@haydesigner@kittykat9180 it’s true. NFL football has the lowest density of actual gameplay in a game that any other major broadcast sport in the US. The average amount of action in a NFL game is about 12 minutes.
@haydesigner@kittykat9180@ThatsHeadly and baseball is something like 17minutes of the ball in play so not really any better. And still more boring. Not that Id go to either.
@cengland0 Baseball on TV is boring. Baseball at the ballpark is a great social event. You sit around, talk about whatever
Look! Something’s happening!
Now, back to what we were saying…
t he average amount of action in a NFL game is about 12 minutes…
and baseball is something like 17minutes of the ball in play so not really any better.
I see the problem here. You mistakenly think that just because the ball is moving that there’s action. Sorry, but when it comes to baseball the ball can be moving and no action occurring. Watching someone not hit a ball is not entertaining.
I’ve been dragged to maybe 5-6 baseball games and seen about a total of 5 minutes of action, cumulatively. And most of that was watching people scramble to concessions after the “beer batter.”
I will go, have a beer and promise to stand up and clap/cheer when everyone else does. Please do not expect me to know who is playing, what the score is or even why I am cheering.
The game is too slow and loses my interest. I do enjoy hanging out though.
The most fun is taking the kids to a minor league game. You are sitting close, the crowd is friendly, the cost is low.
A weekend game with fireworks tops it off.
@mfladd Minor league games are fun, and I try to go if I’m in a town that has a team. The stadium is smaller, more intimate, the food & beer is cheaper (and often better, from local restaurants and breweries), the games are little looser and whackier, and the people usually really friendly. Baseball is a lazy summer sport for lazy summer evenings …
@mfladd@stolicat true, true! We have two minor league parks in the STL metro (one in MO and one in IL) Super cheap, great crowds. They usually do silly contests or give always to keep the crowd engaged. Always a fun night out.
@mfladd@stolicat@tinamarie1974 Back when I was in high school (jr and sr high) the Post Dispatch used to give pairs of tix to 3 games if you had straight A’s on your report card. We always attended at least 3 games a summer During the game they would give a shout out to the students attending…
The last time I went to a baseball game I twisted my ankle playing catch beforehand. Ended up staying for the game since I knew the ER would just send me to an orthopedic the next day anyway. Had to wear a boot for two months and went through physical therapy. My ankle was bruised for about a year.
Never cared much for baseball beforehand and I definitely have no desire to go back now.
What I like about going to a baseball game vs a basketball or football game is it’s not fast-paced, so you get to just hang out with your family/friends for a few hours. It also helps that I’m a fuckin’ nerd and love baseball stats.
@cpierce I would content that baseball and football are similar (and differ from most of the other team sports) in that they have a lot of down time, with brief bursts of action. You can socialize between plays if you wish, and you know the exact moment to stop and pay attention. As noted above, they have similar amounts of actual game play (12-18 minutes) and similar actual duration (about 3.5 hours, though a baseball game can deviate much more from the average)
Yes, there are differences as the average football game has about 130-170 or so plays, while a baseball game has closer to 300 pitches. The fact that the majority of those pitches are not put into play is what makes it seem less “fast-paced” than football.
@cpierce@DrWorm@Fuzzalini If by “nothing happens” you mean every pitch, every catch, and every throw is executed with a good amount of perfection, then yes, perhaps you can appreciate why it’s called a perfect game.
At least with football people are mostly engaged with what’s going on down on the field. Baseball’s more a social event with occasional moments of clapping when something happens. And I’m going to be social, I rather not do it where I’m sitting in the blazing sun and being gouged for 8 dollar hot dogs and 11 dollar beers.
Home Depot gave away a pair of tix to see the Braves if you sent in the proper form and a receipt for $100+ purchase. We will go in Sept when the temps (maybe) are a bit lower.
@chienfou Me neither. My sis is the one that wants to go. Plans got cancelled for this wkend anyway… twill be next wkend now. (Might have to wait until Oct for that!)
@lseeber yeah, my SIL is a sponsor or some such for Atlanta United (the MLS champs last year) so we will most likely go to one of those games before we get around to seeing the Braves again. I’ve driven by the Mercedes-Benz Stadium but never gone in it for anything yet… Looks pretty imposing.
Since we usually approach ATL from the southeast we have driven by Turner field a zillion times going into town but haven’t seen the new one in the NW corner of the periphery yet.
@chienfou Same here thus far, driven past the stadium but that’s it. My daughter lives just sw of Atlanta so if we go into metro, we head in from the sw. But, generally, I avoid going into town if I can help it!! Usually go in as far as Ponce City Mkt and that’s it.
@chienfou I have not but I’ll def mark it for future reference! Thanks! (Tho I just looked at it on a map… it’ll be the next time we venture ‘thru’ Hotlanta as daughter is in Newnan.
@lseeber It’s not on the SW side, but worth the drive (use the beltline) if you have any interest in foreign foods, fruits etc. The staff is from all over the world, and they have lots of obscure foods available.
(be aware they don’t take any credit cards… only cash, EBT, debit cards or checks)
@chienfou Definite interest! I emailed the link to the website to my daughter. She loves those things too. I did see on their website that they don’t take ccs, but neither does the market here. Thanks!
I really enjoy going to the ballpark. Time spent with good friends, relaxing and (hopefully) enjoying an entertaining game. I don’t drink much anyway so I don’t bother buying $12 beers. The Phillies allow you to bring in your own food and drinks which gives me a good reason to stop and pick up the best damn cheesesteak in the world from John’s Roast Pork (yeah, their pork is amazing too).
Baseball is a tough sell for a casual observer: “You know how you like hot dogs? What if you had to sit in one place for three hours and pay ten times as much for that hot dog?”
It’s not that there isn’t more going on, it’s that it’s invisible. Ideally, you’d be there with friends who also know all of the invisible game things – player stories, or stats, or metagame strategies. I assume.
Football is the same way, in that I have heard people talk about it just enough to realize that there are undercurrents of tactics and interaction that would make the game interesting to me if I was already into football. I mean, probably.
Football does have the nice basketball quality of giving you enough motion so that you can stare slackjawed at a television screen, uncomprehending, without people thinking there’s something wrong with you. Sometimes that’s nice.
@InnocuousFarmer I try to hit the dollar dog nights at the ballgame. I believe normal price is $4 for them, which in comparison to other parks is actually a bit of a deal.
@InnocuousFarmer 100% agree. It’s OK to attend with friends for the socialization aspect (I side with those who say minor league is usually a better overall experience for non-playoff games), but it’s a completely different experience when I go with my father who played AAA softball and various levels of baseball.
Everything from the first lead-off batter kicking out the back line of the batter’s box to the shifting cutoffs/backups to the communication of the outfielders to the strategy of pitch selection. After going with him enough, I see some of it, but probably only 20% of what he does. A baseball game almost can’t be boring to him because he’s seeing all the little stuff 99%+ of people miss or don’t care about.
But that’s only live. Neither of us watches much baseball on TV because you can only see what the camera shows you, which is basically just the pitcher and batter.
@InnocuousFarmer@Kabn yeah, I think the whining is really annoying. I have seen a couple of batters lay down a bunt up the 3rd base line that turned into doubles due to offensive shift. There… Take THAT!
Once more develop that skill set, it will self-correct.
I love baseball. Minor league, major league, in person, on TV, whatever, wherever. It’s exciting when it needs to be, and it can be beautiful to watch. (It can also be ugly to watch.) Plus it’s the only sport other than bowling in which guys with bodies like David Ortiz’s can be called athletes.
Love it when a huuuuuuuge football fan says baseball is “boring” because “it’s too slow”… when a typical American football game packs 11 minutes of actual game play into 3+ hours.
Well, I went for the sarcastic beer answer, but should’ve chosen the ‘in the comments’ answer because I’ve got a story… (and if you haven’t learned by now, my stories tend to be long… sorry)
I am not a sports fan. I don’t follow players or stats or standings or any of that. Not interested.
That said, one of my favorite things is (well, was) going to Red Sox games at Fenway w/ my Dad.
He has shared season tickets with a group for as long as I can remember (meaning, the tickets were divided up amongst the group).
He told me he carried me into my first Red Sox game when I was an infant.
I loved the experience, not necessarily the sport (although, I always enjoyed an exciting game and have seen my share - including several incredible post-season games).
I remember as a young kid, I’d spend most of the game watching the Citgo sign, trying to figure out the pattern of the alternating neon lights. I’d disappear beneath the stands for several innings, eating the crappy, ridiculously expensive food while exploring every corner of the park.
In the interest of keeping this as short as possible (for me), I’ll skip a bunch of the anecdotes about my father becoming friendly w/ players through his business and getting us on the field for pictures w/ players, missing out on touring the clubhouse because my bro chose that day to break his arm, 40+ years of sitting in prime foul territory yet somehow never catching a foul ball etc., etc.
So, yeah, for 40 plus years, I went to several games a season.
A few seasons ago, my 80ish dad told me he gave up his share of the season tickets. He is a true fan - knows the game, the players, all aspects. He grew up in Pawtucket and went to Pawsox games as a child.
Truly a life-long Red Sox fan.
I thought maybe he gave up the tickets because they had gotten too expensive, but he’s too proud to ever admit that he could no longer afford the tickets.
He told me it’s just “too much of a pain in the ass” to go to games anymore. He always knew the best places to park for free, a short walk from a T stop. He is in very good physical condition for a man his age, too - has no trouble getting around - so I really couldn’t understand his explanation.
He never let me pay for tickets, even on the occasions when he gave me the pair and let me take a friend.
I really wanted to pay him back for all those decades of taking me to games, so the first season that he gave up the tickets, I asked him if he’d let me treat him to a game for his birthday (and was really hoping we could make it an annual tradition). He said, nope, not interested.
My father is still alive - hell, he’ll probably outlive me - but this has been a big loss for me. It’s part of a trend for him - he’s been retreating from life, family & friends for awhile now, and I worry about him.
But he is as stoic as they come, and he is always ‘fine’.
Anyway, I could share almost 50 years worth of personal anecdotes, but instead, I’ll just get to the point…
I’ve gotten called out by ‘true’ Sox fans for wearing a Red Sox hat when I don’t really care about the sport.
I usually question them about how many games they’ve been to at Fenway in their life, and I’ve usually got them beat by a long-shot, so then I ask which one of us has a more legitimate right to ‘wear the hat’.
I’m not a sports fan, not a baseball fan, not even - relatively speaking - much of a Red Sox fan.
What I am is a life-long fan of going to ball games at Fenway.
I know that park like the back of my hand - even through all the recent renovations - I’ve explored every inch that is open to the public, and some that aren’t.
For the first time in my life, I’ve now gone a few seasons without seeing a single game, and I really miss it.
So yeah, sentimental value is not to be dismissed as a reason to go to ballgames.
@DennisG2014 Thanks for sharing. Ever just straight out ask your dad why he doesn’t want to go? It does seem kind of strange that he wouldn’t want to go to at least one game a season just for old times sake. I didn’t have a great relationship with my dad but some of my fondest memories were sporting events. One of the first thoughts I had after the Eagles won the Superbowl was that I was sad he wasn’t here for it. He had season tickets when I was young and I remember the first game he took me to. That was a special moment. The relationship never really did become a great one but I still wish he was around for one more game together.
@cinoclav Like I said, he told me it’s “too much of a pain in the ass”. I forgot to mention that he also said he’d rather stay home and watch the game on TV.
I don’t have a very tight relationship with him, either.
The Sox games were the best of it.
We talk less and less as each year passes - now it’s only if I call him.
I think he’s very unhappy and likely depressed, but he’d never admit to such a thing.
I’ve been struggling the last few years to find ways for us to stay connected but, like with the ballgames, he just seems more and more to be “not interested”.
Like I mentioned, he’s always “fine”, and if there are situations that are clearly less than fine, then, “it is what it is.”
¯\_(ツ)_/¯
@DennisG2014 Seems like it was something that was particularly important to him, enough so that he’d deal with the ‘pain in the ass’ aspect once in a great while. I’m sorry things aren’t better with him. I did find my dad seemed to just enjoy some time together as he got older. Maybe hanging out with him and watching a game from the comfort of the couch might just be what you both need. My dad was 81 when he passed 4 years ago. Like I said, I wish I had another day. As ornery and difficult as yours may be at times, I can only suggest that you keep making the effort. Whatever he has going on in his head, I’ll bet knowing you care helps him and in the end, it will help you too.
@cinoclav Thank you for your advice.
The best I can say, without sharing more than I’m comfortable with is - it’s complicated.
He’s not ornery or difficult just extremely ‘stoic’.
I’ll keep calling him and asking to meet for lunch, and he’ll probably keep saying “ok”, even though he never calls and asks me anymore.
And we’ll probably continue to have a pleasant time when we do get together.
To be quite candid, I believe his wife (2nd one, been married ~30+ years) is most likely the problem - they don’t seem to like each other much, and it’s been that way for a long time…
If she dies before he does, things may get better… or they may get worse, impossible to tell.
@cinoclav@DennisG2014 Thanks @DennisG2014 for that wonderful story - I had some memories with my father and White Sox games that were no where near as comforting as yours.
I’m gathering I’m somewhere in age between you and your father - things can get a little weird with long standing traditions and relationships when something happens and you feel slighted, and you’re of that “stoic” generation and can’t work things out because that’s not what you do. I suspect he treasures his memories of those games as much as you do, but he may not be able to express that to you.
Have fun!
goes back inside
closes and locks door
@awk Name checks out.
Baseball has to be the most boring game to watch. Well, maybe bowling or golf but it’s definitely on the top of the boring list.
There’s more action in a baseball game than in a football game.
@haydesigner, say what? What drugs are you on?
@haydesigner @kittykat9180 it’s true. NFL football has the lowest density of actual gameplay in a game that any other major broadcast sport in the US. The average amount of action in a NFL game is about 12 minutes.
@haydesigner @kittykat9180 @ThatsHeadly and baseball is something like 17minutes of the ball in play so not really any better. And still more boring. Not that Id go to either.
@cengland0 Baseball on TV is boring. Baseball at the ballpark is a great social event. You sit around, talk about whatever
Look! Something’s happening!
Now, back to what we were saying…
@cengland0 @smyle
Yes, this. A day at the ballpark is lots of fun. But don’t ask me to drive.
@haydesigner @kittykat9180 @ThatsHeadly @unksol
Hey that’s almost a 50% improvement…
@chienfou @haydesigner @kittykat9180 @ThatsHeadly except it’s still over 3 hours of your life wasted and it only gets you from ~6% up to about ~9%
I see the problem here. You mistakenly think that just because the ball is moving that there’s action. Sorry, but when it comes to baseball the ball can be moving and no action occurring. Watching someone not hit a ball is not entertaining.
I’ve been dragged to maybe 5-6 baseball games and seen about a total of 5 minutes of action, cumulatively. And most of that was watching people scramble to concessions after the “beer batter.”
@haydesigner @kittykat9180 @ThatsHeadly Not to mention that half the action in an NFL game comes from the refs.
@ahacksaw @haydesigner @kittykat9180 @ThatsHeadly As opposed to where much of the action happens during a baseball game.
I will go, have a beer and promise to stand up and clap/cheer when everyone else does. Please do not expect me to know who is playing, what the score is or even why I am cheering.
The game is too slow and loses my interest. I do enjoy hanging out though.
@tinamarie1974 and the ball park in STL is really nice…
@chienfou have you been? It is really beautiful and has great amenities. The view of the arch is not bad either
@tinamarie1974 yeah, it’s pretty cool. The minor league field in Montgomery is very nice also.
Baseball is about as exciting as watching paint dry.
@kittykat9180 I prefer the paint. At least then you might finish. Plus there’s always fumes if it gets boring.
@unksol, and painting is productive.
The most fun is taking the kids to a minor league game. You are sitting close, the crowd is friendly, the cost is low.
A weekend game with fireworks tops it off.
Perdue Stadium
@mfladd Minor league games are fun, and I try to go if I’m in a town that has a team. The stadium is smaller, more intimate, the food & beer is cheaper (and often better, from local restaurants and breweries), the games are little looser and whackier, and the people usually really friendly. Baseball is a lazy summer sport for lazy summer evenings …
@mfladd @stolicat I live about a mile from Principal Park, where the Iowa Cubs play. I haven’t been to a game in ages, though.
@mfladd @stolicat true, true! We have two minor league parks in the STL metro (one in MO and one in IL) Super cheap, great crowds. They usually do silly contests or give always to keep the crowd engaged. Always a fun night out.
@mfladd @stolicat @tinamarie1974 Back when I was in high school (jr and sr high) the Post Dispatch used to give pairs of tix to 3 games if you had straight A’s on your report card. We always attended at least 3 games a summer
During the game they would give a shout out to the students attending…
@chienfou @mfladd @stolicat oh me too! For me it was four tickets, I could do two games w/2 tix each or one game w/4 tix. So much fun!
My sister and I always got them so we got to hit a few games each summer as a family.
For me the most exciting thing was that my name was in the paper. I thought I was da bomb! Lol
@mfladd @stolicat @tinamarie1974 oh that’s right. I forgot the part about getting your name in print, .(and not in the police blotter…)
The last time I went to a baseball game I twisted my ankle playing catch beforehand. Ended up staying for the game since I knew the ER would just send me to an orthopedic the next day anyway. Had to wear a boot for two months and went through physical therapy. My ankle was bruised for about a year.
Never cared much for baseball beforehand and I definitely have no desire to go back now.
“We’re going to the ballpark for a game of baseball!”
… I guess that means we’ve already been out in the heat for too long.
No. No WE aren’t. You may do as you please.
Fourth of July Fireworks with a $10 cold hotdog and $15 warm beer. Kaboom goes the money.
Minor league only, please.
@PocketBrain Seconded.
Awesome! You enjoy yourselves while I enjoy doing anything else.
WORKER BEES! HERCULES! TURKEY GREASE! AWESOME!
What I like about going to a baseball game vs a basketball or football game is it’s not fast-paced, so you get to just hang out with your family/friends for a few hours. It also helps that I’m a fuckin’ nerd and love baseball stats.
@cpierce I would content that baseball and football are similar (and differ from most of the other team sports) in that they have a lot of down time, with brief bursts of action. You can socialize between plays if you wish, and you know the exact moment to stop and pay attention. As noted above, they have similar amounts of actual game play (12-18 minutes) and similar actual duration (about 3.5 hours, though a baseball game can deviate much more from the average)
Yes, there are differences as the average football game has about 130-170 or so plays, while a baseball game has closer to 300 pitches. The fact that the majority of those pitches are not put into play is what makes it seem less “fast-paced” than football.
@cpierce @DrWorm A perfect game is when nothing happens.
@cpierce @DrWorm @Fuzzalini If by “nothing happens” you mean every pitch, every catch, and every throw is executed with a good amount of perfection, then yes, perhaps you can appreciate why it’s called a perfect game.
@cpierce @DrWorm @richrauch My BF is a baseball historian. I like to torture him by saying that about a perfect game.
At least with football people are mostly engaged with what’s going on down on the field. Baseball’s more a social event with occasional moments of clapping when something happens. And I’m going to be social, I rather not do it where I’m sitting in the blazing sun and being gouged for 8 dollar hot dogs and 11 dollar beers.
Home Depot gave away a pair of tix to see the Braves if you sent in the proper form and a receipt for $100+ purchase. We will go in Sept when the temps (maybe) are a bit lower.
@chienfou I’m supposed to be at a Braves game this weekend if my sis gets something she’s got going on done in time.
@lseeber have fun. Haven’t been to the new Stad yet.
@chienfou Me neither. My sis is the one that wants to go. Plans got cancelled for this wkend anyway… twill be next wkend now. (Might have to wait until Oct for that!)
@lseeber yeah, my SIL is a sponsor or some such for Atlanta United (the MLS champs last year) so we will most likely go to one of those games before we get around to seeing the Braves again. I’ve driven by the Mercedes-Benz Stadium but never gone in it for anything yet… Looks pretty imposing.
Since we usually approach ATL from the southeast we have driven by Turner field a zillion times going into town but haven’t seen the new one in the NW corner of the periphery yet.
@chienfou Same here thus far, driven past the stadium but that’s it. My daughter lives just sw of Atlanta so if we go into metro, we head in from the sw. But, generally, I avoid going into town if I can help it!! Usually go in as far as Ponce City Mkt and that’s it.
@lseeber Ever go to the Dekalb In’tl farmers market? THAT place ROCKS !!
@chienfou I have not but I’ll def mark it for future reference! Thanks! (Tho I just looked at it on a map… it’ll be the next time we venture ‘thru’ Hotlanta as daughter is in Newnan.
@lseeber It’s not on the SW side, but worth the drive (use the beltline) if you have any interest in foreign foods, fruits etc. The staff is from all over the world, and they have lots of obscure foods available.
(be aware they don’t take any credit cards… only cash, EBT, debit cards or checks)
@chienfou Definite interest! I emailed the link to the website to my daughter. She loves those things too. I did see on their website that they don’t take ccs, but neither does the market here. Thanks!
I really enjoy going to the ballpark. Time spent with good friends, relaxing and (hopefully) enjoying an entertaining game. I don’t drink much anyway so I don’t bother buying $12 beers. The Phillies allow you to bring in your own food and drinks which gives me a good reason to stop and pick up the best damn cheesesteak in the world from John’s Roast Pork (yeah, their pork is amazing too).
@cinoclav John’s Roast Pork is he best at Cheesesteaks, but evem better at Roast Pork Sandwiches
Baseball is a tough sell for a casual observer: “You know how you like hot dogs? What if you had to sit in one place for three hours and pay ten times as much for that hot dog?”
It’s not that there isn’t more going on, it’s that it’s invisible. Ideally, you’d be there with friends who also know all of the invisible game things – player stories, or stats, or metagame strategies. I assume.
Football is the same way, in that I have heard people talk about it just enough to realize that there are undercurrents of tactics and interaction that would make the game interesting to me if I was already into football. I mean, probably.
Football does have the nice basketball quality of giving you enough motion so that you can stare slackjawed at a television screen, uncomprehending, without people thinking there’s something wrong with you. Sometimes that’s nice.
@InnocuousFarmer I try to hit the dollar dog nights at the ballgame. I believe normal price is $4 for them, which in comparison to other parks is actually a bit of a deal.
@InnocuousFarmer 100% agree. It’s OK to attend with friends for the socialization aspect (I side with those who say minor league is usually a better overall experience for non-playoff games), but it’s a completely different experience when I go with my father who played AAA softball and various levels of baseball.
Everything from the first lead-off batter kicking out the back line of the batter’s box to the shifting cutoffs/backups to the communication of the outfielders to the strategy of pitch selection. After going with him enough, I see some of it, but probably only 20% of what he does. A baseball game almost can’t be boring to him because he’s seeing all the little stuff 99%+ of people miss or don’t care about.
But that’s only live. Neither of us watches much baseball on TV because you can only see what the camera shows you, which is basically just the pitcher and batter.
@InnocuousFarmer @Kabn and the game is still evolving as evidenced by the current “shift” controversy.
@chienfou @Kabn that’s interesting. I don’t even watch baseball, and I hope defensive shifting stays in the game.
@InnocuousFarmer @Kabn yeah, I think the whining is really annoying. I have seen a couple of batters lay down a bunt up the 3rd base line that turned into doubles due to offensive shift. There… Take THAT!
Once more develop that skill set, it will self-correct.
we live in red sox territory, so that’s a hard pass. however, i did really enjoy going to pawsox games as a kid with my dad in RI.
I love baseball. Minor league, major league, in person, on TV, whatever, wherever. It’s exciting when it needs to be, and it can be beautiful to watch. (It can also be ugly to watch.) Plus it’s the only sport other than bowling in which guys with bodies like David Ortiz’s can be called athletes.
@ahacksaw Two words: John Daly
@cinoclav That’s fair. On the other hand, I’m not sure golf is even a sport.
Hockey > Baseball
@gilby722
/giphy nailed it
Love it when a huuuuuuuge football fan says baseball is “boring” because “it’s too slow”… when a typical American football game packs 11 minutes of actual game play into 3+ hours.
Well, I went for the sarcastic beer answer, but should’ve chosen the ‘in the comments’ answer because I’ve got a story… (and if you haven’t learned by now, my stories tend to be long… sorry)
I am not a sports fan. I don’t follow players or stats or standings or any of that. Not interested.
That said, one of my favorite things is (well, was) going to Red Sox games at Fenway w/ my Dad.
He has shared season tickets with a group for as long as I can remember (meaning, the tickets were divided up amongst the group).
He told me he carried me into my first Red Sox game when I was an infant.
I loved the experience, not necessarily the sport (although, I always enjoyed an exciting game and have seen my share - including several incredible post-season games).
I remember as a young kid, I’d spend most of the game watching the Citgo sign, trying to figure out the pattern of the alternating neon lights. I’d disappear beneath the stands for several innings, eating the crappy, ridiculously expensive food while exploring every corner of the park.
In the interest of keeping this as short as possible (for me), I’ll skip a bunch of the anecdotes about my father becoming friendly w/ players through his business and getting us on the field for pictures w/ players, missing out on touring the clubhouse because my bro chose that day to break his arm, 40+ years of sitting in prime foul territory yet somehow never catching a foul ball etc., etc.
So, yeah, for 40 plus years, I went to several games a season.
A few seasons ago, my 80ish dad told me he gave up his share of the season tickets. He is a true fan - knows the game, the players, all aspects. He grew up in Pawtucket and went to Pawsox games as a child.
Truly a life-long Red Sox fan.
I thought maybe he gave up the tickets because they had gotten too expensive, but he’s too proud to ever admit that he could no longer afford the tickets.
He told me it’s just “too much of a pain in the ass” to go to games anymore. He always knew the best places to park for free, a short walk from a T stop. He is in very good physical condition for a man his age, too - has no trouble getting around - so I really couldn’t understand his explanation.
He never let me pay for tickets, even on the occasions when he gave me the pair and let me take a friend.
I really wanted to pay him back for all those decades of taking me to games, so the first season that he gave up the tickets, I asked him if he’d let me treat him to a game for his birthday (and was really hoping we could make it an annual tradition). He said, nope, not interested.
My father is still alive - hell, he’ll probably outlive me - but this has been a big loss for me. It’s part of a trend for him - he’s been retreating from life, family & friends for awhile now, and I worry about him.
But he is as stoic as they come, and he is always ‘fine’.
Anyway, I could share almost 50 years worth of personal anecdotes, but instead, I’ll just get to the point…
I’ve gotten called out by ‘true’ Sox fans for wearing a Red Sox hat when I don’t really care about the sport.
I usually question them about how many games they’ve been to at Fenway in their life, and I’ve usually got them beat by a long-shot, so then I ask which one of us has a more legitimate right to ‘wear the hat’.
I’m not a sports fan, not a baseball fan, not even - relatively speaking - much of a Red Sox fan.
What I am is a life-long fan of going to ball games at Fenway.
I know that park like the back of my hand - even through all the recent renovations - I’ve explored every inch that is open to the public, and some that aren’t.
For the first time in my life, I’ve now gone a few seasons without seeing a single game, and I really miss it.
So yeah, sentimental value is not to be dismissed as a reason to go to ballgames.
I guess that’s all I wanted to say.
¯\_(ツ)_/¯
@DennisG2014 Thanks for sharing. Ever just straight out ask your dad why he doesn’t want to go? It does seem kind of strange that he wouldn’t want to go to at least one game a season just for old times sake. I didn’t have a great relationship with my dad but some of my fondest memories were sporting events. One of the first thoughts I had after the Eagles won the Superbowl was that I was sad he wasn’t here for it. He had season tickets when I was young and I remember the first game he took me to. That was a special moment. The relationship never really did become a great one but I still wish he was around for one more game together.
@cinoclav Like I said, he told me it’s “too much of a pain in the ass”. I forgot to mention that he also said he’d rather stay home and watch the game on TV.
I don’t have a very tight relationship with him, either.
The Sox games were the best of it.
We talk less and less as each year passes - now it’s only if I call him.
I think he’s very unhappy and likely depressed, but he’d never admit to such a thing.
I’ve been struggling the last few years to find ways for us to stay connected but, like with the ballgames, he just seems more and more to be “not interested”.
Like I mentioned, he’s always “fine”, and if there are situations that are clearly less than fine, then, “it is what it is.”
¯\_(ツ)_/¯
@DennisG2014 Seems like it was something that was particularly important to him, enough so that he’d deal with the ‘pain in the ass’ aspect once in a great while. I’m sorry things aren’t better with him. I did find my dad seemed to just enjoy some time together as he got older. Maybe hanging out with him and watching a game from the comfort of the couch might just be what you both need. My dad was 81 when he passed 4 years ago. Like I said, I wish I had another day. As ornery and difficult as yours may be at times, I can only suggest that you keep making the effort. Whatever he has going on in his head, I’ll bet knowing you care helps him and in the end, it will help you too.
@cinoclav Thank you for your advice.
The best I can say, without sharing more than I’m comfortable with is - it’s complicated.
He’s not ornery or difficult just extremely ‘stoic’.
I’ll keep calling him and asking to meet for lunch, and he’ll probably keep saying “ok”, even though he never calls and asks me anymore.
And we’ll probably continue to have a pleasant time when we do get together.
To be quite candid, I believe his wife (2nd one, been married ~30+ years) is most likely the problem - they don’t seem to like each other much, and it’s been that way for a long time…
If she dies before he does, things may get better… or they may get worse, impossible to tell.
@DennisG2014 Understandable, more so than you can imagine. Ah well, all I can say is: Happy 4th!
@cinoclav @DennisG2014 Thanks @DennisG2014 for that wonderful story - I had some memories with my father and White Sox games that were no where near as comforting as yours.
I’m gathering I’m somewhere in age between you and your father - things can get a little weird with long standing traditions and relationships when something happens and you feel slighted, and you’re of that “stoic” generation and can’t work things out because that’s not what you do. I suspect he treasures his memories of those games as much as you do, but he may not be able to express that to you.