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On Monday, Major League Baseball owners approved a historic plan that could have baseball coming back around the Fourth of July. This plan includes a number of different looks for the league – including 14 playoff teams, three divisions, and just an 82-game schedule.
Will this plan actually work and become a thing? It’s far too early to tell as the players’ union will have to get a look at it and see if its something they feel good about. Health and safety will top any financial concerns as the country tries to figure out the safest ways to get back to work while the coronavirus still rages on.
But yeah, that 82-game season part of the plan sounds really, really, really good to me. In fact, they should make every year an 82-game season.
I know this would never happen because cash rules everyone, but 162 games just feels like way too many games. Having just 82 games makes baseball way more exciting, with every game actually meaning something. No longer will you have throwaway games in April or May (or really in any month of the lengthy season).
With 82 games in a “regular” year in which we’re not trying to battle a global pandemic, you could eliminate interleague play, because it’s dumb anyways. Have divisional play be the majority of the focus and make it again so great when a NL team only plays an AL team in the World Series.
I know people who are in love with the record books would have a problem with all of this but let’s be honest – record books are silly and given way too much importance by people who still want this game to be like it was when they were kids during the 50s and 60s.
These days we like things quick and convenient. 162 games is not that. The season drags on, things get boring, playoff races aren’t always what we want them to be. 82 games would be like a coffee with 8 shots of espresso in it. Who wouldn’t enjoy that rush?
Baseball’s struggles to remain one of the top sports in the country have been well documented over the years.
This drastic change would help the sport.
A lot.
Monday’s biggest winner: This Jordan/LeBron mashup video.
The internet remained undefeated on Monday when somebody used the video of LeBron James talking about how his win in Game 7 of the 2016 NBA Finals made him the greatest player of all time which was followed with the video of Michael Jordan laughing at Gary Payton in “The Last Dance.” This video is so perfect.
Quick hits: SVP’s awesome ‘Bad Beats’ with Jordan’s Bulls… WWE star Becky Lynch is pregnant… 7 possible MNF replacements… And more!
– Scott Van Pelt did a “Bad Beats” segment on random Bulls games from 1995-96 and it was so well done.
– WWE star Becky Lynch announced on Raw that she’s pregnant and the WWE world was so happy for her and Seth Rollins.
– Charles Curtis ranked 7 people would should be up for the MNF gig. I personally would like to see Jay Cutler get the gig, that is he wants it.
– Mike Tyson’s latest training video shows just how scary he is at age 53.
– Dave Grohl perfectly summed up why live music is so great and why we need it so much.
– ‘Seinfeld’ fans mourned Jerry Stiller on Monday by remembering his all-time amazing sports moment on the show.