What’s a fella to do when he pops a positive test on a Wednesday night after work and faces some serious alone time through the weekend. Time for some idle thoughts from a sports fan to come tumbling out (a few days late because, you know, COVID time).
Where Should Sports Fans Live?
I’ve often wondered this. If I’m a ardent sports fan, not necessarily allegiant to any one sport, school, or team, where is the optimal place in North America to reside to best be able to see live sports on the airwaves or streams?
I wondered it again Friday night as I dealt with a fitful night’s sleep due to a debilitating headache. The following morning I learned that Albert Pujols hit career home runs 699 and 700 at Dodger Stadium. The game, it turns out, aired on Apple TV+ and I probably could have had it on, but it was closing in on 11 p.m. here and I was trying, unsuccessfully, to sleep.
I’ve only lived in two time zones during my life, Eastern and Alaskan, and I’d say both are sub-optimal. Eastern is less-than-ideal because when most of the major North American events occur (think playoffs, NCAA championships, etc) start times are usually 8 p.m. or later so broadcasters can hedge their bets and capture fans from out west on the back end. For a delicate flower such as myself staying up after midnight these days crushes me the next day at work. I need a good seven hours or I’m off … way off!
While my year in Alaska afforded me to see the end any major event in North America (thanks to the 4-hour difference from Eastern Time Zone), it also created a weird nothing to do in the evening situation. And, for those noon and 1 p.m. events out east, it created some unique challenges on how best to watch an event that begins at 8 a.m. local time. Are bars open? If so, am I able to attend in my pajamas? Is it OK to drink with breakfast or, alternatively, power down a burger and a side of chili before banks open in the morning.
My belief is the folks in the Mountain Time Zone have the best of all worlds. Those 10:40 ET starts during the NCAA Tournament are really at 8:40 in Denver and those noon east coast college football games are merely at 10 a.m. Saturday morning in Bozeman, MT.
Rooting for Aaron Judge
I’ve never been much of a New York Yankees fan. I was OK with Derek Jeter and Mariano Rivera, mainly because they always went about their business, consistently performed at a high level, and were not given a boatload of money to come to New York. They were raised Yankees and that, at least to this non-Yankee fan, provided them with a greater sense of tolerability.
I’m guessing those are all factors for why I’m quietly pulling for Aaron Judge to hit home runs 61 and 62 over the next week-plus and stay hot enough to win the Ameircan League batting Triple Crown this season.
Another factor, no doubt, is that Judge bet on himself this season when he turned down New York’s eight year/$230 million contract offer in early April. Weep not for the big fella, he is earning over $19 million this season, but had sustained an major injury or otherwise struggled mightily, there’s no telling whether a deal such as the one he rejected would be there again. Instead, he’s having one of the most dominant offensive seasons in recent memory and could see the first number in the free agency offers he fields be a 3 this off-season.
Kent $tate Golden Geese
Last Saturday the Kent State University football team completed its non-conference schedule in Athens, GA, losing to the top-ranked Georgia Bulldogs, 39-22. Earlier this pre-season, Kent State, also played at the University of Washington (45-20 loss) and at the University of Oklahoma (33-3 loss). In taking on those three pay games, Kent State earned the athletic department a cool $5.2 million in total.
This has become the norm at KSU, who in previous pre-seasons has played at Iowa, Auburn, Ole Miss, Texas A&M, Wisconsin, Penn State, and Arizona State in an effort to help underwrite the athletic department’s budget.
Desperate times, right?
Next season, Kent visits the University of Central Florida ($900,000), Arkansas ($1.6 million), and Fresno State ($1.1 million). In 2024 the travels will remain more local as the Flashes head to the University of Pittsburgh, Tennessee, and Penn State. In 2026 a $1.9 million payday awaits Kent’s trip to Columbus and Ohio State.
At least that last one makes some sense and I wish more major state universities would ensure these so-called “guarantee” games go to in-state Group of 5 Conference colleges. Kudos to Michigan State in my backyard for having Western Michigan on the schedule this year. Since MSU and the University of Michigan will always be looking for schedule fodder, it makes no sense to me why the three Michigan MAC schools do not rotate between those two schedules, annually. Let’s keep the revenue inside the state university sytem by playing WMU, Central Michigan, and Eastern Michigan on the regular.
50/50/62
My father, an avid watcher and appreciator of Major League Baseball, has for years subscribed to the theory that all teams will win 50, all teams will lose 50, and that it’s what you do with the other 62 that are most important.
As I checked the standings during my convalescence over the weekend sure as shootin’ everyone had reached those marks except one … the Los Angeles Dodgers.
The Dodgers now sit at 106-48 heading into Wednesday’s game in San Diego. Will they lose two of their next eight? The percentages say almost certainly (currently sport a 68.8 winining percentage), but stranger things have happened, right? I know there’s plenty of intrigue left in the NL East race as well as the final Wild Card slots in each league, but for me keeping an eye on the Dodgers’ pursuit of a 70% winning percentage (which would mean going unbeaten the rest of the way) is equally as compelling.
The Presidents Cup
I’ve always been a Ryder Cup fella. That was the original. Europe is where golf was born, it only follows that’s who the United States should be competing against in any team competition.
That acknowledged, I listened to A LOT of Presidents Cup action last weekend, taking the occasional peek at a replay here or there.
Two things stood out to me:
- While I’m sure International team Captain Trevor Immelman would have loved to have had a few of the LIV Tour players who were deemed ineligible by the PGA Tour, I’m not sure the spirit of the competition was any worse off because of those folks who weren’t present. As near a I could tell, the 24 players who were there were deeply invested and totally engaged in trying to win for their team.
- I could have been dining with South Korea PGA pro Tom Kim last Thursday and had no idea who I was enjoying a meal with (nor he, for that matter, right;-). By the time the weekend ended, I was a full-throated Tom Kim fan. What energy? What personality? What fun!
- I’m thinking the next two Presidents Cups are within comfortable drives of Middle America: Royal Montreal Golf Club (2024) and Medinah (IL) Country Club (2026). Something to to think about.