Football is national pastime

[skinzfan4life]

Football is much more exciting to watch, and i will take the skins over anything any day. But it seems as most people that didnt play baseball/softball just write it off as being boring, and they have that right.

But to me who enjoys the sport it is very exciting. The physical nature is not the same, but the mental nature is. And i dont care what anyone says the toughest thing to do in sports is hit a baseball.

But its not worth an argument. BEcause if people dont like baseball they never will.

And just as you can "take a nap" at a baseball game and not miss anything, its just about the same at an NBA basketball game which is even less exciting then MLB.

[skinzfan4life]

Originally posted by TheDoyler23

"Baseball is dull to the dull mind." Red Barber.

:dunce:

When I think of a "Pastime," I think of a relaxing activity. I never thought watching a Skins game was relaxing.

I like the Pastime/Passion agrument earlier.

I agree 100%. :notworthy

[Mr. S]

Originally posted by GoSkinsGo

Up untill this year I really didn't give a damn about baseball, but I cheer for Nats and follow them about is close as I ever will follow a baseball team.

But football my oh my you can not beat a solid sunday at FedEx with the rest of the redskin fans. Cooking, drinking, talking harrasing the other teams fans. I'm getting all teary eyed just thinking about it.

pretty much the same for me, I cant wait for the season to begin. Even thinking of the past makes me get all nostalgic. I hope one day I can share this passion with my children and make going to sunday games a family event.

I cant follow any other sport as much, I have sometimes pulled out the sports section to look at the Nats standing, but otherwise, cant really focus. The shorter season definitely helps footballs standing.

[scottb]

It's not even close. Look at the excitement at all levels...High School, College, and the Pros. They definately favor football as the most popular. The college baseball playoffs are ESPN filler programming. Meanwhile, college bowl games are big business spanning multiple networks. College football is all over the radio. Super Bowls dominate the highest rated shows. The ratings tell the tale. Football is number one.

[Mooney]

Originally posted by JLMRacing

Parcells was the first coach to understand that special teams were fully one-third of the game and he won championships by discovering talent like punt-coverage specialist Reyna Thompson and return man Dave Meggett.

Off topic but this is bullsh!t. HOF Coach George Allen is universally credited with being the first to emphasize special teams, making Dick Vermeil the first designated special teams coach when he was coaching the LA Rams in '69.

[scottb]

Good catch Mooney...I felt something was wrong with that statement, but I couldn't put my finger on it.

[Mooney]

Originally posted by budski

How many times have you seen, or heard of fans getting into a fight in the stands over a baseball game?

In my younger days, I was involved in many fights at Memorial Stadium before, during and after O's games.

Good times.

[Symbol]

Originally posted by d0ublestr0ker0ll

The word "PASTIME" means it holds the tradition of our country. Football has really only been (popularly) around for the past half century. Baseball had peaks in the TWENTIES, fourties, fifties, sixties, late seventies, was going well in the 80's, and has had a recent rebirth in our pop culture. (Which I think frustrates football fans, because it's "less masculine" and requires more patience and methodical on-the-spot thinking).

I agree with the Pastime comment. Baseball IS America's pastime. Football is America's favorite sport. Now, anyone who believes that baseball is any less masculine than football has never played catcher. In my opinion, the most dangerous position in all of sports.

Now, if you believe that baseball requires more patience and is a more methodical on-the-spot thinking sport, then you've never really played the game of football as a starter. Baseball seems slower than football because you're only seeing 3 players at a time on t.v. (the pitcher, catcher, and batter). Football you see all 22 players that are on the field, or almost all of them.

I won't say that I love baseball more than football, but during the football offseason, I'll watch a 4 hour baseball game on t.v. I love baseball and grew up watching baseball. Same with football.

In college, I chose football because the colleges that wanted me for baseball wanted me as a catcher. I was thinking of my knees.

My best memories as a child with my father are watching sports. Since baseball plays more games, guess which one I watched more of.

[dreamshatterer]

Baseball will always be the national pastime. But football is America's passion. PERIOD!

[ChocolateCitySkin]

I think soccer is the sport that needs to go away. I mean come on we have things called "opposable" thumbs for a reason. Eliminate that and I'd rather watch paint dry. Feet are so lame compared to hands. Plus, theres not enough strategy. Go get yourself the best athletes in the world put them man to man and you win.

Basketball is awesome. I think basketball players are probably the best "all around" athletes.

And baseball is just way to complicated for me to want to sit and learn. Its fun to go to baseball game. Its cheap and you get drunk but as for the sport itself. Way over my head.

BTW, you like my new sig? I'm thinking this could be a new sport.

[OrangeSkin]

The only thing that compares to an NFL game for me is a tight NCAA tourney game, or regular season for that matter. You haven't lived until you've been in the student section of a packed arena when a last second shot is hoisted up. Simply exhilerating.

But I honestly get chills just thinking about the atmosphere at a 'Skins playoff game. Baseball can't compare, even though I do enjoy it. The tension can get pretty thick in baseball, especially in the playoffs, but it's more of a relaxing view for me than anything else.

Sitting back on the couch with a beer and just listening to the rhythm of a baseball game in which you have no rooting interest is astonishingly relaxing. It's almost got a zen quality to it. The radio works even better.

That's why baseball is the national pastime. We use it to pass the time in a relaxing fashion on a lazy summer afternoon. Football on the other hand, is accordingly ensconced firmly in the most frantic months of the year when everyone is returning to the daily fall grind. Football is tension inducing, baseball relives tension.

For example, when the 'Skins score a touchdown, I get completely keyed up and excited. I want to dance, sing, yell, so on and so forth. But when the Nats hit a walkoff homerun, I let out a breath and sit back. The excitement is so compact in football because of the short schedule and the huge buildup.

And I get really sick of the holier than thou attitude from baseball fans. They act like people who prefer football are morons who can't understand the great mental intricacies of their sport. It's simply not the case.

[Khun Kao]

I think I would enjoy baseball more if they implemented a playclock the way football and basketball have.

Football is #1 for me. Heck, I used to watch XFL and will watch Arena Football just to get a "fix".

I find baseball too boring to watch. I've tried to watch it on TV and at the stadiums, and it simply isn't exciting for me. The only time I can get into it is during a really important game.

I'm not a basketball fan, either. I really only enjoy watching the NCAA tournament, because then everyone REALLY PLAYS!!!!

Hockey isn't interesting to me at all. I'd chuckle if the NHL folds. The only hockey game that ever mattered was when the US upset the USSR in the Olympics, and that was so long ago......

Soccer? I truly appreciate the sport, but like most of the US, I simply can't get into it. Don't know why. I think because the lack of scoring and lack of violence. But, its an incredible sport and I do enjoy watching World Cup play.....

NASCAR? Not even remotely interesting to me.

Now Boxing is another matter, I could really get behind that. I love watching Solo Boxeo on Friday nights.

Sorry for getting off on a tangent. But NOTHING compares to NFL Football....... NOTHING!

[nace14]

First of all, you can't "supplant" a past time. past time involves just that, "the past."

is football a more popular and better covered game in america right now, yes i would have to say so.

but have you been to RFK in the past 3 months? it's insane. people in this town alone are going crazy over the game right now. east capital street is flooded with people walking to the games on sundays again, just like the 80's! baseball has been a revolution in this city and it is all because we've been robbed of it for so long. sure this is mainly a football site, but to say that football has supplanted baseball as a national past time is insane. parents still bring their sons up over a game of catch, not by breaking down a cover-2 buc.

i completely understand the passion that football fans feel over baseball fans, but that's not what goes into making something a past time. a past time is something that is generational, not weekly. baseball always has been and still is america's past time.

[endzone_dave]

Watching the Redskins = Watching the Cubs = Watching NASCAR = Pure Bliss

Life is GOOOOD!

[SlinginSammy HOF '63]

I'm sure baseball has its share of passionate fans. Yankees, Red Sox and also the Cardinals and Cubs. In St Louis baseball is still the number one sport simply because they have one of the most storied baseball franchises not to mention the second most penants and world series titles. Plus the Rams are relatively new to St Louis. Chicago Cub fans are die hard, but still an't compare to Bears fans. Cub fans, and I know many around here, sort of except losing(like they are now with their losing streak) while Bears fans, no matter how bad the Bears are, cry when they lose. Bears fans are insane.