I think it's funny that so many people could watch Mad Men and not learn anything about advertising from it. Anyone who says, "It's no big deal, it's just a brick" is a goof. The Cubs didn't sell bricks. No one is dumb enough to pay $160 for a brick. Not even Cub fans. The Cubs were selling memories, connection to the team, the past, their families- nostalgia. And for those connections and memories to end up in a landfill, well, simply replacing the old brick with a new one doesn't remedy the emotional shock of seeing dear departed dad's tribute in the trash.

And that comes back around to why, no matter how many times people repeat it, no matter how much advertising the NFL sells, football will never be "king" over baseball. People just don't attend football games the way they attend baseball games. And memories and emotions aren't formed by watching TV. It's temporary, throwaway. The Wire was the greatest show ever, then Breaking Bad came on and we forgot about it. Your memory, your emotion, your nostalgia- whether it's true or not- is about walking into a baseball game for the first time with your dad. Nobody romanticizes the first time they sat down on the couch with pops to watch the Bears. "Hey, Connie! Get me a beer and I think Junior needs a diaper change!"

This is how horse racing has destroyed itself through simulcasting/computer wagering. I became a fan of racing at Sportsman's Park on Friday and Saturday nights when there were 20,000 in attendance and the place was electric and I stood a few feet from the horses. I couldn't even describe what it was like to a guy in his 20s. Now I only watch a few races a year live. Most I see on a TV screen in a dark bar or at home on my computer. That's fine for me. I was hooked back in 1983 when I watched Cam Fella roar down the stretch between Cicero and Laramie. But I don't think you're going to make fans as passionate as I am over a TV screen.

The Cubs owe anyone who bought the $160 memories they sold and then shit on a big apology.

Is it SoxMan The Grinder or Grinder The SoxMan?

let me tell you from experience, it isn't fun being the less attractive sibling

Is that Frank in that picture?

I'm gonna guess you think the one on the left is "less attractive" and I will emphatically disagree.

I think it's funny that so many people could watch Mad Men and not learn anything about advertising from it. Anyone who says, "It's no big deal, it's just a brick" is a goof. The Cubs didn't sell bricks. No one is dumb enough to pay $160 for a brick. Not even Cub fans. The Cubs were selling memories, connection to the team, the past, their families- nostalgia. And for those connections and memories to end up in a landfill, well, simply replacing the old brick with a new one doesn't remedy the emotional shock of seeing dear departed dad's tribute in the trash.

And that comes back around to why, no matter how many times people repeat it, no matter how much advertising the NFL sells, football will never be "king" over baseball. People just don't attend football games the way they attend baseball games. And memories and emotions aren't formed by watching TV. It's temporary, throwaway. The Wire was the greatest show ever, then Breaking Bad came on and we forgot about it. Your memory, your emotion, your nostalgia- whether it's true or not- is about walking into a baseball game for the first time with your dad. Nobody romanticizes the first time they sat down on the couch with pops to watch the Bears. "Hey, Connie! Get me a beer and I think Junior needs a diaper change!"

This is how horse racing has destroyed itself through simulcasting/computer wagering. I became a fan of racing at Sportsman's Park on Friday and Saturday nights when there were 20,000 in attendance and the place was electric and I stood a few feet from the horses. I couldn't even describe what it was like to a guy in his 20s. Now I only watch a few races a year live. Most I see on a TV screen in a dark bar or at home on my computer. That's fine for me. I was hooked back in 1983 when I watched Cam Fella roar down the stretch between Cicero and Laramie. But I don't think you're going to make fans as passionate as I am over a TV screen.

The Cubs owe anyone who bought the $160 memories they sold and then shit on a big apology.

WSJ today: participation in youth baseball has dropped about 40% in the past decade.

they certainly aren't going to games in Bridgeport either.

maybe biggie has an extra.

Probably the best post I've read here.