WSJ: "Why Kids Aren't Watching Baseball".

[markf31]

According to a recent Gallup poll, baseball has not been America's favorite sport since 1972 when football first surpassed baseball in popularity. There is a significance here that I'll get back to in a moment. I think for a long time baseball had ridden it's own coat tails in regards to popularity even after football over took it. Baseball was far and away the most popular sport from the 1920s (prior to the 1920s it could easily be argued boxing was more popular) up to the early 1970s. Baseballs popularity began to slip when television coverage of sports began to become more wide spread, the 1970s.

Baseball is a sport that is tailor made for the radio! Football is more difficult to follow I think on radio, its better suited for a television viewing audience. I do think this had a serious effect on the decline of baseball. Baseball is not as captivating on the television in comparison to what it was on the radio from the 1920's to the early 1970s.

In response to how little "action" there actually is in a baseball game, The average baseball game contains 14 minutes of real action study finds.

[honus94566]

Originally Posted by t206trader

I think it just suffers from the perceived slower action versus other sports like basketball and football.

It's not just perceived though, it's actual. Honestly I can barely sit through a baseball game. Going to a stadium is great and the atmosphere is relaxing and makes up for the lack of action, but I would 100 times rather watch a game of college football on TV than a regular season MLB game.

Originally Posted by markf31

According to a recent Gallup poll, baseball has not been America's favorite sport since 1972 when football first surpassed baseball in popularity. There is a significance here that I'll get back to in a moment. I think for a long time baseball had ridden it's own coat tails in regards to popularity even after football over took it. Baseball was far and away the most popular sport from the 1920s (prior to the 1920s it could easily be argued boxing was more popular) up to the early 1970s. Baseballs popularity began to slip when television coverage of sports began to become more wide spread, the 1970s.

Baseball is a sport that is tailor made for the radio! Football is more difficult to follow I think on radio, its better suited for a television viewing audience. I do think this had a serious effect on the decline of baseball. Baseball is not as captivating on the television in comparison to what it was on the radio from the 1920's to the early 1970s.

In response to how little "action" there actually is in a baseball game, The average baseball game contains 14 minutes of real action study finds.

Great point.

IMO there is very little that can be done. Our society is changing, and things are changing. Baseball is pure Americana, it won't ever go away, but it's never going to even remotely approach the foothold it once had in american life and culture.

[Bugsy]

I think the time between each pitch is the issue. Even I find myself getting restless at times. That said, baseball is still king. Can you imagine what a spectacle it would be if your favorite baseball team only played 8 home games every season?

[iwantitiwinit]

Not just kids adults too. Believe it or not the MNF game had a higher national rating than the World Series did this past monday night and this is the third time in the last 4 years that its happened. Baseball is dead, the most exciting part of the sport is collecting T206's!!!!!!

[Hot Springs Bathers]

I think Jon hit it with the starting time. Baseball has given in to the corporate world with no day games and late starting times.

These post-season comes during the school year and kids can not stay up. As far as length of game there is much more time wasted in a football game than in a baseball game. I don't know how many of you have been to an NFL or college game of late but the extended timeouts are horrible.

Also, in person a current college game is impossible to watch. It used to be that when a team broke the huddle the crowd would lean forward or rise to watch the action. Now there is no huddle and the QB raises up after calling signals 2 or 3 times and no one knows when the play will begin. It has literally sucked the life out of the stadiums.

Last Saturday I was driving to see a D-2 game and passed two baseball fields that had pick up games going on, no adults in sight. Maybe there is hope after all!

[christopher.herman]

Edited to add the following related article:
"Why Kids Are Losing Interest in Baseball"
http://www.theatlantic.com/entertain...seball/281017/

[packs]

It seems like the game is growing globally still.

[Mark]

Regarding tv viewership, it's important to pay attention to the numbers for local broadcasts of local games. They can make up for a drop in national tv ratings. As for national games, they are a problem. I recommend that they start televising them at 6:30 eastern. Regarding Little League, that's a big drop. But it will be mitigated some by the explosion of travel / club teams over the last 15 years that take kids away from the Little League program.

Hope for the future? Baseball's new slogan: Play Baseball, Where There Are Few if Any Concussions!

[Hot Springs Bathers]

We have seen a tremendous rise in youth baseball in Arkansas. As a longtime Boys & Girls Club board member we have been scrambling to meet the need. Our largest groups are in T-Ball, we are in the process of raising funds for turf fields t avoid the missed game times during the Summer.

What I am hearing from parents is that they feel a team sports is a positive in their child's development and it is very obvious that they are directing their sons away from football. I think the most curios fact here is that is happening in a southern state where most of us were raised with football in our DNA mix.

Of course travel baseball or as I like to call it "buy your kid a position" baseball is strong but the economy is tough on travel team parents right now.

[CaramelMan]

There will soon be a baseball renaissance when the known but long withheld brain damage information comes out....

NFL players are killing themselves slowly due to Repeat trauma ...brain disease is found in ALL dissected NFL player brains.....

Soon it will be a no-brainer (no pun intended) for a world class young athlete to choose baseball over football...

Pro football players are finally admitting the don't want their kids to play football.

Add in the fact that baseball has GUARANTEED contacts vs football non guaranteed contracts and baseball becomes more attractive...it really should be the opposite way....

Things run in cycles and baseball will have its upswing (from increased international players and from potential football players choosing baseball)

So collect away!

[Runscott]

Originally Posted by packs

It seems like the game is growing globally still.

I love it!

Hey, who needs punctuation?