26 replies to this topic

[mweb08]

Other than how much you care about your favorite teams, I think a good way to measure how much you like various sports is by how much you watch/follow the sport when your favorite team is not involved.

For me, I love the O's as I watch a lot and obviously follow them quite a bit, but when it comes to watching other teams, I tend not to bother. I don't even get that into the playoffs other than rooting against the Yankees. However, I do play fantasy baseball and like to analyze players and moves. And I care much more about the MLB HOF than the other sports.

On the other hand, I'm captivated by the NBA playoffs even without the Lakers and I love the NFL playoffs even though my team rarely participates. I watch a lot of the NFL regular season other than the Skins as well and a fair amount of the NBA regular season. I also love to follow the NBA and like to follow the NFL.

So if I were to rank how much I care about individual teams, the O's would likely be first, but if I were to rank how much I watch and follow the sport without consideration to my favorite team, MLB would be 3rd.

Does anyone else have a similar discrepancy?

[JeremyStrain]

My favorite TEAM is probably neck and neck between the Caps and Redskins, but my favorite overall sport would be Football, Hockey close behind and baseball (and the O's) 3rd in both.

[Chris B]

I'm a die hard of both the Ravens and Orioles. Honestly, I'd probably tell you one or the other is my "favorite" depending on the season.

As I've gotten older, I would say I've paid more attention to the sport of football over baseball. I am a fantasy football nut, and I see myself continuing to be in the future. I'll watch every playoff game, along with every SNF/MNF game along with whenever the Ravens don't play. I just rarely see myself watching random baseball games on TV.

For basketball, I don't care for the NBA at all, but I usually watch most of the playoffs. Definitely every NBA Finals game. I've become a bigger basketball fan over the past 2 years and March Madness certainly helps there.

Not a big fan of hockey at all. I can't stand the Caps and I can't really attach myself to another team (same reason why I don't follow the NBA much). For soccer, I'll watch USMNT games every so often. I'll watch all of their World Cup games, and many other WC games as well.

[Oriole85]

The Orioles are my favorite team, but besides that I don't make baseball appointment TV. I'll watch some Nats and Sunday Night Baseball. I watch pretty much all the playoffs though.

NFL is different, I'm more into fantasy football than any teams. I'm casual Ravens fan and like the Redskins too. Fantasy gets me interested in games that non-fantasy players could care less about.

After the Orioles my top allegiance is to the Buffs then the Terps. I like football and basketball equally teams equally. I have much more interest in college football then college basketball. I could spend all Saturday watching random college football games, not the same with college basketball. However, I must say March Madness is the best sporting event, nothing rivals it IMO and I like Championship Week as well.

Besides that, I'll watch the Caps when there are no conflicts with the above excluding the Penguins and playoffs. And if there's nothing else on, i'll watch the Wizards. But I don't care too much about general NBA or NHL fare.

[Nuclear Dish]

I have no doubt that baseball is my favorite sport. However, it is not my favorite sport to watch on TV, so I kind of disagree with the premise. I'd go to a baseball game anywhere any time, even if it were a crappy middle school game. But watching even the World Series on TV is boring to me. I do it because I don't want to miss something big, but the game isn't made for television.

My favorite sport to watch on TV would be either football or college basketball. The fact that I can differentiate between college and pro tells me very clearly that basketball (in general) is not my favorite sport.

I love going to Ravens games, and I'm sure attending other games would be fun, but not without a rooting interest. Football, however, was made for television, and I could watch a decent game on TV no matter who was playing.

My favorite teams (in no real order) are equally the O's, the Ravens, Hopkins lacrosse, and the Tar Heels (all sports, other than lacrosse).

I also root equally as hard for whoever is playing the Yankees, the Steelers, and dook. It's really a tough call whether I'd prefer a season in which Carolina loses in the Sweet 16 but dook goes 0-28, or a season in which Carolina goes 36-3 and wins the National Championship, but loses all three to dook, who wins the ACC Tournament and makes the Final Four.

[mweb08]

I think for watching the game purposes, baseball is better on TV unless you have great seats. It's hard to get a good read on pitch location at games and depending on where you sit, it's hard to tell how good the stuff is.

TV gives you a great read on both.

But of course going to a baseball game is a great experience.

[Oriole85]

I think for watching the game purposes, baseball is better on TV unless you have great seats. It's hard to get a good read on pitch location at games and depending on where you sit, it's hard to tell how good the stuff is.

TV gives you a great read on both.

But of course going to a baseball game is a great experience.

I agree with what you are saying especially with the balls&strikes, but maybe other than golf, football to me is the most made for TV.

[Mackus]

I wonder if you would care more about the baseball playoffs if it ever involved the O's. Like if they made the playoffs once every 3 or 4 years, would you follow it more often? Maybe your relative lack of interest in the baseball playoffs is because it's such a seemingly unattainable goal for the O's that it almost seems like an entirely different sport. At least with the NFL and NBA your teams are frequently or occasionally in the playoffs and you get to experience both the subtle differences in the style of play from regular season to playoffs and that edge of your seat, everything is on the line feeling of rooting for a team in a playoff game.

[Oriole85]

I wonder if you would care more about the baseball playoffs if it ever involved the O's. Like if they made the playoffs once every 3 or 4 years, would you follow it more often? Maybe your relative lack of interest in the baseball playoffs is because it's such a seemingly unattainable goal for the O's that it almost seems like an entirely different sport. At least with the NFL and NBA your teams are frequently or occasionally in the playoffs and you get to experience both the subtle differences in the style of play from regular season to playoffs and that edge of your seat, everything is on the line feeling of rooting for a team in a playoff game.

When my teams are in the playoffs, I find myself caring less once my team is eliminated. I remember in 1996/97 my interest in the World Series was significantly less than in other years.

[mweb08]

I wonder if you would care more about the baseball playoffs if it ever involved the O's. Like if they made the playoffs once every 3 or 4 years, would you follow it more often? Maybe your relative lack of interest in the baseball playoffs is because it's such a seemingly unattainable goal for the O's that it almost seems like an entirely different sport. At least with the NFL and NBA your teams are frequently or occasionally in the playoffs and you get to experience both the subtle differences in the style of play from regular season to playoffs and that edge of your seat, everything is on the line feeling of rooting for a team in a playoff game.

Perhaps.

I don't think that's the main reason for my relative lack of interest in the baseball playoffs compared to the other sports, though.

For instance, I'd much rather watch two good NFL or NBA teams play each other in the regular season than I would two good MLB teams. I have little interest in watching almost all regular season MLB games that don't involve the O's, but that's not the case in the other sports. So that simply carries over to the playoffs.

BTW, I have watched plenty of playoff baseball and there have been tons of great games/moments, but in general, I'm much more accepting of missing MLB playoff games than the other sports.

[BSLChrisStoner]

Baseball is my favorite game, but I don't spend a lot of time watching non O's games. Prior to this week, I was spending more time watching Baseball Tonight, & the MLB Network than usual. Guess I find it easier to follow the game as a whole, when the O's are more relevant.

Like others have said, I'll pretty much watch every NFL game.

I can watch major college basketball games from all conferences, with all ACC games holding my attention.

I always intend to watch more college football, but never seems to happen. Do love College Gameday... do flip through most of the major games, just rare to sit and really pay attention.

Still don't know much about soccer, but enjoy the game.

[BSLBobPhelan]

Baseball is my favorite game, but I don't spend a lot of time watching non O's games. Prior to this week, I was spending more time watching Baseball Tonight, & the MLB Network than usual. Guess I find it easier to follow the game as a whole, when the O's are more relevant.

Like others have said, I'll pretty much watch every NFL game.

I can watch major college basketball games from all conferences, with all ACC games holding my attention.

I always intend to watch more college football, but never seems to happen. Do love College Gameday... do flip through most of the major games, just rare to sit and really pay attention.

Still don't know much about soccer, but enjoy the game.

Pretty much my thoughts exactly. Having said that I probably enjoy watching a UFC event more than any team sport.

[Oriole85]

I'm curious how much everyone's interest in the NFL games as a whole is effected by fantasy football. I would not pay nearly the amount of attention if I didn't have a "stake" in the outcome, even though my leagues aren't exactly huge sums of $$$, it's big bragging rights since I've been doing one for a decade plus and the other is pretty competitive.

I'd still care about the "big" games, but wouldn't make it appointment TV if there was no fantasy.

[BSLBobPhelan]

Good point. That definitely is a factor for me.

[Chris B]

I'm curious how much everyone's interest in the NFL games as a whole is effected by fantasy football. I would not pay nearly the amount of attention if I didn't have a "stake" in the outcome, even though my leagues aren't exactly huge sums of $$$, it's big bragging rights since I've been doing one for a decade plus and the other is pretty competitive.

I'd still care about the "big" games, but wouldn't make it appointment TV if there was no fantasy.

Absolutely a big factor for me.

[Pedro Cerrano]

The NFL plays 16 games per regular season. The NBA and NHL; 81. Baseball plays twice that much. That also needs to be taken into account when you're talking about which one you watch more on TV.

Plus the insufferable NFL hype by ESPN makes it basically impossible to not immerse yourself in the NFL 365 days a year.

[mweb08]

The NFL plays 16 games per regular season. The NBA and NHL; 81. Baseball plays twice that much. That also needs to be taken into account when you're talking about which one you watch more on TV.

Plus the insufferable NFL hype by ESPN makes it basically impossible to not immerse yourself in the NFL 365 days a year.

Yeah, definitely. However, I'm not likely to watch 16 entire non O's regular season baseball games throughout the whole year. Not even half of that.

[BSLChrisStoner]

The NFL plays 16 games per regular season. The NBA and NHL; 81. Baseball plays twice that much. That also needs to be taken into account when you're talking about which one you watch more on TV.

Plus the insufferable NFL hype by ESPN makes it basically impossible to not immerse yourself in the NFL 365 days a year.

No doubt. The once a week nature of the NFL, plays perfectly with the short attention span of most.

[DJ MC]

No doubt. The once a week nature of the NFL, plays perfectly with the short attention span of most.

I might agree, except for all of the coverage and "analysis" that each game spawns and is lapped up by so many essentially 24/7.

[Nuclear Dish]

To me, some of the reason I won't bother watching too much basketball and hockey during the regular season is that the postseason is practically a season unto itself. When you consider that an NBA or NHL team plays 16-28 playoff games (20-35% of the regular season) and that the postseason takes a full 2 months to play out, there doesn't seem to be much point in watching regular season games.

In baseball, the playoffs are now 12-20 games (7-12% of regular season) and in football the playoffs are 3-4 games (19-25% of the regular season).

And in the NHL, for instance, the game is practically an entirely different entity in the postseason. It's not even the same game really.