"What should be on the table, however, is how to reverse baseball’s downward trend lines in attendance, TV ratings and overall fan enthusiasm. Eventually, that Fox money will dry up, especially if viewership keeps shrinking.
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What’s going on here, you ask? I think you know. The games are slow and boring: too many strikeouts, too many defensive shifts, too little action due to the suffocating dominance of pitching and defense. While it’s true the athletes are bigger, stronger and better-conditioned than ever, the final product is now governed by analytical efficiency, not entertainment.
We could devote an entire symposium on the pros and cons of Ivy Leaguers turning front offices into think tanks. The game’s IQ has increased exponentially. But clearly something is wrong if fewer fans are tuning in and a diminishing number of them feel like making the trek to the stadium. That’s what the players and owners should be discussing — not how to cut up the pie, but how to save the pie itself."
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