156 replies to this topic

[bnickle]

Horse racing and in particular the Big Races like the Triple Crown and Breede s Cup are underrated

[mweb08]

Horse racing and in particular the Big Races like the Triple Crown and Breede s Cup are underrated

Maybe if you bet on them, which obviously many do. But without a rooting interest, nah.

[SBTarheel]

I just dont get the LLWS love. Maybe because Im a childless dude but I dont know man. Lots of politics or cheating plus its 12 yr olds playing baseball. Its sloppy. I dont hate it. It was fun doing All Stars at rhat age and is a blast for the kids to get that far but from a viewership POV. Meh

And I'll admit I've enjoyed it much more having a "baseball kid". With DirecTV we watch the regionals too. It's fun, but yea, watching it with Drew makes it much better. 

[SportsGuy]

It's good, but not worth the price it goes for in restaurants. Hence, overrated.

I would say this about steak.  Its absurd what they charge for a basic filet, porterhouse, etc..

[SportsGuy]

Underrated: Thai Food

Overrated: Japanese Food (sushi, specifically)

Properly Rated: Indian Food

 

 

I love all 3, just commenting on my perception of how often and how highly "they" talk about each.

Drunken noodles...mmmmmm

[Mike in STL]

U-Little League World Series
O-World Cup
P-Triple Crown

$20 says Seth is hustling dads, taking bets on local little league games.

What’s the O/U on the green team vs the red team in the Parkville rec league game this Saturday, age group 10-12?

[mweb08]

TV drama edition:

U: Treme, Rome
O: Breaking Bad, Game of Thrones
P: The Wire, Deadwood

Note that I'm not saying that the overrated shows are bad as I actually think they're very good to great, but I don't think they should be in the best ever conversation.

[Pedro Cerrano]

On a Radiohead kick

Overrated: In Rainbows
Properly rated: OK computer
Underrated: Kid A

Note this is against music in general not just Radiohead records.

[Pedro Cerrano]

2018 fantasy football WR.

Overrated: Doug Baldwin
Underrated: Michael Crabtree.
Properly Rated: Allen Robinson

[Mike in STL]

2018 fantasy football WR.

Overrated: Doug Baldwin
Underrated: Michael Crabtree.
Properly Rated: Allen Robinson

Ha! Has a Ravens receiver ever been worth an own in fantasy football? Enjoy those 3-5 point games with the 11-13 point showing once a month.

[Mike in STL]

College football edition

U: USC
O: Notre Dame
P: Alabama

[Mike in STL]

Baseballs defensive plays:

U: Thee, Jim Edmonds catch
O: Derek Jeter flip play
P: Thee, Willie Mays catch

[mweb08]

Baseballs defensive plays:

U: Thee, Jim Edmonds catch
O: Derek Jeter flip play
P: Thee, Willie Mays catch

The Mays catch is overrated. He wasn't running close to full speed at the time of the catch and he had time to turn sideways to catch it rather than with his back to home. Great play still, but not one of the very best ever.

[Mike in STL]

The Mays catch is overrated. He wasn't running close to full speed at the time of the catch and he had time to turn sideways to catch it rather than with his back thi home. Great play still, but not one of the very best ever.

His back was facing home. He wasn’t sideways. He was like 440 feet away. He also had to spin and throw all that way to save the go ahead run from scoring. World Series game too.

There have been some more acrobatic catches. But this one is properly rated in the annals of baseball history.

[mweb08]

His back was facing home. He wasn’t sideways. He was like 440 feet away. He also had to spin and throw all that way to save the go ahead run from scoring. World Series game too.

There have been some more acrobatic catches. But this one is properly rated in the annals of baseball history.

Yes, I didn't say he was sideways. I said he had the time to turn sideways. It's just not that amazing of a catch. If it wasn't made by a superstar and during the World Series, it wouldn't be remembered at all. Now of course being in the WS makes it more notable for good reason, but it doesn't make the actual catch better.

Great catch, just not one of the best ever.

[Mike in STL]

Yes, I didn't say he was sideways. I said he had the time to turn sideways. It's just not that amazing of a catch. If it wasn't made by a superstar and during the World Series, it wouldn't be remembered at all. Now of course being in the WS makes it more notable for good reason, but it doesn't make the actual catch better.

Great catch, just not one of the best ever.

Agree to disagree I guess. I think that since it was at the Polo Grounds, the degree of difficulty was much higher. No where else are guys tracking balls hit that far. They are watching it go into the seats. He sprinted all the way to it, maybe could have turned, maybe it was tougher to judge given the distance, sun was out and all. 

 

You're right that there are some better catches. At the time of this catch, with the scarcity of television, there might have been 20 better catches but you only saw them if you were there. It's known because it was during a clutch moment in a world series, which plays like that in big games are worth more than plays like that on a Sunday in June between two crap teams no one is watching. Kind of like Kirk Gibson's homer. Lots of guys play hurt. Lots of guys have hit walk off homers. Lots of guys have hit a lot longer homers than that. It wasn't even a grand slam. But the factors surrounding it make it one of the best homers, best moments in history.

 

But purely from a hit in the game, or a catch in the game in Mays case, taking all the variables and situation out of it, sure. Gibson's homer isn't anything special at all. But you can't take away the situation and the variables, IMO, they all count. So, thats why I put Edmonds as underrated because it's the superior catch that doesn't get much play. But Mays I put in the properly rated spot because given the variables, it's a top play in baseball history. 

[mweb08]

The term greatest catches or best defensive plays is something where I personally value the quality of the play much more so than the context. So obviously agree to disagree on that.

Otherwise, I'll say again that he wasn't sprinting at the point of the catch as he clearly slowed down slightly before that. Some outfielders prefer to sprint to the spot and turn towards home to make a play like that. For others, what Mays did makes more sense as they're relatively comfortable with the over the head catch and/or struggle to relocate the ball after turning towards the plate. If he had done the former, it wouldn't be mentioned as one of the best catches ever.

Btw, it was approximately 420 feet from home, not 440.

[Mike in STL]

The term greatest catches or best defensive plays is something where I personally value the quality of the play much more so than the context. So obviously agree to disagree on that.

Otherwise, I'll say again that he wasn't sprinting at the point of the catch as he clearly slowed down slightly before that. Some outfielders prefer to sprint to the spot and turn towards home to make a play like that. For others, what Mays did makes more sense as they're relatively comfortable with the over the head catch and/or struggle to relocate the ball after turning towards the plate. If he had done the former, it wouldn't be mentioned as one of the best catches ever.

Btw, it was approximately 420 feet from home, not 440.

GettIng into semantics territory about when he stopped sprinting. You make it sound like it was can of corn and he made it harder than he needed to.

He’s in a full on sprint to get there and has no time to turn around. To me, he pulls up at the last split second as he catches it, a couple paces shy of the wall so he doesn’t crash into it, knowing he’s got to get the ball in and save a go ahead run and can’t do that if he hits the wall. He’s not just gliding under it backwards for fun with a huge game on the line. I’m sure if Willie Mays could have turned to make it easier, Willie Mays would have done that.

420, 440, still way way out there and homer everywhere today, or a leaping grab to rob a homer in Detroit if you are playing deep enough to set up for it.

But if the variables and the situation mean nothing, then what are we even talking about? What do you think is one of the greatest NBA shots of all time. A full court prayer at the end of the first quarter by a guy no one knows in a game no one remembers?

[mweb08]

No, I haven't made it seem like a can of corn at all. I've said it was a great catch multiple times. There's a big difference between great catch and greatest catch though, which this is often in the conversation for.

It's not semantics. Sprinting has a clear meaning and is easy to determine. He clearly isn't sprinting at the end. He also doesn't have to fully extend to catch the ball. But again, that doesn't mean it was a can of corn.

To me, greatest catch is like greatest dunk or more specifically web gems. In both of those, situation is often considered, but it's not paramount like it is with homers or jump shots, which in of themselves, are not tremendously special or unusual like a transcendent dunk or defensive play are, so they mainly stand out due to situation. So obviously a greatest homers list isn't simply the furthest hit, rather they are the most clutch. MJ's last shot with the Bulls for instance is not remarkable at all as a play or jump shot, but obviously is historic and monumental due to the circumstances at that moment.

So while no one would mention a jump shot in the 3rd quarter as a regular season game as one of the best ever, a dunk in the same situation absolutely is considered for such a list as are defensive plays in relatively low stakes regular season baseball games.

[glenn__davis]

I just dont get the LLWS love. Maybe because Im a childless dude but I dont know man. Lots of politics or cheating plus its 12 yr olds playing baseball. Its sloppy. I dont hate it. It was fun playing All Stars at rhat age and is a blast for the kids to get that far but from a viewership POV. Meh

 

I thought the LLWS was pretty cool when I was a kid, and the focus was mostly just on the game.  I remember Taiwan won, like, every year.

 

For a while there, like pretty much everything that is good, adults ruined and it became all about the parents.  "Hey little Johnny made a great play, HERE'S HIS MOM CHEERING HIM ON IN THE STANDS!!!!".  I swear between every pitch they were showing the parents in the stands.  I feel like they got back to just the games this year and letting the kids be kids and have the moment.  Don't know why, just felt like this year they started to correct the focus back to what it should be.