Free Agency will upend my state’s MLB powerhouses.

[65refinyellow]

I have never seen California baseball like 2021 where regular season Dodgers went 106 and their rival Giants went 107.

 

Both teams have more talented free agents like Guasman and Kershaw and my Giants lost Gausman to Toronto!! This all looks bad fir these two teams in ‘22.

 

But to that the highly anticipated move of brilliant A’s skipper to San Diego. And don’t forget the best player from Japan (Ohtani) since Ichiro on the Angels.

 

I think California is going to see a techtonic shift in the sport as I also predict a less than stellar San Jose Sharks and supercharged Brooklyn putting the skids on a rejuvenated Warriors.

 

I think California had their sports dynasty in the sun with LAD and Kershaw and Cy Youngs, LeBron and Lakers, the record smashing three point splash brothers at the Golden State Warriors and five consecutive Finals trips, and Madbum and his three rings with the Giants. That’s eight rings and eight parades crowing up California streets in a fairly short period.

[Eric - TIA]

Yes, you have a lot to look forward to.  I am in Chicago, so we really don't have anything to get excited about.  Crappy teams, high taxes and corrupt politicians. 

[65refinyellow]

On 12/23/2021 at 4:52 AM, Eric - TIA said:

Yes, you have a lot to look forward to.  I am in Chicago, so we really don't have anything to get excited about.  Crappy teams, high taxes and corrupt politicians. 

There were a few times you guys ruled the sports headlines like the Blackhawks, White Sox, Cubs, Bears, and especially the Bulls.

[Eric - TIA]

Yes, but in the last 50 years, we only have one season for the Bears to hang their hats, the Cubs have one season and didn't even know the sox were around anymore.  Had had some good runs.  Yes, the Bulls have more but for being such a big market, it's a bad track record.  Being a sports fan, just wish we had a little more to get excited about.  However with everything going on in the sports arena, I haven't been watching much and not missing much.

[fm2176]

It sounds like an impressive year.  The Baltimore Orioles and Baltimore Colts were my favorite teams growing up.  NASCAR and football were always on the family TV but when I could get it to myself I'd watch MLB games at night.  I'd read books about the classic baseball players like Babe Ruth and always had an interest in the classic Yankees lineups as well as the teams of the early 1900s.  Later I enjoyed watched the "Da Bears" SNL skits as well as Major League and other sports films.  

 

As I've gotten older, I've grown to almost despise professional sports.  While the college teams are full of eager young people who usually aspire to transition to the pro leagues, those pro leagues seem full of prima donnas who feel as though their celebrity status and high salaries elevate them over the masses.  Admittedly, in the grand scheme of things there are a relative few who do this, but how often has a well-known athlete decided to politicize their respective sport or to accuse the organization, fellow athletes, or even the fans of discrimination?  Also, how many pro players with multi-million dollar salaries have been arrested, often for serious crimes?  Professional teams are at the end of the day businesses which have little to no sense of loyalty to the communities they play in.  They're bought and sold, enticed to move elsewhere with promises of bigger and better stadiums, and the players themselves effectively become miniature franchises, seeking that next big paycheck.  College football games are a bit easier for me to watch, but down in Louisiana and especially Texas, it seems that the local high school games are most popular.  School and stadium parking lots overflow on Friday nights and it's not uncommon to see high school teams' apparel being worn by someone who graduated twenty years earlier..  

 

Regardless of my personal feelings about professional sports and some of the players, I can't help but respect those diehard fans who can name entire rosters, talk stats for hours, and otherwise completely nerd out on "their" team.  I've overheard some passionate conversations where I almost thought the person talking had played on the team, before realizing they were talking about the previous night's game they saw on TV.  Also, those coaches and mentors who take young men and women under their wing and help make them the great athletes that eventually move through college into the professional organizations deserve a lot of credit.  It's great reading about the literal rags to riches stories that some players have.    Hopefully your teams do well this upcoming season.