentality than baseball or basketball, might make a player feel more comfortable about coming out.

I also mentioned a young English cricket player who'll most likely go on to be watched by a billion plus at the next couple World Cups, Ashes, 20/20 tournaments etc.

Fair enough, but you do realize that just because a billion people are watching it, that doesn't mean American media gives it fuck all for coverage, right?

― 'what are you, the Hymen Protection League of America?' (jon /via/ chi 2.0), Thursday, 7 April 2011 20:52 (22 seconds ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

this is sarcasm, right?

I don't know, I always imagined to be someone from the MLB or NHL.

I kinda wish Bodog would put a line on it

I don't know who Jay Cutler is. xpost. Is he interesting in anyway?

this is sarcasm, right?

I'm not sure what you are confused by, the idea that Americans might not pay any attention to cricket?

http://images.theage.com.au/ftage/ffximage/2009/10/24/300_moylan_2510.jpg

you guys are probably right about electronic ball/strike verification technology not coming within 10 years, but i feel like the ever-present "electronic strike zone" on televised games is going to make people feel comfortable with the idea much quicker

i think it would happen in NHL first, they generally seem to be some of the nicest guys in sports.

how accurate is that electronic strike zone though?

He's a Chicago Bears quarterback, mostly notorious for an injury during last year's playoffs that some thought was faked and for always looking stoned when he walks off the field.

(xpost re Jay Cutler)

I don't know who Jay Cutler is. xpost. Is he interesting in anyway?

― Samuel (a hoy hoy), Thursday, April 7, 2011 3:55 PM (1 minute ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

Certainly more interesting than Balotelli or that young cricketer you seem to have a crush on because a billion people watch him play.

I don't know who Jay Cutler is. xpost. Is he interesting in anyway?

I'm a huge Packer fan and I consider him the most exciting quarterback in the game.

Not exciting in any kind of "he could be the greatest" way, just exciting in a "who knows what the hell he's going to try this week" way

more interesting than balotelli

hmmm

i need to hear more than 'he looks stoned' to believe it but am willing to listen

Yeah, I think it will happen, in the 10-20 year range. (re: electronic balls/strikes)

frog, why did you post a picture of Peter Moylan?

Honestly, a hoy hoy, not trying to be all aggro with you at all, but are you honestly shocked that an American wouldn't know the name of a famous cricketer? I mean, I don't think you realize that cricket has ZERO presence here. A made up football league by Vince McMahon got more attention that the entirety of cricket history.

just fwiw i've never heard of this cricketer and while i could guess at gareth thomas's nationality eh that would be about it if i heard the name.

Fair enough, but you do realize that just because a billion people are watching it, that doesn't mean American media gives it fuck all for coverage, right?

And you do realise that no one else in the world gives a flying fuck about any of your stupid sports, right?

i'm caught in the middle here

No, it was about the fact that you worded it as if American sports were the only ones that mattered.

tho tbf none of you ever contributed to my hurling thread so y'all can go fuck yourselves rly

Show me where I even hinted at that. I used an American athlete as a reference point, thats all.

darraghmac i consider all of your threads hurling threads

they make me want to hurl

I've read Jay Cutler's wikipedia page and... he seems a bit dull. Has a bit of potential to be good, I guess? Like a young Michael Carrick? Certainly not as interesting a story as the first worldwide openly gay rugby legend.

oh snap

^ that is an american football term iirc

Ha ok I misread your post dude as just being "America" and not "American media".

is it crazy to think that when this does happen for an active U.S. player, it will be in the NFL? I feel like the NFL generally has a stronger team mentality than baseball or basketball, might make a player feel more comfortable about coming out.

― congratulations (n/a), Thursday, April 7, 2011 3:54 PM (2 minutes ago) Bookmark

well the team concept goes both ways in football - if you come out and it goes wrong and you end up ostracized from ~The Team~ it's a lot more damaging and alienating

42. Player sues his coach for not being picked/or dropped from his team.

And you do realise that no one else in the world gives a flying fuck about any of your stupid sports, right?

Don't the NFL/NBA games in London sell out like instantly?

And you do realise that no one else in the world gives a flying fuck about any of your stupid sports, right?

― I'm Street but I Know my Roots (sonofstan), Thursday, April 7, 2011 3:59 PM (4 minutes ago) Bookmark

international basketball & baseball are pretty big

frogbs, why did you post a picture of Peter Moylan?

hoy oym petah moylan

i read gareth thomas' wikipedia page, he seems like a bro but i wish there had been more on there about his coming out and the repercussions

there was a good segment about him on HBO's Real Sports a year or two ago.

And you do realise that no one else in the world gives a flying fuck about any of your stupid sports, right?

― I'm Street but I Know my Roots (sonofstan), Thursday, April 7, 2011 3:59 PM (7 minutes ago) Bookmark

We dont care what stupid fucks like you think anyway, and by the way youre totally fucking wrong.

international basketball & baseball are pretty big

― cum dude (Princess TamTam), Thursday, 7 April 2011 21:04 (1 minute ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

Basketball I understand but baseball? Really? The cricket world cup, possibly the biggest sporting event in the world just ended last week, the sport America decided it didn't like losing at so they made baseball

He was going to be item #42

42. Player sues his coach for not being picked/or dropped from his team.

― Cluster the boots (Billy Dods), Thursday, April 7, 2011 4:04 PM (4 minutes ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

This has happened. It happened with some QB at U-Miami about 10 years ago.

People in different parts of the world like different sports. Story at 11.

n/a - there weren't any real repercussions tbh. most of the world just went 'oh yeah? good for him'. not that you'd wanna give a dude that size shit though.

The earliest known reference to baseball is in a 1744 British publication, A Little Pretty Pocket-Book, by John Newbery. It contains a rhymed description of "base-ball" and a woodcut that shows a field set-up somewhat similar to the modern game—though in a triangular rather than diamond configuration, and with posts instead of ground-level bases.[5] English lawyer William Bray recorded a game of baseball on Easter Monday 1755 in Guildford, Surrey; Bray's diary was verified as authentic in September 2008.[6] This early form of the game was apparently brought to North America by English immigrants. Rounders was also brought to the continent by both British and Irish immigrants. The first known American reference to baseball appears in a 1791 Pittsfield, Massachusetts, town bylaw prohibiting the playing of the game near the town's new meeting house.[7] By 1796, a version of the game was well-known enough to earn a mention in a German scholar's book on popular pastimes. As described by Johann Gutsmuths, "englische Base-ball" involved a contest between two teams, in which "the batter has three attempts to hit the ball while at the home plate". Only one out was required to retire a side.[8]

It seems more likely to me that an NHL player will die during a game than an NFL player

I mostly posted that for this:

A Little Pretty Pocket-Book, by John Newbery

43. Usain Bolt breaks his own records, world freaks the fuck out.

Agreed. Most likely from a skate blade to the throat, a la Clint Malarchuk

xxpost

n/a - there weren't any real repercussions tbh. most of the world just went 'oh yeah? good for him'. not that you'd wanna give a dude that size shit though.

It's hard to talk shit about rugby players in general. I played for half a semester in college (until my health insurance ran out!) and you really have to be tough as nails (which I wasn't). One of the guys drank so much he woke up in a Taco Bell drive-through. Not in a car, mind you. Just in the drive-thru. And it wasn't even like, a "big thing"...just another Friday

Basketball I understand but baseball? Really? The cricket world cup, possibly the biggest sporting event in the world just ended last week, the sport America decided it didn't like losing at so they made baseball

― Samuel (a hoy hoy), Thursday, April 7, 2011 4:08 PM (5 minutes ago) Bookmark

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Baseball_Classic

I also don't think there is the culture of mass* homophobia over here.

44. Mubarak attempts to buy a sports franchise, taking influence from many other crazy politicians and dictators, to better his image.

*Maybe 'well funded' instead of 'mass' being the correct term.

45. The NFL puts a franchise in London

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/two-convicted-of-homophobic-killing-2162770.html

...or the NBA.

oooh it includes such sporting superpowers as Netherlands Antilles and Nicaragua.

46. NHL and KHL merge

(i'm not really being serious)

Dunno if the acts of two homophobic lunatics is the same as a country where millions are pumped into stopping Prop 8 and the repeal of Don't Ask Don't Tell etc. etc.

lol, stopping Prop 8 is the non-homophobic course of action

Basketball I understand but baseball?

Yeah it's not like MLB is inundated with players from the Caribbean and South America and Central America and Japan and Korea or anything.

oh wait I misread your point, sorry

45. The NFL puts a franchise in London

― Thraft of Cleveland (Bill Magill), Thursday, 7 April 2011 21:18 (2 minutes ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

This won't happen mainly because it would cost so much and disrupt the scheduling so much to fly every other team around the world to play a game that would be broadcast in the middle of the night. Or sorry for taking your trolling seriously.

It seems more likely to me that an NHL player will die during a game than an NFL player

― peter in montreal, Thursday, April 7, 2011 4:10 PM (8 minutes ago) Bookmark

Happened in 1968:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Masterton

Not trolling you stupid fuck. It will probably happen.Who's being the dick now? Goddamn you're a fucking hypocrite.

xpost

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_association_footballers_who_died_while_playing

Basketball I understand but baseball?

Yeah it's not like MLB is inundated with players from the Caribbean and South America and Central America and Japan and Korea or anything.

― Anti-mist K-Lo (Phil D.), Thursday, 7 April 2011 21:22 (21 seconds ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

Do these countries actually watch and participate in global baseball though? Or is it like how Stuart Holden plays for Bolton? (This isn't snark, I'm interested!)

I would think there would be a benefit to whichever American pro athlete comes out first as long as the media likes him...seems like you'd be seen as a trailblazer and maybe score a few endorsements

Wait you genuinely think the NFL would put a franchise in London? Why?

"13 January 1889 William Cropper 26 Staveley Suffered a ruptured bowel in a match against Grimsby Town and died the next day."

Good way to go. Distant relative of samuel a hoy hoy by any chance?

He was!

Do these countries actually watch and participate in global baseball though? Or is it like how Stuart Holden plays for Bolton? (This isn't snark, I'm interested!)

― Samuel (a hoy hoy), Thursday, April 7, 2011 4:26 PM (1 minute ago) Bookmark

what do you mean by global baseball? world cup style international tournaments?

He died from a heart attack. The referee thought he had dived and gave him a yellow card, only to find out that Tunjic died.[50]

yeesh

also the guys who were struck by lightning: yeesh

Wait you genuinely think the NFL would put a franchise in London? Why?

― Samuel (a hoy hoy), Thursday, April 7, 2011 4:26 PM (11 seconds ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

Yes, it sells out every game played there (1 game a year played there), there has been significant talk of its popularity there, the NFL wants to expand internationally and there is a pretty strong expatriate community there.

It makes more sense than Beijing.

Distances, expense and jet lag will prevent any major US sports league from having a team on the other side of the Atlantic.

no they sell out one game per year it has to work

actually they'll put one franchise in London and another in Manchester and make them play each other for 16 weeks straight

that's pretty much how the football works anyway

Yeah I am thinking more about the fact that the time difference will be awkward to make it viable for tv audiences in America, especially if they wanted to watch their jetlagged team v. the London Gridironers.

electronic strike zone" on televised games is going to make people feel comfortable with the idea much quicker

I'm intrigued but kind of on the fence on this.

that's pretty much how the football works anyway

Some guys in Liverpool are steaming right now.

no they sell out one game per year it has to work

― the salmon of procrastination (darraghmac), Thursday, April 7, 2011 4:30 PM (7 minutes ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

Doesnt mean they wouldnt sell out 8.

Also yeah many other reasons - need to sell tickets to away fans who aren't going to follow their team, jetlag, dwindling interest past a yearly exhibition match (Utd, Real and Chelsea sell out yearly tours too in America) - basically the reason the European Super League will never happen.

If this inevitable NFL franchise is not called the London Fog, I'll never watch an NFL game again.

How's the American Football league in Europe doing, anyhow?

On 29 June 2007, the NFL announced NFL Europa would immediately cease operations

Umpires will fight electronic strike zone tooth and nail...when does the current umpires' CBA expire?

Its not an exhibition match-they play a regular season game every year at Wembley. Just to show Im not nuts:

http://www.reuters.com/article/2010/10/29/us-nfl-49ers-york-idUSTRE69S45B20101029

never mind, answered my own question...2014

I meant it was an exhibition for the fans.

nfl team in london would be a bad idea, but that doesn't mean it wont happen

nba wants to do it, too. yeah i don't get how it would work logistically either.

they'll just pop over on the chunnel

considering these leagues already have teams that are 3,000 miles and 3 time zones apart, I feel like the logistics may be able to be worked out.

I meant it was an exhibition for the fans.

― Samuel (a hoy hoy), Thursday, April 7, 2011 4:43 PM (1 minute ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

This makes no sense

NBA seems way more plausible w/games in Europe. The sport is way more popular there, it's easier to stage, requires less logistics, doesn't require as many fans....

Still the time zone thing would be tough to work around.

Yeah but NBA teams play all over the place; they commonly do like a home game, then an away game, then a home game in like 4-5 days

plus yeah the time zones would make it too strange

I think, Am Football strikes most Europeans as slightly ridiculous what with the constant stoppages, the weird pads, and strange and changing rules. An exhibition game, a one-off? Heck, why not? We can go with our American friends and have fun. Watching a whole season? Nah.

It makes no sense that people may be intrigued to go see something new and shiny just one time? Just because Wembley sells out for 1 game five years running does not mean it will neccessarily be viable to play 10 games a year every year in a land where the interest generally comes down to "oooh, we've not been to the new wembley or seen an american football match before, wanna try it out?"

A "whole season" is only 8 home games, I'm sure people would do it

I always found it weird how European complain so much about football players wearing pads. Like, do you not see the ridiculous injury lists that some teams accumulate

plus yeah the time zones would make it too strange

Yet, I will get up at insane times of the day to watch the EPL, if the games look interesting enough. A 8PM game would be on in the mid-morning here (West Coast). Some ppl might dig that. I dunno.

Like, do you not see the ridiculous injury lists that some teams accumulate

Watch rugby much?

By the way I am not trying to disrespect the sport or its fans, I just don't think such an idea would work within my lifetime.

Yet, I will get up at insane times of the day to watch the EPL, if the games look interesting enough. A 8PM game would be on in the mid-morning here (West Coast). Some ppl might dig that. I dunno.

More importantly, however, I don't think advertisers would dig it tho.

xxp Yeah, that's why I find it ridiculous for anyone to complain about safety measures

I always found it weird how European complain so much about football players wearing pads. Like, do you not see the ridiculous injury lists that some teams accumulate

― frogbs, Thursday, 7 April 2011 21:52 (1 minute ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

I personally don't try to take part in this but there is a general feeling that rugby is for real men who don't need pads and am football is for people who need protection like big lasses

am football is for people who need protection like big lasses

Which is kind of a bullshit argument, a hoy hoy. No, for me the problem is that w/pads ppl dare to do shit they wouldn't w/o pads and helmets.

You end up w/shit like this:

http://i.cdn.turner.com/sivault/multimedia/photo_gallery/0901/nfl.super.bowl.mvp.odds/images/troy-Polamalu.jpg

Poalmalu is a joy to watch but that kind of play reminds me why those dudes generally are in wheelchairs by 55 and have no memory left.

Dunno if the acts of two homophobic lunatics is the same as a country where millions are pumped into stopping Prop 8 and the repeal of Don't Ask Don't Tell etc. etc.

― Samuel (a hoy hoy), Thursday, April 7, 2011 4:21 PM (43 minutes ago) Bookmark

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ifN1wHjcT7E

It wasn't my argument, xp!

considering these leagues already have teams that are 3,000 miles and 3 time zones apart, I feel like the logistics may be able to be worked out.

― mizzell, Thursday, April 7, 2011 3:46 PM (16 minutes ago)

I just can't see it. Chargers, 49ers or Seahawks at London, or vice versa, no way. And if the league went through contortions to keep west coast teams and euroteams from meeting in the reg season, that would be more tinkering than the rest of the owners or the gen public would tolerate.

I wonder what % of people who play 8+ seasons actually do live full and healthy lives??

in the NFL that is

depends how you qualify the 'healthy' part

Goodell: "If we can help just one former player remember his grandchild's name, our work here will be done."

If we weren't so solipsistic w/our "World Series", etc.., we could arrange for CL or WC style regional confrontations which would encourage local competition and expand the breadth of the sport's popularity. SF vs. London is a viable option if it's the playoffs or an international championship. If it's the reg season, it's a major and unnecessary hassle, esp for the fans and we're fcuked w/ enough already.

NBA seems way more plausible w/games in Europe. The sport is way more popular there, it's easier to stage, requires less logistics, doesn't require as many fans....

yes but with NFL there's only 1 game per week and 8 away games per year.

punters and kickers healthier cause they don't get hit much or because ther are a lot of european "real men" among them?????????

anyone want to explain the lockouts thing?

yes but with NFL there's only 1 game per week and 8 away games per year. True, that. Hmmm.

xp God, I wish I could. Apparently the owners want a higher % of the profits, I dunno, the whole thing is ridiculous and there are long boring articles about it everywhere, honestly the NFL would be the dumbest franchise in the history of franchises if they actually allow this to happen

If we weren't so solipsistic w/our "World Series", etc.., we could arrange for CL or WC style regional confrontations which would encourage local competition and expand the breadth of the sport's popularity. SF vs. London is a viable option if it's the playoffs or an international championship. If it's the reg season, it's a major and unnecessary hassle, esp for the fans and we're fcuked w/ enough already.

That's what the World Baseball Classic is for though. Where is London going to get the talent? I don't think Europe is going to be able to foist a baseball league as big as the MLB and talent-wise pretty much all the great players are in America already. Maybe a few are in Japan. Either way I'd think that SF would massacre London.

"It makes no sense that people may be intrigued to go see something new and shiny just one time?"

You're speaking for everybody who fills up Wembley? everybody feels that way? Can imagine that's the case.

The lockout occured because the Collective Bargaining Agreement between the players' union and the owners expired because the owners activated an early out clause and locked out the players. They did this because they want to increase their share of revenues, which was 60/40 in the players' favor under the old CBA. Negotiations went nowhere, and under federal labor laws, a union can only collectively bargain, and cannot sue. The players then decertified their union and filed an anti-trust suit against the owners, which is where we are today.

47. A 25+ inning game that forces both teams to run out of both bullpen players and bench players, Bud Selig self-combusts

It's gotta happen at some point

Cheers for the explanation.

I'm not speaking for everyone who went, obviously but damn, the superbowl is shown every year on the bbc and be damned if i ever hear 1 person every mention its existence, let alone discuss it. I'm not being a dick, I'm saying that the sport just isn't followed or cared about over here. I guess if you had a 20k seater stadium, you'd do alright.

48. terrorist attack at an event
49. team plane crashes

oh god 48 would be the biggest American news story of all time

http://www.google.co.uk/#sclient=psy&hl=en&q=pakistan+cricket+terrorist&aq=f&aqi=g-v2&aql=&oq=&pbx=1&fp=57b0f0cfb1e361e

but yeah that would be fucking horrifying.

47. A 25+ inning game that forces both teams to run out of both bullpen players and bench players, Bud Selig self-combusts

It's gotta happen at some point

― frogbs, Thursday, April 7, 2011 5:32 PM (6 minutes ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

That would be fantastic.

50. lacrosse attracts a non-douchey fratboy following

they're called NATIVE AMERICANS

I'm not speaking for everyone who went, obviously but damn, the superbowl is shown every year on the bbc and be damned if i ever hear 1 person every mention its existence, let alone discuss it. I'm not being a dick, I'm saying that the sport just isn't followed or cared about over here. I guess if you had a 20k seater stadium, you'd do alright.

Do you see how it comes across then when you bang on about how Americans are stupid for not cating about cricket?

Or "caring"

Except Cricket has a much larger following

Why does that matter?

Fair enough, but my point is that it isn't COVERED AT ALL in America. So its not like we're just choosing not to follow it, I mean you would actively have to work hard to hear anything about it. Its not like ESPN3 routinely shows cricket and we just change the channel. It just seems so incredibly lazy to jump on the "lol Americans are stupid" bandwagon for this.

Also I have no problem with Americans not following cricket or start conversations about how 20/20 games should be played in Nebraska.

And I never called anyone stupid.

"cover story" on espn.com a few days ago was the cricket championships, which seemed very strange.

and nobody ever said the NFL should move to London. I would prefer if it didnt, actually. But dont be surprised if it does within 10 years. Which is actually the point of the thread.

xpost

http://www.onionsportsnetwork.com/video/ngyuen-thi-buch-thuy-just-give-me-the-damn-sepak-t,14207/

ban l0u1s jagg3r

I would love to see a LOLBritish Sports Network (LOL BS for short of course) that covered cricket, snooker, darts, rugby. The coverage just doesn't get over here...I wonder if there's some behind the scenes suppression going on. I have no idea what side of the argument that puts me on or who it puts me in agreement with, the combination of xposts and yelling makes it hard to care keep up.

Speaking of things that will happen within 10 years, I think a sports version of BBC America will happen within 2 or 3.

Honestly I can't wait for the day when I can watch more than one Premier League game per week without paying extra for Fox Sports channels.

that's gonna happen within 3 years imo

probably less than that actually

We already have to pay for sports channels to watch Premier League games over here (or stream them, obv).

It just seems so incredibly lazy to jump on the "lol Americans are stupid"

Yeah, probably. But, except for tennis and golf, Americans don't really look beyond their borders much whether it's sports or not. Even the most annoyingly jingoistic Brit (watching the most British of sports, like cricket, football, or rugby) will watch his country compete globally. We have the WBC and we have basketball at the Olympics but we just don't care that all much and that's where I think the foreign criticism stems from, jon.

the thing about soccer is that since ESPN/ABC carry the world cup, there's a major incentive for them to give euro league soccer a big push here

I feel like a London NBA team could certainly average 15 thousand a game, which is more than the Hornets/Pacers/Grizzlies/Nets but I think the main sustainability barrier would be that they just couldn't get draft picks to go there - moving so far from family and being taxed at a much higher rate would be a huge thing - they'd basically be cursed to be a perpetual bottom five team, and I think that'd end up being destructive to the NBA's UK profile in the long term?

I get your argument Michael, what I don't get is how certain posters itt can criticize Americans for not following internation sports, then turn around and say, basically, "but we don't care about your stupid baseball".

(xpost)

Yeah, probably. But, except for tennis and golf, Americans don't really look beyond their borders much whether it's sports or not. Even the most annoyingly jingoistic Brit (watching the most British of sports, like cricket, football, or rugby) will watch his country compete globally.

relative sizes/populations of the countries might have something to do with this

It all may change. Right now both the NFL and the NBA are looking at lockout situations. That means no pro sports at all from October to March; something's going to take over

i think top euro league soccer is on a fast track to becoming america's fifth sport, way way more MLS or NASCAR or w/e -- the best thing that can happen on that front is for a young american to play a prime role on a good euro league team, which may happen w/in 10 years idk

n/a otm

WmC, do you not have FSC as a cable/dish option? Its old iteration was more inclusive and less soccer-centric.

My English bartender pal is a true sports fan; he knows more about American sports than I do - all of them, including college - and he shows Irish games, IPL, rugby, boxing, soccer, darts. It's kind of nuts. I've seen his bar divided in March between ppl watching English soccer and ppl watching college basketball.

also for the united states to continue to play relatively well on an international basis

the one hurdle from an american standpoint is just the time difference, which means that top euro league soccer will always be in the morning or the early afternoon here

That's true, I certainly see more Arsenal, Man United, and Liverpool jerseys on an average day than I do any MLS teams (obviously except Chicago Fire match days).

from what i've read it seems like ESPN is planning on filling missed nfl/nba time w/ increased coverage of high school sports

the best thing that can happen on that front is for a young american to play a prime role on a good euro league team, which may happen w/in 10 years idk who's not a goalie.

I was with a bunch of Americans watching Man U vs Chelsea yesterday at lunch. The quality of the CL is just way beyond the MLS.

do many Europeans follow non-European football? or, say, handball?

Im not sure that's correct at all. I think the most annoyingly jingoistic american likes to watch his country compete globally. You have to remember the big 3 american sports all have their genesis in a time where we were relatively isolated from the world. those sports evolved without any foreign involvement at least the 1930's. Football actually started out as a game similar to soccer, and just evolved on a completely different path. Because of this, the most popular sports in this country are not played abroad to the same extent (although Im not certain that is the case anymore with baseball or basketball).

xxxxxxxxxxpost to michael white way above.

relative sizes/populations of the countries might have something to do with this

― congratulations (n/a), Thursday, 7 April 2011 22:57 (1 minute ago) Bookmark

Has not stopped India. Population + wealth?

i think top euro league soccer is on a fast track to becoming america's fifth sport, way way more MLS or NASCAR or w/e -- the best thing that can happen on that front is for a young american to play a prime role on a good euro league team, which may happen w/in 10 years idk

― J0rdan S., Thursday, 7 April 2011 22:59 (1 minute ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

I was just thinking of adding one - America has a breakout 'star' in European football, of a similar sort of stature to say Robben or Malouda.

WmC, do you not have FSC as a cable/dish option? Its old iteration was more inclusive and less soccer-centric.

Yes, I miss the old Fox SportsWorld. Enjoyed watching the carnage of Australian Rules Football. I think it was a few years too far ahead of its time, and will succeed next time it's rolled out, under whatever name.

do many Europeans follow non-European football? or, say, handball?

― A True White Kid that can Jump (Granny Dainger), Thursday, 7 April 2011 23:03 (33 seconds ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

The money, and thus the quality, is in European football but that is slowly changing and with it, interest is slowly shifting to at least paying attention to leagues in Brazil and USA, as well as there starting to be a huge bump in interest in events like ANC and AFC Cups.

ha the india thing is complicated - thanks to being a british colony, it has the same "big sports" as the UK, like cricket; it's not really comparable to the US and the UK/Europe, which don't really have a "big sport" in common. i know basketball is pretty popular in europe, esp. eastern europe, but it doesn't really feel like the same thing

I was with a bunch of Americans watching Man U vs Chelsea yesterday at lunch. The quality of the CL is just way beyond the MLS.

― Si tu parles, tu meurs. Si tu te tais, tu meurs. Alors, dis et (Michael White), Thursday, April 7, 2011 6:02 PM (3 minutes ago) Bookmark

yeah i know -- i think patient x would have to go thru the european training system, but i could see it happening

ie i don't remember there being a distinctively indian sport that would be comparable to baseball or u.s. football

i guess that sorta thing happened w/ that kid that now plays for italy but he doesn't identify as american from what i can tell

the last time the NFL had a lockout/strike we got some awesome weekend boxing coverage on NBC and CBS, but I have a feeling we won't get that again this time, sadly (for me).

But in all seriousness, every "minor" sport in America should be moving heaven and earth to stage as many tv-friendly events as possible. PPV-quality boxing matches on network TV (monday night?), MMA events on network TV, big tennis exhibitions etc.
xxxxxxp

the dual NBA/NFL lockouts would be really unprecedented and create such a vacuum.

Rossi? I think that is because he can get more money&prestige playing for Italy than USA.

The money, and thus the quality, is in European football

this is mainly why Americans don't pay much attention to foreign sport leagues. all sports that have a large following in the US attract the world's best talent.

how are fans reacting to a possible lockout? the idea seems alien to me in regards to sport. are they going to get more involved in the college scene or whatever it is?

The cricket world cup, possibly the biggest sporting event in the world just ended last week, the sport America decided it didn't like losing at so they made baseball

― Samuel (a hoy hoy), Thursday, April 7, 2011 8:08 PM (2 hours ago) Bookmark

Oh come on. Do you really believe this?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Origins_of_baseball

People in this thread not getting sarcasm.

sarcasm or snobbish ignorance

spend time with their families, internal reflection, reading literature, and doing good deeds within the community. to keep some sort of continuity, these activities will all be done while hammered.

how are fans reacting to a possible lockout? the idea seems alien to me in regards to sport. are they going to get more involved in the college scene or whatever it is?

― Samuel (a hoy hoy), Thursday, April 7, 2011 10:12 PM (2 minutes ago) Bookmark

Just hoping and praying. There's no substitute for the NFL, really.

sarcasm.

By the way, both of these lockouts are totally absurd attempts to fuck over the athletes. The NBAs ratings have exploded this year, the NFL is absolutely crushing, but all of a sudden the players need to make another round of financial concessions?

xp: you had to think about it, though

relative sizes/populations of the countries might have something to do with this

True but there's annoyance that Americans not only consciously Americanized two of the old country's sports (baseball and football) but refused to care about anything but domestic competition. It's our isolationist streak and I can see where it rubs ppl the wrong way.

no, i really didn't.

btw, can anything really be both incredible and plausible?

Tsunamis are.

i think a terrorist attack at an nfl game is plausible and yet would still be incredible, yes

Tsunamis are very very credible.

True but there's annoyance that Americans not only consciously Americanized two of the old country's sports (baseball and football) but refused to care about anything but domestic competition.

totally disagree w/this reading of things

I won't belabor the point, but too often people say "incredible" when they really mean "awesome."

or "stunning"

makes it sound like Americans secretly find foreign sports fascinating but hey they're not American so must. not. watch.

how are fans reacting to a possible lockout? the idea seems alien to me in regards to sport. are they going to get more involved in the college scene or whatever it is?

― Samuel (a hoy hoy), Thursday, April 7, 2011 6:12 PM (10 minutes ago) Bookmark

Well, the lockout's already happening with the NFL. It remains to be seen whether or not it lasts into the season - I feel like college football is gonna fill the void for a lot of people if we actually start missing games.

yeah, in common usage "incredible" migrated away from "not credible" a long long time ago.

This thread has more twists and turns than Lombard Street.

Yes I apologise for not keeping to the strict definition of the word itt.

totally disagree w/this reading of things

I think it orginally wasn't foreign sports, it was English sports and we weren't going to let them tell us what to do or how to organize our sports. With the growth of sports and leisure in the late 19th century, they got more codified and we did it our way.

Was it really that conscious of a process? As opposed to a more organic evoloution?

yeah, in common usage "incredible" migrated away from "not credible" a long long time ago.
― The Louvin Spoonful (WmC), Thursday, April 7, 2011 10:29 PM (13 minutes ago) Bookmark

I expect more from ILX. Next thing you know we'll all be using "literally" to mean "figuratively."

tbh "unbelievable" annoys me more though.

in·cred·i·ble adj \(ˌ)in-ˈkre-də-bəl\

1
: too extraordinary and improbable to be believed <making incredible claims>
2
: amazing, extraordinary <incredible skill> <an incredible appetite> <met an incredible woman>

Was it really that conscious of a process? As opposed to a more organic evoloution?

Bit of both but the fact that spectators opted for the American versions at a time when Americans were codifying the games' rules is how we ended up with our baseball and football. Football's a bit younger, though, in anything resembling its present form.

well that's just cause the American versions are inherently better duh

;)

Baseball just has a better field than cricket and I like the flow better. Football (Am), I barely watch anymore, so I'm 50/50 on the subject.

in·cred·i·ble   
[in-kred-uh-buhl] Show IPA
–adjective
1.
so extraordinary as to seem impossible: incredible speed.
2.
not credible; hard to believe; unbelievable: The plot of the book is incredible.

Also, I suck at darts, am strictly an eight ball player and draughts are something you drink.

47. A 25+ inning game that forces both teams to run out of both bullpen players and bench players, Bud Selig self-combusts

It's gotta happen at some point

Impossible, at least in the AL. Their rules manual still forbids any inning from beginning after 12:50am local time. The game would be suspended, and all players would be available to resume play prior to the next scheduled game. In all likelihood, any NL ump would do the same thing, even though league rules no longer have a curfew.

you don't think a game starting at noon could get through 25 innings by 12:50 a.m.?

And yeah, the time zone thing would be a major logistical headache with any time located outside the continental US. Right now games start at 1pm, 4pm and 7pm local times, and there are only so many time slots available to the broadcasters. A 1pm start in London against, say, the 49ers is 6am in San Francisco. So any games between this hypothetical London team and any team on the west coast has to be a 4pm/9am or 7pm/noon start.

Similarly, a game beginning at 4pm in Los Angeles is on at midnight in London. Never gonna happen. We don't even have a team in Hawaii, and that's only a two hour difference from the west coast.

Baseball games rarely start at noon local time xp

BTW baseball has already had a 25 inning game.

i don't remember there being a distinctively indian sport

iirc, polo originated in india and was enthusiastically adopted by colonial brits, but of course the expense of keeping a suite of well-trained horses meant it was never a sport the general population could enjoy.

xp I forgot about that one!! Weird because I knew most of the box score, it just didn't occur to me when I posted. I was thinking of that epic 20-inning battle the Cards played that resulted in several position players pitching, I loved that stuff. Nowadays I don't think a manager would break into their starting rotation.

Baseball games rarely start at noon local time xp

― Anti-mist K-Lo (Phil D.), Thursday, April 7, 2011 7:54 PM (Yesterday) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

weekend games start at 1:05--figure a quick game w/ 3 innings to an hour and youre already at 24 innings by 9 p.m.

A game where you exhausted all your pitchers would not be very quick though, all those pitcher changes (like in a typical Yankee-Red Sox game which usually lasts 5 hours) really slow the game down.

whatever number we are at now: America play Iraq in the World Cup, hilarity ensues.

"True but there's annoyance that Americans not only consciously Americanized two of the old country's sports (baseball and football) but refused to care about anything but domestic competition."

There is only domestic competition in football. It would be great if there was quality international play (there are a couple Germans in the NFL) but it simply doesnt exist.

A game where you exhausted all your pitchers would not be very quick though, all those pitcher changes (like in a typical Yankee-Red Sox game which usually lasts 5 hours) really slow the game down.

― Thraft of Cleveland (Bill Magill), Friday, April 8, 2011 9:27 AM (8 minutes ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

sure, but i can still pretty easily imagine a 25-inning game happening over the course of 11 hours.

how are fans reacting to a possible lockout? the idea seems alien to me in regards to sport. are they going to get more involved in the college scene or whatever it is?

― Samuel (a hoy hoy), Thursday, April 7, 2011 6:12 PM (Yesterday) Bookmark

I seem to remember during the 1982 NFL strike that Canadian football games were broadcast on American TV. Also, replacement players were brought in at some point. I don't think either of those went over too well with football fans.

It also resulted in a terrible Keanu Reeves movie.

some terrible attitudes itt - i hate/am disinterested in football even more than any american, but just as i'd expect any british person to acknowledge that a putative active baseball star coming out to be a huge story, so too it's pretty obvious that the hysén story is globally important.

how are fans reacting to a possible lockout? the idea seems alien to me in regards to sport. are they going to get more involved in the college scene or whatever it is?

― Samuel (a hoy hoy), Thursday, April 7, 2011 6:12 PM (Yesterday) Bookmark

Fans are avoiding this shit because it's only April. If this gets into June (which it likely will) then there could be trouble. I don't see an incremental uptick for college football because that's already enormous to begin with. Saturdays are for college, Sundays for the NFL.

will any other sport gain popularity that plays the same day?

yes, baseball, which has been lagging a bit in recent years. The end of its season overlaps with the beginning of the football season. Baseball could benefit from this.

I don't see the Pro Bowlers Tour regaining any lost ground.

oh man, I watched so much bowling in jr high

I am so sad I missed this thread yesterday.

I am a lifelong hockey fan and I believe MLS will overtake the NHL in terms of fan support, $$$$, whatever other measure you want to name, in the next 10 years. Either that or it will fold.

Also thank you guys for some A++++ lol-inducing troll reading this Friday AM.

i think its plausible that the hockey center of gravity will shift to russia/northern europe over the next 10 years, too

dan, I know more ppl converted to hockey these days than I know ppl converted to soccer (not that they are mutually exclusive). Most of my soccer friends have been so for some time and most are primarily fans of European teams. I know several ppl who have gotten into hockey recently and I even know a couple Brits/Irish who have started watching it in place of football and going to see the Sharks play in San Jose.

I get that, and I realize it's probably easier to get ppl to watch hockey in a converted-fan way, but I am thinking of lots and lots of kids (predominantly hispanic but lots of others too) growing up loving the Fire, Galaxy, Dynamo, etc in addition to Arsenal/Man Utd or America/Chivas Guadalajara or some other non-MLS club. And when they become adults and have spending money of their own the whole thing takes off in a big way as the salary cap increases, more big names emerge/come over, etc. I'm pretty involved with the Fire's supporter groups and there are an amazing number of like 12-17 year old kids who are completely obsessed with the club. It grows every year.

the fact that the world's best hockey talent plays in the NHL + the unwavering dedication of certain fanbases (http://i.imgur.com/83HdZ.gif) makes it hard for me to imagine MLS overtaking it in a mere decade. maybe somewhere further down the line...

Seriously, I cannot see the fucking puck.

don't follow the puck, follow the play

MLS has the best footballer of the past ten years!

/ducks

oh like I placed the only lol vote

Actually, I think America is diverse enough to support NHL and MLS.

don't follow the puck, follow the play

Hm, interesting...I'll try that.

xp me too, I just think MLS has a lot of potential advantages in potential crowd sizes, cheaper tickets (to start with at least), and a much bigger potential fanbase (can anyone really say the NHL fanbase can grow much more?)

yes, if they get out of the south and back to Canada (Quebec, Winnipeg, etc.)

I'm still a little amused by southern Hockey teams.

xp but aren't a lot of those people already following the game? I'm talking about new fans.

yes, if they get out of the south and back to Canada (Quebec, Winnipeg, etc.)

― Thraft of Cleveland (Bill Magill), Friday, April 8, 2011 12:19 PM (2 minutes ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

how will this grow the fanbase? i assume these canadien cities are filled with people who still follow the nhl.

xxp

You're kidding right? How many games do those people go to?

Those places will be filled every night, how can that not be good for the game?

51 (I think). A woman manages a senior (mens) football team.

winnipeg and quebec were the 2 smallest markets, so it will be hard for those franchies to make money, even if the sell out all their games.

My point is: it would be much better for the game as a whole and its future to have teams in those cities, and possibly Hamilton, than it is to have teams in Nashville and Atlanta.

51 (I think). A woman manages a senior (mens) football team.

― Cluster the boots (Billy Dods), Friday, 8 April 2011 17:32 (1 minute ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

I think you meant Am Football but this is interesting for soccer too. Surprised no-one has taken a punt on someone like Hope Powell yet.

he must mean soccerball.

i love when people can't follow the puck. that makes me laugh.

Yes, I meant soccerball, though I doubt there's any female coaches in Am Football, possibly college football?

I thought Hope Powell would have been snapped up by now, wasn't one of the league one teams interested in her?

unlike nearly every other sport, there's not even a girls'/women's version of Am football at any level (unless you're counting lol lingerie league). I cannot imagine a female getting a prominent coaching job in 10 years, 20 years, 30 years...

unlike nearly every other sport, there's not even a girls'/women's version of Am football at any level (unless you're counting lol lingerie league). I cannot imagine a female getting a prominent coaching job in 10 years, 20 years, 30 years...

― A True White Kid that can Jump (Granny Dainger), Friday, April 8, 2011 12:58 PM (15 seconds ago) Bookmark

plenty of girls play youth football, and there are semi-pro leagues (non-lingerie) for adult women - there's zero female coaches in college ball though and probably a single digit number of them in HS coaching

lol @ the idea of Gary Bettman being too concerned with "the good of the game" beyond making bank

betman is a douchebag.

lol @ the idea of Gary Bettman being too concerned with "the good of the game" beyond making bank

― Frightening, but full of facts that are difficult to argue with. (dan m), Friday, April 8, 2011 1:04 PM (14 minutes ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

lol@ the idea of a Red Wings fan having a fucking clue what the "good of the game" even is.

never change bill magill, and enjoy the off-season

There's a female coach in D-League basketball, which is sort of the NBA reserve league, but the D-League is so much David Stern's Wacky Ideas Warehouse that it seems like it barely counts somehow.

more chance of there being a female NFL official than coach, no?

Yes, and I bet that will happen. There are at least 2 female NBA refs.

there is a college female officail who has been talked about as making the move to the nfl

she's probably an ugly lesbian.

http://a.espncdn.com/photo/2009/1226/ncf_u_thomas_200.jpg

she's probably an ugly lesbian.

― Zero pumps, massive boner (thebingo), Friday, April 8, 2011 3:59 PM (2 minutes ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

What the fuck is this supposed to mean?

allusion to another clusterfuck thread

yes exactly.

Goddamn, don't even tell me which one, i dont want to know.

She doesnt look too bad, to tell you the truth.

and bill i didnt start the ugly lesbian thing.

i figured it was an inside joke thing.

Yes, and I bet that will happen. There are at least 2 female NBA refs.

― Thraft of Cleveland (Bill Magill), Friday, April 8, 2011 7:56 PM (28 minutes ago) Bookmark

They fired Dee Kantner, so there's just Violet Palmer now. She's consistently (and accurately, imo) rated as the worst ref by NBA coaches.

So I imagine other leagues aren't likely to use the NBA as an example.

Yeah, she's truly awful. And there are some bad refs in the Association, really bad.

48. Tiger actually does come back to break Jack's record? What a performance this weekend (minus some truly shitty putting)

Bad putting saturday, relatively decent yesterday, except the fuckup on 12.

My money's on that he takes the record.

Yeah but I really kind of believed he was done, that he didn't have the mental focus (still questionable), that his body was breaking down a little, and that it was just unlikely (but possible) for him to win a few more..same way it's unlikely that Jeter puts up another good season...but damn, what a story

there's zero female coaches in college ball though and probably a single digit number of them in HS coaching

http://images.wikia.com/glee/images/4/4b/Glee-coach-beiste-dot-jones-charice-chord-overstreet.jpg

6. Lebron, in his late-30's, jumps from team to team in search of his first ring

Has this ever seemed more likely than it does right now? Lebron has twice now completely failed in the playoffs, not getting unlucky or just bricking shots but actively not trying the way he does against, say, last-place teams in December. Should a lockout occur and a hard cap instituted, suddenly Miami's going to have to trade one of thier big 3 or find themselves completely unable to sign anyone but aging veterans.

Obviously the Heat are going to be the favorite to win it all for the next 2-3 years at least, but they had such a great opportunity (catching plenty of breaks vs. a hurt Boston team and a crumbling Chicago one, then getting a team in the Finals that they should have matched up well against) and let it slip by

Two decades of laissez-faire governance lead to serious financial meltdown at the top of English football.