Posted By:
David SmithPeter,
What do you expect? Most Americans don't want to see Sports anymore, they want entertainment. Sports, you know, where one team or athlete competes against another team or athlete, is boring.
The American people don't want to see a lesser team beat a better team because it wanted the Win more. They also don't want to see a lesser athlete beat a better athlete because the lesser athlete might have been smarter. No, they want ENTERTAINMENT. Something they can watch without having to use their brains.
If this were not true, then why is Pro Wrestling sooooo popular?? Pro Wrestling is rigged and their "athletes" are juiced. The NBA has gone this route also. The NBA is rigged so that the best story palys out or certain players or teams are highlighted to maximize their brand. If this isn't so then why were the Miami Heat in the Finals last year? Dwayne Wade had the best selling jersey before the year started. This year, LeBron James made it to the Finals. My guess is that Carmelo Anthony makes it to the Finals next year so his marketing value is increased.
Also, how did the Golden State Warriors beat the Dallas Mavericks after not being in the Play-Offs for 13 years?? Golden State was one of, if not the only, team to have a winning record against Dallas the last two years. Is it any coincidence the Warriors are wanting a new arena built?
How about the Draft? No longer televised, the worst three teams DID NOT get the top picks, they got picks 4,5 and 6. Who got pick number 2?? Seattle, a team that has been trying to get a new stadium built but has met HUGE resistance. Don't you think Greg Oden or Kevin Durant would draw some interest from fans in Seattle?? If not, then the Super Sonics still win because having that pick will help interest another city in building a stadium.
Baseball exploited this "need" for entertainment and they are not going to admit any wrong doing until Congress gets involved. By that time, Barroid will have the All-Time Home Run record and will probably be retired.
Oh yea, I forgot NASCAR. That is not racing, that is just a 175 MPH traffic jam. Fans don't go to see a race, they go to see spectacular crashes. If NASCAR were truly about racing, they would either let the best 43 or however many drivers race (they don't because of some rule allowing constructor or builder points to bump guys OUT of the race even if the bumped driver had a faster qualifying time) or they would reduce the number of cars so that there was real racing.
Sorry for being so long winded and thanks for allowing me to vent,
David